Class A or fifth wheel?

My wife and I bought a 24' fifth wheel with one slide to try RVing and see if we would like to do it in retirement.  We travelled from the west coast of Canada to the east, down to Florida, across the Gulf states, into Mexico and then back to western Canada.  It took us 7 months.  We loved it.  We even joined Western Horizons in the process.  Now we know that we want something bigger, but are torn between a Class A and a larger fifth wheel.  We'd appreciate input into the various pros and cons of each.  If anyone can give us their thoughts, we'd really appreciate it.

You'll fine it both ways   Some like 5vers and others prefer MHs.  I love the MH  and will never pull something that is bigger than what I'm driving. It just doesn't make sense to me to do so.  But that's just my opinion.

Mcbear,

It all depends on what you like and are comfortable with and how you travel. For a lot of people, if they move to a new location every couple of days they seem to prefer a motor home. If they stay in one place for several weeks or longer then they seem to prefer a 5er. Some people don't like driving their TV to all the local attractions so they prefer a motor home towing a smaller vehicle no matter how long they stay on one place. It is strictly a personal like or dislike that people use to make that decision. There is no right or wrong way to do it.

As others have indicated it is a personal choice.  Some folks like 5ers some prefer MH.  We prefer the MH.

Some advantages of a MH that we see are:

1.  We feel safer while driving and while parked.  If we happen to stop in a rest area for lunch or such in a MH we do not have to exit to get to the food.  If we stop to use the facilities we don't have to exit the vehicle to go to the outhouse.  If we feel uncomfortable with what may be going on in the area we don't have to exit the living quarters to get to the drivers position.  Just move to the driving position and drive off without having to expose ourselves to whatever makes us uncomfortable.

2.  If we pull in to a campground or where ever we are going to park and the weather is bad such as rain we don't really have to get in it just boondock it.

3. I really would not like to drive a truck that is large enough to tow the size trailer we would want safely and legally to the store or other activities.  We like the GC which we tow behind the MH.

Now some folks prefer the 5er but like I mentioned it is a personal choice and ours is we prefer the MH.

We went with a mh due to economics.  If we bought a 5er we'd also need to buy a bigger truck.  We love the mh and I don't think we'll ever go with a 5er.

We've had both. When we were working for the Park Service we moved from one park to another and stayed for 4 months at a time. The 5er was great for that. We didn't mind driving the truck around. Now we tend to go from place to place without staying for a long time and the motorhome is great for that. As Ron said, we don't have to get out in bad weather to run back to the trailer. The dog has full run of the motorhome instead of making him sit still in the cab of a P/U. We don't have a toad yet but I can see where that would be convenient, parking the motorhome and taking the toad on a day trip (trailers and large motorhomes aren't allowed in some places like the Mesa Verde road)....don't think I'd want to drop the 5er in a parking lot while we took a day trip in the truck. On the other hand, the insurance and maintenance on the truck/5er combo was cheaper than the insurance/maintenance on the motorhome/SUV.

Different strokes.
Wendy

Some advantages of a MH that we see are: ....

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Well I might as well hold up the trailer end of the dialogue, as usual.  ;D

1.  Anything with a motor and drivetrain needs routine maintenance.    With a trailer, you simply camp, unhitch the tow vehicle and drive it to the mechanic -- you have a place to live in the meantime .   With a motorhome, your home must go to the mechanic too.

2.   Tow vehicle/ trailer combinations bend in the middle.  Motorhomes do not bend in the middle.   Thus trailers fit in more backin spots than do motorhomes of comparable liiving space.

3.   Lousy weather?   Simply get a pull thru spot at the campground.   Pull in.   Nothing says you must unhitch so simply plug in to shore power and step into the trailer.    I have a travel trailer.   Last year at Ehrenburg, it was raining, blowing and cold.    We pulled in, plugged in, and spent the next two nights without any further unhitching or connecting.

4.   You can back a trailer -- easily after you have learned how.   You cannot back a motorhome with the toad attached -- period.   If you need to back, as in camping in a back in site, or getting out of a tight spot on the road, you must unhitch the toad and stick it someplace.   

