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Old 02-24-2016, 07:40 AM   #57
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Class A the way to go easy choice.
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Old 02-24-2016, 08:58 AM   #58
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This was "our" dilemma as well. Wife had previous experience with luxury 5er, and none with DP. I haven't had ANY experience in either (or camping for that matter, aside from what I did in the military). After service (and four tours), I promised to myself never to "go camping" again! Bought 42' boat on the ocean, and I was happy. Well,......"harbor cruises", and "Catalina trips" got old in couple of years. I wanted "open road".

Long story short,.....wife wanted 5er, and dragged me to five or six RV dealers, and made me "walk and touch" brand new high end 5ers. They are nice. No doubt. But even without any experience in the RV world, I knew I wanted class A (for several reasons already mentioned in this thread). We travel with dogs (BIG dogs). No way of transporting them back in the 5er (unattended), and no room in the tow vehicle. There are other things too,........ease of having access to EVERYTHING while on the move, great comfort in driving, visibility......etc. DW also wanted slides. That was no go for me as well (extra maintenance, potential headache with malfunctions, leaks, cramped space when they are retracted......).

So I narrowed it down to what I want! Older ("vintage") "high end", luxury "highway liner" (as opposed to "ocean liner"), wide body, something I can pay cash for, as long as my state would allow me to drive without jumping through "endorsements" (and more room because I don't want slides!), DP, with a lot of torque. These were some of my "wants". It also had to have real wood cabinetry (with dark stain!), Corian, glass, "walk through" shower/bath (no curtains on the shower, and no doors on the tiny "cubicle" bathroom. Tag axle. A must (for me). But that didn't happen (unfortunately). No "entertainment" needed (Wineguard, flat screens, BOSE,.....none of that).

And then I found 1995 Vogue Prima Vista built by Mitchell in Pryor, OK. 40' long (driving with class C DL legal in my state), 34000# (not too heavy), CAT 3176 marine propulsion engine (10.3L), and Alison 4060 6 speed transmission. Engine is governed at 1900 RPM (slow turning), and get this (!).....produces 1350# of torque at 1200 RPM! I simply LOVE it. Since I am life long DIY enthusiast, I can work on this thing myself, and I NEED something to tinker with (six cars/trucks, three motorcycles, and an aircraft are no longer challenging to me).

Coach is extremely well built ("like a tank"), and I haven't seen ANY 5er coming even close to luxuries, and quality this thing has. It even has a unique look, and stands in the class of its own (individuality is also important to me). There is also a "porthole" to remind me on my boating days ("porthole" is on starboard side, but still? ). It floats on 22.5" Alcoa wheels, with new Yokohama rubber (I was stationed in Yokohama for a while!).......simply a "match made in heaven".

It took a WHILE to find the unit that meets MOST of my requirements (forgot to mention,......my "target" had to be garaged in its entire life, and in "as new" condition also!). Coaches like that are not easy to find, and we went through many disappointments (and DAILY scouring of the Internet, nationwide).

This thing has EVERYTHING I wanted,.....except tag axle. I can live without it,.....for now.

Don't get me wrong,.....I am not putting ANY 5er down here, but for ME,....this was the right choice. If we would all like the same things, this would be one boring world (and a bloodbath fighting over the same woman! ).
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Old 02-24-2016, 12:21 PM   #59
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Originally Posted by Danielsand View Post
This was "our" dilemma as well. Wife had previous experience with luxury 5er, and none with DP. I haven't had ANY experience in either (or camping for that matter, aside from what I did in the military). After service (and four tours), I promised to myself never to "go camping" again! Bought 42' boat on the ocean, and I was happy. Well,......"harbor cruises", and "Catalina trips" got old in couple of years. I wanted "open road".

Long story short,.....wife wanted 5er, and dragged me to five or six RV dealers, and made me "walk and touch" brand new high end 5ers. They are nice. No doubt. But even without any experience in the RV world, I knew I wanted class A (for several reasons already mentioned in this thread). We travel with dogs (BIG dogs). No way of transporting them back in the 5er (unattended), and no room in the tow vehicle. There are other things too,........ease of having access to EVERYTHING while on the move, great comfort in driving, visibility......etc. DW also wanted slides. That was no go for me as well (extra maintenance, potential headache with malfunctions, leaks, cramped space when they are retracted......).

