Class A vs 5th Wheel

timmac wrote:

Rock Wells wrote:
Howdy! We've had class A's for almost 20yrs, thinking about switching to a 5th wheel rig. Main reason is dealing with todes. Any thoughts...

A toad is a lot easier than a 5th wheel, hookup or towing..

I'm thinkin the 5er is a much easier combo! No need to stop n unhook before pulling into site with 5er. Irritating others because of blocking one lane doing so.

Thank you all for your input. Momma & I went to look at fiver's yesterday, think we're going in that direction...

I have always had motor homes until this 5er. I went from a 2004 37c triple slide Pace Arrow to a 2003 36ft triple slide Pride 5er. 5er has much more usable room and storage and a more homey feel. Hook up is just as easy as toad was so no big thing there. One less drive train to keep up and 11 mpg with truck verses 7 with mh. Ins. and tags are also much cheaper in Ga.
Another plus for us is when we get to our destination I have a crew cab truck to haul our friends around.
Things I miss about mh is DW using restroom without having to stop but to be honest at my age I need to stop more often anyway. Yes I have had to get out in the rain to sleep in 5er one time when that was not an issue with MH. one or two times I don't think I will melt.
Bottom line is to each his own. For us its the 5er hands down for bang for the buck, operation cost, and difference in deprecation.

It is all about how you want to use it, moving around vs going to just one place and staying there (which sometimes argues for sticks and bricks when you dig deeply into the econmics).

Within our RV club we have folks who went towable for years then settled on motor homes, others who traveled for years in motorhomes and shifted to towables that they would set up for weeks or months at a time at one location.

The cost of a motorhome plus toad is more than a travel trailer plus truck (of comparable size, quality, and age). After a lot of comparison shopping I say it's about 20% more. Maybe 10% more compared to a fifth wheel which generally has a little more cost.

I actually went from class A back to a couple different TT's, then a 5er. With the Class A, I always felt the need to tow a car. Also, we rarely seem to use or have available pull through sites so either way you have to get out and disconnect something. Modern 5ers if anything are easier and quicker to disconnect than a Toad, and I always do a quick walk around anyway just to make sure I didn't miss something the slides might hit. 5er a lot nicer when camped, class A nicer on the road. Since we spend more time parked than moving 5er just seems a better choice.

I drove my class a for about 11 years and usually had a trailer behind me. I bought a 41' toy hauler and a chev duramax. We are so much happier with the truck and trailer. Drives so much nicer, better power and fuel. The truck is my daily driver as well so now I maintain one truck instead of a daily driver plus all the extras with the motorhome. Insurance is cheaper as well. I can have my toys, more storage and have my vehicle there as well. In addition to all that I have 4wd vs 2wd in the motorhome. More ground clearance as well. Bigger tanks. A fuel station. I could go on and on.

fairway2002 wrote:
Wise man once told me. I rather Tow 5k lbs with 45k lbs then tow 14k lbs with 6k Lbs.

LMAO what are you towing with that weighs 45,000 lbs???? And If you're using a 6k vehicle to haul a 14k trailer you're probably overloaded.

I just went the other way and now have a class A (30'). I used to have a 31' 9000lb fw. When pulling the fw, I never had to think about trucks passing me or winds (other than slowing me down some) and hooking up was quick and easy.
Wife wanted a mh and my back has issues, so I said ok, as long as she could help with the driving and she has. When driving the fw and back got sore, if she drove, I sit where? In passenger seat. Now I can relax in the MH. Everything has its advantages and disadvantages.

I think you are going the wrong direction as there is NO Way I'd go back to a 5er.