Class A versus Fifth Wheel - which is best for boondocking?

First off I would not call that boondocking as I think of going off the beaten trail for that which makes a truck camper better. So just not having hookups, then I would say they are close as a reserve tank can easily be added to the bed of the truck. All I see left is holding tank capacities which again can be close depending on make. JMO

Most places we boondock at a Class A can't go. We had to lift our FW 4" to give our selves the clearance we needed.

Are you planning on running the generator 24/7? We use our generator in the mornings for an hour or so to make coffee and breakfast, and then we might run it so we can use the microwave in the afternon. With that amount of use we only need to bring a 1 gallon gas can to make it through a 7 day trip.

I think the first consideration should be "can you afford a Class A diesel motor home?" They cost more to purchase and a lot more to maintain! They are much more complex and harder to fix. In most cases it takes a trained tech to fix things like a diesel boiler etc.

After you are past that issue, it is generally thought that a Motor Home is better if you are moving a lot and a 5th wheel is better if you stay put.

We have a smaller 29' two slide 5th wheel. For boom docking we ave an old Freedom 10 1000 watt inverter that will run the micro wave or hair dryer which our Honda eu1000i generator will not run.

I have it set up so the Honda can charge the two group 27 batteries with the OEM converter when off grid. On the other side of the batteries I can run the sat receiver and TV etc via the inverter. The little Honda will run for many hours on its little tank keeping the batteries charged. When it runs dry the inverter keeps things going until the Honda cools for refueling.

Only down side is no AC cooling!!!

I would like a nice big 40' DP and a small SUV to run around with, however I know I can not afford one, based on talking with fellow snowbirders over the last 5 winters in Arizona.

So it really comes down to personal choice, as you see a lot of both in snowbird parks and out in the desert dry camping. Foot for foot the 5th wheel has more usable space. Then there are issue like if you rig has to go in for service your home is gone for a while with a motor home.

Chris

I think your other posts said you wanted to buy used. And that you are new to owning an RV of any kind. And that you are not in the U.S. yet.

The idea of a Class A DP is great if money is no object.

But I think it would be helpful if you shared some general parameters on what your budget looks like. For example, you could buy a darn nice new diesel truck and a new fiver for $100,000. That will get you out of the situation where you end up buying someone else's troubles after they took the cream off the top in terms of trouble free miles.

I am not sure what $100,000 would buy you in a Class A DP motorhome.

Magor wrote:
personal experience on this and how long it's possible to live without hook up but still enjoying the mod cons??? To me the fuel capacity seems to be the big difference??

My choice for boondocking, especially long term like at Quartzsite, was the 5er. It's the water and dump situations that I like my 5er better for.

I can haul water and sewage on the truck, but, with a Class A you have to 'break camp' and drive it to water. Sometimes that's not a big deal depending on your camp setup, water usage and length of stay. I see many Mh's having to do just that even when dry camping a few days. Not something I'd like to do.

You can always add more fuel capacity, or just buy a big Sportchassis truck like I just did!

Sorry All, I'm new to this so misunderstood what Boon Docking meant (I'm a foreigner so what can you expect!!!) What I meant was basically any type of location where no hook ups were available.

We have a pretty good budget. Up to 200K. A used 40-42ft Tiffin or Newmar Class A is within that range including the cost of a TOAD. Also, a used DRV (or similar quality) and a good F350 is easily in that range.

Maybe I'm being naive about the type of RV'ing we'll do but I imagine wanting to be able to turn up in a park or somewhere else scenic, deciding to stay for a few days and having the freedom to run the AC etc without having to worry about running out of fuel and fetching/carrying refills etc. We're both sailors and spent a year living in the caribbean on our boat. We liked the freedom of living at anchor rather than in crowded marinas so a boat with a generator and big tanks make that easy.

We both like walking and hiking so being able to camp close to trails/nature is also important. Another thing that NOW worries me is that suggestion that 5er's can go places that Class A's can't. Is the Class A very limited or is it just for the most out of the way places?

thanks.
Magor

Magor wrote:
somewhere else scenic, deciding to stay for a few days and having the freedom to run the AC etc without having to worry about running out of fuel

That's good, but you may want to be conservative about running a generator in a secluded 'scenic' place. Some folks like to go for the peace and quiet and generators can ruin that.

Many of us have inverters and batteries for (especially) nighttime power use (but not a/c).

Your description of scenic and hiking and trails all say mountains to me. That’s my style of camping, off the beaten path so to speak, and I don’t think either the MH or a big FW is ideal for that, they’re simply too big and not designed for off pavement travel. But I go well back in on forest roads whereas the big RV will be restricted to much closer to the pavement. They’d work fine for most national parks where the roads and sites are well developed, though. In short, the more scenic and natural the area the more size becomes a handicap. But that’s not saying you’re prohibited from scenic areas, you’re just limited. Unlike the ocean where you have no above ground obstructions.

I think both a MH and a big FW can go about the same places. I’m not sure capacity is the critical issue, though; I think other factors may be more relevant. JMHO, I think the MH is ideal for basically traveling rather than camping. I.E. a lot of highway travel with short stops. I think the FW would be better for setting up camp and staying for longer periods in one place. Also, I doubt you’re likely to be able to get either vehicle in such remote locations that the lack of resources is critical. For the most part you will be able to dump, refill water, etc. with merely some minor inconvenience.

Also, in campgrounds generator use will be limited. Unfettered use of a generator would require you to be boondocking, alone and away from civilization. Or in a parking lot somewhere, like truck stops, Wal-Marts, etc. Incidentally, there are no dumb questions, but there are sometimes dumb answers. I hope this isn’t one of them.:)

If there is someplace you want to go to that is physically too daunting for a motorhome to go, chances are it is not a good idea to attempt to take a huge and heavy fiver there as well.

And the same goes for campgrounds and state parks that have size limits. If 35 feet is the limit, then 35 feet is the maximum length no matter what your RV is.

It sounds like you want to be on the move pretty much constantly. Even though I own a fiver, I would switch to a motorhome if I were going to do that kind of travel.

Because by nature I tend to be risk adverse, I would be looking for the most reliable motorhome setup for my needs, but not necessarily the manufacturer's name or how luxurious the rig is.

So you might want to tap the motorhome experts on this forum for what kind rig would likely cause you the least problems over the time period during which you intend to use it.

For example, if every year for the next five years you intend to use your RV for 3 months per year, and store it for 9 months, during which time you will not be in the US to service it, there might be something available that is only one year-old, and like new, (but it might not necessarily be the absolute ultimate in luxury), that would meet your requirements.

In other words, you do not want to buy a much older but really fancy monster motorhome and find that when you return to the US each year that your travels will be delayed for 6 weeks to make repairs.

It's just a thought. You might as well investigate all of your options before you buy.

Sometimes bigger is better, yet other times newer is better. Us belt and suspenders type people tend to lean towards newer. It's kind of like investing in the stock market. A awful lot depends on your tolerance for risk.

Another couple of items to consider is registration, insurance (higher for the MH) and for those states / counties requiring them, the annual maintenance and safety inspections on the MH.