New to RVing. Might be permanent

In my industry it is appearing that I will likely be moving from place to place every year or so as a consultant. Thus, rather than getting an apartment every year I've been thinking of getting a travel trailer or a 5th wheel.

What I've read thus far in my research:
5th wheels are more expensive
5th wheels are easier to tow
5th wheels can be larger since five or six feet extend over the bed of the truck
Travel trailers are lighter and thus better on gas (though some say the ease of towing a 5W makes up for this)
Travel trailers are more susceptible to crosswinds
Travel trailers are less expensive

Obviously I am leaning towards a 5th wheel. They look sturdier and appear to provide ample living space as compared to a TT. I'll be living in this full time and don't want to be more cramped than necessary.

I had a million questions I wanted to ask, but am finding the information has already been asked. I have a Chevy Colorado, so that is not going to pull a 5W, but it may pull a properly weighted TT. May have to upgrade to a 2500 as I'm reading that even a 1500 may not be powerful enough.

Anyway, what should I be looking out for that I haven't thought of yet? I have experience towing a boat. Not to say the two are equal; just that I'm not a novice to towing.

Welcome to The RV Forum. Glad to hear you're finding answers to some of your questions. A fifthwheel sounds like a good option for you, given the long stays between moves and the fact that you'll be fulltiming. As you've found, the truck need to be capable of towing the fifthwheel, and our towing experts can help with that choice.

TTs tend to be oriented more to weekenders.  There is absolutely nothing you will be happy with that you could tow with your Colorado.  1500s and 2500s are really limited also.  So plan upgrading to a 3500SRW at minimum.  Duallies are far better for towing large fivers.  A fifth wheel drops approx 20% of its total weight directly over the rear axle.  Thus the need for more truck.  Fivers can be as,light as a similar sized TT, so whoever told you that fivers suffer fuel economy is simply uninformed.  My Cummins powered dually pulling my 13,500 pound fiver returns a constant 10.5-11.5 MPG towing.  My brother had a Ford Ecoboost pulling a 17 foot Jayco thay did not get that good.  A properly matched combination will return decentmfuel economy. 
Personally I think you really need to go to some dealers and look.  Look past the glitz and glitter and play house in ones you like for a half hour or so.  Pretend your using the toilet, take a shower, make a meal, how about the bed and closet space.  You will learn really fast what works and does not work for you.  Once you have your wants nailed down, then you can consider a tow vehicle.

My Cummins powered dually pulling my 13,500 pound fiver returns a constant 10.5-11.5 MPG towing.  My brother had a Ford Ecoboost pulling a 17 foot Jayco thay did not get that good.

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You're comparing diesel (Cummins dually) with a gas-burner (Ecoboost) -- apples and oranges -- so of course the diesel does better, even with extra weight and drag.

Larry N. said:

You're comparing diesel (Cummins dually) with a gas-burner (Ecoboost) -- apples and oranges -- so of course the diesel does better, even with extra weight and drag.

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Actually not quite true.  If that were even remotely correct my same truck should be getting 30MPG empty, hile my brothers Ford would only get 20.  Weight and wind resistance are directly related to fuel economy.  I tow probably three times as much weight as he does.  Diesels have way more low end grunt, in other words way more pulling power.  For a full timet the OP really needs to figure out what he wants, then decide on enough truck so he does not need to rebuy it in a couple years when he decides on a bigger trailer.

I wonder what type of weather Zeeter will encounter when he moves from job site to job site.  Assuming there will be a lot of variation he needs to be very careful about getting enough insulation for decent heating and cooling.  Most trailers, whether TT or 5er, are not intended for fulltime living and, thus, are inadequate for extreme weather variations.  Some will be better than others.  There are people who have talked on the RV Forum about living year round in places like the Dakotas (cold at below zero temperatures) and the southwestern deserts (hot at 115 degrees).  He should peruse some of those posts to see what he's dealing with, perhaps even before going shopping.

ArdraF

Are we saying a 2500 might not be enough? Remember that I'm only going point to point; not traveling around constantly. That is, I'm in Maryland, so if I get a job in New Mexico then I'm driving it to New Mexico and leaving it there. Then in a year maybe I move it up to Denver. Then San Francisco. Etc...

