5th wheel vs. motorhome

I own a 5er and have thought the same question before. We went to the local RV show this weekend and looked at of lots of course RV's. Since we own a 5er we naturally looked at what we might want to upgrade to in the future. We found several in the $53-63,000 range that would be doable for extended stays. 2-3 months at a time trips. Most were around 35' OAL, with good holding tank capacities, full profile fronts and great closet space. Several had nice 48-60"x30" showers.

After cruising thru lots of 5ers's we decided to finish the day and make our way to the exit and stop at MH's on the way out. We went thru 8-10 or so MH's with the highest priced one near $140,000. Theses were discounted prices too for both the MH and 5er. Anyway as we made our way thru the MH's we noticed the lack of counter space, interior storage and poor seating configurations. Also most of the bathrooms were naturally split but overall weren't as accommodating as some of the 5ers were.

In the end the wife and I came to the conclusion that for less money you get way more with a 5er and you still have a vehicle to drive while staying somewhere. All the 5ers we looked at except one had 4-6 pt leveling, same as most the MH's did. So a wash there. For us anyway we crossed MH's off the list. Less room inside, less storage inside and the typical poor seating configurations were the downsides. Only plus to a MH I could see was the outside basement storage. We would still have to tow something, so setting up would IMO actually take longer as you would have to drop the toad if you're in a back in spot. Pull thru are a wash.

Depends on how you camp/travel too...MH is great for cruising and sightseeing, you can't beat being able to use the fridge and restroom while on the road. A MH didn't work for us because we needed 4WD to get on the beach and other places.

The MH is also another drivetrain to maintain, we couldn't justify the extra maintenance considering that we don't even use the TT as often as we like due to work schedules. I also do a lot of home repair, so the truck would have to stay. I do with I could tow a boat though...

There's no right answer, it all depends on how you travel or plan to travel.

ReneeG wrote:
. . . my kitchen garbage can fits under the sink.

That's where we put our garbage can.

For me it came down to usage. If you move a lot and put a lot of miles on it, then a MH would be a good choice, although either would work. But if you are actually on the road a few days per year and only put a relatively few miles per year, the a 5er would make more sense.
In our case we spend 3 to 4 weeks in the RV each year and of that only about 10 days actually on the road. And that amounts to about 2,500 - 3,000 miles per year. So traveling 10 days each year and sitting in one place 355 days, a MH just did not make sense to me.

For us it is the "more for your money". We have to have a pick up truck for other uses. A 5th Wheel was a much less expensive choice than a MH. We have had MHs in the past. They were used. When we decided to go for a new large RV 5th wheels were our only choice.

Another reason- in MH you lose anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of floor space to the driving area. In the 5th wheel every inch of floor space is either living or storage space. So you get more room for your dollar.

In Michigan, a 5er has a permanent lifetime license and registration fee of about $250. A MH has an annual license/registration fee determined by vehicle value. It can really add up over the life of the vehicle.

Well, we haven't owned a Class A, but we were so close to signing papers on one, if it weren't for two things - 1) Feel of the ride, the motorhome we test drove had a lot of movement going down the road. For me, who tends to suffer from motion sickness, that was not good. Then, on the third trip to the dealership to sit and study the motorhome, DH asked me where we were going to put the kitchen garbage can. OMG! I really started looking at storage. The can was going to have to be out on the floor or a little bag on the inside of the door. Then I started looking at other storage and that was it. I was so unsure at that point, we backed out of the deal. Never looked back. Our TV ride when towing the fifth wheel is firm and steady. As for space and storage space in the fiver - well, it can't be beat. We have so much that it's not all filled and probably never will be, but I've got my choice of storage cabinets and, and, and . . . my kitchen garbage can fits under the sink.

For me, the biggest difference is you tow a fifth wheel, but you can tow stuff with a motor home. If you just need a go-about vehicle you can tow a toad, or drop the trailer and use the truck, but if you need to tow a trailer with a couple of race cars in it tough to do with a fifth wheel. I couldn't have a fifth wheel due to that kind of limitation, but I see a lot of people who just love the fifthwheel and never have a need to tow a boat, or a travel trailer behind the MH, or stuff like that.

So bottom line, it boils down to what do you need to do and how can you best solve that problem? Everyone is different.

Brian