My wife and I are considering a fifth wheel to replace our 9 year old class A motor home because of cost and living space, and I have a question about leveling and generators. I really like the hydraulic levelers on our current motor home. Our previous class C did not have levelers, and I hated using boards and Lynx levelers for setup. Is leveling a problem in a 5th wheel? I know that most do not have leveling systems and that lengthwise leveling is done as part of the disconnect from the hitch. Is lateral leveling a problem. A salesman told me that it was hardly ever needed, but I remember leveling laterally numerous times in our motor home. I know that leveling systems are available as an add-on. Are they worth the money? I understand that most 5th wheels do not come with a generator and adding one takes up storage space. I really liked to be able to stop for lunch in our motor home and crank up the generator in the summer time for A/C. Also it was handy for the same reason when parking overnight at Wal-Mart. Is the lack of a generator a problem? Some have suggested a portable in the truck bed. Is that a viable alternative?

Auto leveling is great and worth every penny! I have two Honda 2000 portables that work great. I keep them locked with bicycle locks in the bed of my truck with an extended run gas can (also locked down). I considered all the prior advice on this forum then decided. Good luck

ky8t wrote:My wife and I are considering a fifth wheel to replace our 9 year old class A motor home because of cost and living space, and I have a question about leveling and generators. I really like the hydraulic levelers on our current motor home. Our previous class C did not have levelers, and I hated using boards and Lynx levelers for setup. Is leveling a problem in a 5th wheel? Leveling my fiver is no more work than leveling any other RV.I know that most do not have leveling systems and that lengthwise leveling is done as part of the disconnect from the hitch. Is lateral leveling a problem. A salesman told me that it was hardly ever needed, but I remember leveling laterally numerous times in our motor home. I know that leveling systems are available as an add-on. Are they worth the money? If your buying new simply order the level system with the trailer. It is as I understand a simple one button systemI understand that most 5th wheels do not come with a generator and adding one takes up storage space. I really liked to be able to stop for lunch in our motor home and crank up the generator in the summer time for A/C. Have never needed to do that when we stop for lunch. Of course we also do not live in the SW, but in The Pacific Northwest. If it is of concern to you then order the generator.Also it was handy for the same reason when parking overnight at Wal-Mart. Is the lack of a generator a problem? Some have suggested a portable in the truck bed. Is that a viable alternative?We don't overnight for cheap at places like Walmart, but having a big fuel thirsty generator mere inches from my head all night making noise is not my idea of a restful nights sleep. I would rather stop at a RV park and use their electricity it I need the AC running all night. Friends had a really nice Carriage fiver with a built in generator and the only time they tried to use it was when the house batteries were dead. Of course to start the generator they first had to connect their truck to the trailer so they could jump start it. The house battery also is the starting battery for the generator.

I just bought a 5th (Keystone Alpine), which has 6pt autolevel. push the button, it does all the work. push two buttons and it returns the 5th to where you removed it from the truck last. gennies.. what a pain.. I don't want one in the bed of the truck, its got to stay with the unit while we are gone during the day (taking pets we can't afford to leave at home). anything not IN the unit has to be locked down, else it will walk. the Honda's are great, quiet, (and small, aka portable). but you will have to have an aux tank to run them for any decent time.and they are not remote startable/stoppable (that I can tell). so I have found a 7kw onan cheap that needs repair, but now I have to get a fire enclosure built in the front compartment too. if u don't need A/C, then most everything else is will work. but I live in Texas.. it will be over 100 again today.Sam

You can get leveling systems added to 5th wheels that will work just like the ones on the MHs. You will need to level a 5th wheel just as often as you have to level a MH from side to side. Don't believe the salesman especially when it comes to how big of truck you will need for towing.A generator is a nice feature for the same reasons you used one on the MH. You do give up some storage space but remember you will have lots of storage in the bed of the pickup that you didn't have with the MH. There are boxes you can buy to fit in the pickup bed to provide security but allow easy use of the hitch.5th wheels can now be setup with all the automatic goodies you find in MHs which makes them just as easy to setup when you get to your destination.

One of the main reasons we purchased a new fiver in December, 2012, was to get one with hydraulic leveling - I "hated" dealing with the plastic blocks & wooden boards. The side-to-side leveling with a fiver isn't any easier than that with a motorhome without levelers. I wouldn't be without the automatic levelers again.I can't speak to your generator question - we don't have one. Mike

5th Wheel Leveling | Good Sam Community

hoopers
Explorer
Sep 07, 2013
Lantley wrote:
Something not mentioned is after market leveling systems are available,however they are expensive in the $3K -4K range I believe. My understanding is they work well.
Many new units are now coming stock with auto level systems. I'm not sure I would pay to add leveling to an existing trailer,however I would not buy a new rig that was not equipped with auto level.

