Community Forums

HDrider · 08-18-2020, 05:31 AM

Yup, fulltimed in 2 different Class A's for 7 years a 40ft and 42ft and then switched to a 40ft 5th wheel a little over a year ago.
I'm guessing you might have found my write up on our blog about comparing our Class A to a 5th wheel because I saw a few hits on that this morning.

MCJones · 08-22-2020, 06:11 PM

We had a 38 class A diesel (Mandalay) and a 43 ft Dutchstar for 5 years. I absolutely loved traveling in the Dutch star and towing a wrangler. Problem became I was constantly worried about maintenance. A warranty for a 10 year old coach with no problems was 6K or more for 3 years. And not being wealthy it was a constant concern. Tuires were going to cost 6-7.5 K soon again and I was getting too old to do my own oil changes. We went back to a 5th wheel (Montana 295RL ) and the whole thing makes me much more relaxed. We went out west twice with the Dutchstar and were glad we had it then. I'm thinking now we will be driving less and stay longer when we get there with the 5th. I am happy with the 5th we have and glad we were able to have the class A when we were driving more. We had many 5ths before we went to the class A's and knew their particular advantages. Would do it all again and like I implied, if money were no object in my life I would have a brand new diesel pusher! But -no regrets here.

techminer · 08-26-2020, 11:15 PM

After a tough year with the DP trying to get it repaired (Cummins engine emissions issues and not the DPF tank head which is a hot issue right now (+$5G later it was finally fixed)), we decided to go back to a 5er. The frustration factor was way up there! Annual holding/OP costs went down by 60% with the 5er compared with the DP. The DP was a nice way to go until problems started......... Lot's of Ford dealers out there if we have issues with the F350. BTW, our ProTrek RV service contract covered most engine related items on the DP but did NOT cover emissions system repairs........I guess they know what a black hole that could be. We really like our new Vanleigh Beacon. Hooks up/unhooks easily and tows very well. Very stable ride with the F350 dually.

JDT · 08-27-2020, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by techminer

After a tough year with the DP trying to get it repaired (Cummins engine emissions issues and not the DPF tank head which is a hot issue right now (+$5G later it was finally fixed)), we decided to go back to a 5er. The frustration factor was way up there! Annual holding/OP costs went down by 60% with the 5er compared with the DP. The DP was a nice way to go until problems started......... Lot's of Ford dealers out there if we have issues with the F350. BTW, our ProTrek RV service contract covered most engine related items on the DP but did NOT cover emissions system repairs........I guess they know what a black hole that could be. We really like our new Vanleigh Beacon. Hooks up/unhooks easily and tows very well. Very stable ride with the F350 dually.

This is exactly why we went from a dp to a fifth wheel in 2012. I had to drive a hundred miles to get it worked on and the cost even then was way to high for my liking. Other than replacing a few components like pumps and detectors we spent almost nothing per year on maintenance on our previous fifth wheel. The new one, I'm hopeful. Upgrades, now that's another story.

Triangle Drifter · 08-29-2020, 08:18 PM

There is a seat for every bottom. I like being able to get the truck serviced most anywhere. I like not having to move out of my home while it is being serviced. I like 11mpg towing. I am happy with 18mpg not towing. Driving a truck is no big deal. I don't mind the extra few seconds walk from the market door. I like having just one propulsion engine to take care of. If I get in a crash I am a whole lot safer in my 3500 truck than some little toad. I like the cheaper first costs of truck & 5er. I like slower depreciation. I like much cheaper tires for truck & trailer. I like easy availability & much cheaper windshields for the truck. My bladder & legs need a rest stop break more or less at the same time. The Admiral/navigator does not mind packing some snacks to carry in the truck. Somehow working in the galley at 65mph does not seem like good idea to me. The day will come, but not yet, when the driver can go to the bathroom at 65mph. I don't see luxurious coaches going some of the places I go with my 5er.

SteveE9C6 · 09-01-2020, 10:29 PM

We are just moving from a 40 ft DP to a 40 ft 5th wheel. The truck and RV were about $160k. I now have an awesome DRW truck and no longer have a toad. The maintenance and repairs on a DP are significant. My maintenance on my new RAM Longhorn is free for the next four years including oil changes. Insurance is less.

It simply made sense for us.

John Michael · 09-07-2020, 12:11 PM

We had a love hate relationship with our 34 DP switched after 6 years to an F350 and 30 ft arctic fox. We love it , had it for two years now and 14000 miles. Gained a lot in living comfort but also significantly in driving comfort. Also so much easier for maintenance

Quote:

Originally Posted by Triangle Drifter

There is a seat for every bottom. I like being able to get the truck serviced most anywhere. I like not having to move out of my home while it is being serviced. I like 11mpg towing. I am happy with 18mpg not towing. Driving a truck is no big deal. I don't mind the extra few seconds walk from the market door. I like having just one propulsion engine to take care of. If I get in a crash I am a whole lot safer in my 3500 truck than some little toad. I like the cheaper first costs of truck & 5er. I like slower depreciation. I like much cheaper tires for truck & trailer. I like easy availability & much cheaper windshields for the truck. My bladder & legs need a rest stop break more or less at the same time. The Admiral/navigator does not mind packing some snacks to carry in the truck. Somehow working in the galley at 65mph does not seem like good idea to me. The day will come, but not yet, when the driver can go to the bathroom at 65mph. I don't see luxurious coaches going some of the places I go with my 5er.

DKRITTER · 09-15-2020, 05:43 AM

We went the other way, going from a 5W to a MH.

We’ve had a camper off and on since I was a kid, from pop up’s to TT to 5W now a MH and for us a MH is the best way to go, but it is an individual decision.

We had a FR CC and hated it primarily due to an experience right after buying it (not going into it but I will never buy a FR product again). We had it for a few years and wanted to upgrade to a New Horizons and that meant going to a dually to pull it. After driving a few F350’s and 450’s having one as a daily driver in DFW was not appealing. Looking at the cost of a NH and truck put us in the ballpark of a used MH. We ended up with a used Dutch Star and a F150 and love it. We don’t miss the 5W at all.

Our lifestyle today works much better for us with a MH, most of our travel is within 500 miles of home. I use it both for business and personal situations and we’re usually gone around a week at a time.
If we full-timed or spent extended periods in 1 RV Park we would revisit our decision.

JollyCamper · 09-15-2020, 04:57 PM

Where you are in life dictates your choice really. We started with a popup and an old single cab pickup. It was great with 1 kid. Then came the second. Did not need a bigger pickup for anything personal, and I had access to a 1 ton at work if I needed a larger tow rig, but still single cab. At that time, it made sense for us to buy an inexpensive Class C motor home. Now, we have 3 kids, and I have a legitimate need for a larger than half ton pickup, so it makes sense to go ahead and do the 5th wheel, since the pickup is something I already needed to own.