5th wheel or class a ?

CM

Cmorris

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Jan 26, 2025
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Looking for a newer rig. Class a s are hard to find 5th wheels or trailers are much more available. Any thoughts ?
 
Cmorris said:
Looking for a newer rig. Class a s are hard to find 5th wheels or trailers are much more available. Any thoughts ?
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First decide which you want. 5th wheels and trailers are a lot more common, because you have the pickup truck available when detached. But I have a bad case of towphobia so I prefer my motorhomes and carry a small electric motorcycle around (not towed, carried on the hitch, since it is under a few hundred lbs).

If looking for a new rig, Class A's are not that hard to find. I had many to choose from here in the Reno area. And of course, you can still tow a vehicle with a Class A.

But the first steep is deciding on which way you want to do it. And only you can decide for yourself. No matter which way you do it, there will be advantages and disadvantages.

-Don- Reno, NV
 
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Don

That is the dilemma . We do not have many class a s available here in Colorado.
The rest of the issue is my lack of being able to back a trailer or 5th wheels there are positives to both types of rigs
 
Cmorris said:
We do not have many class a s available here in Colorado.
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Where in Colorado? I-25 north of Denver to Longmont (and even north to CO Hwy 66) has several dealers that have both new and used class A rigs. The one I've had the best dealings with is Transwest, near exit 235 (Firestone exit, I think).

Perhaps I should ask if you're looking for gas or diesel in a motorhome.

You can certainly learn to back a trailer, though it does take practice, but it's not difficult once you've picked up the techniques.

So decide which type works best for you, then we can discuss where to look.
 
Even totranswest ,windish,blue compass ,general Rv andczmping world in Denver north and the springs. Not looking in the $200k range more toward 125 k range
 
Try sites like RVTrader.com. I entered a Denver zip code and limited the search to a 100 mile radius of that and found dozens of class A's. Or RVT.com, where you can search by state name.

Gas class A are much more available than diesel pushers, and being cheaper you can get into a newer one if that's important to you.

If buying a 5W, especially a larger one, don't underestimate the cost and effort of also buying a suitable pickup truck. Used pickups in the 3/4 ton and 1-ton range are both scarce and expensive.
 
If you tend or intend to stay in one place for extended stays more often than not my preference would be for a fifth wheel. Generally a fiver takes a little more time to set up but offers more living space per foot than a class A. Also less maintenance.

A class A sets up quicker but the maintenance is about 10 times that of a towable, especially a class A. It’s also a separate vehicle. That means that if you want to go anywhere that isn’t walking distance you’ll need to either tow a car, rent one, of have a second driver.

We tend to move often and thus have a Class A but I still miss our Montana fiver.
 
I'm helping my sister in the Denver area find a used class A. She sold her 5th wheel recently and then bought a class C. The class C turned out to be too small for them during longer trips. BTW...they really enjoyed their 5th wheel for several years. Lots of used RV units available in that area. Facebook market place has been a good source for used and priced right units. The choice between 5th wheel vs class A is a very personal choice and can depend on ones needs at that particular time in life. Give yourself the time to sort this choice out. Try not to rush into anything. Checking with people on this site is a very good idea.
 
I have had both. There is much good, accurate advise above.

It is a very personal choice, and the correct floor plan is equally important and personal.

We sold the FW on Facebook Market place in 4 weeks (Thank you, Lord!) and found our new one on RV Trader. I did lots of research to find the right brand with the right amenities in the right floor plan at a good price. We live in Kentucky and drove to Florida to pick up our camper.

FW are better for longer stays. MH better for shorter trips, for the reasons stated above.

We switched a year ago. With age and health, the ease of setting up and breaking camp pushed us this direction. I miss the space of the FW, but I love the convenience of not having to stop for pit stops or lunch breaks or the manual leveling issues. I also like driving a smaller car to tour the area instead of driving a F350.

We considered a class C, but transferring from the driver seat to the coach without exiting the coach varied from difficult to impossible for me.

I pulled my FW with F350 diesel, I would NEVER pull a FW with anything smaller. It has the cargo capacity and power to handle many small to moderate FW. Mine was good up to about 16K GVWR.

My current Class A is in my sig. This may sound inconsistent, but the FW was a more comfortable, relaxed drive. The MH is more comfortable driving on long days. The V10 has plenty of power, but I really miss the diesel going up hills. The reason smaller class A do not have diesels is simple math. If you travel 10,000 miles a year, with my class A at 7 mpg gas vs my FW at 12 mpg diesel, you save about $1,000 per year with the diesel. The last time I checked, the diesel option on a super duty truck was about $9,000. You must travel over 10K miles per year for nearly 10 years to make it financially worthwhile. I know there are many other factors, but...

