5th wheel vs. motorhome

[Old_Ephram]

We currently have a 30ft. 5th wheel which we pull with a Chevy 3500 crew cab, long bed, Duramax PU. Lately I've noticed alot of MH/toad combinations at campgrounds and started wondering what are the pros and cons of each set-up. Some of you, I'm sure, have had a MH and toad at sometime and now have a 5er/TV. I'm interested in your opinions. I posed this question on the MH forum and naturally got an overwhelming response in favor of the MH/toad combo. How about here?

[the_bear_II]

For us it is the "more for your money". We have to have a pick up truck for other uses. A 5th Wheel was a much less expensive choice than a MH. We have had MHs in the past. They were used. When we decided to go for a new large RV 5th wheels were our only choice.

Another reason- in MH you lose anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of floor space to the driving area. In the 5th wheel every inch of floor space is either living or storage space. So you get more room for your dollar.

[Water-Bug]

In Michigan, a 5er has a permanent lifetime license and registration fee of about $250. A MH has an annual license/registration fee determined by vehicle value. It can really add up over the life of the vehicle.

[ReneeG]

Well, we haven't owned a Class A, but we were so close to signing papers on one, if it weren't for two things - 1) Feel of the ride, the motorhome we test drove had a lot of movement going down the road. For me, who tends to suffer from motion sickness, that was not good. Then, on the third trip to the dealership to sit and study the motorhome, DH asked me where we were going to put the kitchen garbage can. OMG! I really started looking at storage. The can was going to have to be out on the floor or a little bag on the inside of the door. Then I started looking at other storage and that was it. I was so unsure at that point, we backed out of the deal. Never looked back. Our TV ride when towing the fifth wheel is firm and steady. As for space and storage space in the fiver - well, it can't be beat. We have so much that it's not all filled and probably never will be, but I've got my choice of storage cabinets and, and, and . . . my kitchen garbage can fits under the sink.

[VintageRacer]

For me, the biggest difference is you tow a fifth wheel, but you can tow stuff with a motor home. If you just need a go-about vehicle you can tow a toad, or drop the trailer and use the truck, but if you need to tow a trailer with a couple of race cars in it tough to do with a fifth wheel. I couldn't have a fifth wheel due to that kind of limitation, but I see a lot of people who just love the fifthwheel and never have a need to tow a boat, or a travel trailer behind the MH, or stuff like that.

So bottom line, it boils down to what do you need to do and how can you best solve that problem? Everyone is different.

Brian