Yea, that was why I bought the 6point, since I was buying a new trailer. I think I paid about 2500ish for mine, since I got invoice pricing from the factory.

Auto leveling is nice. Really makes the setup that much quicker and easier. Just push a button, and the trailer levels itself. And the leveling is exact, not "close enough". And it is a 1 one person job, you don't need the DW or DH telling you when you are on the blocks/levels etc. That in itself is worth a lot! ha ha :S
Lantley
Nomad
Sep 07, 2013
Something not mentioned is after market leveling systems are available,however they are expensive in the $3K -4K range I believe. My understanding is they work well.
Many new units are now coming stock with auto level systems. I'm not sure I would pay to add leveling to an existing trailer,however I would not buy a new rig that was not equipped with auto level.
joebedford
Nomad II
Sep 07, 2013
I level every time - even in Walmart. Boards are fine. Hydraulic isn't worth the money to me and from what I've seen in this forum, in some cases is harder to operate than boards. YMMV

I have a built-in generator and use it regularly. Don't want the hassle and risk of CO from an in-bed unit.
Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Sep 07, 2013
rtazz17 wrote:
Auto level must be great but honestly putting a board down on one side takes all of 30 seconds and done.Dont see a huge issue.

It is no biggie to level side to side. I think people want the newest thing and get lazy. For the extra money and problems I will stick with a 4 point system.
Lantley
Nomad
Sep 07, 2013
Both leveling system and on board gensets are available. Many new units now come standard with leveling systems.
My unit came standard with leveling system. I had a 5500 Onan LP factory installed.
Both features work very well.Push button leveling as well as push button electric power.
These features are all about convenience. With them there is no need for: leveling boards, legos or portable gensets,gas cans, parallel cables or any of the other stuff required.
Having A/C at a rest area is as easy as pushing the button. The LP models do use more propane, however they do not suffer from the carburetor issues that plague gas generators. My unit comes standard with 80 # LP which can carry me a day or two if needed. Generally I don't boondock for long periods, but use genset for lunch stops and overnight stops.
In the end I agree with the OP as I have both of the options he wants and I would not have it any other way
hoopers
Explorer
Sep 07, 2013
SailingOn wrote:
Generator:
1. Texas is home, Arizona is kids: hot is us. Air conditioning works great, but takes an hour or two to cool the rig down: worthless for a meal stop.
2. We've camped without hookups maybe 25 nights this year. Every CG we've seen restricted generator hours. All those no-hookup nights were winter/spring or we'd have been miserable.
3. A 2kw generator will recharge our batteries running an hour or so once or twice a day.
Conclusion:
- When we need the AC, we need shore power.
- A small lightweight generator does everything else just fine.
.
Leveling:
One difference FW vs MH: once we're set up on a site, the rig stays; no re-leveling after we drive into town.

X2.

I rarely camp where I need AC, so I have a 1000 watt yamaha portable generator. Runs everything except AC, it's super quiet (neighbors appreciate me along with the DW), stores in my truck box, recharges my batteries, uses very little fuel and otherwise great.

As to leveling, most of the time drycamping, I have to level the tires close to level, even though I have 6point leveling. The 6point levels side to side only so much...usually enough for RV camps, but only about 50% of the time drycamping.
relaxin
Explorer
Sep 07, 2013
I just get the butler ,,, unless he is sleeping, then the maid to get their lazy you know what out of the truck when we arrive and place out the boards for side to side and then hold that dirty old button to lower the landing gear and actually watch the level to see when its level..... such tiring and dirty work leveling a trailer is, its so much easier just to pay someone to do it.

I think that all parks should be required to have valet site service, where you pull up to the gate and they then take your rig and park and unhook, level, and set out the carpet and patio furnature, and please shoo away the mosquitoes while you are at it
LMAO
kakampers
Explorer
Sep 07, 2013
When we ordered our new fiveer last year we got level up and a generator.....would not be without either after having them. Have used the genny quite often while traveling and will use it much more when we stop working and start boondocking more often. ...
Shepherd
Explorer
Sep 07, 2013
I have four electric jacks. It's not self leveling but it is remote controled and it raises the unit off it's suspension.:)
el_Rojo
Explorer
Sep 07, 2013
We came out of a motor home to a 5th wheel 3 months ago. We got the level up jacks "love them" but didn't get a generator. Ours is pr-ewired for a genny, but I thought I would see how bad I needed one before I spent the money. We also added a trailer hitch to the back of the fw. I thought I'd make a bracket and get a champion with remote start and put it in the receiver hitch if I had to have a genny. The LP gennys burn a lot of propane IMO.

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