We have been talking about replacing our 21 year old 5th wheel with a new RV. Choice is between a new 5th wheel or a Class A.

Each time we look at a Class A the price throws us back towards a 5th wheel since we already have a great truck to tow with.

If we had to buy a truck and a 5th wheel or TT - The Class A would probably be a better choice because the cost would be closer.

The main argument has always been If the engine, trans or drive train on a Class A fails you're stuck without a home (usually) while it's being repaired.

With a truck and trailer the truck will go in the shop and you still have the trailer to stay in.

Another argument was that Class A's took less time to setup camp or tear down camp. That's no longer true now that TT and 5th wheels can be equipped with the same auto gadgets as MHs. Levelers, awnings, antennas, power cord re-tractors...etc

Keep in mind some RV Parks restrict age of RV to 10 years or newer. Most parks allow leeway if your RV is well kept but some are very strict.

We enjoy being able to use our truck to sight see or run errands once the 5th wheel is set in place at an RV Park. With a Class A it would be either break camp or tow a vehicle for sight seeing.

Okay had my fun. Seriously... I have been researching costs of a class A DP vs a truck and fifth wheel. We lean toward the 5er option more on lifestyle than costs. I found that operating costs seem to be higher for a class A when you factor in mechanical maintenance, tires, fuel, oil changes etc. My gut says that items in the rig would longer lasting in a class A vs a 5er owing to heavier chassis and probably smoother ride. Therefore the nod for lower general rig maintenance goes to a class A. It is hard to calculate an expense budget for infrequent item replacement so anecdotal evidence is very valuable. Class A's will probably cost more to insure for a given size. If you get a class A you'll probably need a toad... more maintenance and insurance but better fuel economy for running about and lower maintenance cost for a given type of repair or service than a large PU truck. The thing that holds us up on a class A is storage for our hobbies and crafts. We haven't sorted out our needs in this area but Cindi really wants me to take my model trains with me and I've had real heatburn about it. (in case you want to suggest a toyhauler... we haven't found a floorplan that we can live with) They (my trains and her crafts) take up so much space and what I envision as a bare minimum would take up all the cargo bays due to the bulkiness of 4 connectable "modules" that could allow me to set up a modest (my standard) layout..... But I digress.

As you can see, we need space but costs are important. For those reasons a 5er better suits our needs, but a couple of class A's are still in the running. Whether you choose a class A or a 5er or TT should be based mostly on your lifestyle goals. We don't plan on moving about frequently and a Class A is reported to be better in that environment... seems logical. Not moving a lot lends itself to 5ers as they feel more homey and spacious... at least to us.

Your mileage may vary as they say.

JMHO, Brian

Bob,

Lifestyle ideas will help with choosing.  If one is moving frequently, then a Class A might be best.  If one is staying put for extended periods (longer than a month or two), then I'd suggest a trailer.  In our own case, when we began full-time living in our RV, we were still working and knew that on occasion, we would both have to be going different directions on the same day.  (Fortunately, that was rare because we both worked at the same place.)  Thus, we needed two vehicles.  With the fifth wheel, if Jo needed the daily driver, I took the F450.

In addition to that, our plans were to go to an area of the country and perhaps stay for anywhere from 1 to 6 months or more while we used the second vehicle to explore all the attractions we wanted to see in that area.  Once we were content with what we might see, we'd then move to another area and begin that process again.  We are now retired, but still are staying put for an extended time with plans for another two years in the Colorado Springs area to be near one of Jo's sister's home.  So, if we go that long, we will be here for a total of 3 years.  The daily driver also lets us take a number of family members or friends on excursions with everyone being comfortable.

If you go the trailer method, look at the outside storage capability of the trailer.  A fifth wheel might have more storage for you, especially since you will be in the rig for some time.  As for ease of access to stuff in a fifth wheel over a Class A, we store most of our stuff in clear plastic bins that we bought from Target.  If needed, I could probably empty the basement in about 5 minutes if it were absolutely necessary.  Our previous RV was a 26-foot fifth wheel with a shallow area under the basement, so I had two long clear bins, with each one accessible through the opposite doors of the basement area.  However, we weren't living in that fifth wheel, so there wasn't really much to store in it.

Also with respect to trailers, a fifth wheel will pull a lot easier and be more stable than a travel trailer.  Just be sure that you choose the trailer first so you can take the weight of that trailer fully loaded and be sure you get a truck that will handle that weight safely.

Good luck.

Terry

Thanks, Terry. I'm basically looking at trailer and truck as a combo... for a certain trailer, how big a truck do I need to tow safely. Lifestyle-wise, I'd probably prefer the class A at first, but longer-term I envision moving around less. 

