Class A or 5th wheel???

Well,  Until this past weekend, I was all set to buy a used Class A coach in the 35-38 foot range and tow my SUV full time.  My wife an I went to an RV dealer over the weekend and did not like any of the Class A's they had.  So, on a whim, we looked at their 5th wheels.  Some of the longer ones (40+ feet) are amazing!

Question is, which way to go??

On one hand, the class A allows easy access to food/bed/restroom while traveling.  Getting set up at a park is simple, nothing to unhook (at least in a pull through). And an SUV is really easy to get around in once the coach is set up.  However, the cost of the class A is high in comparison. And I will have two motors to do maintenance on with the class A/toad.  Lastly, the payment for a class A will likely be somewhat high for 15-20 years.

On the other hand, the cost of the 5th wheel is substantially less than a class A and that is for a brand new trailer.  Obviously there will be a cost associated with a tow vehicle (my current truck is only a 1/2 ton and won't work); however, that payment goes away 5 or 6 years down the road.  I will most likely purchase a one ton diesel truck to tow with.  The 5th wheels we looked at seemed much more like a home and were very modern and spacious.  Obviously, we will have to pull over for food/sleep/potty breaks.  If we go with 5th wheel, the idea is to have an ONAN generator installed at the time of purchase for going off grid at times.

Our plan is to buy one of the two choices and full time until we find a new location to move to.  I figure a month or two at a time in each state would be a good estimate on what were are looking to do.  So the RV would have to hold up for 2-3 years at the very least.  I realize a long RV will not fit in most state parks, but that is not our primary interest at this time.

What I am looking for advice on is this:

Is there anyone experienced with full timing in either choice?
Are there any other pros/cons to either choice?
Will a new 5th wheel hold up to full timing?
Is towing a long 5th wheel (42') a huge inconvenience or super hard?
Will a 5th wheel hold up to cross country towing, leapfrogging from state to state?

Thank you for any insight, I am more confused on what to buy now more than ever.

Matt

We fulltimed in a 37', triple slide, triple axle 5th wheel for 5 years. We crisscrossed the US a couple of times. Stayed in some areas for 6 months to a year. We found that any CG, whether it be State Parks or National parks, could accommodate our 5th wheel. Plus your gas mileage will be better in the 5er. I pulled mine with a Dodge 3/4 ton single cab with the Cummins diesel. Towing I got between 10-12 mpg. Many times while towing I would forget the trailer was behind me. 5th wheels are extremely easy to back into a spot. One time my wife asked me to go down a road only to find out after about a mile it was a dead end. I had to back up for a mile. Motor Homes are nice but from what I have seen on this forum the upkeep (maintenance) costs are pretty high.

    While we now own a little class c, as a weekender ( short trips/stays), our 5er is for extended use. That said....the 5er has much more personal ?stuff? in it. So....my fear is breakdowns!  The mortorized unit (truck, or Motorhome) is most likely to have a failure. In a 5er, have it towed to a campground ( you are living with your stuff) while your tow vehicle is in the shop. With the MH, you are in a motel room and all/most of your ?stuff? is with someone else!

Your summary was pretty accurate.  MH are better for traveling and short (less than a week) stays in a given location.  FW are nicer for longer stays.  However, it seems most snow birds have a MH!??

The cost of a MH will be very close to the price go a nice FW PLUS the truck.  Get the one you like better.

A low cost low end starter FW may not last 2 years of full time use.  Get a mid range or nicer USED FW and it will do well for years.  Both FW and MH will suffer some issues bouncing down the road, but one should be no worse than the other.

Enjoy the search!

Big 5W's are great, though one equipped like a typical Class A is still gonna be pricey. And you are talking a $50,000 truck to tow it.

Either one works fine for fulltiming, assuming you buy a mid-to-upper tier model so that the furnishings, upholstery, cabinetry, etc are decent.  Lots of people use both types.

We can debate pros and cons all day long, but at the end of the day, it's simply personal choice.

We looked at both and while there are lovely FW, we travel with large dogs. Our MH lets them relax too, without having them slobber all over our necks. They relax on the couch and we can enjoy the trip. I love the ability to get up and get a snack or a soda.  We just got back from a month-long trip across the country and are planning on leaving in three weeks for another 4-month adventure. Our MH is not just for weekends or short trips. It's our magic carpet and DH keeps it running smoothly.

I should mention my budget....  I and ok with spending 150,000 on a class A (used or new).  For a 5th wheel, I have found amazing brand new ones for under 60,000 and a new truck to tow with at about 60,000.  So total for the 5er combo is about 120,000.

Either is do able budget wise.

We really like the 5er mainly because the one we looked at (Palomino Columbus 386FK) has three separated living areas.  It really felt like a home; whereas, the class A's really only have two distinct living areas.

