5th wheel or Diesel pusher

cfyanes · 07-22-2011, 11:02 AM

hoping to take the FT plunge in less than a year. We are still on the fence, should we get a 5th wheel and Silverdao 3500 diesel or a nice used diesel pusher and toad? As 2 single women I worry we will struggle pulling a 5th wheel, parking, backing etc. I wish there was a way to test drive a 5th wheel before buying a truck. Any feedback would be great.

Barbaraok · 07-22-2011, 12:16 PM

It is such a personal decision. We like having the DP, works for our lifestyle, the cats loved always being at home, never having to move into a truck, etc., plus our little toad gets great mileage when we are out seeing the sights.

Barb

Clay L · 07-22-2011, 03:13 PM

Well some of our best friends have 5ers and we don't hold it against them!

We chose a Class A because:
My wife can go to the restroom and I don't have to find a place to pull over and stop.
I didn't want to drive a big ol honking diesel truck to dinner or shopping.
My Honda gets 28 mpg when we are stopped.
We did not see any 5ers with the storage that a lot of As have.

shortlance · 07-22-2011, 04:23 PM

We have a 5er which we love but we would have a DP if we had the money to invest in one. A 5er is a little more hassel to set up at sites plus while on the road you don't have access to the bathroom and refridgerator. Towing a 5er is not a big deal but I use to drive truck so there wasn't much of a learning curve for me. The one thing that I have a problem with is I do not like electric brakes but I think that is mostly because I was use to pulling trailers with air breaks.

KSDP_PA · 07-22-2011, 04:40 PM

started with TT, then 5er, now DP.
this first time that I used the restroom on the road without DH pulling over made it all worthwhile.

C-PHartley · 07-22-2011, 04:55 PM

My wife likes to put a crock-pot on in the sink while we are driving our DP, so that we have dinner ready when we get where we are going.

**RickO** · 07-22-2011, 05:38 PM

Barb's sure right about it being a very personal decision. For us, we went with a DP to 1) avoid having to drive the big truck around as a primary vehicle 2) the additional storage space... 3) we WANTED a DP

. It's also great to see the country via that great big windshield sitting up as high as truckers.

We actually prefer the floor plans and livability of most fivers over coaches but that didn't outweigh the other factors for us.

Good luck...

Rick

Monacoach · 07-22-2011, 05:48 PM

I believe 5th wheels have more stability on the road especially in high winds therefore might be the choice for someone who is a little intimidated with driving something large.

Barbaraok · 07-22-2011, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Monacoach

I believe 5th wheels have more stability on the road especially in high winds therefore might be the choice for someone who is a little intimidated with driving something large.

Stability over what? Not a DP. Maybe some smaller Gassers, but most motorhomes are very stable. Now a trailer, that's a different case.

Barb

okmunky · 07-23-2011, 03:54 AM

Something to consider: Which is easier to back up -- if that's the only option?

swamphog · 07-23-2011, 04:23 AM

We have an older MH & we are going to replace it as we are going FT, so far we are moving towards a fiver, although we like the MH and love the DP, I have to consider the maintence of two engines, drive trains.
You can always get help from other campers when backing a fiver, or hooking up, but if you go with a MH, be sure to have toad to go see the sights.

CaptPat · 07-23-2011, 06:06 AM

We have owned a 37 ft 5er and now a 43 ft DP.

The advantages of the DP are:
1. It's easier to back into a campsite, in general it's easier to back up
2. the time and effort involved in set up is less, and if you don't feel like doing some of the set up right away you can wait--nice if its raining
3. It's nice to be able to use the bathroom on the road

Advantages of the 5er
1. For us with kids the 5er had more useable living space.
2. Technically it is much simpler, virtually every maintenance activity is easier on the 5er, AND there were fewer of them. Just peruse the forums here to get an idea of the diversity of issues that can arise from a MH--it's more complex.
3. The tow vehicle is likely to be a mainstream brand--Ford, Chevy, Dodge. This provides lots of options for servic, spare parts, etc.

I'd evaluate storage space as being about equal, however between our two rigs the MH has more smaller spaces, so we find that we storing things a bit differently (we had the 5er for 13 years).

As you work through our decision process don't forget to include the cost to make another vehicle ready to be a TOAD or the cost install the hitch in the 5er tow vehicle. BTW not call cars can be towed 4 down, or on a dolley.

We are happy with our DP and wouldn't go back to a 5er.

Hope this helps.

MaverickBBD · 07-23-2011, 08:36 AM

We are on day 6 of going full time. IMO you would be better with a used diesel pusher and toad over a 5er. You should try both before committing to purchase and make your own decision. A week with each should do it. Good luck and start serious planning now.