Do your homework to decide what amenities are required, which are desirable and which are deal breakers. I demanded a recliner or room for one. A bunk house was a deal breaker.

Good Luck in your quest.
 
We’ve had a Class A, 2 5th wheel toyhaulers, and a bumper tow.
Our Class A was a V10 gasoline engine;
6 mpg average
Noisy inside
Handled like a school bus
Pulled a box trailer with motorcycle
Nice and roomy on the road
Snacks were convenient

5th wheel
9-10 mpg (diesel hauler truck)
Very comfortable in camp
Can take the truck if weather is cold or wet (not limited to motorcycle)
Less room while on the road
Quiet, comfortable travel days

Bumper tow is very small and used for short local trips.
 
5W from a tent, van camper, bumper pull and 4th 5W. I camp with a buddy in his class A and we always end up in my 5W and his wife keeps saying look how much room. Bother are 36ft with 3 slides be does have a second potty.
 
Ohiosnowbird said:
How about a class C? Ours was a lemon at first (purchased new in 2023) but now it’s a great way to travel! Just a thought.
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If more usable space is a criteria, a "C" would be lower on the list of choices. The cab area is not as usable (when parked) as with a Class A, and of course the 5W has no cab area at all. But the "C' has other advantages for those who travel more than park.
 
grashley said:
I have had both. There is much good, accurate advise above.

It is a very personal choice, and the correct floor plan is equally important and personal.

We sold the FW on Facebook Market place in 4 weeks (Thank you, Lord!) and found our new one on RV Trader. I did lots of research to find the right brand with the right amenities in the right floor plan at a good price. We live in Kentucky and drove to Florida to pick up our camper.

FW are better for longer stays. MH better for shorter trips, for the reasons stated above.

We switched a year ago. With age and health, the ease of setting up and breaking camp pushed us this direction. I miss the space of the FW, but I love the convenience of not having to stop for pit stops or lunch breaks or the manual leveling issues. I also like driving a smaller car to tour the area instead of driving a F350.

We considered a class C, but transferring from the driver seat to the coach without exiting the coach varied from difficult to impossible for me.

I pulled my FW with F350 diesel, I would NEVER pull a FW with anything smaller. It has the cargo capacity and power to handle many small to moderate FW. Mine was good up to about 16K GVWR.

My current Class A is in my sig. This may sound inconsistent, but the FW was a more comfortable, relaxed drive. The MH is more comfortable driving on long days. The V10 has plenty of power, but I really miss the diesel going up hills. The reason smaller class A do not have diesels is simple math. If you travel 10,000 miles a year, with my class A at 7 mpg gas vs my FW at 12 mpg diesel, you save about $1,000 per year with the diesel. The last time I checked, the diesel option on a super duty truck was about $9,000. You must travel over 10K miles per year for nearly 10 years to make it financially worthwhile. I know there are many other factors, but...

Do your homework to decide what amenities are required, which are desirable and which are deal breakers. I demanded a recliner or room for one. A bunk house was a deal breaker.

Good Luck in your quest.
Click to expand...
That is the reason we bought a class A. Did the math and the 5w and tow vehicle were more money.

Have towed 5ws and driving the m/h is much nicer.
 
Gary RV_Wizard said:
If more usable space is a criteria, a "C" would be lower on the list of choices. The cab area is not as usable (when parked) as with a Class A, and of course the 5W has no cab area at all. But the "C' has other advantages for those who travel more than park.
Click to expand...
The cab is a great place for storage when parked. Cat carriers(5), totes with miscellaneous essentials and the dash is a wonderful place for a cat to see the campground, to people watch and to sun themselves! Especially when parked for 2 weeks…
 
Ohiosnowbird said:
The cab is a great place for storage when parked. Cat carriers(5), totes with miscellaneous essentials and the dash is a wonderful place for a cat to see the campground, to people watch and to sun themselves! Especially when parked for 2 weeks…
Click to expand...
For my Class A, that is for mostly my motorcycle stuff, helmet, jackets, gloves & the back pack that I normally take on the bikes which has a lot of electronic junk in it such as this little Chromebook I am using right now as I am at a restaurant for breakfast on my way to Auburn, CA.

However, in my Class C, there is a lot of room at the cab bed that is no longer used for anything other than storage.

-Don- Verdi, NV
 
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