DP vs 5er for full time

[tmandoug1]

Long time in a lot do a fifth wheel. Long time on the road do a DP......simple.

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by tmandoug1

Long time in a lot do a fifth wheel. Long time on the road do a DP......simple.

Not necessarily! We've done months in our DP with no issues. What's the difference?

[Camp CA]

So what did the OP decide to purchase and why?

[jacwjames]

Originally Posted by Robatnordic

Ok- took all the advice into consideration. The wife and I followed a list of pros and cons that somebody posted about DP versus fifth wheel, 33 questions. And the fifth wheel won by a landslide. We took a quick trip to a local dealer to look at some options that we saw while doing research. We are seriously considering the Alliance Paradigm 390MP. Office space ✅ light and bright ✅ Morryde ✅ pvc roof (I know how to weld pvc roofing) ✅

Now we have to figure out the truck….. I’ll be selling a low mileage 2007 tundra soon.

Wow, that didn't take long! Doing a pro's/con's side by side comparison takes the emotion out of the decision.



I think you made the right decision for your circumstances. A DP is made to drive, sitting for extended periods doesn't help it and you will spend a lot of money to maintain it, especially if you are not able to do your own maintenance.



The only other advice that I'd give is to consider looking at used units. I think it will become a buyers market really fast and you could get into a used for a whole lot less then a new one.



Good Luck

[MtCamper]

Congrats on your early retirement. All the money in the world can't buy time. We've had both DP and 5er. We like both and would be happy with either. We do not full time, we travel fairly often anywhere between a couple of days and a several weeks. We ended up with a 5er because it works for us and is less costly to repair and maintain. Depending on where we are going, we will tow our Jeep behind the trailer. We really like the Jeep as a driver and as a toy. It opened up an entire new hobby for us with it's off road capability. Far better than the Subaru we had. One big advantage if a 5er is you can change either the living area or the power plant. You don't need to change both at the same time and usually with much less depreciation. You sound as if you are new to the RV life. Trust me, you will want to be changing rigs before too long. The perfect rig for you does not exist. Your needs and wants will change as you age. Try to get into a rig with the idea you want to preserve as much capital as possible when you get out. That's why I always recommend used units for beginners. BTW, don't allow the dealer to tell you what you can tow with, etc. Do your own research or return to this site with questions. That trailer is dually territory.

[Robatnordic]

Well- we spent the last 3 days going down the rabbit hole. Walked through a bunch of Alliance and Grand Designs units. We walked through a new GD Solitude 380fl and boom! That was it. I crawled all though the belly to see all the mechanical connections. The dealer was bored. First bodies he’d seen all day. The huge basement storage, suspension and other features were all there. There is a dinette space across from the kitchen that will work great for my desk setup. We are now starting the process to get our house sold. Thankfully we have a great friend with a couple of vacation homes we can stay in while we find a used rig and truck.

[twogypsies]

You might want to read some reviews so you'll know what to look out for in the future. Here's one site:

https://grand-design-rv.pissedconsum...w.html#reviews

[MtCamper]

You are narrowing your decisions. Glad you are thinking used. It's fairly easy to find good used RVs and prices are falling rapidly now that dealer inventories are up. No so much with trucks. For example we went to a new truck in September. I had to order the truck in May. Sold the dealer a perfect 2018 3500 Duramax for 8 grand more than I paid for it and he sold it to someone for an additional $5000. You may find it better to order a new truck and wait for delivery. Just more to consider. Also there are problems with all units. Just expect that but it sounds like you are handy. The happiest owners we encounter are the ones who do their own maintenance and mods. Best wishes.

[FLJOE]

Originally Posted by Winemaker2

I hear the cost argument for a 5er but have to question (no 1st hand experience to offer) whether driving a HD maybe diesel? Tow vehicle (lower MPG EVERYVDAY) as a daily driver is any / significantly different lower cost than the MH (occasional move at lower MPG) and a more economical and pleasant daily driver.
I havebto believe a HDbtow vehicle pulling a high square front 5th wheel can't be very good MPG... so where is the savings?
I think the OP knows their priorities and likely already has a first choice... just Checking to see if he missed anything.

