Still in the planning and research stage here. I'll retire next year, sell the sticks and bricks and go full time nomad. Endless research has led me to 2 solid decisions. I will track down a used Newmar 5th wheel and I'll be pulling it with an HDT. Newmar hasn't manufactured the 5th wheel since 2014. The specific truck model has had me going from Volvo, to Peterbilt, to Kenworth and then back to the Volvo VNL 780. I prefer the Volvo's workstation sleepers. Now I'm learning several necessary details including where I can get the Volvo singled in or near Fort Worth TX. One online forum says you should get the trailer/5th wheel first to determine what you need to haul it. That seems terribly impractical because if the Newmar I want turns up for sale in Kansas, how am I to get it home if I buy it?
Then there is the issue of finding instruction on owning a big truck. I could change the oil and tires on cars before I was old enough to drive but a semi tractor is a mystery to me. If I buy from MHC in Fort Worth, I'm pretty sure they'll help with learning the truck but I don't think that location does singling. It's all a learning curve and nobody has a solid cost estimate online (not recent). So, here I am in the forums and really seeking an education. I'm trying to learn how practical my cost limits are. When I decided on the fiver, I was initially set on getting a Ram 3500 but shelling out $90,000 for a truck that doesn't compare to the lifespan of a tractor doesn't make much sense. If I land the Volvo I'm after for $50,000 and can get the singling and bed done for $20,000 I'll come in under the cost of the Ram. The used Newmar will run between $20,000 and $40,000. My goal is to keep the total under $100,000. Any advice is welcome.