The best fifth-wheel brands and manufacturers all have a few things in common – they have a proven track record for building high-quality, reliable fifth-wheel trailers, a focus on customer service, and a reputation for excellence.
There are many companies offering 5th-wheelers as a part of their RV lineup, but a select few stand out and meet the criteria to be considered one of the best!
Let’s take a look at these top brands and manufacturers now!
Overview
Best Fifth-Wheel Brands & Manufacturers
Coachmen
Coachmen Industries was started by three brothers, Tom, Keith, and Claude Corson, in 1964 in Middlebury, Indiana. Since that time, they have produced over 750,000 recreational vehicles.
In 2008, Coachman was bought out by Forest River Inc., which also owns Palomino RV, Shasta RV, Dynamax, and more.
Coachmen RV is one of the most popular recreational vehicle manufacturers today, producing campers of just about every type – from Class-As down to teardrop trailers – and for every budget.
Click here to find a Coachmen dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Middlebury, Indiana
Founded: 1964
Website: https://coachmenrv.com
Phone: (574) 825-5821
Coachmen RV Types
- Class-A
- Class-B
- Class-C
- Fifth-wheel
- Pop-up Camper
- Travel Trailer
- Teardrop Camper
Learn More About Coachmen
Crossroads RVs
Crossroads RV was founded in 1996 and has since grown its operations to over 600 employees in five different manufacturing facilities.
Crossroads focuses on towable RVs, including fifth-wheels and travel trailers. Plus, their lineup includes a destination trailer (a larger than normal travel trailer) called the Hampton.
Prices range from around $23,000 for their entry-level travel trailer to over $145,000 for their top-of-the-line fifth wheel.
Click here to find a Crossroads dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Topeka, Indiana
Founded: 1996
Website: https://www.crossroadsrv.com
Phone: (260) 593-3850
Crossroads RVs Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Crossroads RVs
DRV Suites
If you want the absolute top-of-the-line luxury in your 5th-weel, look no further than DRV Suites!
DRV suites offer two models – the Mobile Suites and the Full House – each with multiple floor plans, decor choices, and options allowing you to fully customize your RV.
Click here to find a DRV Suites dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Howe, Indiana
Founded: 2003
Website: https://www.drvsuites.com
Phone: (260) 562-1075
DRV Suites RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
Learn More About DRV Suites
Dutchmen
Founded in 1988, Dutchmen quickly became the second-largest travel trailer manufacturer before being bought out by Thor Industries in 1990.
Today, Dutchmen is headquartered in Goshen, Indiana, and exclusively produces travel trailers and fifth wheels.
Prices range from $21,000 for the Coleman Lantern travel trailer to $153,000+ for the Voltage fifth-wheel toy hauler.
You can build and customize your own RV on their website, choosing from multiple floorplans, decor options, and amenities. Or you can click here to find a Dutchmen dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Goshen, Indiana
Founded: 1988
Website: https://www.dutchmen.com
Phone: (866) 425-4369
Dutchmen RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Dutchmen
East to West RV
Founded in 2017, East to West RV was quickly acquired by Forest River, Inc. just a year later.
East to West RV has five guiding principles that drive its business operations:
- Environmental sustainability
- Corporate and social responsibility
- Teamwork
- Quality construction
- Customer satisfaction
They currently offer Class-C RVs, fifth-wheels, and travel trailers, with a total of six models.
Click here to find an East to West RV dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Elkhart, Indiana
Founded: 2017
Website: https://easttowestrv.com
Phone: (574) 264-6664
East to West RV Types
- Class-C
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About East to West RV
Forest River RV
Forest River RV is a division of Forest River, Inc, along with other popular RV makers like Coachmen, Dynamax, Palomino RV, and more.
Founded in 1996 by Peter Liegl, Forest River has grown to be one of the largest manufacturers of RVs. And unbeknownst to some, they make much more than just campers, including pontoons, commercial trucks, buses, and more.
Forest River also has one of the most extensive lineups of RV types and brands, with almost too many to list here. So, check out their current RV brands and locate a dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Elkhart, Indiana
Founded: 1996
Website: https://www.forestriverinc.com
Phone: (866) 837-6044
Forest River Inc. RV Types
- A-frame
- Class-A
- Class-C
- Fifth-wheel
- Pop-up Camper
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Forest River Inc.
Grand Design
In 2012, Don Clark and brothers Bill and Ron French founded Grand Design RV.