5,   Class A motorhomes hate campsite trees and have been known to attack them without provocation.   This is hard on trees and motorhomes and, therefore, motorhomers seem to gravitate to treeless sites.   Travel trailers and 5ers of reasonable height can co-exist with campsite trees more easily and thus get to camp in woodsy sites.  Even those 5ers with ridiculous overhang heights can at least bend in the middle and at least have a fighting chance to dodge the local tree branches.

6.   Finally, with a motorhome and toad, you must buy and maintain two engines and drive trains.  With a trailer you buy only one and maintain only one.

What Carl said!    Plus, it's easier to get into some service stations with diesel pumps.

I conduct an RV Buyer's Seminar at several RV Shows around the country and have had this question come up at every session!  As posted earlier, it really depends on how you plan to use the RV.  They both have thier advantages

5th Wheel - Pros
Many people feel they can handle the drive and manuevering of an automotive vehicle like a truck.  They like the two doors, lower to the ground feeling and visibility. 

If you already have a truck, you can save substantial $$$ without paying for a drivetrain.

They were the first with slides, so older models will have more livability than same year MHs without the slides.


Keep in mind that just because you have a Chevy dually, you can't tow everything out there!  You MUST find the towing capacity of your truck, and if you are going into the 34+ range of 5th wheels, You will need to make a substantial investment in a tow vehicle as you will probably need to tow at least 13,000 lbs. 

MH - Pros
When you get to a campground and want to sight see, you do it in a manageable towed car, not a HUGE truck that gets 10mpg, doesn't fit in "downtown" parking ramps, and is a bear to parralell park.

A MH is generally going to offer you more storage capacity.

If you tow with the latest tow bars, unhooking can take only 3 minutes.  Disconnecting and setup in a 5th wheel takes time.

In a MH, you can stop at a rest stop, WalMart, or other parking lot and walk back to get a drink, use the bathroom, or find a map. 

6 people can ride in my motorhome, only 5 can ride in the truck, and not very comfortably.  Nobody can play Scrabble at the dinette in a 5th wheel while driving.

In my opinion...a MH is easier to drive and manuever, but everyone likes something different.  I have personally taken RV buyers out the parking lot to test drive a 32' unit and they did not like it, opted for the 5th Wheel.  Both are a wonderful way to see this wonderful country, just take some time and think about how you are going to use it.

I do remember reading about some folks who were on the Copper Canyon train trip with a 5th wheel and upon returning traded for a MH.   Those who have done the trip could have more to report.
Joe
Also see below

Thanks, Carl, for sticking up for those of us who love to tow.  For me it was also a question of economics.  Not only did I not want to maintain two drive trains, but my tow vehicle is also my daily driver.  The cost of a 5'er plus a tow vehicle was much less than a comparable MH plus a toad. I wouldn't have been able to afford to begin RV'ing in the style that my wife is accustomed to if I'd had to save up for a MH.  Also, there are only 8 tires to replace (TV + 5'er) versus 10 (MH + toad). The list goes on for me.  I do have to say that I envy the time it takes the MH people to break camp.

dsolberg said:

6 people can ride in my motorhome, only 5 can ride in the truck, and not very comfortably.  Nobody can play Scrabble at the dinette in a 5th wheel while driving.

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I do have a question about MH seating though.  (I am hoping for a lottery win some day soon!  )  My son still rides in a car seat.  Do motorhomes have the appropriate tie downs for a child safety seat?  I'm just curious.

-Dave

Dave,

You can use the Advanced search feature above to search for prior discussions on the subject of car seats in motorhomes. Our coach has seat belts on our sofa but, since it's side-facing, there's some doubt about the effectiveness and legality. Some motorhomes with dinettes having one forward facing bench have seat belts.

I just hate to pull something bigger than the tow vehicle, plus rear and side vision doesn't appear top be as great pulling a trailer.  Easier to stop for breaks in bad weather or at night, CA you don't have to leave the vehicle when MHing.  Besides freedom to move about only when necessary.  but that's just a matter of preference.  Besides I enjoy driving the MH and no longer enjoy riding is a truck when on leisure time. 

