Class A vs 5th wheel

et2 wrote:
You're only going to get opinions for whatever it's worth to you. Some might make sense .... However it won't mean it's right for you, or anyone else . It boils down to preference and money.

For us we have had them all and currently have a DP MH. There's no way I would ever go back to a dually fiver combo. We have all the room we had in that combo and are very comfortable driving the Mh. I'm certainly more relaxed driving the MH and to "me" that's all that matters.

I wouldn't have any problems full timing in it, even if parked for months.

Very pithy and well said. My experience as well.

You're only going to get opinions for whatever it's worth to you. Some might make sense .... However it won't mean it's right for you, or anyone else . It boils down to preference and money.

For us we have had them all and currently have a DP MH. There's no way I would ever go back to a dually fiver combo. We have all the room we had in that combo and are very comfortable driving the Mh. I'm certainly more relaxed driving the MH and to "me" that's all that matters.

I wouldn't have any problems full timing in it, even if parked for months.

Licreek wrote:
Thanks for the feedback. I recently bought a Ford 350 diesel pick up and we were looking at a 32ft 5er. we just took our first road trip to San Antonio in the truck. Without a load it road so bad my wife was ready to fly home. Well then God intervened and our truck was stolen out of the parking lot of the Redroof Inn. So now we are going to start looking at preowned motor homes. Yes they do become reasonable if you look at 10 year old rigs. So now ill ask this question. Should I stick with diesel pushers or is a gas unit suitable? I realize the DP is quite a bit more but in the long haul will it will it pay off?

Our first MH was a gas rig. My wife was so mad about the noise between our feet! A screaming V10 within 6" of you can be really irritating. With a DP you get air ride suspension and the engine is in the back. The other difference is the massive rear overhang in the Ford F53 chassis. Most gas rigs have a 10' - 15' rear overhang thus a large tail swing. Don't get me wrong they can be great coaches. My wife just refused to allow me to even look at a gas rig after our first experience. This was even after I had all the interior ripped out of the first gas motorhome and Hush Mat installed and additional sound deadening installed. It was tolerable but loud. The diesel generator is very nice as well. Quiet and unobtrusive to even our neighbors when dry camping. The increased payload is fantastic. I had originally purchased a Ford based gas rig because I had read that anyone can work on them. I was in for a rude shock when I discovered very few Ford dealerships will even look at them. I struggled to even get independent shops to do oil changes. They simply don't have the room or expertise to handle such a large vehicle. You have to go to a Ford commercial truck dealership. They are very rare and far apart. It is true that the parts are cheaper to purchase. Even getting tires was a hassle a local tire shop crashed my motorhome into my cargo trailer in their parking lot because the employee didn't know how to back up a large rig! That said the Freightliner dealerships are everywhere and many are open 24/7 or at least till midnight on weekdays. You won't ever get that with a Ford dealership. The service intervals are longer with a Cummins / Freightliner but that only comes into effect if you put a lot of miles on the rig. Most RVers don't put enough miles on their rig to matter and have to service their rig based on time. Please keep in mind that you are not just buying a vehicle you are buying a house and as such you will need to do a lot of maintenance work. Don't be afraid to use a screwdriver or wrench. It will save you a lot of money! The internet is your friend in that regard. It is likely someone else has had your problem and solved it. RVers are a sharing bunch and are very happy to help someone out. Bottom line for us it was DP air ride all the way. Your needs may be different. I suggest driving a DP with your wife and then drive a gas rig. The difference is amazing.

Once you go over 37' you need a DP. For FT you need lots of Cargo Carrying Capacty...CCC. A 37' gasser will have limited and a DP will have enough and larger tanks. A tag axle coach will have unlimited CCC (9,000 lbs) and they handle/ride much better. You should be able to find a nice 10+ year old 40+' DP for $100K.

Thanks for the feedback. I recently bought a Ford 350 diesel pick up and we were looking at a 32ft 5er. we just took our first road trip to San Antonio in the truck. Without a load it road so bad my wife was ready to fly home. Well then God intervened and our truck was stolen out of the parking lot of the Redroof Inn. So now we are going to start looking at preowned motor homes. Yes they do become reasonable if you look at 10 year old riggs. So now ill ask this question. Should I stick with diesel pushers or is a gas unit suitable? I realize the DP is quite a bit more but in the long haul will it will it pay off?

stickdog wrote:

msturtz wrote:
The logical way to approach this question is how you plan on traveling.if you plan on spending weeks on the road boondocking then a motorhome is vastly more convenient. If you plan on traveling short distance and then parking at a full hookup resort then a fifth wheel can be a great choice. Keep in mind that the tow rating on consumer trucks is very optimistic and considers occasional use at or near GCWR not full time use. A 1 ton dual rear wheel truck may be rated to tow a 15,000# 5th wheel but you have limited margin. Frequently people move up to the 2 or 3 ton units (F450,F550, 4500, 5500). Don't let a salesperson con you into using a 3/4 ton or SRW 1 ton for a large 5th wheel. Also keep in mind driving a large truck around for day trips is no picnic. I'd rather have a small SUV or toad.

