Motor home or 5th wheel?

[Bohdan]

Hey guys, my wife and I are having discussions on getting a fifth wheel toy Hauter or motor home. We plan on taking a sabbatical next year in 2019 to see our great America. We have bikes to take so hence the need for a toy hauler. The real reason for 5th wheel is we would have a vehicle versus toad We have read options on both, but we are on the fence. Is it important to have a secondary vehicle or Uber? Lyft? Mighty obliged

[cruzbill]

Bikes; motorized, rather than people powered, right? With a MH, you can take a toad, small, comfortable car, for sightseeing, errands. With a 5ver TH, you are stuck with your tow vehicle (TV). And for a TH, you'll be in the 1T TV range. So go drive some 1T trucks and see if you like it as your daily driver. I had a 5ver for 17 yrs, still have my 1T dually Dodge, but I'd rather drive my Jeep Liberty to get the groceries. Your call, enjoy your sabbatical.
Oh, Forget about lift and youber out in the boonies......I can't believe how some people will just jump in a car with a stranger who is not licensed to carry passengers nor completed any background check. Just so some CEO can build a company that does nothing for its workers and then go out with a big IPO. Did you see the one today where the Lift driver pulled a gun on his passengers.....

[grindstone01]

MH's are best if you plan to do a lot of traveling with short stays. A fifth wheel is best used for longer stays like more than a couple of weeks at a time. I also have noticed that the older crowd seems to have MH's, probably for the easier set ups and not so concerned about saving $$ for long term future use.

[FORTRIDER]

We have had both and really like the class A MH. We spend about 6 or months a year traveling. However this spring we are planning to sell the S&B. We also haul around motorcycles. We each have ridden for over 40 years and would feel lost without them. At times we hauled 1200+ lbs. of motorcycles in the toy hauler and got really tired of the big bikes. The ramp can also be quite steep at times depending on locations.
We now have the class A MH with a Hydralift on the back and haul two mid weight motorcycles and tow the Jeep. We are also able to put two bicycles in the back of the Jeep. Really nice when we are traveling for the wife to make me a cup of coffee or sandwich at times. It does require a few minutes more to load the bikes on the lift and hook up the Jeep but we never are in a rush. Neither one of us has missed the fifth wheel toy hauler or the HD truck to pull it.
You can see in our signature what we haul around.

[Mudfrog]

We pull a boat 95% of the time so motorhome is the best solution for us. But i'd certainly opt for the 5th wheel if the boat wasn't in the mix.

Saying this because of the versatility a truck offers and, imo, less total cost to keep the rig going. Probably not a whole lot of difference in a motorhome's coach versus a trailer, but not the same for the chassis side. A tow vehicle usually has less mechanical problems and if one does come up, is most always easier and cheaper to repair than if it was on a MH. You can take a truck just about anywhere for service, a motorhome not.

Another plus for me is that a 5th wheel is easier to level on sloping terrain that might be too much for a MH's jacks to handle.

[TXGREEK]

Originally Posted by Bohdan

Hey guys, my wife and I are having discussions on getting a fifth wheel toy Hauter or motor home. We plan on taking a sabbatical next year in 2019 to see our great America. We have bikes to take so hence the need for a toy hauler. The real reason for 5th wheel is we would have a vehicle versus toad We have read options on both, but we are on the fence. Is it important to have a secondary vehicle or Uber? Lyft? Mighty obliged

We debated on the same thing and went with a 5th wheel because when you have a fifth wheel you can just leave it at sight and drive off with your tow vehicle preferably one that you already have. Buying a motor home would add on purchasing of a small tow vehicle which adds to the stress and fuel burning of the motor home. Just make sure you have a Duramax as your tow rig and you’ll be completely happy. Good luck

[Mr_D]

Travel a little and sit for long periods = 5th wheel.
Drive a lot and sit a little = MH

Also, I didn't want to use a large truck for around town and sight seeing.

[Freqz]

Well they both have their pluses and minuses. You can do better for less money with a fifth wheel, IMO. You only have one drive train to maintain and anywhere can work on it. You don't have to find a place that can work on truck tires.

But it's fussier to set up and back into a spot and you can't get up to use the bathroom or to make a sandwich. And you have to put up with a large truck as your driver if that's a big deal to you.

Neither one is right or wrong...it's why they build them both.

[George Schweikle]

My sentiments exactly. I neither want or need a truck, but some people just love them - which is fine .

Originally Posted by Mr_D

Travel a little and sit for long periods = 5th wheel.
Drive a lot and sit a little = MH

Also, I didn't want to use a large truck for around town and sight seeing.

[StevL]

We had the same dilemma and decided motorcoach. Why?

5th wheel

• Had to buy a tow vehicle (2500 up to dually depending on the 5th wheel)
• I didn't want to drive a large pick up everyday, so I still had another vehicle
• Parking, in many downtown areas it can be a big pain to find parking for a big tow vehicle
• Over night in a parking lot (Walmart, Flying J, etc.) if we needed to move on because of something going on that we didn't like I had to exit the 5th wheel and get in the tow vehicle
• The wife could not use the bathroom or fix a sandwich while rolling
• Many luxury rv resorts are Class A only

Motorcoach

• Could tow something we already had or buy a inexpensive toad
• Could still drive my everyday vehicle
• Small toad very easy to park in city traffic
• If we had to leave a parking lot start the motorcoach and go
• The wife can use the bathroom or fix a sandwich while rolling
• I can get into Luxury Resorts if I want (and we like them)

Motorcoach Negatives

• More to maintain
• More cost upfront
• They don't have the safety features that a Ford, Chevy, Dodge truck would have (although they win the law of physics)

These were the reasons we decided on a coach, I'm very happy we did.

Best of luck on your decision!

Steve

[MSHappyCampers]

We pulled 5ers for 12 years before getting the MH and loved them! After we retired and wanted to do more traveling, and at our age, we decided that a MH would be better. I would NOT advise you to get a MH without a toad!

Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!

Merry Christmas!

[Hgrace56]

Spend some time at CG and how each type of rig is set up and taken down.
Whenever I see 5ver pull in I'm so glad I have my Class A

[Roger G]

Everybody has pretty much covered the pros and cons. I've done both, currently in a MH, and probably will never go back to a fiver. The MH is just too comfortable and too convenient and I drive a 3/4 ton truck as a daily driver. One suggestion that I would give if you decide to go with the fifth wheel, add an onboard generator, that's one thing I'll never be without.

[aether_one]

Originally Posted by Freqz

You can do better for less money with a fifth wheel, IMO.

Originally Posted by StevL

Motorcoach Negatives

• More to maintain
• More cost upfront

Have you guys seen the cost of a new 3/4 or 1 ton truck now-a-days? Add the cost of a quality 5th wheel and you are well into Class A MH range.

And I don't understand the "more to maintain" comment; they both have the same house systems probably using the same components. They both have a truck engine and drivetrain so I think they are equal in the "maintain" area.