The biggest concern with a 5er is towing it over the mountain passes and finding a place to park the 42 foot beast.

Yes either one will work and it comes down to a personal decision.

One other thing I didn't see mentioned is a toad behind a MH would be used for travel vs. a one ton pickup being used for travel.
It could be a car you have or your half ton pickup you now have.

The other thing is many times a new RV -5w or MH - can have issues whereas a used vehicle many times has any issue it had resolved.

I went with a MH partly because I can tow my enclosed trailer (with motorcycles etc) behind it.  Whereas that wouldn't work so good with a 5W.

I don't know if any of the above helps you or not - but it's a few more things to think about.

Good luck with whatever you decide and please report back when you make a purchase with pictures. 

You can indeed get a real nice used dually for $50,000, or even a bit less.  As RedandSilver mentioned, I would look for a 1 - 2 year old gently used FW, possibly a nicer one than the Columbus (which I really like) for similar money and all factory goofs fixed.

As mentioned the cost for a new FW and tow truck can be about the same as a new Class A gasser. A new DP will be a bit more.
Another issue is unless you are going to buy an everyday car, your tow truck will be your everyday car - not a good option at least for me. Everyday car is one you use to go to work in, run errands, etc when not rv'ing. Factor in the additional insurance, purchase and maintenance costs for the everyday car.

We tow my Honda CR-V behind our MH and it's also my everyday car.

I just made the transition from 5th wheel to class A and I miss my fifth wheel already.
It's kind of hard to compare as I went from a high end fifth to a more middle class a gas.
When setup and parked the fifth wheel was more home like, but when traveling it was nearly unuseable.
The kitchen and living were closed completely by slides.
The motorhome is more useable and the wife liked that i started the generator and she could have ac and the microwave.
Most of that is controlled by floorplan.

Driving is the biggest difference. The motorhome has at best minimal driving amenities it's basically a 1996 full sized van chassis.
My truck is a lariat trim with power everything and heated/cooled seats and i find it more comfortable.

you were on track about the costs too.

grashley said:

You can indeed get a real nice used dually for $50,000, or even a bit less.  As RedandSilver mentioned, I would look for a 1 - 2 year old gently used FW, possibly a nicer one than the Columbus (which I really like) for similar money and all factory goofs fixed.

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grashley, you mention one other than the Columbus.  Do you have a suggestion?  I'm not tied to any one brand, I just like the front kitchen design of the one I mentioned.

I have had both right now I have a 31 Denali 5th wheel. The class A did what we bought it for short trips towing a 35ft race car trailer and only gone a week or two. The fifth wheel has much more room and is really nice for the monthly (2-4) trips. I do miss the convenience of the class A for potty breaks, but with the 5th wheel we just find a place to stop. Also our unit can be used with the slides in, kitchen, table and bathroom. Here is the big thing the class A will depreciate like a rock going down hill. Plane on loosing 50% of it value in 5-6 years. On the other hand when you buy a truck to tow the FW it will hold its value for a long time after the initial  1-2 years as  long as it has good maintenance. I vote FW based on real experience with both.

As far as mountain passes, I find that on steeper grades I am passing most MH?s other than the huge diesel pushers. And I?m not a fast driver by any means. Of course that depends on your tow vehicle, but at the size fiver you are looking at, your tow vehicle will most likely be a diesel dually from one of the three major manufactures. All of them perform very well. Sometimes I would love to have a MH, but as the driver, I would have to pull over for potty breaks anyway. Our fiver has good access to the kitchen and bathroom, slides in. I echo the fact from a previous post that if I have problems with my tow vehicle, there is a ton of dealer support across the country, even in small towns. MH?s are so variable, I can see having problems finding somewhere to get repairs or maintenance done to the power train of the unit. I can always leave the truck, rent a car, and still use the fiver. You asked about backing up. I pride myself at being pretty good at it, but there are times it is difficult in smaller campgrounds mainly due to lack of maneuvering room, not in the site itself, but depending on how people park, etc opposite of your site, or the angle of your site to the road. In that case I believe a MH would be easier, unless you are towing a toad or trailer, then your are really looking at pull thru?s, which are a piece of cake. When we were in Sturgis this year we looked at a couple of the big Freightliner MH rigs. The driver station looked like a jet fighter cockpit, and the interior was equally as amazing. One of THOSE MH?s I could go with. But the sticker price hurt my eyeballs. ?

There are two main reasons why I went with a 5W over a driveable of any class. The first, and probably biggest reason, is that I often make use of my dually truck for things other than pulling my fifth wheel. Even though my 9-5 job is in an office, I own a few gooseneck trailers and make a little cash on the weekends doing tractor work.

The second reason is that of all the driveable RV's that I've ridden in, none of them we enjoyable while going down the road. There were always rattles and squeaks to be heard and they all seemed to lumber down the highway rather than feeling like the driver was totally in control.

