I'm curious how many on this forum previously traveled in 5th wheels, made the switch to a class A and why? No doubt like so many, we have bounced back and forth on pro's and con's of both. We're now thinking that travel with 1 or 2 large dogs which can ride and have lots of room, and the wife being able to get up and stretch while on the road (her back bothers her at times), would be a big plus. I'd love to hear why you switched or simply decided the motor coach was the best option. We would trailer a small SUV.Thanks

We recently switched and are really happy with our decision, like the comfort of our new unit. Travel is definitely way more enjoyable. Much prefer to use our jeep for sight seeing and a daily driver vs a 1-ton pickup.We much rather tow our jeep 4 down than to trailer it. Dealing with the trailer can be a real pain at times.

We made the switch and are on our maiden trip now. The motorhome is so much easier to setup at the campground. Even hooking up the Equinox takes about half the time it did to hook up the truck to the fiver. Of course we have a lot more room. The fiver was a 31 footer and the MH is 33'5" long. I wanted something would I could still park it in our driveway even with the toad. It will be even quicker for the trips that we do not take the toad.

I'm new to the forum but have been lurking for some time.This post currently fits my situation so I thought I reply.We currently own an 05 jayco f'ver and a 06 ford dually and because of our needs have been considering a driver for some time.A few weeks ago A 96 bounder with 25,000 miles basically fell in my lap.The coach has been sitting unused for quite some time but for the price of $3000 I could hardly pass it up.up to this point I have had to replace the roof and new tires and brakes but the old coach seems to be in great condition.we used it last weekend and the wife basically made the decision to keep it. I already own a tow dolly so take wifes altima will be an easy task.The driver really will fit our needs much better that a truck/trailer combo as we enjoy having our harley with us .It will also allow us to explore many ORV parks that were basically unavailable to us because we could'nt take the camper and polaris ranger at the same time.Ask me this same question in a few months and I will be able to give you a much better answer

We just made the switch back in november. We had a 2001 sierra forest river 33' 5th wheel toyhauler with about 14.5' of open space before the first cabinet. Well, long story short, we blew lots of tires with the 5200# tandem axle setup, got left stranded twice with an exploded wheel bearing, and the last nail in the coffin was that I just bought a sandrail, which would fit in there but then I wouldn't be able to take my quads too(won't go to the dunes without them incase the rail breaks down). So an opportunity presented itself on our 1994 georgie boy pursuit 28' class A, and we jumped on it. I have replaced a lot of parts on it, but now it's up to snuff and i'd drive it across country and not be afraid of being stranded. We now tow a 22' flatbed and my rail and all the quads fit with ease. For us, we would end up arriving at the dunes at about 1am, which is miserable enough(tired), but then the first thing we would have to do when we were basically sleep walking was unload the entire trailer just to go to bed. MISERABLE... The last trip we went on was the second wheel bearing explosion, and at that point we had enough of pulling a 5th wheel. It is much more comfortable to travel in the class A, and setup is basically nothing. We can now roll in and go to sleep. Ours has hydraulic/electric jacks on all 4 corners which is an added bonus. Leveling the 5th wheel with the front jacks and the rear manual jacks was a pain, and most of the time we didn't even level it up(park on flat ground). That's our story!

Former 5th Wheel Owners | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

MSHappyCampers
Explorer
Jun 04, 2013
We bought the MH last year after pulling 5ers the last 10 years. It was a tough decision because we loved our 5er!

We recently retired and wanted to do more long-distance traveling and thought that the MH would be more convenient and comfortable. We took a 7000 mile trip out west right after we got it and it was great! It's nice to be able to pull into a Wal-Mart or other large parking lot to rest or eat and have all the conveniences of a CG.

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
MarkieBob
Explorer II
Jun 04, 2013
I will agree with the generator issue. Having one built into the MH and just push a button rather than the setup required for the 5er is a big delight!

And 2 power trains: I thought the same thing when I switched to a 5er. Only one power train! But, I bought a Ford with the 6.0 liter and have worked on it ever since! Plus the Ford V-10 engine/tranny in my MH has proven reliability now. Look at all the rigs (MH & pickups) with it.

