5th wheel or MH ? help

[luberhill]

Ok we were thinking of a 29ft or under MH so we didn't need a toad...now wife says maybe a 5th wheel would be better than we have a truck to drive..
I liked the MH idea so everything was there ie: generator etc also just being able to pull over and not having to go outside etc...
Do fifth wheels have generators ?? Also I was going to buy a truck anyway as a third vehicle so maybe id just buy a bigger truck...
Our plan was fall camping after the crowds were gone, just wife me and dog...
And bringing bikes etc...
Guess we could just get a small toad...UGGGG !!!

[bikendan]

luberhill wrote:
so a 25 ft trailer, would that be a 5th or travel ??
And would a 3/4 ton Ford diesel be best to tow or gas or ???

Has to mean Travel Trailer.
A 25' 5th wheel is rarer and way less room than a 25' TT. The 5th wheel is measured from nose to bumper, while a TT is measured from tongue to bumper.
The nose of a 5th wheel is longer than the TT tongue.

[luberhill]

Do you trust leaving the gen running with ax while you are gone ?? If it quit the dogs probably wouldn't do well

[Happytraveler]

We've had both, still prefer a motorhome over a trailer. It's a snap to unhook or hookup a car. You can leave a motorhome in a store parking lot for the day and unhook car and go sight seeing or to your favorite restaurant without looking like you're camping. You always have a generator and can run your air-conditioner 24/7. If you have a dog it is necessary to have the air on if it's a hot day. My sister and her husband have a 5th wheel and many of times have to go to a fast food restaurant because she can't leave the dogs in the 5th Wheel. If we are traveling with them they puts their dogs in our motorhome. I would have a 5th Wheel if were parked permanently.

[luberhill]

so a 25 ft trailer, would that be a 5th or travel ??
And would a 3/4 ton Ford diesel be best to tow or gas or ???

[Grit_dog]

Plus if you have/want/need a pickup and use it as a daily driver as well, you’ll get by ALOT cheaper for a comparable or better 5ver than moho.

[Grit_dog]

^ If this is your planned use, then it has 5ver or TT written all over it. Drag the trailer somewhere, park it/ use it long term in 1 spot, hook up when its time to go
Moho will work the same, but you’ll not be using it for the convienence of a moho. It’ll be a glorified trailer with an engine. If you were traveling all over the place, stopping short term, a moho and toad could be more convienent
JMO.

[luberhill]

What id really like is to find someone that had a spot with hook ups that would rent to me by the month say in South Carolina etc...I could leave NY in the winter, park it for the winter in a warm area, not a crowded campground, then head back home for summer...
Would a 25 ft be a fifth wheel or a travel trailer ??
Id rather get a 3/4 ton than a 1/2 ton just to be sure it would handle the pull...
But the MH is still in my mind

[DutchmenSport]

We we seriously considered trading our 1st travel trailer, we already owned a 3500 duly (gas). When we traded for our second TT, we seriously considered all the options we had: another travel trailer, a 5er, or just switching gears completely and go with an "A" and use the car for a toad. We laid all the cards on the table, considered all pluses and minuses of each RV.

In the end, the final decision was made, not so much by type of RV, but what kind of functionality would we have for a second vehicle when NOT camping. How functional is a small family car and a CLASS A when one needs to haul a sheet of 4x8 plywood, or move a refrigerator? (or in my case, hauling firewood to stock us up for all winter ... we heat the house with fire wood as a secondary heat source) In the end, we realized we needed the truck more for daily use, for hauling things, and towing a utility trailer more then we needed to have the bed of the truck containing a 5er hitch, or attempting to haul plywood, trees, and building materials in a motor home.

When we got the diesel duly, towing really became sweet. Our third travel trailer exceeded our expectations beyond anything we could imagine. We hit it just right! It's now a good balance between the second vehicle usage for camping/towing a trailer and needs when not camping.

So, in your decision, consider long and hard what happens and what functionality does that second engine really do (second engine... a motor home engine, or a truck engine to tow that 5er). And if go with the 5er, what do you use that truck for when not camping. You may decide to opt for a Travel Trailer to keep the bed of the truck free.