Before that, they helped build up Keystone RV to be the powerhouse it has become today, but in 2011 decided to leave and get a fresh start with Grand Design RV.
Today, they have over 400,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing facilities on 67 acres in Middlebury, Indiana.
They focus exclusively on fifth-wheel and travel trailers, with ten different brands to choose from. You can request a factory tour or locate a dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Middlebury, Indiana
Founded: 2012
Website: https://www.granddesignrv.com
Phone: (574) 825-8000
Grand Design RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Grand Design
Gulf Stream Coach
Gulf Stream Coach is one of the few top-selling RV manufacturers that are family owned!
Started in 1971 by Jim Shea Sr., Gulf Stream has grown to be an industry leader, with over 22 brands and 140 models to choose from. They have sold over 300,000 RVs since its inception.
They have a large dealer network, with over 700 dealers across the United States. Click here to find a Gulf Stream dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Nappanee, Indiana
Founded: 1971
Website: https://www.gulfstreamcoach.com
Phone: (800) 289-8787
Gulf Stream Coach RV Types
- Class-B
- Class-C
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Gulf Stream Coach
Heartland
Heartland RV was founded in 2003 by former Damon Corp. CEO Brian Brady. It is located in the RV capital of the world, Elkhart, Indiana.
In 2010, Thor Industries acquired Heartland RV, putting it under the same umbrella as many other popular RV manufacturers, like Airstream, Dutchmen, Jayco, etc.
Today, Heartland offers over 20 brands of fifth-wheel and travel trailers. Check out their current lineup on their website or find a Heartland dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Elkhart, Indiana
Founded: 2003
Website: https://heartlandrvs.com
Phone: (877) 262-8032
Heartland RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Heartland
Jayco
Jayco was founded in 1968 by Lloyd Bontrager in Indiana when he built his very first pop-up style camper with an innovative lift system.
Over the years, Jayco Companies would grow into an industry leader, acquiring several RV manufacturers to create four different RV divisions – Entegra Coach, Jayco, Starcraft RV, and Highland Ridge RV. In 2016, Jayco Companies was acquired by Thor Industries.
Today, Jayco produces an extensive line of motorhomes and trailers, including Class-A, B, and C RVs, fifth-wheels, and travel trailers.
They’ve won several industry awards, even winning America’s best-selling travel trailer, the Jay Flight, 15 years in a row.
Browse all the floor plans Jayco RV offers or locate a Jayco dealer near you for more information.
Company
Headquarters: Middlebury, Indiana
Founded: 1968
Website: https://www.jayco.com
Phone: (574) 825-5861
Jayco RV Types
- Class-A
- Class-B
- Class-C
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Jayco
Keystone RV
Keystone RV was founded in 1996 by Cole Davis and, by 2000, was recognized as number 2 on the Inc 500s list of fastest-growing companies!
Keystone RV Company, now under the Thor Industries umbrella, is currently the #1 manufacturer of towable RVs with over a million owners, thanks to the popularity of models like the Cougar, Alpine, and more.
You can build and customize your own Keystone RV on their website or locate a Keystone dealer near you for more information.
Company
Headquarters: Goshen, Indiana
Founded: 1996
Website: https://www.keystonerv.com
Phone: (866) 425-4369
Keystone RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Keystone RV
New Horizons
Located in the heart of Kansas, New Horizons is a family-owned business that has been building RVs for over 30 years!
Specializing in high-quality fifth-wheels, New Horizons hand-builds every trailer to your specification in their 40,000 sq. ft. modern facility.
They offer factory tours allowing you to see first-hand exactly how your new RV is built, which we highly recommend you take advantage of if you plan to buy from them.
Start your journey with New Horizons today.
Company
Headquarters: Junction City, Kansas
Founded: 1989
Website: https://horizonsrv.com
Phone: (800) 235-3140
New Horizons RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
Learn More About New Horizons
Palomino
Palomino was founded in 1968 by Vern Landey in Savage, Minnesota. As demand quickly grew, he eventually relocated the company to its current location of Colon, Michigan, in 1972.
Palomino grew and expanded over the years, eventually being acquired by Forest River, Inc., in 2002. This led to the rapid growth of the Palomino company, making them one of the top 5 RV manufacturers in the U.S.
Palomino focuses exclusively on towables, including truck campers, fifth-wheels, and travel trailers.
They’ve won several awards over the years, with the Backpack Truck Camper winning the 2022 Top RV Debut and the River Ranch earning the Best New Model award of 2021.
Click here to find a Palomino dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Colon, Michigan
Founded: 1968
Website: https://www.palominorv.com
Phone: (269) 432-3271
Palomino RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
- Truck Camper
Learn More About Palomino
Prime Time Manufacturing
Prime Time Manufacturing was founded in 2009 in Wakarusa, Indiana, by a team of RV industry veterans with a combined 100 years of experience.
Over the last decade, PTM has been one of the fastest-growing RV manufacturers in America, being recognized as one of the top 10 companies in the industry.
Their focus is solely on travel trailers and fifth-wheels, offering six total brands (three brands of travel trailers and three brands of fifth-wheels).
Check out their lineup of RV brands or locate a Prime Time Manufacturing dealer near you for more information.
Company
Headquarters: Wakarusa, Indiana
Founded: 2009
Website: https://primetimerv.com/
Phone: (574) 862-3001
Prime Time Manufacturing RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Prime Time Manufacturing
Scamp Trailers
Scamp Trailers was founded in 1972, with the 13′ trailer being their only model. As the years went by, they slowly grew and added the 16′ and 19′ trailers to their lineup.
Scamp Trailers are extremely lightweight and eco-friendly, designed to be towed behind smaller pickups and SUVs.
While their size options are limited to 13, 16, and 19 feet, they have various floorplan options and amenities you can pick from.
Each Scamp is made to order, and you can start the process by ordering online.
Company
Headquarters: Backus, Minnesota
Founded: 1972
Website: https://www.scamptrailers.com
Phone: (800) 346-4962
Scamp Trailers RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Scamp Trailer
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Scamp Trailers
Shasta RV
Robert Gray built the first Shasta trailer in 1941 as a mobile military housing unit. Little did Gray know at that time that his creation would help spark a billion-dollar industry!
Today, Shasta RV is one of the longest-running RV manufacturers, having been in business for over 80 years and producing hundreds of thousands of recreational vehicles.
While Shasta was acquired by several companies over the years, first Coachmen, then Forest River, Inc., they are still producing high-quality fifth wheel and travel trailers today.
They currently offer two brands – the Phoenix fifth wheel and the Shasta travel trailer, which was awarded the “Must See RV” in 2021 by RV Business.
Click here to find a Shasta dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Middlebury, Indiana
Founded: 1941
Website: https://shastarving.com/
Phone: (574) 825-7178
Shasta RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Shasta RV
Starcraft RV
While the Starcraft company dates back to 1903, when they started making farm equipment, it wasn’t until 1964 that they produced their first tent camper.
In fact, Lloyd Bontrager, the founder of Jayco, first worked for Starcraft from 1963-1967, where he invented the first pop-up lifter system.
Today, Starcraft is a part of the Forest River, Inc. company, along with Jayco, Airstream Dutchmen, and many more.
Their main focus is producing high-quality fifth wheel and travel trailers, with the popular Autumn Ridge travel trailer starting at $23,000 up to the Telluride fifth wheel starting at $67,800.
Click here to locate a Starcraft dealer near you.
Company
Headquarters: Middlebury, Indiana
Founded: 1903
Website: https://starcraftrv.com
Phone: (800) 945-4787
Starcraft RV Types
- Fifth-wheel
- Travel Trailer
Learn More About Starcraft RV
Fifth-Wheel Brand FAQs
Who Makes the Highest Quality Fifth Wheel?
Many high-quality fifth-wheel manufacturers, including Forest River, Heartland RV, and East to West RV, have won industry awards for their fifth-wheel trailers.
Of course, quality is relative. All of the manufacturers on the above list make high-quality fifth-wheels, so it’s important to do your due diligence and find a model that fits your needs, budget, and quality expectations.
Do 5th Wheels Hold Their Value?
5th wheels do not hold their value as well as other types of RVs. According to NADA, 5th wheels decrease in value by 45% after just five years. And after ten years, they depreciate by 71%.
Who Makes Luxury Fifth Wheels?
Many RV manufacturers make luxury fifth-wheels, including DRV Suites, Grand Design, Luxe, Heartland RV, Forest River, and others. More specifically, the Forest River Cardinal 390FBX, Forest River Riverstone Reserve 3850RK, and the Heartland RV Bighorn 3120RK all won the RV News 2021 Luxury Fifth-Wheel of the Year award.