Cargo Carrying Capacity - MH vs 5ver - RV-Dreams Community Forum

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Cargo Carrying Capacity - MH vs 5ver

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I agree with Terry......Its going to depend on whether you decide on a toad , I do showing in a class A and carry a toad inside a 18' Trailer / Garage......I keep most equipment in the trailer and my toad is capable of towing the trailer when needing to go to shows or markets.....it also keeps things separated and gives me a small workspace during off times.......

This works out well for me it allows me to keep the coach in the woods and my sales in the city........something to keep in mind , a trailer type like this new will start in the 20 k range.

a simple F-150 truck with a cap would make a nice toad,carry the cargo and store it....and do the job well!!!!

Something to think about........depending on how many shows/ events you do a month and how much you move about............I am on the move all the time durring shows....I have pulled up to outdoor events and put my awnings out, and set up for the whole show.........I always seem to find offsite parking for a weekend and boondock it.........Look very carfully at how you plan your travels and apply it towards your choice of 5ver VS motor coach. I have done both and for me because I need the advantage of pick up and go to the next show/ event........this seems to work out 100% better............as far as cargo coach hold more and is organize with more area and outside slide drawers

This is only my opinion......PS. the doctor has me on pain meds and I have never been known to think clearly.....use your own judgement!

-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Saturday 20th of October 2012 08:57:19 AM

-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Saturday 20th of October 2012 09:44:31 AM

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

On the health side, Im doing one day at a time with some of the finest Specialists in the country pushing me right along!!!

As far as Being 60' going down the road not bad on primary and interstate highway......will test your abilities on secondary and old class roads.

Backing up is very short only........of course it applies to the coach alone alot too.!!!!!!

Believe it or not control of a 40 - 45 foot coach with a 20 foot trailer is simpler than a 38 ft 5ver......reason being is that your initial turn radius is started to clear the full coach length and the trailer will foot print the rear axle.....

in a 5ver you have to calculate truck turn and pin before rear axle.........(dont get fear over this, it is simple and 2nd nature by your 2nd try)

Like I was telling you though my 2nd Vehicle is capable of towing the trailer so when the show or event is outdoors I leave the coach and bring the trailer......the trailer also has awning and a 8 foot gull wing door so it doubles as a booth.

I understand your delema...remember though as you go you will grow , the farther out you travel the more you will expand. I started out with a tent and grew as big as a 45'er in a few short years...and now I would not go less than 40' with a quad.......fulltiming in comfort is more important.....this is my home , my office, and alot of time is spent in here daily whether its rolling or stopped....because of my pick up and go ratio normally 7 days or less I tend to boondock or overnite in parking areas and rest stops..(I Travel at night mostly because of less traffic) Besides the stores that post no overnite parking never mention daytime people!!!....LOL

But because of roadtimes it is easier for me to stop in a rest area cook, eat ,shower and snooze without leaving the coach and durring the day in a rest area the truckers normally dont stop all day with that cattle wagon parked next to you

I normally will not pay out more than 2 days of park fees a week durring show seasons

-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Saturday 20th of October 2012 02:33:11 PM

Jim01 · RV-Dreams Family Member

Generally, I think you're correct. But, be very careful, I have seen some Motorhomes with less than 1000 lbs CCC. Every RV needs to be checked for CCC because it changes with add-on equipment and accessories.

Good luck with your search.

Jim

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

I think you are right in that a motorhome does have more cargo carrying capacity. I can't speak to all brands/models as we didn't look at every basement of the motorhomes we did look at. However, I did run into the issue that in some compartments, the frame of the motorhome itself may get in the way of inserting some items. That may vary with different kinds of frame systems. As far as looking at the basements, we mostly looked at two Tiffin Phaetons; a 40-footer and a 42-footer. The frames would have been a factor on those that we saw. When we looked at other brands of motorhomes, we didn't get as far as a close look at the basements before moving on.

As far as transportation to shows, the questions would be whether each place for a show would have convenient parking for a motorhome (provided you didn't want a toad), whether you would want to "un-park" from an RV park spot to drive the MH to the show each day and then have to park back, and whether you would want a toad anyway for going for groceries, sightseeing, etc.

Now, all that said, we don't have a motorhome, so others can probably give you a lot better answers than I have.

Good luck with the research.

Terry

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks for the feedback, Jim, Terry and Mike.

Lucky Mike - hope you're recovering. We originally planned on the set up you have, a MH with a trailer to tow that would contain our small truck or mid size SUV for shows, exploring, errands, etc. The trailer would double as a workshop when we're parked somewhere. About 1/2 the shows we do provide free onsite or very cheap parking. We tend to schedule our shows in clumps so we can minimize travel but we will need to move each week between shows as we generally have 40-100 miles between each weekend. We do 15-20 shows a year, mostly in a 5 state region but full timing will allow us to expand our market and stay out of the cold states during late fall, winter and early spring.

