FAQ (frequently asked questions)
Some of the more common questions we are asked
Points of interest:
The term "Carrying
Weight" is different to "Cargo Capacity"
When it comes to how much stuff you can take away on holiday the confusion between these two terms can make up to a 250kg difference.
29th March 2011
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The Isuzu D-Max is the perfect partner for any Hodge RV 5th wheel. With class leading tow capacities and payload and pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
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- Most 28' fifth wheelers have a tare weight of well over 3000kgs, often more than 3500kgs, how come yours are so much lighter?
- Why is aluminium a more suitable product for chassis, walls and cabinetry?
- Why do you mention insulation a lot more than other manufacturers?
- What are the main advantages over a motorhome or bus?
- What about warranties, spare parts and repairs?
- Why are Road Glides and Free Spirits WOF trailers instead of COF?
- How easy are they to insure?
- How many sizes and floorplans are Road Glide & Free Spirit fifth wheels available in?
- Where are Road Glide & Free Spirit 5th wheels built?
- Are Road Glide fifth wheels available with Slide Outs?
- How difficult is it to un-hitch the tow vehicle for normal use?
- Are Road glides "green"?
- How "NZ" are Road Glides?
Most 28' fifth wheelers have a tare weight of well over 3000kgs, often more than 3500kgs, how come yours are so much lighter?
- Most 28' fifth wheelers come from the USA, where they are towed by large pickup trucks, so building them light is not an issue. As building a light weight RV is more costly, especially when done properly, American builders show very little regard to weight when constructing their trailers. We utilize a lot more aluminium in our construction process, as it is considerably stronger per weight than wood, steel and other
less expensive building products. We also keep our over all height lower, use a lighter and more advanced slide-out system and use a lighter, rust free and strong aluminium chassis.
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Why is aluminium a more suitable product for chassis, walls and cabinetry?
- Aluminium is very strong, light and does not rust. This makes it a perfect material for trailer chassis building. Per weight aluminium is just over three times as strong as steel. Eg A 28' steel 5th wheeler chassis weighs approx 700kgs. A Hodge RV aluminium 5th wheeler chassis weighs approx 300kgs – a big saving in weight and much stronger. As for walls and cabinetry, unlike wood, the structural integrity of aluminium does not disintegrate over time when in contact with water
or movement and is far less affected by the stresses put on it. The
only advantage that steel and timber have over aluminium is cost, they are much
less expensive than aluminium.
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Why do you mention insulation a lot more than other manufacturers?
- New Zealand can get quite cold in winter and hot in summer
so your best and "greenist" line of defence is good insulation.
It means our units requires a lot less gas for heating in winter
and remain comfortable in summer without A/C. This suits
the unique NZ "freedom camping" lifestyle where you are not
connected to mains power. Our insulation is 38mm
polyurethane foam. It is vaccuum bonded into our walls,
roof and floor between the aluminium box section. The
resulting product has an R value of 12.
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What are the main advantages over a motorhome or bus?
- Many of our Road Glide owners are ex-bus/motorhome owners. The biggest advantage is being able to unhitch when you
arrive and have the use of your ute. You can go to the
shop without packing up the camper, one person can stay in the
5th wheel while the other fishes or sight sees, if your ute
breaks down you don'e become home less. The financial
reasons are less cost for more space, better return if you ever
decide to sell, less registration costs & you don't need to tow
or own a second vehicle. The fifth wheel style of hitching
makes for very safe and comfortable towing over a caravan and
with the point of articulation you can get to more places (and
out of with the 4WD ute).
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What about warranties, spare parts and repairs?
- All Road Glide & Free Spirit 5th wheels come with a two year warranty that covers parts and workmanship on the 5th wheeler itself (often called bumper to bumper). Individual appliances are covered by their own manufacturer’s warranties. As we manufacture the fifth wheels we stock every part within them, so getting spare parts to where you are is not a problem.
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Why are Road Glides and Free Spirits WOF trailers
- All Road Glide & Free Spirit 5th wheels have a GVM of less than 3500kg. This is an important weight to be under as if the manufacturers GVM is greater than 3500kg the trailer needs to be on a COF as well as the tow vehicle, so you would need to tow the 5th wheel with a truck or a Ford F250 or similar. Unfortunately there are some 5th wheels with a manufacturer’s GVM greater than 3500kg that are illegally on a WOF instead of
COF. This not only puts the owners of the unit through
a lot of problems and expenses when caught, but is a dangerous
combination on the road to themselves and others. Always check
the original manufacturers specs before purchasing a unit to
make sure it is all above board.
