We are going to be traveling for 5-6 months this summer and Fall covering 8-9k miles. After that, we will settle into short 4-5 day trips near our home. We have a TT and a new tow vehicle. There will be two of us and a dog.I have an opportunity to sell the trailer and get a 30 ft class A with 9k miles. I already have a Jeep if I want a toad. I know this has been answered in many ways but I wanted to get a fresh opinion from those owning a Class A that might have had a TT before. Would you ever go back? Is the kind of travel above worthy of a 90k MH or would a 30k TT be just as good?I have owned a 32Ft Class C years ago and 3 TT since. My trips have all been 400-500 miles from home base so I don't have any experience covering 4-5k miles. My TV has a 30g tank. The MH has 80g. so stopping for gas will be an issue with a TT. Floorplan and size are the same. Feedback is appreciated. Thank you!

no. maybe a 5th wheel..a large 5th wheel...but only if we were parking it in a seasonal or personally owned site.

We have owned: 25 foot Airstream tt, 37 foot class A motorhome, 35 foot 5th wheel, 19 foot Airstream, 23 foot Airstream, and finally a 16 foot Airstream. It is hard to beat the room and convenience of a class A. It is also hard to justify the expense of a class A and a 5th wheel and TV. For anything other than long trips I liked the 25 foot Airstream the most. It had sufficient room and was 1/2 ton towable which limited the expense. It was small enough to get into most RV sites. It towed very smoothly. Only you know what your preferences and needs are.

You didn't say how big your current trailer is. A 30ft class A does not have 30 ft of usable living space as yo uhave to allow for the driving area.I would stay with your current set up.

Which do you prefer: towing a toad or towing a trailer?On your usual trips, do you day trip enough that the increased mileage of the jeep would be more cost effective than the current tow vehicle? Or is it a wash?Are you happy with your current setup?Unless there is some specific reason that the class C is better suited longterm, I would stay with what you have.

I went from a 35' 5th wheel to a 30 class a to a 37' class a. We wanted to down size and make set up and take down easier. We found a 30 class A that we thought would fit our needs. Wrong! It was all about storage I do not mean room for all the extra stuff but room for the every day stuff. The 30' just did not have it. To get the storage we gave up the 30' for an older 37' diesel pusher with all sorts of storage.We found about about the storage problem when we started taking 2 week trips. It was then we said boy wish we had the storage of the 5th wheel back.

Would you switch from Class A to Travel Trailer

59 Replies

jspringator
Explorer
May 11, 2021
speediq99 wrote:
This was 10yrs ago but back in the days I owned a V10 class C, I remember the cab area getting very hot when traveling in AZ. It felt like the cab AC could not keep the Coach cool enough in 100 degree weather. I am not sure if this has changed with new engines. Of course, I could run the generator but I never felt comfortable doing that while driving for long periods of time.

MC

I had that problem in my A until my mechanic installed a manual shut off valve in the coolant line to the heater core. Problem solved. Saved my bacon when the heater core went out.
Racklefratz
Explorer II
May 11, 2021
Stumbled across your question, and couldn't psss it up.

Been there, done that. Had the idea that, after owning a Class A diesel pusher, a 5th wheel could be a viable option, and was sorely mistaken, for numerous reasons.

We're back doing Class A diesel now, and glad of it. There's no comparison.

Oh, and to rebut the baseless criticisms of chosing an "A"...the dirty little secret is, maintenance might be more expensive, but you won't need much, if ANY, of it, if you just do the routine stuff in the book.

That's always the argument in these "discussions"...people buy what they can afford, and they try to trash people who can afford something nicer.
4x4van
Explorer III
May 10, 2021
toedtoes wrote:
Some of these "A is better than TT" arguments are getting pretty weak.

I have a class C and a folding trailer and these are my thoughts:

1. If you already have a tow vehicle OR a toad, go that way. The money you save by not having to buy the other will get you more trips.

2. Being able to use the restroom while stopped in road construction is priceless. If you buy a TT make sure you have easy access.

