switching from tent camping to 5th wheel

[Tibbs54]

We are in the market for a small-ish 5th wheel and the truck to tow it...We are looking at the Northwood Fox Mountain 235RLS and a 2015 F350 Diesel. We have only tent camped to date - but I just turned 60 and feel it's time to go for more comfort. 🙂 Plus we will be retiring soon and want to spend a lot of time traveling and camping around the country.

My question is more of a "how does it feel" to camp in a 5th wheel. Ours would be about 28feet long. Can I plan to wake up in the morning and open the door to the smell of pine trees and fresh air or, because we aren't in a tent, will I just be looking at my neighbors 5th wheel, travel trailer or motorhome? I'm hoping a 28 foot FW won't have many restrictions and we can stay out of crowded RV parks and 'get away from it all'. We considered a truck camper for this reason, but feel we want the room for when the grandkids camp with us. Any thoughts on this? Any resources I can check? I don't want to hit the road only to find that I won't be able to get that 'in the woods' feeling when stopping for the day. Can't wait to get started --- what's it like?

[Tibbs54]

Thanks bpounds! That's advice I can really use! We most likely will want to do a lot of camping at sites where we can't hook up. So I appreciate any and all advice about that. BTW, I'm your kind of gal not guy.:)

[bpounds]

Tibbs54 wrote:
We are in the market for a small-ish 5th wheel and the truck to tow it...We are looking at the Northwood Fox Mountain 235RLS and a 2015 F350 Diesel. We have only tent camped to date - but I just turned 60 and feel it's time to go for more comfort. 🙂 Plus we will be retiring soon and want to spend a lot of time traveling and camping around the country.

My question is more of a "how does it feel" to camp in a 5th wheel. Ours would be about 28feet long. Can I plan to wake up in the morning and open the door to the smell of pine trees and fresh air or, because we aren't in a tent, will I just be looking at my neighbors 5th wheel, travel trailer or motorhome? I'm hoping a 28 foot FW won't have many restrictions and we can stay out of crowded RV parks and 'get away from it all'. We considered a truck camper for this reason, but feel we want the room for when the grandkids camp with us. Any thoughts on this? Any resources I can check? I don't want to hit the road only to find that I won't be able to get that 'in the woods' feeling when stopping for the day. Can't wait to get started --- what's it like?

Hey, welcome. You're my kind of guy. I sometimes get tired of the elitists in the fiver forum, who only move around from one resort park to another, and really have no idea what camping is about. You wouldn't believe some of the threads about which electric coffee maker is the best for an RV. 🙂

We chose a smaller unit because we didn't want to be sized out of the more rustic campgrounds which we favor. About half our outings are without any hookups. Yes, it will still feel like camping. Make sure you choose a unit that has enough capacity to run without hookups, meaning enough tank size, enough battery (plan on generator or solar) and minimal appliances that are 120v only. The best camping locations simply won't have hookups, and never will.

There are some of our old favorite places that we can't get into with the trailer, but not too many. On the other hand there are lots of places that I wouldn't think of going with a tent only. So it is a good compromise for us.

No need to throw your tent away. You can still choose that when the mood strikes.

[Tibbs54]

Thanks for your thoughts! I have no concerns about giving up tent camping as far as overall comfort goes. I just am not sure what kind of campsites I can get in to with a 28' FW. We are keeping it smallish, (but big enough for nice amenities) so that we will have a larger selection of campsites to choose from. Just hoping that we can still find some sites that give us some distance from our neighbors and some natural surroundings to enjoy. I still remember visiting my in-laws who were camping in their FW in Estes Park - but they were in an RV park and it felt so.....well....not like camping at all. I think they had a little bit of grass and a tree. I really appreciate the feedback I'm getting from you all who are living it. I'm still just trying to imagine it. Thanks!!:)

[filthy_beast]

We have a 30 foot fifth wheel, we stayed at this length because we can get into the National Parks. I have a few pain issues so I keep rather odd hours, but it is great to get up and see the Elk wandering through the campground before others get up and start moving around.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Dog Folks wrote:
The first thing that came to my feeble mind was:

The next time it rains, compare the overall comfort of the two. Tent vs 5th.