I have two kids under 5 and pulling over every couple of hours for a bathroom break, lunch break, fuel stop, or just to let them get some energy out of their system is an absolute necessity for us. With our toy hauler, having two entry doors allows us to access the bathroom and kitchen without having to move any of the slides. The built in generator is great as well.

I spent a good portion of the weekend walking through 5ers and learned I really want the high end type.  The Montana 3731FL by Keystone and Solitude 374TH by Grand Design look well built and seem to have all the features I want.  One other Grand Design (the Momentum 376TH) looks amazing as well and includes a built in Genny.

Anyone know of any problems with the above listed RV's? 

And lastly, I hear rumors there are problems with the Palomino Columbus slides.  Is there any truth to the rumors?  The Columbus 386 FK with the 1492 upgrade is amazing, but I'm not sure it will hold up to full time living.

Being a new driver of a 5'er i must say i like it. So far i have pulled it about 6000 miles in the last 3 months. I like the way it pulls. Sometimes i forget i am pulling one. I don't mind having to pull over for someone to get a snack, drink or pee. It gives me time to stretch my legs. If everyone could get those things with out me stopping i would never be able to stop. Sometimes i don't want to stop just for me to pee but there is always someone needing get out every couple of hours, so i use that excuse. lol

skeeter

You are looking at the higher end, but not custom FW.  As i said earlier, there are better construction materials, and you are seeing this.  I still suggest you look at one or two year old gently used models so someone else gets the factory issues fixed for you.  I am glad you have delayed the purchase long enough to get what it seems you really want.

Before we went full-time, I did a lot of research. We were told: If you are going to be parked for longer periods, get a fiver. Motorhomes are meant to be driven.

We full-timed in a 41' Montana Big Sky for three years and loved it. We spent 5- months in Florida during the winter and traveled during the summer months. We had a 1-ton RAM dually. The only issue was, when we traveled during the summer, we had to drive the big truck as are everyday vehicle. It wasn't a big deal, unless we went into a big city. THAT wasn't fun at all.

After we bought another house, We traded for a 35' diesel pusher. So far, we have taken two month-long trips. We tow our Equinox. The motorhome is so easy to set up and hooking up/unhooking the Equinox is a breeze. It takes less than two minutes. We love that the whole RV can be accessed with the slides in. We never did it with the fiver, but we have overnighted in Walmart parking lots a couple times and its a nice option for quick stops. Just didn't feel safe doing it in the fiver.  Also, if you have pets, it's nice to have the generator, if you decide to make a stop to shop or eat. Granted, you can get an onboard for the fiver, but you can't put the slides out so your furry friend will have very little room to move around.

The fiver definitely had more storage. Even the large diesel pushers don't have as much as a big fifth-wheel. and you can get some really nice options in a fifth-wheel for way less $. We had a fireplace, dishwasher and heat pump in the a/c unit. The motorhome we bought cost about the same that we spent on the truck and fiver, but it doesn't have as nice of finishes. I had to give up the fireplace, dishwasher and heat pump. It's also smaller. You can get way more for your money, if you go with a fifth-wheel.

mattcoker17 said:

I spent a good portion of the weekend walking through 5ers and learned I really want the high end type.  The Montana 3731FL by Keystone and Solitude 374TH by Grand Design look well built and seem to have all the features I want.  One other Grand Design (the Momentum 376TH) looks amazing as well and includes a built in Genny.

Anyone know of any problems with the above listed RV's? 

And lastly, I hear rumors there are problems with the Palomino Columbus slides.  Is there any truth to the rumors?  The Columbus 386 FK with the 1492 upgrade is amazing, but I'm not sure it will hold up to full time living.

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We purchased our Columbus 320RS new in April 2016.  We love it.  I have pulled it from WI to San Diego and back twice, From WI to NC once and to the Smoky mountains from WI.  We have just shy of 16,000 miles on the trailer (Truck keeps track of miles driven with trailer).  We have had a couple issues.  The casters on the rolling island failed and I replaced with bigger casters.  The emergency handle on the rear window broke right at the end of this season and Columbus is currently sending me a replacement.

When we travel we often go 450-500 miles and setup for the night and then do it again the next day.  Our slides go in and out a LOT.  While I am sure there are some that have had issues I think there are a lot more that don't.

As for which to choose I can see that would be a tough call.  My DW and I have talked about it for when we retire (10 years out) and if we were to setup in one place for months at a time we would go with a Class A so we can have a smaller car (toad) to drive around and do things.  If we are always going to be moving every week or 2 then we would stick with the 5th wheel as we do think they offer more room.

Pulling it is very easy if you have ever pulled much at all.  We don't do many National Parks or State Parks.  We tend to stay in the bigger campgrounds and then drive into the parks for the days.