Driveable vs towable for x country trip

Veebyes wrote:

The class A people spend as much time messing with the toad hitch as we do the 5er. The DW is not going to unbelt herself & go make a sandwich at 60mph & nobody is going to the bathroom at that speed so that one does not wash.

I can unhook the toad and drive it away in under 3 minutes. I can hook up the toad in under 5 - it takes an extra minute to line it up perfectly and another minute to set the jeep for towing. And I do it in that time alone. With two, both instances are under two minutes.

I don't make a sandwich, but I have made coffee at 60 mph. Typically, we will eat snack food instead of sandwiches - sandwiches require two hands - difficult when driving.

I have also gone to the bathroom while moving. It isn't a big deal, and I won't do it unless on straight, flat, road. DH warns me at sudden braking or curves. Of course, I've spent a lot of time on boats. I still have sea legs so the motion doesn't bother me.

gbopp wrote:
Welcome to the forum.
My vote is for one you drive.
You'll be traveling a lot and will have everything available while rolling down the road or sitting in a 5 mile traffic back up.

There are pros and cons to every type of RV. I prefer the type you drive. Others will have different opinions.

Do what is best for YOU.

Enjoy your travels.

Double ditto. We just make sure we stay at cgs compatible with what we have which is a 2000 class c. On shorter trips we rent a car at our destination with our AARP discount.

If you can realistically predict your main usage then the decision should not be difficult.

What kind of traveler are you? If I spend weeks at one spot then I want the towable. If I move every few days I want the driveable.

I can do my own maintenance on a towable, including changing tires. Not so easy on a big A or C. If the towable gets damaged the insurance for the truck covers it for a nominal fee ($35 last year). Will you have roadside insurance and how reliable is it where you will be driving?

My 5er is worth as much today as when I bought it used 12 yrs ago. I have upgraded/remodeled and repaired/replaced most items on the 5er, so it has been an annual expense. I changed trucks but that was more a personal choice and not because of a mechanical issue (a diesel truck just keeps on going and towing). Are you looking at a diesel or gas motor, new or used?

I see a lot of C's and A's the same age as my 5er, advertised for sale "with recently rebuilt" engine or transmission, etc. The B and A I owned years ago (70's & 80's| were gassers. The B blew an engine and the A was a 5 mpg, slower than a VW on a hill, box going down the road. I know they have improved since then and a Benz diesel seems like a good vehicle to me, but my memories or driveables are not of a reliable, fun to drive RV.

It also depends on what you like to do. I tow doubles so a 5er is the only legal combination for me. Will you need a toad or want to have a toy hauler?

I know I can launch a boat with a C or A but then I have to break camp twice a day to put in and take out the boat.

I have owned an A, B, C, hybred, TT, 5er, and Tent. Right now the 5er is for when the wife comes along and the tent is when I fish alone.

NMDriver wrote:
My 5er is worth as much today as when I bought it used 12 yrs ago.

Probably not after adjustment for inflation.

NMDriver wrote:
I know I can launch a boat with a C or A but then I have to break camp twice a day to put in and take out the boat.

Where we fish for trophy trout, after we launch our boat with our small Class C we can leave the boat on the shore for days while our Class C remains a few feet away at the campsite.

I would't feel comfortable doing this with a towable:



Or this:



With our non-towable motorhome we can do such things as:

1) Have a push button started built-in generator fueled by the main 55 gallon fuel tank.

2) With a push of a button start the main engine from from the coach battery bank if the engine starting battery system should ever fail.

3) Stop for a quick lunch or nap in a living area already warm when traveling in cold weather or already cool when traveling in hot weather.

4) Go to the bathroom while the other one is driving down the road.

5) Go get food/drinks in the coach for us both while traveling down the road.

6) Break camp way faster than with a towable whenever the towing vehicle has been disconnected from the towed living area.

7) Charge the coach battery bank from the main engine's alternator quickly and automatically.

8) Charge the coach battery bank from the built-in generator.

9) Stop and park quickly in the often small parking lots around points of interest discovered while traveling down the road.

We traveled across the country twice in our 27 foot Class C, and just finished a summer trip to Alaska. Did not tow a car, and only rented a car once for a day on all of those trips. The only time we couldn't park the C was in a lot that was full, so you couldn't park a toad either. But, to be clear, we have not wanted to go to areas that are "jeep friendly" or require the use of a car. We do use public transportation when available. So, think about the kinds of places you want to visit. BTW, I hear you about Provincetown.

1. My TT has a dedicated 30 gallon gas tank for the built in generator and the truck has 36 gallons of diesel 66 gallon total.

2. Never had the truck batteries fail in 30 years.

3. Have big A/C in small TT will cool by the time I walk the dogs and I don't camp in bitter cold .

4. Truckers do it all the time. I prefer to stop at a rest area and stretch my legs and walk the dogs.

5. I keep a cooler for snacks and drinks beside me. For lunch I can pull over fire up the generator ( push of a button) and have a relaxed meal without worrying about driving and eating.

6. I can hook up in the same time it takes to hook up a toed.

7. My TT battery is charged by my truck driving down the road automatically.

8. My TT battery is charged by my generator as well.


9. Not if you have a toed, you will need the same space as me.

Like I said this is just for fun, it's a matter of personal choice.

Continuing the fun on this rainy day:

1. My MH generator is fed by a 55 gallon tank.
2. I've had many vehicle batteries fail over the years.
3. My coach area is always cool if the driving area is cool and my coach area is always warm if the driving area is warm ... no dog walking at first is required.
4. The person not driving can "go" anytime with no stops required.
5. We have our whole RV refrig available when going down the road.
6. We just traveled 3000 miles with friends who use a (small) TT RV pulled by a pickup truck. We can stop and set up camp way faster than they can ... or break camp and take off way faster than they can if they had their towing truck unhooked beforehand.
7. My coach batteries are kept charged very efficiently via 6 guage wiring from the engine alternator.
8. My TT battery bank is charged by either of our two generators.
9. We gas-up at the forward pump while leaving the rear end pump free for others ... and travel with a no toad no-slide pretty compact 24 foot Class C that can park in a whole bunch of standard parking spots.
10. Our little home is always with us ... no need to drive back to it before proceeding on to somewhere else.

None of those things would be a advantage to me, what would be an advantage with a motorhome is I could tow a pontoon boat behind it. Since I'm retired I'm not in that big of a hurry and more important everything is paid for. Now if I had unlimited funds a Newell coach would be kind of nice, heck I would even be happy with a Prevost conversion. At least you had rain, we had a dang ice storm.

You'll just have to wait for me at the fuel pump, although I can fill with two pumps, one diesel for the truck and gas for the trailer at the same time. Confuses the counter people though.

colliehauler wrote:
Now if I had unlimited funds a Newell coach would be kind of nice, heck I would even be happy with a Prevost conversion.

:h :h :h

No way would I back a Newell or Prevost down most of the boat ramps that we've seen! I choose boat ramps VERY CAREFULLY for even our little old Itasca hauling a 14' ft fishin' boat ... and even then I sometimes scare myself to death.

You would use the the Burb On the double deck trailer to back the boat. I did say unlimited funds. If your going to dream, dream big.