5th wheels vs motor homes

[smokeater46]

My wife and I are planning to buy a new RV that we can use for extended travel. We've looked at both 5th wheels and motor homes but can't quite decide which type is better. We've pretty much decided on a 5th wheel, but there's a little doubt still. I'm a little leery of pulling a 5th wheel since I've never pulled anything that big. We have a pop-up now, so I can tow. However, I drove straight (fire) trucks for over 30 years and feel comfortable driving large vehicles. We are also skiers and plan (hope) to use our RV for that, so snow covered roads may be encountered.
We'd love to have opinions/reasons for selecting a 5th wheel vs a motor home. Pros and cons of both

[whporwil]

Currently have both. 2008 Jayco Designer 35 rlsa and a 2006 Winnebago Tour. Both are for sale, what ever sells first will keep the other.

Insurance, my motor home cost less a year than my F 450. Way more systems on the motorhome equals more to go wrong.

[tomousecap]

If some "Goon" threatens us, I can just sitdown and drive away. I don't have to confront him while trying to get to the tow vehicle.

Also the DW refuses to drive a truck when we get where we are going. 🙂

[Bird_Freak]

So far we have had 1 B class 2 MH's and now a fiver. I can set up the 5er just as fast as the mh and both have to have hook-ups done outside. I can drop the 5er as fast as disconnecting the toad. The last mh and my 5er are the same length and have 3 slides. 5er has more usable room. Only thing I miss about the mh is DW getting to use the bathroom while I drive. Do not miss the MPG or tag and insurance bills. Bottom line for you is what suits you best.

[Av8orlouTX]

I have a 2013 Cedar Creek fiver that has the automatic bells and whistles. It even has a remote control so I can lower the automatic levelers (I love the 6 point level up system), open the slides, put out the awning and even turn on the porch light. The only thing I have to do manually that is different from a MH is disconnect the truck. With that said my father has an MH and I can get set up just as fast or faster than he does, especially when he has to disconnect his toad. But I have to admit it is nice to be going down the road, as a passanger, in his MH and be able to use the bathroom, grab a bite to eat and stretch out.
But as everyone said, you have to do what is best for you. It is a tough decision.

[arnko37]

My theory is this. Buy a used high quality fith wheel and a new or almost new pick up truck that is rated to pull more that the trailer, nothing marginal. We recently sold a 38 ft Newmar MH because it was a money pit. My wife liked it but I didnt. It had too many automatic things that were troublesome and I could not fix. With the fifth wheel I can handle many of the repairs myself.

[valhalla360]

When you compare apples to apples, the 5er is cheaper to purchase. Keep in mind, the front 4-6' of a MH is basically lost space once you park. Also a $125k 5er is probably equivilent to a $3-500k MH, so even after adding the cost of a truck, you are still way ahead.

In terms of maintenance: Again the 5er wins. You can take a pickup into any autoshop and they will know how to handle it. With a MH, you often wind up going to specialty shops and buying specialty parts with specialty prices.

Fuel economy: From reading various responses over the years, a 5er can expect 10-12mpg and MH's run 5-8mpg. You will be hard pressed saving enough fuel driving the toad to cover the balance out the extra fuel the MH uses. Plus half the idea is to set up the rig near what you want to see. If you are driving huge distances in the toad on a regular basis, I suggest finding a campsite closer to what you want to see.

Set up: We can be set up in just about the same amount of time as a MH. Then again, it's not a race. Especially if you are using it regularly, you get in a rythm and it takes us 10-15 minutes on either end without rushing. If we had automated stuff, we could probably trim that down. Also, if you pull a toad, there is no backing into a site until you unhook, negating the supposed benefit. I always find it funny that people seem to be afraid to leave the rig when setting up as if that's an advantage. If I don't feel safe getting out, I'm probably moving on to someplace safer. If it's raining, I can just plug in, drop the legs and hang out in the 5er in total comfort until the rain lets up in just a couple minutes.

I'm hard pressed to find any significant advantage to a MH over a 5er except as someone mentioned, "you look cool driving one". The exception would be if you get one of the small class B units and skip the toad. Then I can see some advantages for being able to be on the move quickly but it comes at the expense of having to tear down the campsite every time you want to go to the store. In that case a truck camper may be a better option, as you have the option to drop the camper at the site getting the best of both worlds.

