Airstream to Class A DP

[KC]

Originally Posted by plasma800

I can attest. I did all three


A lot of this depends deeply on how YOU feel and how YOU live in and out of a trailer.


We Found the following stuff:


CLASS A

1. The 40' Class A was just so big for just the two of us (before the child)
2. The layout was.. eh.. two opposing couches, tv at the front, we didn't love that.
3. Don't make a wrong turn, turning around is difficult!
4. I see people say all the time that hooking up a car is sooo easy. You watch, 9 people will come right behind me and say they'd rather hook up a car than a 5th wheel.. but I've seen the truth It usually involves two people, with the wife out front giving hand directions and the husband in the drivers seat getting frustrated at her bad hand signals as he pulls forward, oops too far, backs up, oops too far, no a little more to the right, no left.. I see this all the time.
5. A used class A can act like a like a vacuum cleaner shoved right into your wallet.
6. When they break down, it's messier than other break downs. Big tow trucks, big shops, big bills, longer wait times.
7. GIGANTIC holding tanks and propane tanks!
8. VERY expensive tires.
9. a tire blowout is bad new bears.
10. Towing a light car makes a WONDERFUL touring vehicle.
11. The view from sitting so high is nice.
12. When buying new, fully expect your unit to be down for the count, in a shop being "finished" for much of the first year.

AIRSTREAM:

1. Believe it or not, I didnt find the furniture comfy.
2. No slides means cramped inside, always on top of each other moving about.
3. Door at the end means you must always walk over or around anything, anybody, any dog to exit.
4. Tight quarters in the bathroom man... I don't know about you, but I like to "spread out" in the latrine and shower.
5. Smaller holding tanks.
6. EASY to move! light and efficient.
7. I like hitching a 5th wheel more than I like hitching a trailer, especially when you get into WD hitches.
8. NO leveling jacks! That gets old.
9. You'll likely never need to go back to a shop.

FIFTH WHEEL

1. Lots of room.
2. Generally great living room setups
3. Can be had with a king bed.
4. Bigger toilet and shower area.
5. Larger holding tanks.
6. Leveling jacks!
7. VERY simple to hitch and unhitch, especially with a 5th wheel tailgate.
8. Lots of storage.
9. EASY to park.
10. Easy to turn around.
11. Easy to back up, anytime.
12. Midship door is nice.
13. With the right window setup, the views are better. But some newer 5th wheels really mess up the view with their layout. You have to compare my floorplan to others and you'll see.
14. If your truck breaks down, repairs are easily at hand and fast, simple and straightforward. I blew a radiator hose, back on the road in 1 hour.
15. You truck, especially a dually, makes a TERRIBLE touring vehicle.
16. The 5th wheel tows nice. My truck is a bit oversized, and once at speed, you forget it's back there. I just got off a 4400 mile trek through Colorado living 2 months out of the 5vr and truck. Everything performed admirably.
17. I can hitch up and be moving in a flash. It's ridiculously easy.
18. If you buy new, FULLY EXPECT your unit to have some down being "finished and fixed" in the first year.

Nice list, but I would like to add a couple of things to MH list;
Having passengers being able to use bathroom while RV is moving.
As long as you have passenger you can get snacks, drinks and other while your driving.

Any new RV can spend time in the shop, each class has its good and bad. I have seen people live in Class B RV's so get what meets your needs.

KC

[brobox]

Originally Posted by The Driver

TV=tow vehicle or towed vehicle.

For my money, the biggest drawback of a 5th wheel is that when your home is parked, your vehicle for errands & exploration is a big honking truck.

I cuss those every year during snowbird season. They take up a large area of the isle when parked making it difficult for others across the isle to back out tying up traffic in that area of a parking lot. They rarely park in the back of the lot where it wouldn't bother others, always seems to be in the high traffic area.

[Ann n Gene]

I have had fifth wheels since 1975 and motorhomes since 2009. I have had a 45’ Entegra Cornerstone and now have a 34’ Luxury Newmar New Aire with all the bells and whistles and several things even my Cornerstone did not have. I would never go back to a fifth wheel for a variety of reasons mostly related to space, safety, comfort and convenience pluse ease of use and ease of parking. Just our decision but it fits our lifestyle and we travel about 8-9 months per year innthe coach. However, we park and live in it about 4 months in Texas each winter and often spend a couple of months park in Wisconsin in the summer with more travel in the spring and fall. All JMHO

[brobox]

plasma800, hooking up the toad is not that hard. I do it by myself with 9 out of 10 times, never getting back in the toad. The arms on the tow bar are adjustable, not that hard to pull up straight and stop. After a couple of times, you know just where to stop for a non assisted hookup.

[Ann n Gene]

Agree Chuck, I often do the same.

[dave&ginny]

We’ve been camping for 40 years and have had all kinds of RVs. Our last was a 40 ft 5th wheel which we really enjoyed.

The difference between a 5th wheel or any other pull behind is the concern for weight when they build them. Since they’re going to be pulled by a truck, they have to build lighter to stay within the restrictions of the tow vehicle. When reducing weight quality goes down as well. This quality can be the hollow core interior doors as well as the vacume bonded walls.

