Downsizing

[fishermark]

We have been in Class A gas, Diesel pushers,36Ft fifth wheels and are now without an RV. We are slowing down and no longer workkamping so we need smaller. Our dilemma is do we go with with a class C, shorter towable, shorter fifth wheel or gas class A. We also have a 2019 F150, which I know limits us greatly! We saw a Jayco short 5th wheel that said it is towable with an F150. Any suggestions for someone that has been RVing for 30 years but facing some downsizing?

[hohenwald48]

Don't believe it when they say (150 towable). Run the numbers yourself. The manufacturers and dealers are in the business of selling and usually have no real knowledge regarding tow ratings.

I had one tell me that weight in front of the tow vehicle rear axle doesn't count toward gross weight. [emoji1751]

Sent from my SM-S127DL using iRV2 - RV Forum mobile app

[scbwr]

There are so many variables that only you can figure out the best solution for you. Seems to me, the most economical solution would be a travel trailer that you can tow behind the truck you already have. You give up the advantages of a truly self contained rig such as a motorhome where you can stop at a rest area and have access to bathroom, galley, etc. without stepping outside of the rig.

With a class C or gas motorhome, you have to confront the issue of whether you will need to tow a vehicle. You can avoid that if you go with a small class C, but will you be happy with the smaller living quarters? If you go with a smaller gas class A, you may not be able to tow your truck, so then you would be looking at getting another vehicle and the cost of getting it setup to tow 4 down or on a dolly, which can be costly.

If you want the advantages of a fifth wheel, you may have to upgrade to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck and you have to look at what that will do to the budget.

So, it boils down to figuring out what your budget will allow you to do, and then looking at the possibilities and figuring out what type of rig will meet your needs such as amount of living space, storage capacity, ability to handle cold weather, etc. And another factor is whether you tend to set up camp somewhere and stay put or whether you tend to do a lot of sight seeing and exploring. Because we like to explore, I'd hate to have to be disconnecting water/sewer lined, retracting slides, etc. every time I wanted to go somewhere. So for us, when we downsize (which we are considering), I know that we will want to be able to keep our toad and use it with a smaller self contained rig.

[johncassidy]

Been RV’g for 20 yrs in everything except a 5th whl. Just sold our 35’A a few years ago and bought a 24ft Born Free build for two on an E350 chassis. My input is that downsizing choice depends on how you want to use the rig. In our case, we wanted to get into boon docking in rustic sites (national forest, BLM, etc) and needed the smaller size to accomplish it. We love the new rig. Yes, it’s a lot smaller inside but with the right floor plan (twin bunks, no dedicated bedroom) we honestly don’t feel crowded. Somehow you just adapt and it’s been great. A few practical considerations / just our opinions - avoid corner queens common in small rigs. Somebody has to climb over somebody during the night. Less than 28ft and it’s hard to find a floor plan with centered bed. Again, we went with a dual purpose twin bunk plan - our living room in the day and beds at night. E450 gas = 7mph but plenty of cargo capacity/ towing. E350 gas = 12 mph and limited cargo capacity / towing. For us, in a small C, we decided we didn’t need a toad and haven’t regretted it so far. Personally, the only small chassis’s I’m confident in for reliability and ease of service are the E350/450 and GM equiv. Hope that helps.

[fishermark]

Thanks for all the suggestions and it does give us many other things to consider. It helps to hear other peoples experiences and the bottom line is-what can we live with.