5th Wheel vs Class A

Perhaps I can give an objective opinion, considering I have never owned a 5er or a MH. I'm a happy TT owner, so let me chime in.

I think it boils down to only 2 factors in what one needs when it comes to a 5er or a MH. It's really this simple:

The ability to separate truck and trailer and use each independently
or
The ability to move around inside when traveling

Break camp every time you need to go an an excursion
or
Leave camper behind and do those excursions in a separate vehicle

If you factor in ONLY a MH vs a 5er, these are the main issues.
If you factor in a TOAD for the MH, the "separation" factor is not an issue, but the overall cost is.

YOU have to decide which is more important for your needs.

(I choose TT because I did not want to give up the bed of my truck and wanted the "separation" availability. I don't mind not having access to the refrigerator when driving. That what rest stops are for).

There are a ton of threads and posts on this subject. A search would lead you to hours of reading the "opinions" of others. IMHO it is a subject that some people just shy away from anymore because there is no real answer and it ends up us vs them.

You'll get the - fiver has more room than a MH - the fiver is cheaper in maintenance - fiver is less money. But in the end it's all is nothing but opinions. It usually comes down to what you want to spend and what your comfortable with. Many fiver owners end up with a MH some day. A few MH owners go back to a fiver.

But try doing a search and you'll probably answer every question you have.

driving a moster truck? all you really need is a short box 3/4 ton truck to pretty much pull everything out there.

for us a 5th wheel works well. at times i would have liked the big class A with a huge generator but that won't happen. i decided i didn't want 2 motors to worry about since we would have to also buy a car if we had a class A.

no exact answer just get what you can afford and see yourself living in. and toy haulers add another issue in your choice.

good luck

I guess I also have to consider the higher cost of diesel fuel but I think there is less mainenance with a diesel engine...? I had an '82 300D Mercedes and it was wonderful.

Thanks. The "driving monster truck around" is why we are considering towing or taking the VW.

We'll always need a big HD truck for our ranch so it will be a 5er for us.

For me, the ultimate RV would be a 40'+ diesel pusher with a Jeep as my toad. The upper class A vehicles are usually built like tanks and can easily handle a lot of weight, so the construction is done with heavier and better quality materials.

Most 5th wheel RVs make some or a lot of compromises to keep the weight down. Plus, you're then stuck at whatever destination driving around this monster 1-ton DRW truck.

Don't get me wrong - both are great RV rigs, I'm just partial to the big buses.

Now, the flip side is that a good Class A is the cost of a medium to large-sized house, but the biggest, baddest 5th wheel toy hauler probably barely touches $100k.