Five ers: What am I missing?

[steve258]

According to my local dealer more demand is now for 5th wheel RVs rather than motorized units. What am I missing with my MTH? We travel in comfort. My DW can whip up a snack. Pour a cold soda with ice from thefridge. Use the potty. Watch a DVD movie, take a nap on the queen bed, allwhile I listen to tunes on the radio and drive. When we get to the campground I plug in the electric shore power, Open the slides, level with
automatic jacks, pull the pins on my roadmaster towbar for my Jeep "toad" and I'm done. I don't have a truck to unhook, scissor jacks to screw down,landing gear to mess with, or a tripod for the front 5th wheel hitch. Also I get better MPG with my Jeep than a truck set up for pulling a 5th wheel when I take side trips from the campground.
Comments?

[RickO]

Welcome to the forum!

At first I thought you had posted this in the wrong forum because all of the folks here probably already own fivers. But, on second thought, it's probably the perfect place to get your question answered.

In our case, we LOVE the floorplans available in fivers and much prefer them to almost anything available in a DP. However, like you, the convenience and comfort of a MH won out. The fact that we don't have to drive a huge truck as our get around town to see the sights car was a big one too.

I've heard fiver owners claim that the lower cost of purchase and the fact that there is only one motor vehicle to maintain is a big factor in their decisions. Makes sense, it's just preference and priorities.

Rick

[Mr_D]

Doesn't bother me one way of the other, we're all "camping".

To each their own.

[RustyJC]

Fuel economy is another advantage. We get about 10.2 MPG towing our 5th wheel @ 65 MPH. A diesel pusher with comparable living space towing a toad probably isn't going to do as well. Another factor is that, in our case, I'm not retired yet, so I preferred to keep more of my funds invested rather than watch them depreciate with a DP sitting in covered storage most of the time. In retrospect, given the economic events of recent years, perhaps I would have been better off investing in scrap aluminum cans.

Rusty

[Diesel Guy]

Hello loved all 3 of my fivers over the years but just switched to DP. I find the MH easier to set up but never had a problem with the fivers, unhooking the TV is no different then unhooking your truck, travelling in the MH is much much more comfie and due to wife's condition easier on her as well. As far as fuel, needed to fill the pickup every 2 hrs once a day for the DP cost little more for the DP but where you save is not going to restauants,and like the others have said we are all camping just in different units.I pull a Avalanche .

[cam_c]

I have always liked to have the trailer and truck setup until you get a boat, jeep, ATV or any other toys and you need to pull doubles or get a coach. I don't like doubles and I like a "boat" not a canoe!
We seldom go anywhere with out something in tow.

Trailers have less maintenance as a rule, some already have a truck as a daily driver,
They make some nice trailers with great floor plans.

[Montana Glen]

Well, I agree to each thier own, but since you asked...

We also have auto leveling and 4 slides in our 39 foot fiver. I believe it would take a really large DP to match the space we have. I also like to have the truck to use as a truck around the house for chores when we are not camping (hauling and such). Don't get me wrong, really like the big DPs and may have one some day, but to get one with the space we have and also expend funds to have a truck to have for home use, I would need another couple of jobs and would not have time for camping. -Glenn

[D&J]

Originally Posted by steve258

When we get to the campground I plug in the electric shore power, Open the slides, level with
automatic jacks, pull the pins on my roadmaster towbar for my Jeep "toad" and I'm done. I don't have a truck to unhook, scissor jacks to screw down,landing gear to mess with, or a tripod for the front 5th wheel hitch. Also I get better MPG with my Jeep than a truck set up for pulling a 5th wheel when I take side trips from the campground.
Comments?

I can unhook my truck as fast as you can unhook your toad and remove the braking device (we've worked in CG long enough to now that) anymore most 5vers have power jacks front and back (I just have to push buttons on my electric jacks), there are a lot better stabilizing systems out there now than a tripod, we now a few people that have Jeeps toads and they don't get much better mileage than out truck when not pulling but they are easier to park.

Denny

[menoble]

Pretty simple decision for me, it's hard to find a MH toyhauler even close to my budget!

[ajlcal]

IMO, setting-up a 5th wheel isn't any more difficult or time consuming than setting-up a MH pulling a toad. That said, it all boils down to one thing for us. The living space of a 5th wheel feels right.

[EngineerMike]

Primarily its an economy vs features decision. Large 5er's have really good room, all 5ers are cheaper vs anything in the same length/volume range of MH's. Neither one is a cake walk when you have a mechanical, and MH's have waaaay more potential for mechanicals. If you already own the right P.U. truck for any other reason, a 5er decision may be a snap.

We were setting in a new Country Coach, thinking about buying. In walks a couple. He looks around at all the stuff. She asks me, "What do you think of these here motorhomes?" I scratched my head long enough for her to add, "We pulled into a rest stop last night & started to set up our 5th wheel. Takes my husband 30 minutes. One of these here motorhomes pulled in next to us, I guess they pushed a few buttons, and in 5 minutes she had ice in her glass. I'm going to get me one of these here motorhomes!"

Travel is much nicer in the MH IMHO. Wife fixes me lunch on the go. She puts the chicken in the crock pot about 1 or 2 in the p.m. and dinner's ready when we stop for the night. Setup is easy. We certainly have a lot of what would otherwise be nest egg tied up (and that we'll never see back), so if its an issue of economy that might make the decision easy. If you have to buy a new $45,000 truck plus the 5er, the decision might make a gas coach look pretty nice by comparison. If you want the features of a diesel pusher, you better not stop to do any math, or you'll head another direction. I love our coach. It was provably the stupidest financial decision of our lives. But I'd probably do it again none the less. Drives like a dream, crazy comfortable, nice condo inside.

[RickO]

Originally Posted by EngineerMike

If you want the features of a diesel pusher, you better not stop to do any math, or you'll head another direction. I love our coach. It was probably the stupidest financial decision of our lives. But I'd probably do it again none the less. .

Ain't it the truth?

It seems our though and decision making processes are similar.

Rick

[TXiceman]

Total cost of truck and 5er
Fuel economy,
Better suited to full time use
No massive windshield to loose/gain heat
Lots of storage
Only one drive line to maintain
Easier to get the truck worked on
Less expensive to maintain and have worked done.
If the engine/chassis breaks down, you still have the trailer to live

We have had a pop up, 4 travel trailers, class C, 2 class A's, and 2 5ers. We are back to a 5er as our choice to go full time.

Ken

[RickO]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Better suited to full time use

Lots of storage

Ken

Just curious Ken, why do you feel that fivers have advantages over DPs in these two areas?

Rick