So, V-10 and Suzuki vs. Ford 6.0 liter diesel? I'd pick the 2 power trains any day!
barlow46
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
I have owned 3 fifth wheels (still have one on a lot) and 2 motorhomes (still have one also) over the years and have always found the motorhome to be the best setup for seeing the country and the fifth wheel the best setup for semi-permanent lot setup. You can't beat the motorhome for traveling and with a toad you are unlimited in your day trips. You can stop at a rest stop, generator is already on and area is cool, bathroom and refrigerator immediately available. The ride is exceptional for those with bladder problems. We have now put our dynasty up for sale due to some family medical problems but will keep our fifth wheel set up on our lot. At least we can get out of the heat here in FL during our hurricane season but our over the road days are very limited now and the fifth wheel provides us with a nice living space with plenty of storage and minimal maintenance compared to a motorhome. There is always a trade off but we love our dynasty and will definitely miss it. If I had to pick one and had no health issues to deal with, I would definitely pick the motorhome.
boba
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
we switched 5 years ago and have not regreted the decision one bit. the easy thing to say is vacation starts when i leave the driveway with the mh. it didn't start until setup with the 5er. the 5 er was nice but i was still driving the truck and could only go a couple of hours until i was sore or tired(and then the others would also want to stop at different times). with the mh you only have to stop when you want to stop. the others have bathrooms,food,drink and the ability to change sitting positions while driving. now if they only would make a bulletproof mh(things do break)
BillMFl
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
Loved my Montana 5vr, six years with not a single warranty problem. Replaced a water heater element and that was it. Now have a 38' gasser and generally consider a MH a step up. But not a slam dunk. There are some clear advantages/disadvantages to both. Having to have a toad and paying for a drive train that just sits around most of the year are the two biggies with a MH. And a DP just makes the cost differential that much worse. But to each his own. Color my opinion as mixed.
amandasgramma
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
We're the opposite. We had 3 motorhomes in our past, turned to 5th wheel and love it. We camp where we have VIEWS and the MHs restricted our viewing pleasure. Besides having 2 motors to maintain! What a PITA! As far as being able to stretch and walk around..........only if she has great balance and agility!!!! I don't and it was dangerous for me to walk around. On the other hand, our cats liked the MH better!
MarkieBob
Explorer II
Jun 03, 2013
We've gone back and forth, actually. We had a Cardinal 35 ft 5er, and bought a holiday rambler MH 32' a year ago. I agree with others, the 5er was a pain to keep out of the repair shop. We tow a suzuki GVitara and are much happier.

My guess is you could see the opposite (MH to 5er) and get much the same reasons to trade! You just have to decide what's best for you. Mark
mena661
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
We switched last July. Moved to the A primarily because the DW wanted to do more horse camping (had to borrow another truck to tow the horse trailer before) and wanted an easier setup. Should've done this from the get go as this fits our camping style much better than the 5er did.
glamisorbust
Explorer II
Jun 03, 2013
I never thought about using it for nascar. I have always wanted to reserve a spot about a year in advance and do the whole tailgating/bbq'ing and watching the race. I also have a suzuki samurai that I have hauled in my toyhauler quite a bit. Not only was it a little on the heavy side for that trailer, the door wasn't really up to having that much weight on it. Also, a pain in the neck to get out of after you get it inside, and a huge pain to crawl up underneath and strap it all down. Now, i've got a towbar that i'm gonna make the mounts for and just tow the sami 4 down. It only weighs 1900# so it doesn't even need brakes. When we go camping up north in flagstaff in a few weeks, i'll tow it behind and have a way to go explore the forest if I choose to.
2Bargos
Explorer
Jun 03, 2013
I have a 22ft aluminum with brakes thats perfect for two side/sides.Plus for us we enjoy a couple of nascar races a year .So I can now tow a 5x8 ten and be able to take extra water plus a grill and a few other items that was impossible with my f'ver.
I can already see many benefits of having a driver .as I mentioned earlier,,ask me this question in a few months and I'll be able to give pros/cons of both.