It's your decision in the end. I'm just throwing something more "out there" for you to consider, not trying to twist your arm? What functionality does that 5er, truck, or MH have when NOT camping? This may sway your decision if you think about it?

[Veebyes]

Pay attention to "She who must be obeyed". We picked up our current 5er at a very favourable price because somebody broke that rule & bought it without telling her AT ALL.

For many reasons we went with a 5er. It is very much a couples above middle market 5er, not a family friendly one. The model was chosen for its dry camping capabilities such as a large water capacity, 100gal, & lots of galley space plus other reasons.

10 years & over 1500 nights on the road later, no regrets on choice of RV type or model. Lots of people cite parking a 3500 dually at the store as a negative. A non issue as far as we are concerned. Parking a few seconds more away from the door is not a big deal. Stopping to use the head at a convenient spot is no big deal either. Have not seen a class A driver use the head while underway yet. When our truck is in for maintenance we still have a home to live in.

Then there is the cost & depreciation rate of a class A vs a 5er. A whole nuther issue.

[jplante4]

We had the same discussion when we started looking. I was leaning toward a 5er but the DW was dead set against owning a pickup truck. I figured that it was easier to unhook a toad from a motor home that it was to unhook a 5er from a truck.

First trip we went without a toad and rented cars. It worked out, but it was a hassle. I sold my Caddy and bought an Equinox which I just set up to tow.

[luberhill]

That probably means they spent MOST time at a campground with hook ups, we wont be doing that

[rhagfo]

donn0128 wrote:
Think about what you might actually need a generator on the road for. Since most everything runs on 12VDC or propane, the only things a generator might be useful for is AC and microwave. Do you honestly need this if only stopping for lunch? Now, as to what to get? Your decision, but MHs will be more expensive to own and maintain. Two drive trains can get costly. Fivers mean you are going to have to go outside from the truck. Setup is a wash. A decent 1 ton truck and a reasonable fiver can cost you 50 to 60K used. A comparable sized MH could cost you 70-80K plus a toad.

X2
We looked at a 7 year old 5th wheel with generator and it only had like 12 hours on it!!!

[valhalla360]

luberhill wrote:
Ok we were thinking of a 29ft or under MH so we didn't need a toad...now wife says maybe a 5th wheel would be better than we have a truck to drive..
I liked the MH idea so everything was there ie: generator etc also just being able to pull over and not having to go outside etc...
Do fifth wheels have generators ?? Also I was going to buy a truck anyway as a third vehicle so maybe id just buy a bigger truck...
Our plan was fall camping after the crowds were gone, just wife me and dog...
And bringing bikes etc...
Guess we could just get a small toad...UGGGG !!!

A lot comes down to TOAD or no TOAD.

No TOAD and a 29' MH gets a little ungainly for local touring. Plus you have to tear down the site every time you move. It can be done but really not convenient. You will find a lot of reasons not to run out to the store or drive anywhere because it's a pain to get road ready for a 10min drive to pick up something at the local grocery store.

If you consider with a TOAD, I would go 5th wheel. A 29' MH is roughly equivalent to a 25' 5th wheel. Now you are down to a size where a properly spec'd 1/2ton truck can handle the trailer. So if you are getting the truck anyway, it will work out much cheaper.

Any of the add-ons you can get for a MH, you can get for a 5th wheel, so built in generator, levelers, etc... are all available. Personally, I would lean against a propane generator. Hard to store and replenish fuel if you are using it a lot. Much easier to take a couple 5 gal jugs to the local gas station.

If you have a TOAD, it takes roughly the same amount of time to set up and tear down the camp.

[luberhill]

snowpeke wrote:
Need a gen just get e Honda 2000 and get a 5er

so would you only need the gen for the ac, furnace and lights ?? Are there batteries in the 5th that run lights etc ?

Is that little gen enough to run the ac ?

And how do you hook it up to the ac ? Do the 5th's have roof mounted ac ?

[snowpeke]

Need a gen just get e Honda 2000 and get a 5er