GAS CLASS A. Vs. Dually

[jts140]

So would a newer gas class A ride better or worse than a 2015 Gmc dually with a 5th wheel.
Fifth wheel sits on a BD3 hitch, which has airbags and shocks on it.

Not trying to compare to diesel class a with air bags.
Have many pets and liking the idea of a class A. Thanks.

[valhalla360]

Rick Jay wrote:

Valhalla360 wrote:
How so? What is so different and magical about driving a poor handling bus vs a pickup pulling a trailer?

Well, I guess the obvious answer is from the time you leave your driveway, you're in your RV with all of it's amenities available. For us, that was REALLY handy when travelling with the kids. But even for us adults, it's nice to have the potty, refrigerator and snacks available.

I can attest that it IS a real feeling though. Once I get out of the driveway, I feel the vacation has begun! 🙂 Well...I get an additional "tingle" if we cross the state line heading OUT of Massachusetts!!! 😉
LOL

Plus, I've arrived at enough campsites when it was raining to know that it's really nice to just be able to park and wait for the rain to stop before I had to go out and connect or disconnect anything.


~Rick

Doesn't sound like much of a vacation if you are so focused on making miles that you have to try and function while rolling down the road with kids unbelted and knives flying but if it meets your needs...

As far as setting up in the rain, not really a huge burden to go back and sit in the 5er until the rain stops...but not a witch, so unlikely to melt in a little rain.

[dodge_guy]

I think it depends on the chassis rating and tires that are under the class A. My 12 37 ft class A on a 22k lb chassis rides incredible with all the add ones available for the F53. My buddy’s stock 17 22k lb F53 rides like a lumber wagon.
Some of the new gas class As can be had with the Liquid Spring suspension which is supposed to ride better than a DP’er! It can also be added on after wards, but it’s pricey.

[Rick_Jay]

Valhalla360 wrote:
How so? What is so different and magical about driving a poor handling bus vs a pickup pulling a trailer?

Well, I guess the obvious answer is from the time you leave your driveway, you're in your RV with all of it's amenities available. For us, that was REALLY handy when travelling with the kids. But even for us adults, it's nice to have the potty, refrigerator and snacks available.

I can attest that it IS a real feeling though. Once I get out of the driveway, I feel the vacation has begun! 🙂 Well...I get an additional "tingle" if we cross the state line heading OUT of Massachusetts!!! 😉
LOL

Plus, I've arrived at enough campsites when it was raining to know that it's really nice to just be able to park and wait for the rain to stop before I had to go out and connect or disconnect anything.

As for "poor handling", I'm not sure that can be universally applied to any type of RV/Tow combination. Our gas Class A is no sports car, but I don't really have any complaints about it's handling. I did upgrade the shocks after a couple of years, but other than that, it's a stock suspension.

Different strokes for different folks, when we bought our rig new back in 2004 we had 4 young kids and a large golden retriever. A pick-up truck was not a solution for us, and wifey didn't like the idea of trading in the minivan for a full size E-350 van to tow a large trailer.

So...motorhome it was! :B

~Rick

[valhalla360]

Bruce Brown wrote:
With a camper the vacation starts after you're set up. With a MH your vacation starts as soon as you turn the key.

How so? What is so different and magical about driving a poor handling bus vs a pickup pulling a trailer?

[valhalla360]

deleted

[H___E]

We started with a 36' travel trailer and a Chevy 2500 crew cab diesel PU.
Switched to a diesel pusher. It made our travels much more comfortable and a lot easier. No more driving an oversize truck in cities with parking issues. I wish we had started with a DP.

[Bruce_Brown]

I've heard, and agree with the following;

With a camper the vacation starts after you're set up. With a MH your vacation starts as soon as you turn the key.

A few years back we owned a TT as well as our MH. The TT was a rental I pulled to the location and set it up. We don't own that any more, we still own the MH.

[wjschill]

My..Oh my..Oh my...!!

DW and I traveled F/T for three years after retirement, in a fiver pulled by our Chevy 2500. We hung it up several years back and built our lake house.

Last year, she decided we needed to start camping again, part time.

So, I agreed, but only in a MH.

While pulling the fiver, it seemed that we were always in downtown Houston, or another big city, you know three lanes from one side or the other, and she says..." Honey, I have to pee...right now!!"

Now, I say " Go back and take care of your business, wash your hands, and bring me a ham sandwich on the way back."

For us older folks, the MH is best.

Life is short....Try as much as you can, at least once.

Happy Travels......Skip

[ReneeG]

As someone who thoroughly test drove a Class A BEFORE deciding to purchase a Fifth Wheel and dually to tow it with - NO. The Class A will not ride better than your truck and FW. The gas Class A we test drove rocked and rolled all over the place and I knew I was going to be car sick. Not an ounce of problem with the truck and FW.

[mountainkowboy]

Our 07 F53 rides like a loaded F550, exactly what it is. I drove everything from 350's to KW's when I worked, and it drives EXACTLY like our F550 stake back loaded for a days work...LOL. The ride isn't harsh, just stiff. I have Bilstein shocks on it and they seem to do a decent job with it. I have 0 upgrades done to the suspension and am comfortable driving 2 fingered most of the time. I would like to upgrade my swaybars though.

That being said, my 1990 F350 Dually, loaded with a 4,500lb truck camper and towing a loaded 2011 Ranger at 4,500lbs on a uhaul car trailer at 2,250lbs rode MUCH better. Got 9 mpg over 1,100 miles with the AC on.....lol.

[valhalla360]

Assuming you aren't overloading the truck, I would give the pickup/5er the edge compared to the gas MH's I've ridden in.

Trucks ride much better when loaded up a good bit. It's empty where they can ride rough.

Now if you move into diesel pushers, it's a different game but it's also a different price range.

[theoldwizard1]

Ford made some improvements in their Class A chassis I think in 2020. Add the new V8 engine and it is a big improvement.

[Tom_Barb]

I've never seen a truck that can equal the air ride of my motor home.

[Lwiddis]

With pets the choice would be clear for me…Class A.