(I started out with...
- wow, I could tow that with my Forester, but it's marginal.
- well what can I safely tow with 3500# rated SUV?
- well what can I safely tow with a 5000# rated SUV?
- well what can I safely tow with a 7000# rated SUV?
- Okay, I need a real truck with longer wheelbase)

But once I resigned to driving a pickup, and realized how much heavy stuff I could store in the bed (generator, tools, etc), it seems a lot easier, not to mention a few $K cheaper. I've been aiming for a dry trailer weight about 5000 lbs; I should be able to find a "1500" (are those "half-ton"?) that can handle it with a good safety margin. So I'd like to stay at that size truck, since it'll have to double as my car. The challenge with 5th wheels is that the overall weight tends to be higher than a trailer for the amount of space, at least in my price range, so I'm not seeing much that I really like, unless I go another rung up the size/price ladder.  If I could, I'd go for a private rail car, but I seem to be $1 million short.

biggaRView wrote:

... Cindi really wants me to take my model trains with me and I've had real heatburn about it. (in case you want to suggest a toyhauler... we haven't found a floorplan that we can live with) They (my trains and her crafts) take up so much space and what I envision as a bare minimum would take up all the cargo bays due to the bulkiness of 4 connectable "modules" that could allow me to set up a modest (my standard) layout..... But I digress.

Now that's ambitious.  If our paths ever cross, be sure to show me your trains, and I'll show you some 3D slides from years past, both models and full-size. Here's a layout I shot in the 80's, there's a "2D" button you can click to view it normal. This stuff is easy nowadays with digital, back then we had to modify lenses to get enough depth of field.

http://phereo.com/image/52f50261cb8577af6c000035

I looked at toy haulers, too, but they're all designed for a certain target market. And they're heavy.

bobk3d wrote:

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...biggaRView wrote:

... Cindi really wants me to take my model trains with me and I've had real heatburn about it. (in case you want to suggest a toyhauler... we haven't found a floorplan that we can live with) They (my trains and her crafts) take up so much space and what I envision as a bare minimum would take up all the cargo bays due to the bulkiness of 4 connectable "modules" that could allow me to set up a modest (my standard) layout..... But I digress.

Now that's ambitious.  If our paths ever cross, be sure to show me your trains, and I'll show you some 3D slides from years past, both models and full-size. Here's a layout I shot in the 80's, there's a "2D" button you can click to view it normal. This stuff is easy nowadays with digital, back then we had to modify lenses to get enough depth of field.

http://phereo.com/image/52f50261cb8577af6c000035

I looked at toy haulers, too, but they're all designed for a certain target market. And they're heavy.

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 Yeah it is, I've considered downsizing to "N' scale but my eyes and fingers ain't 20 anymore. Stlll the Lifestyle Luxury and Alfa Gold lines have this 9x4x7.5 "side hauler option" that might suit our needs. I'd need about half that space for the modules and assorted gear and rolling stock. Cindi could have a desk to work on. So it's possible, but the possibility is also hamstringing my plan to sell off at least 90% of my existing stuff... separation anxiety. If it comes with me, I'll surely be setting up in every CG we land at. It's a great hobby. Now if we ever cross paths with Red (el Rojo and Pam) I may get hooked on RC.

Barbaraok wrote:

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If you want to stay at a ½ T truck, then you really are looking at a very light weight trailer.  Which is ok as long as you understand you will need to follow the sun because they don't have very good insulation, and that you will be limited as to what you can take with you.   What is it that you like to do?  Hobbies?     $25K for a Class A will limit you to those that will need work.   Get the truck you can afford and then match the trailer - you really need to make sure that your truck can STOP that trailer coming down a mountain pass.  It isn't about what they can pull, but rather what they can stop.

Barb 

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It definitely limits me, but there are some spacious lightweight options, and a few with better insulation. Not a wide choice, but they exist.

I asked this question in case people said that a buying used Class A was less risky than it looks. But overall it sounds like I should stay with the trailer idea.

Thanks. It's nice to get feedback from somebody besides uninitiated friends, whose comments seem limited to "Great idea!" and, "You're crazy!".

"Mission plan" is good advice, especially since mine might change after a couple of years. I want to spend a couple of years doing extended travel in the west and short stays, but I expect I'll eventually grow tired of driving that much, and eventually settle into a pattern of summers in the northeast and winters in Florida, mostly stays of a month or longer. I'm healthy and agile enough to handle trailer setup, old enough to dislike it, and not getting any younger.

I really like the idea of towing a smaller car as a daily driver.  A Subaru Impreza stick shift is towable and 3000#, and I'd have some change after trading my Forester. My estimate, even if I travel x-country, is a maximum 12K miles towing, but constant 15K unhitched, so the unhitched gas mileage matters. It's not a huge difference on an annual basis, but I'll take more day trips and enjoy them more if I'm getting 25mpg instead of 15mpg, especially in the expensive states.

I'm wondering if the best approach would be to find a Class C that I'll be able to sell at minimal loss after 2 years & 25K miles, do some extensive travel, and then consider swapping into a towable. That's probably the smart approach, I could choose a towable for living instead of travel. Longer-term, I'm wondering if I can eventually live in a trailer without owning a truck, just do seasonal leases and have it hauled between New England and Florida in spring and fall.

It seems like it's much easier to evaluate and service second-hand C's than A's. It looks like there's a truck and there's a camper and not much integration. My impression is that most C's can tow 5000#, and I'd have something much lighter.  One concern is that the bigger C's tend to have a long rear overhang, which can't help the towing ability.

A lot will depend on my final budget, which I can't make a decision about yet.  It also depends on what's available when I go shopping.