So I narrowed it down to what I want! Older ("vintage") "high end", luxury "highway liner" (as opposed to "ocean liner"), wide body, something I can pay cash for, as long as my state would allow me to drive without jumping through "endorsements" (and more room because I don't want slides!), DP, with a lot of torque. These were some of my "wants". It also had to have real wood cabinetry (with dark stain!), Corian, glass, "walk through" shower/bath (no curtains on the shower, and no doors on the tiny "cubicle" bathroom. Tag axle. A must (for me). But that didn't happen (unfortunately). No "entertainment" needed (Wineguard, flat screens, BOSE,.....none of that).

And then I found 1995 Vogue Prima Vista built by Mitchell in Pryor, OK. 40' long (driving with class C DL legal in my state), 34000# (not too heavy), CAT 3176 marine propulsion engine (10.3L), and Alison 4060 6 speed transmission. Engine is governed at 1900 RPM (slow turning), and get this (!).....produces 1350# of torque at 1200 RPM! I simply LOVE it. Since I am life long DIY enthusiast, I can work on this thing myself, and I NEED something to tinker with (six cars/trucks, three motorcycles, and an aircraft are no longer challenging to me).

Coach is extremely well built ("like a tank"), and I haven't seen ANY 5er coming even close to luxuries, and quality this thing has. It even has a unique look, and stands in the class of its own (individuality is also important to me). There is also a "porthole" to remind me on my boating days ("porthole" is on starboard side, but still? ). It floats on 22.5" Alcoa wheels, with new Yokohama rubber (I was stationed in Yokohama for a while!).......simply a "match made in heaven".

It took a WHILE to find the unit that meets MOST of my requirements (forgot to mention,......my "target" had to be garaged in its entire life, and in "as new" condition also!). Coaches like that are not easy to find, and we went through many disappointments (and DAILY scouring of the Internet, nationwide).

This thing has EVERYTHING I wanted,.....except tag axle. I can live without it,.....for now.

Don't get me wrong,.....I am not putting ANY 5er down here, but for ME,....this was the right choice. If we would all like the same things, this would be one boring world (and a bloodbath fighting over the same woman! ).
Very nice looking rv. Your a wise man by doing your research and "more importantly" listening to what your bride said.
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Old 02-24-2016, 01:35 PM   #60
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We just made the switch from 5er to Class A. We had a 2010 36 foot 5er with 4 slides. It was a great floor plan and fit our needs just right. Our TV is a 1996 F350 with a 450 gas and 5 speed. I had a Banks exhaust system installed and it did well towing ... until we hit the hills and mountains. It was slow and the gas mileage dropped considerably. We were looking at new trucks. A new F350 4X4 diesel crew cab dually came to roughly $65K.
I went the other way... Class-A to 5th wheel. We paid the $65k+ for the dually diesel truck. I haven't towed in the mountains, but with 800+ fl/lbs I haven't run into a hill that we couldn't pull at 65 with a 37'th wheel. 2016 year model trucks are starting to go over 850 ft/lbs.

The 5th wheel affords more usable space. Because it's a toy hauler, we have a "garage" over towing a trailer. We can also disconnect the truck and have transportation of semi-sane size.

Biggest difference / advantage of a DP: Build quality. Most DPs have vastly better engineering and build quality than 5th wheels. There are some exceptions, of course, but generally the DP quality is much better.

Biggest disadvantage of a DP: Complicated. Lots of systems, lots of stuff can break.
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Old 02-24-2016, 05:08 PM   #61
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I have had both, big toy hauler and a DP. I will probably never go back to a 5th wheel.

More work to set up, more insurance when you figure the truck and 5th. Quality of 5th wheels are poor, workmanship suffers on most not that DP's don't have some issues.

I pull my Jeep 4 down so I always have a vehicle, have racks to haul kayacks when needed on the jeep so for me no real down side to the DP. fuel consumption is about the same.
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Old 02-24-2016, 07:32 PM   #62
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Diesel pusher vs 5th wheel

I'll jump back in the conversation after pulling the new fiver home and "setting it up".

The setup was really a wash. I backed it in my driveway as easy as I did with the DP. Got out of the truck. Pulled the pin on the Andersen hitch. Raised the front jacks. Pulled the truck out. Hit auto level. Walked inside and pressed the slide button. Done.

The only difference was the two minutes it took to unhook the truck and the fact that I had to walk from the truck.