However, as we started reviewing the material available from the RV Consumers Group and started researching ratings on the 4-5 MHs we had at the top of our list, safety seemed to be a much bigger issue for MH than 5vers. Dale also didn't like the idea of a 40 foot MH, 18 foot trailer, plus tongue putting us at over 60 feet on the road. However, I'm not sure the 5ver gives us the CCC we'll need for the tools, supplies and "stuff" we need for the biz and our personal "stuff" that we need to live.

So, we're continuing to research, trying to figure out what will work best for our situation. And yes, I know that whatever choice we make now, we can always change our minds later. I'm just trying to keep from making too many expensive choices that don't pan out for us in the long run.

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

NWescapee, I'm glad to see that you are doing your research, and you are right to focus on CCC. Generally, a diesel pusher (DP) will have more CCC than any other coach. You didn't mention a budget, but I'll give you a couple of websites that I monitor regularly. The Grand Villa (Unicoach) Foretravels can't tow as much as the newer Unihome (bus) style, but Foretravel has pretty big basement compartments. Bluebird Wanderlodges will generally tow ~10,000 pounds. There are several people that tow that much behind their 'Birds.

Foretravels:
http://www.foretraveloftexas.com/
http://motorhomesoftexas.com/
http://foreforums.com

Wanderlodge:
http://www.buybyebluebird.com/
http://wanderlodgeownersgroup.com

Both forums are open to non-owners, and are good sources of information. I'd suggest that you write out your "mission profile" and then post it to both forums and ask them for suggestions. Don't limit yourself unnecessarily. If towing a trailer with your "stuff" and a toad is absolutely out of the question, say so. Otherwise, don't. Let those who are doing this give you suggestions.

Good luck, and enjoy the learning and searching.

Edit by moderator: Activated links. Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Saturday 20th of October 2012 07:33:41 PM

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Thanks folks, appreciate the feedback. Just got home from yet another RV lot, another one we want to visit tomorrow! Like you said, we're doing our homework, didn't like the ones we saw today, felt they were a little too cheaply made.

We've also started our pro/con list of 5ver vs. MH, knowing for a MH we would have to buy used, 5ver we could probably buy new as long as we didn't go for the very top of the line like a New Horizon.

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

As an FYI our MH has a CCC of 3,000lbs and a towing capacity of 10,000lbs.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

suggestion........if you have a show coming up try getting a dry weight of the vehicle your using , then get a loaded weight with your show gear.........then add on estimated extra weight for stock while your on the road.........try to calculate cubic footage you will be using for storage packed..(packing tubs & such)

once you have this it will be alot easier to figure whether and what is needed economically to make your transition into doing this fulltime..

this is a cargo issue where the cargo needs to be moved frequently normally away from the coach/5ver to get it set up. so the less you handle it , the less work , time and product damage will occur.

versatility of living quarters (coach/ 5ver) in unconventional area's such as towns ,city, parking lots, driveways.....

ease of access for workspace during down times .

I dont know much of your product or type of shows/Events you do ..........but I do know once you step out of your regional area and state doing all 48 your show/event base starts growing rather quickly. for every new show there are new contacts/ connections, and you start covering more ground to get to better showings.

I know I am biased just by being in a coach....but a coach towing a pick-up with a cap or a minivan is a nice start. it basiclly gives you a quick transition from coach to show with a simple disconnect!!........if an enclosed trailer down the line looks good the towed vehicle can always be loaded inside.

using a 5ver is good , you can use the truck to go to the shows.....But if it all doesnt fit in the cab and weather changes your equipment in the back bed is going to have issues........wet equipment and product going into a show will have a costly ending.

-- Edited by Lucky Mike on Sunday 21st of October 2012 01:03:00 PM

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

As long as you are looking at high quality coaches, buying used may actually be a better idea than buying new. Someone else has taken the biggest depreciation hit, and generally most issues have been taken care of. You will still want to have a reserve for repairs and upgrades that you want.

I'd suggest that you figure out your "mission profile" first, and then see how each type of coach fits that profile. For example, 5'ers are great for staying in one place for long periods of time, while motor homes need to be driven. If you are going to be moving several times each month, a motor home would be a good choice. If you're going to stay for a month or two at a time you'd be better off with a 5'er.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

kb0zke wrote:
As long as you are looking at high quality coaches, buying used may actually be a better idea than buying new. Someone else has taken the biggest depreciation hit, and generally most issues have been taken care of. You will still want to have a reserve for repairs and upgrades that you want.

I'd suggest that you figure out your "mission profile" first, and then see how each type of coach fits that profile. For example, 5'ers are great for staying in one place for long periods of time, while motor homes need to be driven. If you are going to be moving several times each month, a motor home would be a good choice. If you're going to stay for a month or two at a time you'd be better off with a 5'er.