One thing I never see mentioned is the VIEW out a Class A windshield....I refer to it as a moving Imax theater experience.

You can't experience this in a low riding pickup Or even a MDT truck with the smaller windshield.

dsolberg said:

Keep in mind that just because you have a Chevy dually, you can't tow everything out there!  You MUST find the towing capacity of your truck, and if you are going into the 34+ range of 5th wheels, You will need to make a substantial investment in a tow vehicle as you will probably need to tow at least 13,000 lbs. 

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The same it would seem applies to motorhomes.  Just because it has a big front window and dual wheels does not mean can carry or tow anything.  As discussed in another thread, the carrying capacity and tow capacity of a motorhome must be considered as much as a tow vehicle's tow capacity with a trailer.  This seems especially true of used machines as manufacturers used to be rather loose in their provision of reasonable carrying capacity.

With the high price of diesel, which of the following combinations will get the better mileage:

1) F350 SRW diesel truck while towing 33 foot fifth wheel
2) Diesel motorhome while towing a small toad

Since I have not yet committed to a truck or RV, I am interested in this.  From what I've read, I can expect 10-12 mpg towing with a F350 diesel 3.73 rear end.  But I don't have a clue about diesel motorhomes/toads.

Thanks
Gary

cougar3514v said:

Not only did I not want to maintain two drive trains, but my tow vehicle is also my daily driver.

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That would be a no-brainer for me, IF I had any reason to own a big ol' diesel pickup.  I would definitely be going for a 5th wheel under those circumstances, because I could afford so much more RV for the money I have saved.  But a truck is not practical for our daily driver and wouldn't fit in our garage anyway.  :-\  And I like motorhomes better for all the other reasons listed already in this thread.  I don't plan on messing with a toad for several years, so I only have to worry about 6 tires too. 

cougar3514v said:

I do have a question about MH seating though.  (I am hoping for a lottery win some day soon!  )  My son still rides in a car seat.  Do motorhomes have the appropriate tie downs for a child safety seat?  I'm just curious.

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Usually not.  This is a problem we are facing too, in our motorhome searches.  It appears that most states have NO laws or regulations specific to RV's and child seats.    Motorhome manufacturers haven't designed their seats to accomodate carseats specifically, and they are not crash-tested for this purpose either.  So it's up to the owner to make safe decisions (i.e. the law won't tell you how to do it right, like it does with seatbelts in regular cars).  The best you will find in a motorhome for a carseat with internal harness (infant or toddler) is a forward-facing position with a lap belt... captain/barrel chair bolted to the floor, dinette bench with the table removed, or the occasional forward-facing couch.  With booster seats, it's a gamble because almost all of them are designed for use with lap/shoulder belts and not lap belts alone.  I rarely see motorhomes with this feature in the rear.  SO yeah, carseats in motorhomes can be an issue. 

The answer is impossible to say as there are many factors that enter into the fuel economy, not the least of which is driving behavior.  Without know details like the actual gross weight of both rigs, the engine and transmission, there is no basis for even a guess.  Motorhomes, even of the same size, will have widely varying fuel economy.  Our 37' 1997 Endeavor got nearly 10MPG over the past 10 years while other similar motorhomes with different engines and drivers have gotten 8 or less MPG.

Gary

I have averaged 8.2 mpg on my 41,000 lb mh/toad...& have averaged over 18 mpg on my GMC Envoy toad, I put more miles on my toad than I do on the motorhome. We pick a central location & do all touring/sightseeing via the toad.

GaryB said:

With the high price of diesel, which of the following combinations will get the better mileage:

1) F350 SRW diesel truck while towing 33 foot fifth wheel
2) Diesel motorhome while towing a small toad

Thanks
Gary

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Gary,
I pull an Alpenlite 29RK (31 ft) with my F350 SRW and get around 12-13 mpg. Drive at 65 mph on the highway.