3. If the trip allows, you can take the A without a toad, but you can't take the trailer without the tow vehicle.

4. Having the other person willing/able to drive the combination can be a lifesaver. If they refuse to drive one, go with the other.

5. If you like to stop for lunch, neither combo is inconvenient. If you like to eat and drive, then the A is more convenient.

6. The A will be more difficult to find a shop for engine work than a tow vehicle will be due to size.

7. If the A engine fails, you lose your home but still have a car to get around. If the tow vehicle engine fails, you still have your home but no way to get around.

8. If the A house portion or the trailer fails, you lose your home but still have a vehicle to get around.
Good wrap up.
crawford
Explorer
May 07, 2021
I had a C class Jamboree never got hot. I even had to husky's wanting to have the same spot to look out of window. Look thinking back maybe it was the way the coach builder insulated that part of motor cover.
toedtoes
Explorer III
May 06, 2021
Some of these "A is better than TT" arguments are getting pretty weak.

I have a class C and a folding trailer and these are my thoughts:

1. If you already have a tow vehicle OR a toad, go that way. The money you save by not having to buy the other will get you more trips.

2. Being able to use the restroom while stopped in road construction is priceless. If you buy a TT make sure you have easy access.

3. If the trip allows, you can take the A without a toad, but you can't take the trailer without the tow vehicle.

4. Having the other person willing/able to drive the combination can be a lifesaver. If they refuse to drive one, go with the other.

5. If you like to stop for lunch, neither combo is inconvenient. If you like to eat and drive, then the A is more convenient.

6. The A will be more difficult to find a shop for engine work than a tow vehicle will be due to size.

7. If the A engine fails, you lose your home but still have a car to get around. If the tow vehicle engine fails, you still have your home but no way to get around.

8. If the A house portion or the trailer fails, you lose your home but still have a vehicle to get around.
speediq99
Explorer II
May 06, 2021
This was 10yrs ago but back in the days I owned a V10 class C, I remember the cab area getting very hot when traveling in AZ. It felt like the cab AC could not keep the Coach cool enough in 100 degree weather. I am not sure if this has changed with new engines. Of course, I could run the generator but I never felt comfortable doing that while driving for long periods of time.

MC
Bruce_Brown
Moderator
May 06, 2021
Exactly
4x4van
Explorer III
May 05, 2021
Bruce Brown wrote:
4x4van wrote:
Bruce Brown wrote:

And then there is common sense. There isn't an intelligent person alive that would let their loved ones ride in a camper being pulled down the road. Lets face it, in any type of accident a pull type camp will not win - period. They're just not built that well. That's not a knock on them, it's just a realistic statement - they're simply not built for it.

It's bad enough in a MH, but at least you have a decent frame around you.

With a pull camper, of any type, what could possibly go wrong. :E

Agreed. But then I don't recall this thread discussing riding in a trailer...:?

It sure seemed like it.

No way are you going to be driving the Volvo and getting up to stretch your legs, make a sandwich, use the bathroom, etc - unless you're riding in the camper. :w
Pretty sure that that was my point; can't be done with a trailer (nor has anyone claimed it can/should), while it CAN be done in a class A/C.
Bruce_Brown
Moderator
May 05, 2021
4x4van wrote:
Bruce Brown wrote:

And then there is common sense. There isn't an intelligent person alive that would let their loved ones ride in a camper being pulled down the road. Lets face it, in any type of accident a pull type camp will not win - period. They're just not built that well. That's not a knock on them, it's just a realistic statement - they're simply not built for it.

It's bad enough in a MH, but at least you have a decent frame around you.

With a pull camper, of any type, what could possibly go wrong. :E

Agreed. But then I don't recall this thread discussing riding in a trailer...:?

It sure seemed like it.

No way are you going to be driving the Volvo and getting up to stretch your legs, make a sandwich, use the bathroom, etc - unless you're riding in the camper. :w
malexander
Explorer
May 04, 2021
I've had 5th wheels, a class c, a gas class a, and the current class a DP. I wouldn't go back to the trailers or the little MHs for anything. We absolutely love the DP.