I would love to know where you are getting the information that motorhomes need to be driven so much. A couple months of sitting is no problem. My big issue with new diesels is they have a DEF tank (Urea) for emissions control, it adds expense, it adds weight, and it adds more hassle.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

I dont believe Dave meant that coaches had to be driven alot........he meant that if you are in alot of overnite stop and go scenarios that hooking and unhooking will become old fast.

doing shows and events on the road create alot of steering wheel time the advantages of coach over 5ver in this type of travel and business makes the coach a better choice........I also find pulling up to a show/ event and being able to drop the awning.open cargo and setting up great.....

yup the DEF is just an added expense.......but even pulling a 5ver with a diesel package has its disadvantages

Im not pro coach.....I have run with them all and each type of unit has its advantage for the personal application........I do know from experiences that not looking everything over and doing your homework up front can be costly.......making a mistake during buying will cost you when its time to trade in or sell it.

Words of wisdom..........never ask a 5ver for an opinion on a motorhome.......and never ask a motorhome for an opinion on a 5ver......there is a personal opinion on why they made there choice, and you know the answer to personal opinions!!!

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

Back to the original question, which is the need for lots of carrying capacity and room to carry stuff for shows. Maybe a 5th wheel with a crew cab truck could work where the back seat of the crew cab is removed to provide a storage area? Think outside the box, since your needs are not what the RV manufacturers are thinking about. They make toy haulers in both 5th wheels and motorhomes and people get very creative on what they use the toy hauler section for.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill - great minds think alike!!! LOL, we were just looking at some of the pickup trucks thinking a crew cab would be an option, even better if we can store a few of the items in the bed of the truck as we're traveling. However, we're still thinking that truck itself would add a hassle factor for those times when we do park for a few weeks and want to do a little shopping, exploring, etc. That's a pretty big truck to be driving around for daily use.

Thanks for all the replies, still doing our homework.

Dale and Ruth

kb0zke · RV-Dreams Family Member

Bill, I didn't mean that a DP needs to be driven lots of miles, but that it does need to be driven more than a couple of times a year. Everything I've read on MH forums says that the engine/transmission need to be driven (not idled) up to operating temperatures at least every 30 days. Sorry if I didn't make that clear.

NWescapee, the suggestion to get a good handle on what you need to haul is an excellent one. We've started making a list of things that we will be taking with us when we go full-time in a couple of years, and as we look at coaches we start thinking about where some of the larger items will live. We aren't talking about any 100-pound items, or 3'x3'x4' things, but the juicer and mixer are definite take-alongs, and the juicer is used daily, so I don't want it to live away from the kitchen.

When you go to your shows, will you be able to park your coach and set up shop right there, or will you be in a campground and have to move your stuff to your booth? That may influence your choice, or it may not. How comfortable are you with customers coming to your home to buy stuff? Would a trailer that could hold a vehicle and your show stuff work for you? You are the only one that can answer these questions, and the many more like them. The more "what if" time you spend the better your choice will be.

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

There are thousands, probably millions, who do not drive their motorhomes every 30 days and have no problems. It is probably a good idea to do so monthly or so, and I agree you have to bring it to operating temperatures when you do drive it, but real world evidence says stretching to 2 or 3 months is no problem and many go longer than that and everything still works. If it was a "need" instead of a "should" there would be lots of broken motorhome chassis come April in the snowbird areas, which doesn't happen.

Trabuco · RV-Dreams Family Member

I'm one of those who do not drive their MH every 30 days. I've gone as long as 3 months without starting. The key to a MH diesel is when you fire it up you must drive it and from what I've read the minimum should be 25 miles. But it seems we're getting off topic.

NWescapee · RV-Dreams Family Member

Guys - thanks for all the tips, suggestions, etc.

This evening we created a calendar with a typical, yearly art show schedule, outlined travel days, show days, vs. those times when we can just stay in one area for a while, including one time each year when we could actually be stationary for 3 months unless we choose to move. After looking at that and considering all the other pros/cons, cost, liveability factors, we're much closer to a decision. BTW, as an aside, this was assuming we sell the house by June, so nice to not have to consider coming back here for yard care, house maint. etc.

So, we'll sleep on it, mull it around some more, probably visit a few more dealers and then come to a decision. It's all part of the process, each person or couple makes their decision based on so many factors. I just have to say it's really great to have so many people to "bounce ideas off of" and obtain feedback and real world learnings from.

I know we've already met Bill and Ken at the Fall Rally in Harrisburg, hope to meet the rest of you down the road somewhere! Lucky Mike, maybe we'll find an art show where we are all participating at the same time, that would be fun!!

Dale and Ruth