Do you like to have a truck for daily or frequent use? The answer to that question should drive your decision. I owned 2 5vers before owning two A's. At the time I needed a strong pickup for my business. If you need a truck and only plan to use an RV a few weeks a year, I'd stick with a 5ver. With your budget you may be buying a bunch of troubles with an older A. Also, with a 5ver you won't be paying for another engine/drive train that sits idle most of the time. Your budget would allow for a nicer, newer or bigger 5ver than A. And taking short stretch breaks every few hours breaks up the tedium of a long trip and that's what I do even driving my A. Having said all that, any rv is better than no rv. You can have fun with either type so make the choice that gives you the best bang for what is a limited budget. At least with the 5ver you don't have to fret over a 15 year old or so drive train. That's where the really big risk lies in an older rv. Its easy to inspect the roof, coach and appliances, and although not cheap, they are much less costly and easier to self repair/change than a drive train. I really like having a 38' A with just about every option, but staying within your budget I would go 5ver. Good luck with your decision whichever way you go.
