Need some help with choosing the right RV

[Amy1620]

Hello everyone. My BF and I are discussing plans to buy an RV to live in and travel for work and retirement. We are looking at either Ckass A Motor coaches (diesel) or a big Fifth wheel and a truck. We love the homey feel of the big 5th wheels we've looked at, which we feel is sort of lacking in some of the motor coaches. But we are wondering if a Motor Coach is easier and more convenient for permanent living. We would welcome any feedback from your personal experiences, as we are new to this and still in the planning stages. Looking for pros and cons of both.  It would be great to hear from some people who have had both and what their thoughts are. Thanks!

 

[SeilerBird]

By permanent living are you talking about parking somewhere permanently or moving around while living permanently?

 

[Amy1620]

Living in it permanently,  but traveling around.

 

[SeilerBird]

Living in it permanently,  but traveling around.

I prefer a motorhome when doing traveling since a fiver is quite a chore to set up and tear down. I lived in a motorhome for ten years and when I decided to park permanently I traded in for a fiver.

 

[Amy1620]

Could you explain why a fifth wheel is more difficult to set up and tear down? Most places we travel to we would probably be for a bit, especially while we are both still working.

 

[SeilerBird]

Hooking up the hitch and unhooking the hitch is time consuming. Leveling is time consuming. With an RV you level it by pushing a button.

 

[Isaac-1]

Ok, first question do you want a small to mid size car as your daily driver, or a 1 ton pickup truck?

 

[Amy1620]

I already drive a big truck, so that's not an issue.

 

[jayc2640]

My wife and I started full timing in April.  We're in a 30' class A motorhome.  We chose a motorhome because we have two large dogs that wouldn't have been comfortable in the cab of a pickup.  Also, my DW (darling wife), says that she likes being able to get up and get something out of the refrigerator or make me a sandwich.  She says she also likes being able to pee while we motor down the highway. 

Bottom line, do your homework, and find what RV platform will work best for you.  If you ask sweeping questions, such as this, you'll find that everyone has an opinion, and they are all different.  Learn a little bit about the pros and cons of each, then you can ask specific questions and get good answers.

Regardless of what you choose, have a great time, and drive safely!

 

[Back2PA]

I copied this from another post of mine and edited, these are my opinions:

• Fiver has much more headroom plus greatroom/living area feels more ?house like?. Advantage towable.
• Lost shore power for a short time. I reached over, pushed a button, and genset was online. Advantage motorhome. (Although some fifth wheels have a built in genset)
• Big windshield for sightseeing enroute. Advantage motorhome
• Maneuvering into backin site. Big advantage motorhome
• Ride on the way, way better than pickup with big trailer, and quieter. Advantage motorhome
• Setup - disconnect toad, 5 min. Push a couple buttons I?m level. Advantage motorhome
• Enroute instant access to bathroom/fridge. Advantage motorhome
• Only one drivetrain to maintain. Big advantage towable. (Diesel motorhome will be much more expensive to maintain than truck/trailer combo.)
• If drivetrain breaks on tow vehicle, you can still live in trailer. Advantage towable.

Bottom line, I think towable is a less expensive way to go, potentially providing more room when you get there. But much more fiddly to setup and not as nice enroute (in my opinion, not shared by others who prefer their 5W).

I also think a lot of it has to do with what SeilerBird mentioned, how often you're going to be moving. If occasionally, I'd lean 5W for the space and "home-like" feel. If on the other hand I was doing a lot of traveling, I'd lean motorhome.

 

[rbrdriver]

Leveling is time consuming. With an RV you level it by pushing a button.

I could point out that if you get a fiver like we have all you do is push a button to get level, of course after you unhook from it which only takes us about 5 minutes.

 

[Back2PA]

I could point out that if you get a fiver like we have all you do is push a button to get level, of course after you unhook from it which only takes us about 5 minutes.

Yes, I should have mentioned that. Many 5W have leveling systems and it can often be added to those that don't

 

[JudyJB]

Depending on how often you move, you really do not absolutely have to tow a vehicle with a motorhome.  Yes, a lot of people will say if you full-time you have to have a toad, but I don't and I've been on the road 6 years.

The advantage of a motorhome without a toad is that if I want to go somewhere, I just turn on the engine, push a couple of buttons to put the slides in, unhook my electric and maybe water, and I can be off in less than five minutes.  Hooking up and unhooking a towed vehicle would take longer, but if I stayed in one place for a while, it would be a convenience, and maybe that convenience would outweigh the bother of taking your motorhome with you wherever you go.

I leave stuff outside while I am gone, by the way, plus I have a sign that says I'll be right back.  Never had anything stolen while I was gone, but I did have a guy run after me with my water hose thinking I had left it accidentally.  He met me at the dump station completely out of breath. I also once had a very young maintenance guy think my "Be Right Back" sign, water hose, and a stool was trash.  He had it in his golf cart when i caught him on the way to the trash dumpster!  Asked him if he could read and chewed him out!!

So, the thing is at this point is that you will have to imagine how you will travel and weigh all the pros and cons of what you buy.  I do agree that two big dogs in the back seat of a pickup truck will lose its charm after a while!