Been a while since you have checked out 350- 1 ton trucks Please don't dribble out 10 year old specs. You're just showing you lack of knowledge of the capasities of these vehicles. Kind of like spreading fake news.

Okay, now for what the OP asked for. If you plan on being a road warrior and plan on covering ground and running up mileage then a MH is for you. If you like to stop and smell the roses, explore the surroundings, spend a couple weeks or months in one place then a 5er may better suit your travel plans.

We have towed our 15,000 lb 5th wheel 50,000 miles in the last 7 1/2 years with a 1 ton truck from Florida to Alaska and several crossings of the continental divide coast to coast with no problems. I'm not going to knock MH's we could have as easily gone that way but the DW did not want a steering wheel in the living room. To each their own.

I am not quoting 10 year old specs I have a CDL and have had one for more than 20 years. I don't like seeing what I see on the road whether it is massively overloaded motorhomes or vastly more common overloaded consumer pickup trucks. I see overloaded pickups blasting down the road trailer swaying like crazy. In addition, I work for a large heavy truck manufacturing company. The light trucks that the big three put out are not made for the regular harsh conditions that commercial trucks are. I pulled a towable behind my one ton truck for years before we moved to a motorhome. I know how to do it safely. It was a lot of work and expense. Just the hitch I used was $3,000 not including installation. I can't tell you how many times I hear "my truck can pull xxx!".

16 years ago I bought into the 36 foot max for NP ad SP. As you can see below I found that to be BS but it cost $$$$ to upgrade and we are only half timers. Buy more RV than you think you need...ONE TIME.

A big BP is the nicest and most expensive way to see the USA. It also makes boondocking a pleasure.

msturtz wrote:
The logical way to approach this question is how you plan on traveling.if you plan on spending weeks on the road boondocking then a motorhome is vastly more convenient. If you plan on traveling short distance and then parking at a full hookup resort then a fifth wheel can be a great choice. Keep in mind that the tow rating on consumer trucks is very optimistic and considers occasional use at or near GCWR not full time use. A 1 ton dual rear wheel truck may be rated to tow a 15,000# 5th wheel but you have limited margin. Frequently people move up to the 2 or 3 ton units (F450,F550, 4500, 5500). Don't let a salesperson con you into using a 3/4 ton or SRW 1 ton for a large 5th wheel. Also keep in mind driving a large truck around for day trips is no picnic. I'd rather have a small SUV or toad.

Been a while since you have checked out 350- 1 ton trucks Please don't dribble out 10 year old specs. You're just showing you lack of knowledge of the capasities of these vehicles. Kind of like spreading fake news.

Okay, now for what the OP asked for. If you plan on being a road warrior and plan on covering ground and running up mileage then a MH is for you. If you like to stop and smell the roses, explore the surroundings, spend a couple weeks or months in one place then a 5er may better suit your travel plans.

We have towed our 15,000 lb 5th wheel 50,000 miles in the last 7 1/2 years with a 1 ton truck from Florida to Alaska and several crossings of the continental divide coast to coast with no problems. I'm not going to knock MH's we could have as easily gone that way but the DW did not want a steering wheel in the living room. To each their own.

Licreek wrote:
we do want to do a fair amount of boondocking and we would like to stay at state and national parks. Is there there an issue with length in say a 34ft MH pulling a toad?

We have a 34' Class A DP and pull a GMC Yukon Denali XL or Acadia Denali with no problems. It is critical to have automatic generator start and large tanks (fuel, fresh, grey and black). We have a 117 gallons of fresh water, 50 gallons of grey and black and a 90 gallon diesel tank. This means we effectively have about 1000 mile range between diesel fill-ups. Keep in mind we have 5 people in our rig so our biggest problem is actually grey water and showers. With just two people the tanks would last for a long time. You may wish to consider a 35' or 36' Class A DP even a used one. The costs for used units an be quite reasonable.