As I was reading this is what I was thinking. We've been in some dandy storms in both, and the difference is huge. Multiply that by the number of kids you take along.
With the camper, the whole world can be your back yard, cause you're taking your home with you
Jim

[Dog_Folks]

The first thing that came to my feeble mind was:

The next time it rains, compare the overall comfort of the two. Tent vs 5th.

Plenty of smells and fresh air if you leave the windows open and the main screen doors closed. Drinking your coffee under your awning will give you the "outdoor" feel that you think you may miss when tenting.

Many of us started out camping in a tent and moved on. I think if you choose the parks you stay in, you will not miss the tent for a second.

[Itching2go]

X2 on the comments above. We, too, made the shift over the years from tent to PUP to TT, and finally to a fifth. Rented a Class A MH one time in the middle of this, so I guess that means we've experienced pretty much the whole range. Each of these stages has advantages and disadvantages, and were the right decisions for us considering what we were wanting to do at each stage. Each of these stages features trade-offs, but for us, the benefits of our FW at age 60+ with grandkids and extended trips, far outweigh what we gave up when we moved out of tenting. We still wake up to the smell of pines, although it's much more difficult, and frequently impossible to get into those really rustic, 'hidden away' campsites. On the other hand, it's great to wake up after a good night's sleep in our own king bed, and not have to concern ourselves with those days when the rain is falling and the weather is nasty.

As we tell our kids when they rib us about 'glamping' instead of 'camping', at this point in our lives when we're living in the rig over 6 months of the year, we're really all about taking our home with us wherever we go.

[KSadler1]

A 28ft 5er is the perfect sized unit in my opinion. Plenty big enough for all the comforts of home (except for maybe a laundry room) but still small enough to get off road and dry camp away from the crowded camp grounds. When we had our 5er we mostly dry camped.

You're going to absolutely love a 5er. Hot showers, your own bed, air conditioning, heating, etc. Granted you can't take showers the way you do at home (while dry camping) but it's still awesome to be able to shower. You will definitely need a generator too.

At night, or during rain storms, you can watch movie's with the grand kids. I use to take my grandson to the video store before trips and let him pick out a couple video's to watch. Great memories. In the morning I'd get up and make coffee and we'd sit outside under the awning drinking coffee until our friends woke up. We always camped with other couples who also had 5er's or TT's. Then we'd all make breakfast, usually breakfast burrito's with great New Mexico green chili.

My parents use to tease me and say "that's not camping" but I did my time in a tent during my younger years. I'd never go back to that after having a 5er. Not a chance.

What I posted is just the tip of the iceberg. The only negative is the maintenance can get expensive, especially if you don't keep up with things. I did most maintenance on my 5er. If your handy it will save you a lot of $$.....

[rugermark2]

I think you will find that camping in a trailer is going to be nice as well. I don't do a lot of resort camping, I like state and federal camp grounds they offer more space. When I use state and federal camp grounds I may have neighbors but they aren't that close. I can still smell the pine/douglas fir when I wake up in the morning. Before we go my wife uses the web site campsite photos.com to get an idea of how crowded a camp ground will be.

[drfife]

We started with a tent, then a pop-up, then a travel trailer, then a bigger travel trailer with a slide and now a 37' 5th wheel.

We mainly camp at state parks and COE's. I have had no issues finding a site with the 5th wheel. I can't squeeze into the tiny sites like I did with the pop-up.

We only stay at commercial parks when traveling cross country for overnight.

You will appreciate the comfort and time savings that RV cMping provides.

[travisej]

Having a smallish 5er is great. Its what we have. ours is only a 24' but it has the dinette in a slide so it makes it feel bigger.

[donn0128]

If you can park it in the same places you tent camp then the big difference will be waking up after a great nights sleep. Oh and a hot shower sure is nice after a long day outdoors.
Great choice BTW