Trailer or Motorhome...For a Boater/Fisherman-Which Rig?

[SoCalAngler]

Travel Trailer or Motorhome?

For those of you that love to fish and boat……what RV did you choose?

Whichever we decide on it will be 30’ or less.

Motorhome would be used; Trailer could be new or used.

Budget: $40K

We’ve owned a Class A, Class C, Travel Trailer, and a 5er. We have been RVing for 20 years.

We are at a crossroads in our next selection of a camping rig. I’m retiring at the end of this June (58yo). Wife and I would like to spend travel and adventure time with our 16yo son who has Autism. He is a great kid, well-behaved, and enjoys traveling and camping! Our 22yo son just graduated from college and is enrolled in grad school; he will travel with us when off from school. So we will be traveling/sleeping three and occasionally four. A couple of small fur pets will join us when we travel with 4.

Over the next few years, we want to travel the Southwest/PNW (CA, NV, AZ, NM, ID, OR, WA, CO). Our trips will be between 2-3 weeks, 3-4 times per year. There will be trips when I travel alone for some fly fishing; these are in addition to family trips. No boat would be towed on these trips.

I own a small Arima 15’ Sea Sprinter boat and would love to take it with me, as we love places that have water….rivers, lakes, ocean/harbors. I use my boat regularly near my home so I get plenty of water and fish time!!!

I own a 2003 Ford F-350 V10 so towing a trailer is not an issue. I use a camper shell so no 5er for me.

Trailer:

Pros: Currently own a low mileage tow vehicle in great condition; cost is less to purchase and maintain. Tow vehicle is used to explore surrounding areas. If truck were to break down, trailer can be used while waiting for repairs. I could purchase a 12' raft and small outboard for use as needed. I can also fish rivers, lakes, surf without a boat.

Cons: Unable to tow my boat; long rig between trailer and truck; a little more work to set up

Motorhome:

Pros: Passengers have access to restroom; passengers able sleep on longer trips; can tow boat; small length when not towing boat; a vehicle can be towed in lieu of boat; if no vehicle to tow…a car can be rented locally

Cons: More expensive to maintain; no vehicle for visiting surround areas; smaller interior/living space vs trailer

Conclusion:

I really enjoy my boat and would love to take it along, but we also love to explore the areas we visit. Not sure a motorhome is conducive to using as a vehicle for sightseeing? I could purchase a 12’ raft and small outboard to use if I went the trailer route…it would allow me to access the water with 3-4 people.

What am I missing in my thoughts?
Other considerations?

Thoughts from those of you have been or are currently in this situation....RVer, boater, fisherman,....what did you do?

[twogypsies]

In some states you can triple tow.

You may use the boat more but when we went full-timing we carried a car-topper boat on top of our truck with our trailer. We found it was more work and time than envisioned and we didn't use it all that much... had to have good weather to be out on a lake and had to have a boat ramp so many campgrounds we liked were out of the question. Also, many places you can't just leave the boat in the water. You need to take it out and then put it in the next time used. We preferred fly fishing from the shore on rivers and of course, our Jeep for exploring the back country.

Good luck finding the right option for you!

[Jkwilson1989]

Launching and loading a trailered boat with a motor home is complicated. The actual launch and load is difficult, but having to break camp every time you use the boat is the worst part.

With a 5th wheel towing the boat behind the trailer, towing is more complex, but when you get there, the trailer stays in place and you can haul the boat freely.

No simple answer.

[Ray,IN]

Originally Posted by twogypsies

In some states you can triple tow.

You may use the boat more but when we went full-timing we carried a car-topper boat on top of our truck with our trailer. We found it was more work and time than envisioned and we didn't use it all that much... had to have good weather to be out on a lake and had to have a boat ramp so many campgrounds we liked were out of the question. Also, many places you can't just leave the boat in the water. You need to take it out and then put it in the next time used. We preferred fly fishing from the shore on rivers and of course, our Jeep for exploring the back country.

Good luck finding the right option for you!

FYI; triple towing is 3 trailers according to the USDOT: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/sites/fmcs...ion_508CLN.pdf
To do otherwise what is single towing?

[Tightwadted]

Realizing that you said you didn't want a 5th wheel, but.... i regularly tow my 17.5 Lund behind my 31' 5th wheel, the lakes we frequent are about 4.5 hrs away. or we double pull an ATV trailer to the mountains. we don't take the boat on other vacations, extended trips, but, then it is nice to leave the trailer at the campground and sightsee.