How easy are they to insure?
- As Road Glides and Free Spirits are legal to be towed on a WOF by WOF utes they are very easy and affordable to insure.
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How easy are they to insure?
- As Road Glides and Free Spirits are legal to be towed on a WOF by WOF utes they are very easy and affordable to insure.
How many sizes and floorplans are Road Glide & Free Spirit fifth wheels available in?
- Our 5th wheels come in four different lengths (23' ~ 25'6" ~ 28'6" ~ 29'7") and six different floorplans. With five of those floorplans we also offer them as a walk-around & stand up bedroom. Every single one of these floorplans are towable by Navara,
Ranger, BT-50, D-Max, Colorado, Patrol & Landcruiser, the 23' & 25'6" can be towed by an even greater range of utes.
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Where are Road Glide & Free Spirit 5th wheels built?
- Each fifth wheel is made in our purpose built RV factory in Christchurch, New Zealand. Being New Zealand built means every Hodge RV unit is manufactured to comply with the
laws & standards of NZ. If you are buying a fifth wheel make sure it complies with The
NZ Standards because it is an offence to import, sell or present for registration a new or imported vehicle which does not comply with the National Standards.
This includes 5th wheels with amanufacturers GVM (or GTM) of
more than 3500kg. Road Glide & Free Spirit 5th wheels are without a doubt the best quality, best insulated and best structured light weight fifth wheels available in
NZ.
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Are Road Glide fifth wheels available with Slide Outs?
- We have slide-outs in all of our Road Glide models but not
in Free Spirit models. Slide-outs provide valuable space without
having to make the unit longer. They seal perfectly for the
weather and dust when opened or closed so it would make very
little sense not to use them. It’s far more pleasant sitting in
a slide-out than an non-insulated awning that’s pretty much a
green-house. The truth is slideouts and the mechanism that runs
them is expensive and you need good strong walls with proper
aluminium framing to support them. We chose not to have a
slide-out in the Free Spirit model due to its Off-Road nature.
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How difficult is it to un-hitch the tow vehicle for normal use?
- Every Coastal fifth wheeler comes standard with electric front landing jacks and a quick release hitch so it takes only a couple of minutes to hitch or unhitch your tow vehicle. We also fit spring loaded snap pins to make it even easier.
Once experienced at hitching and un-hitching it becomes a one
person job.
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Are Road Glides "green"?
- We are proud that we have always, and still are producing a product
that is “green”. Our vacuum bonding time is six hours not 20 minutes so
that the glue adheres properly, we use a lot more aluminium framing
and our insulation is considerably better. This means less LPG burnt to
stay warm. As for recyclable composite material, we are proud to use
timber for our floors and roof instead, as it is a renewable resource and
also recyclable. We also use appropriately treated ply. Our aluminium
construction is also far more recyclable than a heavy rust-prone painted
steel chassis.
How "NZ" are the Road Glides?
- We are a New Zealand owned company, that manufactures in New Zealand
using New Zealand employees and we support the economy by using as much
as we can of locally sourced materials.
How "NZ" are the Road Glides?
- We are a New Zealand owned company, that manufactures in New Zealand
using New Zealand employees and we support the economy by using as much
as we can of locally sourced materials.
Hodge RV Co Ltd - Manufacturers of Quality 5th Wheels & Caravans
www.HodgeRV.co.nz
We are very proud of our extensive range of light weight fifth wheels. We build a superior product specifically for the New Zealand & Australian markets. We build our 5th wheels in Christchurch, NZ from the ground up to all NZ & ADR rules and standards. We have the largest floorplans that can be towed by D-Max, Navara, D-Max, BT-50, Ranger, Colorado etc. Due to our strong light weight design and construction methods you still have plenty of cargo capacity within the utes Tow rating to take everything you need for permanent living. Please browse our webpage further to view information about us and the models we produce.
Thanks for taking the time to view and enquire about our product
The Team at Hodge RV