I also need the TV to be reasonably fuel efficient for driving to work and back. With a truck I don't expect to get good mileage, but logic tells me the 3500 will be significantly heavier and use up more fuel. It might be better MPG than the 2500 when towing because the engine doesn't have to work as hard, but when not towing is what I'm thinking about.

donn said:

Actually not quite true.  If that were even remotely correct my same truck should be getting 30MPG empty, hile my brothers Ford would only get 20.  Weight and wind resistance are directly related to fuel economy.  I tow probably three times as much weight as he does.  Diesels have way more low end grunt, in other words way more pulling power.  For a full timet the OP really needs to figure out what he wants, then decide on enough truck so he does not need to rebuy it in a couple years when he decides on a bigger trailer.

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Ok I re-read this. Remember that I'm not going to be a full timer in the sense of full-time RVing. I'm going to set up someplace for a year and stay there. That much I've done the research on. Jobs in NM and Denver have RV parks that offer monthly fees and allow you to stay for extended periods. I assume I'll need to move it periodically to dump sewage or whatnot, but outside of that it is staying on site.

BTW, NM parks are about half the price of the Denver area parks.

Whether you move it twice or every week you need a vehicle with sufficient capacity to safely tow it.  A 3500 will get exactly the same fuel economy as a 2500 with the same drive train.  The difference is load carrying capacity.  You really need to go shopping and see what you find that you think you can be comfortable in.  Believe me there is no RV made that will survive with you warm at zero degrees.  Like I said TTs tend to be more weekend rigs.  Some, very few fifth wheels are suitable as full time rigs. Fewer still will have somewhat adequate insulation.  And those will be very heavy.  Thus demanding a heavy duty truck.  Many of the full time fivers with decent insulation will requore a 3500 dually at a minimum. 
As an alternative, allbeit bothersome alternative is buy a small car and hire someone to move it for you.  Of course that is going to cost you around $1.50 a mile at current rates plus fuel surcharges.

Remember that I'm not going to be a full timer in the sense of full-time RVing.

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Just so you understand the common terms, a full timer is one who lives full time in an RV -- it doesn't have to mean a lot of travel. Many sit still for months at a time. A few don't move it for years, but they're still RVers, in the sense that they live in it full time. Enough of my quibbling, but donn's points about insulation/cold weather are very well taken -- Denver certainly gets occasional very cold weather (I've seen -25? F for almost two weeks, a couple of times, though that's not common). And even New Mexico especially northern NM, gets quite cold at times, too. I was stuck (with my motorhome) in Elephant Butte, NM for a couple of days one year, waiting for the roads to reopen (closed from blizzards). One night it was down to -4? F, and the next was down to -6? F.

So frozen water lines and a cold living space will sometimes be a problem for you, even there.

And back to towing: Maryland to Albuquerque is close to 2,000 miles, so at donn's quoted price for hiring the tow that would be about $3,000. Albuquerque to Denver is about 450 miles, or about $675. So it would definitely be cheaper for you to hire a tow and buy a small car or SUV (or even keep your Chevy Colorado) than to buy a sufficiently capable truck and use it for your day-to-day vehicle too.

I'd like to suggest renting an RV for a week or so if you've never used one.

Then start going to RV shows and dealers every chance you get. Walk through about 100 RV's and you will get a feel for what you like and DON'T like.

Remember you can't have your cake and eat it too. Buy a diesel truck and be confident you can pull whatever RV you purchase regardless of fuel mileage.

I get 7 mpg, you'll do a lot better.   

Welcome.
Seems liek you got a bunch of good answers. I get about 10-11 mpg with my F350 6.2L gas engine. Not bad for half city, half highway...or a monster truck.

Based on responses here, I think I'll get a small used travel trailer instead and see how I manage. Something like a 16-18 footer. One that I can tow with the Colorado. It's likely that I'll get it out there wherever I'm going to be rather than hauling it across the country.

If I manage ok I'll go ahead and make the investment into a larger truck and probably a 5th wheel with more amenities.

Larry N. said:

Just so you understand the common terms, a full timer is one who lives full time in an RV -- it doesn't have to mean a lot of travel. Many sit still for months at a time. A few don't move it for years, but they're still RVers, in the sense that they live in it full time. Enough of my quibbling, but donn's points about insulation/cold weather are very well taken -- Denver certainly gets occasional very cold weather (I've seen -25? F for almost two weeks, a couple of times, though that's not common). And even New Mexico especially northern NM, gets quite cold at times, too. I was stuck (with my motorhome) in Elephant Butte, NM for a couple of days one year, waiting for the roads to reopen (closed from blizzards). One night it was down to -4? F, and the next was down to -6? F.

