Which is the better way to go 5th wheel or motorhome?

It all boils down to one truth. How do you travel? Parking for extended periods of time? Fifth wheel. Move ever couple of days? Motor home. Everything else is superficial. Motor home will get worse fuel economy and cost way more to buy and maintain. Diesel trucks, especially new ones are returning really good non towing fuel economy numbers. Most of us really pay no attention to fuel costs. In the grand scheme of things that is one of the smallest cost factors.

We have had both and you will not save money with one over the other. The MH is no cheaper to maintain as the tires alone are $3500 plus. Insurance will be higher on a MH. Gas mileage on a MH is going to be 7-9 MPG. You really need to look at it as what is right to you.

Well Donn....
We travel every week/bi-monthly in a 5vr so we don't agree on that 'truth' as it really doesn't hold water.
Lots of folks we have meet over the yrs of full timing travel frequently and have 5vrs.
Some have MHs, some have trailers, some have campers etc. All have been full timers and travel frequently.

The truth.....get what you want.

We chose 5vr for a couple of main reasons.
I don't fit easily in/out of a small car and come to think of it that was THE reason for no MHs.

We get 16 mpg in truck solo and 10-11 mpg towing. An I can easily fit in/out of the truck so it is an added bonus..for me

OP,
We decided on a 5th wheel for retirement due to $. In our many years of calculations, a 5th wheel and truck are less expensive to maintain and insure. We have owned Class A's, Class C's, Diesel Pushers and 5th wheels.
With a motorhome and tow car, you have two motorized vehicles to maintain and insure.
For 60-70k, you can get a really nice truck/ 5th wheel set up. That kind of money spent on a motorhome will not get you too much these days, and buying used is tough. You never know how well the RV was maintained.
If expense were not an issue for us, when we begin full timing next year, we would much rather have a DP. Easier to park, level, go use the potty, stretch your legs, change drivers, make a sandwich, etc. Our last 39 ft DP didn't seem to have near as much room as our first little 26ft POJ 5th wheel we bought.
Gas mileage is not really a factor. We think they pretty much even out either way.
Only you can decide what is right for your situation.
Best of luck.

It's just a matter of which you prefer. We started out RV'ing with a pickup and a TT, a fiver seemed a natural upgrade.

With the HDT we can tow a big fiver and carry a small economical car. Personally I prefer the comfort and safety of the HDT over a MH, but that is simply preference and opinion.

Everyone needs to decide for themselves.

It came down to floorplans for us. Motorhomes didn't offer the options that we wanted. Purchase price, knowing my wife and I - the motorhome would have been a higher initial expense than our already expensive new truck + new camper.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Well Donn....
We travel every week/bi-monthly in a 5vr so we don't agree on that 'truth' as it really doesn't hold water.
Lots of folks we have meet over the yrs of full timing travel frequently and have 5vrs.
Some have MHs, some have trailers, some have campers etc. All have been full timers and travel frequently.

The truth.....get what you want.

We chose 5vr for a couple of main reasons.
I don't fit easily in/out of a small car and come to think of it that was THE reason for no MHs.

We get 16 mpg in truck solo and 10-11 mpg towing. An I can easily fit in/out of the truck so it is an added bonus..for me

Guess I did not explain myself clearly enough for you.
Move every few days people tend to prefer a MH. Motor Homes are simply put not designed to sit for months at a time in one location. In the park I am in right now, there are quite a few large class A's that have been sitting for nearly a year. That is an awful lot of money sitting there not getting used. Most people are hard pressed to spend as much money on a nice quality Fifth wheel as it costs for some of these medium quality class A's parked around me.

I made the decision based on our travels. We spend about 30-35 nights a year in the RV. But only actually traveling around 8-10 days and 2,500 miles per year. Did not make sense to me to have a motor home that only ran 8-10 days out of 365 and only 2,500 miles a year and sat idle the rest of the time. So a 5er made more sense, at least to my thinking.
If we ever move up to spending months and tens of thousands of miles per year in one, then a MH will likely be my next choice.

The answer is. Get what you want. You are the only one you have to please.

For me. Pulling a trailer is the answer. I can unhook and drive the TV every where I want to go. I have to tow something. It may as well be a trailer, And the trailer will be a travel Trailer. Why? Because it's flat inside. I don't have to climb stairs to get around in it. I don't like stairs. Or rather, My knees don't like stairs. Which brings me to. The entrance stairs. Not so may with a TT. 5ers sit much higher, and have more stairs to get into.

Understand. I like 5ers, I have nothing against them. But my knees do. TTs are just easier for them.

Most of the post are right on. It is what ever you like. The RVer that said you can buy a 5ver and PU for $70k is dreaming. My 5ver and PU close to quality of my MH was about $120k and that was approx price of my Mh and Jeep. You need to shop all of them. I have had a TT, 5ver and MH. I like MHs. Love running around in my Jeep. Just try finding a parking space for a PU Dually in a Walmart lot. Great for towing but terrible for running around town. Plus if you tow that 5ver all day you will be beat to death. Then you have to unhook. Pita. Unhook my jeep in minutes. Push a button and I am level. I'm on my 3rd martini while they are setting up the 5ver.