I will miss the DP for lots of reasons (mainly the ability to have the AC on en route as we didn't opt for a generator), but it will be very nice to have the back bedroom for the kids!
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Old 02-24-2016, 07:52 PM   #63
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Never owned a 5th wheel, but from personal experience I can say "go with the MH"!! DW (and I) like the fact that she can get up and go potty anytime she needs/wants to plus get me a cold pop out of the refer. Been RV'ing since 1957 and MH's since 1988 so I do have a couple years experience with TT's and MH's
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Old 02-24-2016, 08:13 PM   #64
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Head gamez...

If you are in the south,
I predict very quickly you will be looking for a genny so you can turn the ac's on before you get to the park...

We had an upscale 43 foot 5'er that we couldn't stay in for 2 or 3 hours until it cooled down after a 6 or 8 hour drive in the sun...

We got into the habit of pulling in, plugging in, leaving the 4 slides closed, turning the ac's to 60, and going to dinner...

Our poor dog had to put up with the 90 degrees for a while ...

I don't see me going back to a 5'er...
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Old 02-24-2016, 08:42 PM   #65
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Originally Posted by head gamez View Post
I'll jump back in the conversation after pulling the new fiver home and "setting it up".

The setup was really a wash. I backed it in my driveway as easy as I did with the DP. Got out of the truck. Pulled the pin on the Andersen hitch. Raised the front jacks. Pulled the truck out. Hit auto level. Walked inside and pressed the slide button. Done.

The only difference was the two minutes it took to unhook the truck and the fact that I had to walk from the truck.

I will miss the DP for lots of reasons (mainly the ability to have the AC on en route as we didn't opt for a generator), but it will be very nice to have the back bedroom for the kids!
Unhooking the truck from the 5er takes less time than unhooking the toad from the DP!
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Old 02-24-2016, 09:37 PM   #66
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Unhooking the truck from the 5er takes less time than unhooking the toad from the DP!
Now that is true, but I can unhook the towed while DW is checking in at the office.
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Old 02-24-2016, 11:37 PM   #67
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Isn't it great that that we all can argue for what we enjoy?

There is no one true fit for everyone. What one person is fed up with is another's desire. In the end, it all comes down to what works for you.
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Old 02-25-2016, 12:01 AM   #68
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Head gamez...

If you are in the south,
I predict very quickly you will be looking for a genny so you can turn the ac's on before you get to the park...

We had an upscale 43 foot 5'er that we couldn't stay in for 2 or 3 hours until it cooled down after a 6 or 8 hour drive in the sun...

We got into the habit of pulling in, plugging in, leaving the 4 slides closed, turning the ac's to 60, and going to dinner...

Our poor dog had to put up with the 90 degrees for a while ...

I don't see me going back to a 5'er...
Ours is one of the few MH's that actually has an OTR air con exchanger for the bedroom. That big ISX really heats it up we've found. I have to have the dash air con on then turn the switch in the bedroom. That turns on the fan under the bed where the exchanger is. Supposed to have multiple fan settings but so far we haven't needed it.
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Old 02-25-2016, 07:17 AM   #69
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The one thing that stands out for me is quality of build. It is not a fair comparison with the 5th wheel that we owned because it was a mid level build. When we were shopping, I looked ay many high-end 5th wheels. You have to jump to the extreme level like New Horizon, Continental Coach, etc., to get the build quality of a mid level DP. Then they are so heavy you need a MDT to tow one.
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Old 02-25-2016, 11:30 AM   #70
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Head gamez...

If you are in the south,
I predict very quickly you will be looking for a genny so you can turn the ac's on before you get to the park...

We had an upscale 43 foot 5'er that we couldn't stay in for 2 or 3 hours until it cooled down after a 6 or 8 hour drive in the sun...

We got into the habit of pulling in, plugging in, leaving the 4 slides closed, turning the ac's to 60, and going to dinner...

Our poor dog had to put up with the 90 degrees for a while ...

I don't see me going back to a 5'er...

You may be right! And if that is the case, I'll connect it to the Honda in the back of the truck. I didn't go with an on board generator, but rednecks like me always have generator options!

Honestly though.... I don't think it will be a big issue as we don't move often. We will arrive at the campground, get the AC going, and I'll drop the family off on the golf cart at the beach. I'll come back and get the patio mats out etc.

If we were travelers I think it would make a difference, but we just go on vacation to one spot per trip. When we get to where we are moving around from location to location we will probably move back to a DP (won't have the need for the Bunkhouse then either).
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