Don, my 4369 Newmar averaged 6.6mpg over the 3+ years I had it. One of my F350's got 13mpg towing a fiver and my current F350 averages almost 12mpg towing our heavy 44' fiver.

So my point was if you are actually a full timer that travels a lot of miles then a 40 to 50% savings in fuel can be realized with a fiver vs. a large DP. Of course one could argue you will spend all that savings using the diesel 1-ton for your daily driver. We have always relied on using our Harley more on a daily basis so we could be an exception to some.

[Winemaker2]

Originally Posted by FLJOE

Don, my 4369 Newmar averaged 6.6mpg over the 3+ years I had it. One of my F350's got 13mpg towing a fiver and my current F350 averages almost 12mpg towing our heavy 44' fiver.



So my point was if you are actually a full timer that travels a lot of miles then a 40 to 50% savings in fuel can be realized with a fiver vs. a large DP. Of course one could argue you will spend all that savings using the diesel 1-ton for your daily driver. We have always relied on using our Harley more on a daily basis so we could be an exception to some.

You have a data set that I didn't and agree in your case the rig travel component seems convincing. The daily driver component will likely be just the opposite. So the bottoming will depend on whether you drive the rig more miles than your daily driver and that's where I tend to lean (SWAG) that in MOST cases owners would put more miles in local trips vs OTR moving rigs from place to place.
We were the opposite when getting started and still working... lots of hopping from place to place but we have transitioned to staying longer in a place before moving on.

The good point in all this...
no matter which anyone chooses they get out there and enjoy themselves!
And
Everyone's situation is unique to them. Reading opinions and applying them to THEIR situations let's them decide what's best for THEM!

[twogypsies]

Originally Posted by Winemaker2

Y The daily driver component will likely be just the opposite. So the bottoming will depend on whether you drive the rig more miles than your daily driver and that's where I tend to lean (SWAG) that in MOST cases owners would put more miles in local trips vs OTR moving rigs from place to place.

I agree.... as a constantly traveling full-timer we put a LOT more miles on our daily driver than the motorhome.

[RS ODonnell]

We started in a Class C almost 5 years ago and upgraded to a 5th wheel two years in. The biggest problem we failed to consider with full timing in a motorhome is the loss of your house when it goes into the shop. No such issue with a 5th wheel. They’re also easier to heat and cool without all the glass in the cab.

We have an F350 diesel dually as a tow vehicle. We get about 10 mpg towing our 35’ Montana and 15 not. The size of the truck quickly goes away the more you drive it. Another consideration is critters. I had to remove several rodent nests built with my own under hood insulation material in the motorhome. The truck doesn’t sit long enough for animals to get cozy under the hood. We are thoroughly pleased with our current configuration.

[Robatnordic]

“ The biggest problem we failed to consider with full timing in a motorhome is the loss of your house when it goes into the shop. ”

This was a big factor. With my background in MEP trades, this is a no brainer. A few years ago, I had to pull the furnace completely out of our travel trailer while on the road and do repairs. We got by with oil filled space heaters until the part came in. A transmission/head gasket/injection system etc. in a DP would put us in a hotel. Uggh. The DW used to drive a Blue Bird bus in Breckenridge, so she can handle the drw. We are now zeroing in on what location we want to do the first few months of shakedown. Shooting for April/May. We have family in Durango and north county San Diego. I need to have access to an airport for occasional work trips. Both locations have that. Now working on my redundant connectivity plan. I am a tech support engineer and vpn / remote desk all day while receiving calls. Going down the MIRC rabbit hole. Also mapping out parks with cable.

[pasdad1]

Originally Posted by Robatnordic

“ The biggest problem we failed to consider with full timing in a motorhome is the loss of your house when it goes into the shop. ”

However, the upside is with a motorhome towing a toad, you will always have a vehicle to drive. When the pickup truck breaks down or goes into service, you are left without a vehicle to drive.

There are quite a few freightliner “oasis” shops which provide power/water for you to stay in your motorhome while some service is performed. Obviously there are some
major repairs which would be an exception.