[BB_TX]

My way of looking at it is this.
If I planned on extensive travel miles, I would lean toward a MH. 15, 20, 30,000 miles per year would be better done in a MH, IMHO.
If I planned on shorter trips where I would be putting much less than 10,000 miles per year and staying at each location for longer periods of time, then I would lean toward a 5er.
We have a 5er.

[REWahoo]

We've owned both and as several other have said, it all comes down to personal choice. Both have pluses and minuses involving cost, space, convenience, ride comfort, and as one poster mentioned, the "snob factor".

We settled on a 5th wheel due to several of the above reasons. The only choice that is right for you is based on your own preferences.

[Bumpyroad]

with a motorhome you can tow a little 4x4 for excursions. with a 5er, you are stuck with a monster truck to drive in towns and in rough terrain.
bumpy

[wilber1]

Never owned a motor home but it strikes me it would be more convenient for traveling. You do have an extra powertrain to maintain but you aren't stuck with using a fuel guzzling truck that you may not need otherwise, as a daily driver when not traveling. On the other hand, with a motor home you may wind up having to buy a vehicle suitable for use as a towed that you wouldn't normally want if you were just buying a car.

We wound up with a fifth wheel because we lived on an acreage at the time and needed a truck. Otherwise I don't know which we way we would have gone. The only thing we knew for sure was no matter what you get, you will end up towing something, unless you want to use your RV as a grocery getter.

[Fiver_Driver1]

We have had two mini motorhomes, three fifth wheels and one class A motorhome. At this time we have a fifth wheel. Cost of insurance is one of the things that drove us out of the motorhome. Another is that it was 102 inches wide. Many of the roads we travel, and parks we stay in are not designed for such wide vehicles.
Our next RV will probably be a pull trailer. You can have a true walk-around bed without an extra slide.

[gbopp]

We like a motorhome for traveling. It's self contained and you don't have to leave the vehicle if you want to get something to eat/drink or use the restroom.
You can get all the opinions you want, in the end your opinion will be the only one that counts.
Take your time and look at several motorhomes and 5th wheels before you decide.

[Michelle_S]

A quick note in reference to the post about break downs, with a Fifthwheel, you still have a place to stay while your TV is worked on, with a MH you'll be looking for a Motel. Newer 5ers with auto leveling systems make setups and tear down about equal to a MH, I do agree if it's bad weather you can do almost everything from the drivers seat of the MH vs getting out to do it with the 5er. As has beem said: "All comes down to personal preference and type of use"
Happy Trails which ever way you go.

[Altern]

WyoTraveler pretty much said it all..
I too have owned both and find the MH much more desirable considering ease of use. Our biggest factor of MH over 5er was not having to sit all day in a pickup truck when traveling.
And, I hate to say it, a MH is just classier than a truck pulling a trailer. :C

[the_bear_II]

We've had both, here's the way I look at it:

In the past the MHs seemed to be easier. I would see a MH pull in and be setup within 30 minutes. It would take me an hour with the 5th wheel. That is no longer an issue now that the 5th wheels have automatic levelers, sat dish and awnings like the MHs do.

The biggest difference I see is more useable living space in the 5th wheel. If you compare a 40 foot MH to a 40 foot 5th wheel, the MH loses at least 3 feet of space in the driving area.

With the 5th wheel we are OK using the truck to drive around to sight see and for runs into town.

We need a pickup truck for other uses. For us it was less expensive to get a 5th wheel and use the pickup as the tow vehicle instead of buying a MH.

Also, if the drivetrain components fail in a MH you may lose the ability to live in the MH for a few days to weeks while getting repairs. With the 5th wheel if the tow vehicle fails you still have access to living in the 5th wheel.

It is nice to be able to get up and stretch while driving down the road in the MH, use the facilities without the need to go outside.

Our choice is the 5th wheel although my dream is to have a 45 foot bus type MH. I also want a Lamborgini, a yacht and a mansion on the beach in southern California.