what are the benefits of a 5th wheeler VS an RV. We are a couple wanting to purchase and travel USA for 12 months

ddfoster wrote:what are the benefits of a 5th wheeler VS an RV. We are a couple wanting to purchase and travel USA for 12 monthsFifth Wheels are RVs.RV stands for "Recreational Vehicle". Are you wanting to know the differences between a 5th wheel and a Class A motorhome?

ddfoster wrote:what are the benefits of a 5th wheeler VS an RV. We are a couple wanting to purchase and travel USA for 12 monthsI would say the fiver is more bang for the buck. The Motorhomes don't do well being parked for months at a time without use but in your case it sounds like that is not a problem. I gotta say the Mh's are nice but not something I can afford. JMO

With a motor home, 1/3 - 1/2 of the price is in the chassis, you will have to break camp to go anywhere if you don't tow a another vehicle with you, etc..Travel trailer or fifth wheel, you already have your local transportation, as said above, more bang for your buck, more space, etc..The best thing you could do; is rent one of each for a weekend and just try it out.

It all depends on your situation. The fiver is the best bang for the buck IF you already have a 1 ton pickup. The MH is much better on the road. For us, we needed a way for the DW to sleep enroute. You can't do that safely with a fiver, since they have no crash protection. Examine your personal situation, how you will use it, how comfortable you are with a complicated machine. If possible, go to an RV show and look at the various units. Our first RV was bought new so it would have a warranty. Now that I'm comfortable working on things, I will never buy new again. The initial owner takes a huge hit on depreciation.

I made the choice for a 5th wheel because it was more economical.I figured a motor home would cost about $80K, and a pull-behind vehicle about $25K, total $100K plus.I figured (and in fact did) buy a new 5th wheel for $30K and a used F250 for $26K, total of $56K. 18 months ago I traded the used truck for a high-end new one, for a difference of about another $28K. My investment is still well below the Class A option.Other considerations: if the truck breaks down, you can take it anywhere to get it fixed, usually pretty inexpensively. If a motor home breaks down, you are limited with where you can take it and repairs are usually VERY expensive. And time-consuming. I read once that getting a under-dash heater fan on a motor home replaced cost $5000. Probably would be $300 in a truck. And when you read complaints about warranty issues in various publications, where the magazine goes to bat for the person, the costs listed are real eye-openers. So far, having pulled my 5th wheel about 25K miles over three years, my maintenance costs are under $1000, most of which was tires.One final note: if you aren't at least somewhat handy at fixing minor things, either a 5th or a MH can get expensive. There are a lot of little things, 20 minute fixes, that crop up from time to time.

5th Wheeler VS RV | Good Sam Community

powderman426
Explorer
May 06, 2013
ddfoster wrote:
what are the benefits of a 5th wheeler VS an RV. We are a couple wanting to purchase and travel USA for 12 months

I would say the fiver is more bang for the buck. The Motorhomes don't do well being parked for months at a time without use but in your case it sounds like that is not a problem. I gotta say the Mh's are nice but not something I can afford. JMO
PegLW
Explorer
May 06, 2013
ddfoster wrote:
what are the benefits of a 5th wheeler VS an RV. We are a couple wanting to purchase and travel USA for 12 months

Fifth Wheels are RVs.

RV stands for "Recreational Vehicle". Are you wanting to know the differences between a 5th wheel and a Class A motorhome?

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