On the plus side, a 5er feels more like a cabin when parked. But our Entegra is the most comfortable rv living we’ve ever done. If it wasn’t for our kids we’d sell the house.

[plasma800]

Originally Posted by KC

Nice list, but I would like to add a couple of things to MH list;
Having passengers being able to use bathroom while RV is moving.
As long as you have passenger you can get snacks, drinks and other while your driving.

Any new RV can spend time in the shop, each class has its good and bad. I have seen people live in Class B RV's so get what meets your needs.

KC

You should NEVER do this. That's a quick way to become dead.


We keep a cooler right behind the console of the truck. Getting drinks and snacks is as simple as reaching back. A 12 volt cooler keeps things cool for a very long time, and this concept also works from the front seats of a motor home.


Pit stops for bathroom breaks are pit stops for bathroom breaks. They worked the same for us in a motorhome as they do the 5rv.. rest stops, gas stations, walmarts, big parking lots.


We keep our driving days short. Like 5 hours is a long day for us... even though we've pulled 8 to 10 hour days, if we can help it, we don't move far on moving days.

[plasma800]

Originally Posted by brobox

plasma800, hooking up the toad is not that hard. I do it by myself with 9 out of 10 times, never getting back in the toad. The arms on the tow bar are adjustable, not that hard to pull up straight and stop. After a couple of times, you know just where to stop for a non assisted hookup.

Told ya


I make fun, but I know all about it. I ran about 30,000 miles hooking up a car, and no, its not THAT bad. Same as hooking up a 5rv, which I think is even easier. But I do get a chuckle out of the arguing couple who can't get it straight
Even better when the car is bound from uneven ground




I also get a chuckle out of the guy who has to pull forward and backwards 15 times trying to hit their pin box square, especially if they left the center rear seat head rest in place. In the truck out of the truck in the truck out of the truck... or if they have a camera, getting their left and right mixed up

[plasma800]

Originally Posted by dave&ginny

We’ve been camping for 40 years and have had all kinds of RVs. Our last was a 40 ft 5th wheel which we really enjoyed.

The difference between a 5th wheel or any other pull behind is the concern for weight when they build them. Since they’re going to be pulled by a truck, they have to build lighter to stay within the restrictions of the tow vehicle. When reducing weight quality goes down as well. This quality can be the hollow core interior doors as well as the vacume bonded walls.

On the plus side, a 5er feels more like a cabin when parked. But our Entegra is the most comfortable rv living we’ve ever done. If it wasn’t for our kids we’d sell the house.

I would totally agree with this.


It's also a consideration of pitching cost against it. It's absolutely true that the mid-build Class A's are stout as can be. From the frame up, these things are solid.. but you also must be willing to part with a sizeable chunk of money. Once you start reaching into the 300k to 600k range, you're talking about some really nice machines...

[ga traveler]

Originally Posted by plasma800

You should NEVER do this. That's a quick way to become dead.


We keep a cooler right behind the console of the truck. Getting drinks and snacks is as simple as reaching back. A 12 volt cooler keeps things cool for a very long time, and this concept also works from the front seats of a motor home.


Pit stops for bathroom breaks are pit stops for bathroom breaks. They worked the same for us in a motorhome as they do the 5rv.. rest stops, gas stations, walmarts, big parking lots.


We keep our driving days short. Like 5 hours is a long day for us... even though we've pulled 8 to 10 hour days, if we can help it, we don't move far on moving days.

A quick way to become dead? How many people do you know that were killed while walking around in a moving motorhome?

[plasma800]

Originally Posted by ga traveler

A quick way to become dead? How many people do you know that were killed while walking around in a moving motorhome?

I know of no one that was killed while walking around a motorhome.


I do know of a family that was killed while seat belted behind the drivers cab on the couches that were ejected.


I know of a few people that would likely be dead had they been up and walking around during their accidents. And a few cats that have died in a side roll (squashed from debris)



You do whatever you feel comfortable doing. I myself try to foil risk. To that end, we stay seat-belted during travel in the safer front area. And I would personally never put my wife in harms way because I wanted a soda and couldn't be bothered with a small drink cooler.


I know, I know, I get flamed for this stance all the time. Must be my Air Force training, when there's a safer way that works, you take it.



I have more than one safety dissertation on this forum already. But one of the reasons I currently drive a truck and 5th wheel is that I did not want to strap a baby into the area behind the cab, which I feel is relatively unsafe travel space in the event of a major accident. Everyone makes their own choices, I'm not here to criticize yours.

[plasma800]

Here's just a quick example of an rv after a wreck


https://youtu.be/o3_ZBw2_MGQ

[plasma800]

And this is what the inside of an rv looks like after turning it's side

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by anavycrna08

We get married next month in Phoenix and plan to visit NIRVC there and then NIRVC/MH specialists in Dallas in January. The working plan is to pull the trigger the end of summer next year (cant miss the fishing in Sitka
Fair winds....
RC

Since You will be in Dallas, go a little bit further to Nacogdoces & check them out as You will find it a challenge to match the Airstream qualities of build with some "other" manufacturers offerings...


ALL Pre Owned motorhomes Inventory


and as You will be crossing the midwest.....stop here before You get to Dallas.


https://www.newellcoach.com/used-mot...OwnedInventory


Happy Hunting