5th Wheel vs Class A

For me, the ultimate RV would be a 40'+ diesel pusher with a Jeep as my toad. The upper class A vehicles are usually built like tanks and can easily handle a lot of weight, so the construction is done with heavier and better quality materials.

Most 5th wheel RVs make some or a lot of compromises to keep the weight down. Plus, you're then stuck at whatever destination driving around this monster 1-ton DRW truck.

Don't get me wrong - both are great RV rigs, I'm just partial to the big buses.

Now, the flip side is that a good Class A is the cost of a medium to large-sized house, but the biggest, baddest 5th wheel toy hauler probably barely touches $100k.

We'll always need a big HD truck for our ranch so it will be a 5er for us.

Thanks. The "driving monster truck around" is why we are considering towing or taking the VW.

I guess I also have to consider the higher cost of diesel fuel but I think there is less mainenance with a diesel engine...? I had an '82 300D Mercedes and it was wonderful.

driving a moster truck? all you really need is a short box 3/4 ton truck to pretty much pull everything out there.

for us a 5th wheel works well. at times i would have liked the big class A with a huge generator but that won't happen. i decided i didn't want 2 motors to worry about since we would have to also buy a car if we had a class A.

no exact answer just get what you can afford and see yourself living in. and toy haulers add another issue in your choice.

good luck

There are a ton of threads and posts on this subject. A search would lead you to hours of reading the "opinions" of others. IMHO it is a subject that some people just shy away from anymore because there is no real answer and it ends up us vs them.

You'll get the - fiver has more room than a MH - the fiver is cheaper in maintenance - fiver is less money. But in the end it's all is nothing but opinions. It usually comes down to what you want to spend and what your comfortable with. Many fiver owners end up with a MH some day. A few MH owners go back to a fiver.

But try doing a search and you'll probably answer every question you have.

Perhaps I can give an objective opinion, considering I have never owned a 5er or a MH. I'm a happy TT owner, so let me chime in.

I think it boils down to only 2 factors in what one needs when it comes to a 5er or a MH. It's really this simple:

The ability to separate truck and trailer and use each independently
or
The ability to move around inside when traveling

Break camp every time you need to go an an excursion
or
Leave camper behind and do those excursions in a separate vehicle

If you factor in ONLY a MH vs a 5er, these are the main issues.
If you factor in a TOAD for the MH, the "separation" factor is not an issue, but the overall cost is.

YOU have to decide which is more important for your needs.

(I choose TT because I did not want to give up the bed of my truck and wanted the "separation" availability. I don't mind not having access to the refrigerator when driving. That what rest stops are for).

I love my fiver. It's far more cost-effective to insure and maintain than a big Class A, and I don't mind driving the truck around town when I'm camping.

We've owned 4 fivers. And the last two were pulled with a Dodge diesel dually and rightly so as their weight and size was not practical with a one ton SRW or a 3/4 ton. If your thinking of a toy hauler you're most likely, if serious about towing safely in the dually pickup territory. Most people get a diesel.

That being said we had a dually with our last two fivers and glad we did (diesel). There is nothing more to maintain in a DP motorhome engine then in a a modern pickup diesel engine. They both need the oil changed, filters , etc. The oil change if you have it done is a little more then a pickup.

The dually has six tires - our DP has six tires. If your driving the pickup every day then your going to go through tires faster than a MH most likely. The rest of the systems other then a air brake and ride system in a MH can be found on a fiver as well.

If your not driving the dually every day then your possibly paying for a truck that just sits in the drive your paying for insurance and maintenance on, no different then the MH. The exception is the MH will tow your daily drive vehicle and will make you trips more comfortable in your side trips.

There are toy hauler MH's available. We now own our year old DP MH for slightly more than our fiver and a new pickup would have cost. It can be done.

We have a MH simply because that's what we like. We considered a 5er for a moment and decided we are MH people for no real pros or cons either way. We just love a MH.