Class A v 5th wheel

[eagle281]

Hi everyone
I am wanting to go from a 5th wheel to a class A.
Wondering how many out there have moved from a class A to 5th wheel. Are you happy or not. Why did you do it?
Thanks for your input

[eagle281]

WOW
Thank you so much. Everyone has given excellent points, and believe me We will wiegh them all.

[RustyJC]

rattleNsmoke wrote:
The Beast is perfect for a weekend warrior family like ours and prolly has more interior roominess than most MH's.

That's an excellent point that I don't believe has been mentioned. Besides losing the room of the driver's compartment, a MH usually has shallower slideouts than a 5th wheel since a MH customer requirement is to be able to walk from the front to the back while on the road with the slides retracted. The slideouts in 5th wheels can be deep enough to just clear each other by a fraction of an inch when retracted.

Rusty

[rattleNsmoke]

I've never owned a MH, nor do I have an inclination to until possibly retirement when we could go 8-10 months a year all over the country. The Beast is perfect for a weekend warrior family like ours and prolly has more interior roominess than most MH's. We have a center kitchen and rear entertainment center with face-to-face sofa\lounge chairs. My diesel p\u is currently my daily driver and with the price of fuel being as low as it is has helped my wallet. I couldn't cost justify having a MH sitting in the yard most of the time unused. Just my .02

[RustyJC]

JTrac wrote:
I know this subject gets beat to death and generally changes no one's mind (not that it should) but I thought about what you said. Our traveling friends have a late model Entegra with all the bells and whistles. He still has to go outside to hook up his electric, sewer and water, just like me. He has to go outside to unhook his car, which I must say sometimes takes longer than it does for me to unhook the truck. The really big difference is in leveling. He has auto level and gets to stay inside and push his button. On the other hand I have to go outside to push the button on ours. 😞

I agree. If the MH is pulling a toad that must be hitched/unhitched, then I'll bet there isn't 5 minutes difference in setup and teardown. I have auto-level. I have an electric power cord reel. I have on-board water filtration, power management and power protection systems. The auto-level system even remembers the elevation when the 5th wheel was unhitched, so with the push of a button, it will return the 5th wheel to the same elevation when we're ready to hitch up and leave.

Just like me, the MH still has to hook up to the power pedestal, the water supply and the sewer drop. I could see the ease of setup/teardown issue back when people were diddling with boards under tires and front/rear jacks to level 5th wheels, but with the options available, that's not necessary any more.

Rusty

[JTrac]

Lantley wrote:
For me the equation/discussion boils down to convenience vs. cost. A nice diesel pusher is much easier to use and set up than any 5'er.
Yes fiver's can be just as luxurious but they will never have the push button convenience of a class A.
However a class A will always be more expensive than a comparable fiver. In many cases a lot more expensive. Are you willing to pay for class A convenience? Do you need class A convenience?
Priorities and budgets are different for everyone. In the end there is no one size fits all response.

I know this subject gets beat to death and generally changes no one's mind (not that it should) but I thought about what you said. Our traveling friends have a late model Entegra with all the bells and whistles. He still has to go outside to hook up his electric, sewer and water, just like me. He has to go outside to unhook his car, which I must say sometimes takes longer than it does for me to unhook the truck. The really big difference is in leveling. He has auto level and gets to stay inside and push his button. On the other hand I have to go outside to push the button on ours. 😞

[Lantley]

For me the equation/discussion boils down to convenience vs. cost. A nice diesel pusher is much easier to use and set up than any 5'er.
Yes fiver's can be just as luxurious but they will never have the push button convenience of a class A.
However a class A will always be more expensive than a comparable fiver. In many cases a lot more expensive. Are you willing to pay for class A convenience? Do you need class A convenience?
Priorities and budgets are different for everyon. In the end there is no one size fits all response.

[RustyJC]

One factor to consider - if you need mechanical repairs on the powertrain/chassis of a Class A, you (1.) need to find a facility that's willing to work on a Class A motorhome chassis and (2.) must understand that your "house" is going to be in the shop along with the chassis. With a 5th wheel, any reputable dealer of your truck brand can work on the truck (as well as many independents), and you can be comfortable in the RV sitting at a campground until repairs are completed. (Not that I've ever had to do this, but it could happen.)

Rusty

[lee_worsdell]

We did it years ago, went from a 2004 Vectra ad model loved it. I love to drive it down the highway was so comfortable also was so much easierwith our son. my wife liked it a little better also. some day will go back just need to win the lotto. the repairs were the big issue had a 400 cummins in it and it was just starting to break down. we enjoy our fifthwheel now we go to a lot of nascar races so it works for us now.

[Ivylog]

You still need to answer these questions from your post in Class A.
OP, with only this one post in the last year it's impossible to give you good answers. How many people? How many days/year will you use it. Are you handy? Do you have a car that can be towed four down? Are you looking to travel more and further.
From the above post it sounds like you are snowbirds?

[eagle281]

I really appreciate the input.
The only thing we use the truck for is pulling the 5th wheel, so it does sit about 7 to 8 months a year.
The other thing is when we are just driving the truck it seems to be getting more difficult to park in lots with a big truck.
Had an awful time in Sarasota yesterday so as ScottG said it would be easier driving a small toad around.
I did post on the class A forum and got 2 pages of yes to class A.
It is great to be able to get so much input from all of you.
I realize everything is opinion, but it is based on your experience
Thank you.

[Two_Hands]

There was just a discussion on this exact topic that couldn't have ended much more than a day or so ago. Perhaps someone could direct the original poster to it?

[JTrac]

I've done both. Went from a fifth wheel to a gas class A, to a dp and back to a fiver. Everyone has different experiences but our first gas motorhome was a nightmare to drive. I gave up and got a lower, mid level dp. It was much better but still required about $4K in mods to make it comfortable to drive long distances, including Koni shocks, Safe-T-Plus and front and rear stabilizer bars. We had some good times with it in 7 years but I got concerned about long term costs of repair and maintenance. New tires were over $3k.

When it came time to replace the motorhome we compared the prices, features, options and perceived quality of a new truck and fifth wheel with a new diesel motorhome. I think what we have is pretty good and my total outlay is not much more or even less than some gas class A's and a lot, lot less than most comparable dp's. I would say going down the road is much more fun in a motorhome if you're not the driver but when we set up for the night they are all just a house on wheels. Just my experience and opinion, which has nothing to do with anybody but me.

[Artum_Snowbird]

A lot depends on what you do with your truck when not hauling too. In my case, I need a 4 by 4 to launch the boat, and the insurance on a fifth wheel is a lot cheaper than having another powered vehicle.

We live in a place where fishing without camping is easy, and camping without fishing is just as much fun. Looking forward to taking the inflatable kayak with us this year to local lakes.

[ScottG]

If money were no object I would go with the class A easy. The idea of not having to drive a big p/u truck everywhere is the main reason.
But because the potential for very costly repairs (much more expensive than a truck) is always out there, I would go with the fiver.
But if the costs don't scare one off, the A seems like a far nicer way to go.

[WyoTraveler]

I think it is more personal than $$$$$s. We went from class A to 5ver to TT to class A. Each have pros and cons. I like having easier access to a restroom, a smaller vehicle to drive when parked, JMHO more actual feel of the road and wx conditions in a MH. In TT you feel some wx conditions. In a 5ver you feel almost none and become over confident. In a MH you feel the wind and wx and slow down to compensate.