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The context of what I was saying was that I would not be towing the RV on a regular basis. You're right - I will be full time RVing. I just wanted to put it into perspective that I'm not sure I need a huge truck for moving the RV once or twice a year. Yes, ideally a 3500 would be better, but they run $60K. Even a used with <60K miles costs around $40K. If I can manage with a 2500 then I'd rather do that. If the 3500 is more of a convenience than a necessity then the 2500 is the way to go.

3500 is more necessity than anything else.  Would you  rebuild a motor with only a screwdriver and a pair of plyers?  Certainally not.  You would have the tools necessary to do the job.  Same for towing.  You need the proper tool for the job.

The truck needs to be highly capable, and that means more than just engine power.  Especially for a 5W, which places a lot of weight on the truck suspension, typically 20-25% of the loaded trailer weight. The truck needs to be able to carry that weight as well as pulling the trailer. A travel trailer puts a lighter cargo load on the truck, around 10-12% of the loaded trailer weight.  You also want a relatively firm suspension on the truck, and most half ton and mid-size trucks are equipped with a car-like suspension because they mostly get sold to people who use them in lieu of a car.

You need to go look at a lot of trailers and figure out how much living space & amenities you need. Few people find a 16-18 ft trailer acceptable for more than a long weekend, but wants & needs vary widely. For full time living quarters, most people require a comfortable bed, plenty of bedroom storage for clothing and enough space to dress, make the bed, etc.  Equally important is a decent size toilet area & shower. Then comes an adequate galley with a decent size fridge, a comfortable recliner or sofa (your preference), maybe a good sized tv if tv is part of your life, etc. Also, do you do laundry at home now, or use laundromats (DIY or full-service)?  Smaller trailers, whether TT or 5W, rarely provide much of those facilities.

Once you have narrowed down the size trailer you will need for comfortable living, you can determine how much truck is needed. It will probably be a 2500 or 3500, but if your wants & needs are modest you might get by with an F150/1500 that is suitably equipped for towing.

Which is why I'm going to get something lighter to start out with before putting out for the expense of a 5W and a 2500 or 3500.

Hi and welcome to the forum.  Note that it is possible to rent travel trailers in some areas anx this mighg be a worthwhile exercise for you.

We have a TT and live in it for 6 months while we travel. I doubt i would want to be in it somewhere very cold. I have been in a few fifth wheels and they are more roomy but I'm unsure about their  performance in the cold, although lots of folk use them even in colder climates so some must be good (as are some trailers).

Good luck on your search and come back and let us know how you get on.

Regarding places you will park this RV, most campgrounds and/or RV parks have at least some full hookup sites which means you'll have electricity (30 amp, 50 amp, or both), water, and sewer.  Sewer is important for long-term stays so you don't have to move all the time just to dump your tanks.  Sometimes CATV is included if it's a woodsy or remote location where either satellite TV or over-the-air TV is not available.  Some places we commonly call trailer parks also might work if they have sites for transient RVers (some do and some don't, you have to ask).

I think you're beginning to experience what many new-to-RVing people experience - sticker shock.  A lot of people think RVing is cheap, but it's not.  As you're learning, it's not just the cost of the RV but also finding a tow vehicle that is adequate for the task or tasks.  Once you actually get the rig and start living in it there will be other costs such as propane for heating in the winter or electricity for cooling in the summer.  Both can be costly and more than a new RVer expects.  The people who have been commenting on your posts are trying to help you avoid costly mistakes because we've seen a lot of them here.  In addition to RV shows and reading lots of ads, peruse a lot of topics hear having to do with meeting your needs, such as cold/hot weather camping.  Good luck in finding what fits your needs!

ArdraF

If you're only going to be moving once a year or so, consider hiring a commercial transporter to move the trailer from job to job.  There are several companies that move new RVs from the factories to dealers all around the country and most of the time their drivers will welcome a second load before deadheading back to the factory.

Google RV transporters to get an idea of what's available.

This would avoid the cost of buying a large truck for a once a year move and having to drive it around all of the time.