[PKI]

Originally Posted by SoCalAngler

Travel Trailer -- snip --

Since you have a truck, get a travel trailer. The Airstream 30 bunk model gives you sleeping for the boys and an owner's stateroom for you and the wife. There are other bumper pull trailers that have bunk bed layouts. Separate sleeping that is dedicated will be best for your purposes. Note - $40K is rather low, but if you can DIY, an older used coach is possible.

Boat .... sell what you have and purchase a nice quality aluminum or glass boat that will fit upside down on your truck. This will take some looking, but once resolved, you will be good.

[twogypsies]

Triple Towing:

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/rv-trip...ates-allow-it/

[RVnAggie]

Congrats on the coming retirement and being able to spend the quality time with your boys.

You seem to have laid out the +/- of both options pretty well. Never owned a motor home, but I love to camp and fish. Unless the trip is primarily focused on fishing, where you could launch the boat and keep it in a marina slip for the duration of the trip, the motor home-boat option would be complicated due to having to break camp to launch and load the boat as someone else stated.

If you could do without the camper shell, and consider a 5th wheel, which typically has a good bit of basement storage of its own, you could potentially pull the boat behind the 5th wheel and have the best of both worlds....always have a separate vehicle from the camper for local driving after your set up and can take the boat also when desired. like Tightwadted, in years past, I pulled a 16.5’ bass boat behind a 32’ fifth wheel frequently. Not a bad set up provided you manage your overall weight and length. Sure was nice for the wife, 2 boys and I to go camping & fishing without needing a second tow vehicle.

Best wishes on your decision and safe travels!

[Bill 3rd]

Congratulations on you're retirement.
How about a folding boat -
https://www.porta-bote.com
The company even sells a special rv mount, to carry the boat.
With this, you can use a trailer or motorhome, without having to tow the boat.

[Theturboman]

I would recommend a motorhome if you plan on towing, triple towing can be tough especially if you need to back up. Just make sure to get a coach with a dinette and not a table so you have sleeping space. I have no problems launching a boat with a 38 ft motorhome and a 30ft boat as long as the launch has good access it almost seems easier because the response of the trailer is quicker because of the overhang passed the axle on the moho. Good luck with your decision

[TIME2CAMP]

Allow me to share how I carry my boat with a travel trailer. May not be the right boat for you but something to consider.

Hobie Adventure Island/Tandem Island. They are kayaks with AMAs(outriggers) that remove or fold up. Can be used as a sailboat, paddle kayak or with the mirage drive which is a flipper device that is pedal operated. Can take an electric motor and some have made mounts for small gas outboards.

Carrying is pretty easy. I have a ladder rack with a modified ladder that hinges on the crossbar behind the cab. The ladder has PVC tube, so the boat slides on and off when the ladder is pivoted down. A block and tackle on the front of the ladder controls the sliding. Using this system lets me load/unload alone with no major muscle involved. I have a set of wheels that strap to the hull so once unloaded it can be rolled to the water.

Just another option, hope this helps.

[UTTransplant]

The folks I know who like remote rivers and lakes use truck campers to pull their boats. Of course you can triple tow on some roads, but definitely not all. There are some nice truck campers that would work for 3, but your older son might need to sleep in a tent for comfort. He very well would prefer that anyway; my kids HS and above always did. So a lot depends on where you want to go - remote fly fishing g spots or popular areas with good unrestricted roads.

[charliez]

I'm in the same boat. Pun intended in this case. A couple of years ago, due to some life changes, I changed to a small and simple little TT. It was just going to be me and my grandson going places, for what looked like a while. Fast forward to today. Now i have a really nice motorcycle, that I never guessed I would ever be able to get. I would like to take the motorcycle and the TT but that's not easy to do. I've looked at some class c stuff but right now, they are just way too overpriced to change. Everything is. I'm hoping in anther year or so, this mess will be far behind us and things will be back to normal. Maybe then I'll make a change. So right now, I drive the TT and my brother follows along with the bikes on my little utility trailer.

[HopsBrewster]

How committed are you to using your 15 footer? Would another, smaller more portable boat be possible? Collapsible boats mentioned above, or a canoe. or a skiff...

I have a 15ft '63 seaswirl. I'm not interested in towing triples. I also have shared interest in a little 12' aluminum skiff w/ 7hp motor we use mostly for duck hunting or fishing small lakes w/out ramps. A few options I've considered for myself;

A smaller toy hauler that could fit the 12' boat. I decided against that due to parking size limitations. Besides, when I'm alone, even a 12' skiff is difficult to manhandle.

Collapsible boat. Still a possible solution for me, but limited storage space in my little trailer has me leaning away from it. Weight is still a factor for me.

A solution I'm most seriously considering... a boat loading system so I can take the 12' boat and put in dang near anywhere ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHoYwh6aaKo

several versions of that idea

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBYCGpBCTK0