Considering an HDT

[Kenny Heaton]

My family and I have been full timing and traveling around the country for almost 10 months in a fifth wheel pulled by an F-350. There are six of us and we are quite snug in the crew cab. We are considering upgrading to an HDT/Toterhome which we think would give us more space and convince on the road as well the ability to pull a heavier fifth wheel/toy hauler. I wanted to verify some of my assumptions to see if it will really work for us.

Some of the convinces we are looking for are things similar to what you'd find in a class A or C like more leg room, small fridge and running water and we'd really like to have a small bathroom. I'm seen such things in larger toter homes but not in standard HDTs. The other catch is we still really like having a fifth wheel and being able to unhook and and drive the truck into town. So I guess my first question in, are there HDT's that will fit a family of six down the road which can have a small kitchenette and bathroom (with a closing door) but still be small enough to use as a daily driver. Our current truck is 22' so we are used to driving something bigger but my wife doesn't really want to try to take something 30+ feet to Target or to a restraint. (My wife is the primary driver and she does like big trucks).

The other thing we are thinking of doing is putting a lot of our storage on the deck. Keeping in mind we want to be on the shorter end (as far as HDTs go) how much room realistically do you have back there before it interferes with the fifth wheel?

Third question is related to hitch placement. I've see a log of Hitches on HDTs place behind the rear axel. I was lead to believe the big advantages of a fifth wheel were that the hitch and pin where directly above the rear axel and this provides better towing and prevents sway. How does this work or change things having the hitch further back?

Thanks for taking the time and helping us decide what's best for us.

Kenny

[jeffw]

There are small toterhomes (12-14' living space) that might fit the bill.

They are called 'sport decks'. Check out http://www.renegaderv.com/products/sportdeck/floorplans

for examples.

[jeffw]

The other option would be what's being discussed in another thread (the class 8 expeditor truck thread).

http://www.shelbyelliott.com/view-inventory/

[JPL]

Kenny   Welcome to the HDT world even if you don't have one yet! I believe like Jeff said you might be looking at Toterhomes in order to have everything you are looking for. Are the other 4 all children or are there any pets? You might look in the Truck paper for a unit that has been used for a nation wide moving van. They sometimes can be had with a box over a 100" somewhat like you described. They could have everything that you are looking for but the wheelbase won"t be short. We are in Va so if you get over

this way give us a shout. God Bless and be safe!    Pat

 

 

The Old Sailor 

 

 

 

[Jack Mayer]

Welcome to the forum, Kenny.   Here is a video I did on weights and balances that will help to answer your hitch question. On the bath idea, it is going to take up quite a bit of space, along with the seating. So "short" is relative. It certainly will not fit into a 22' short singled truck. It "may" fit into a 30' truck if you are not carrying deck cargo and extend the cab. You could certainly do something in 30'. But it will be pretty custom and will be priced accordingly unless you build it all yourself. You can find Toterhomes that will do what you want, but even they will need modification for proper seating. And they will be over 30', typically.

 

[Star Dreamer]

Kenny, 

Fitting six people in a HDT can be done but will be tight. 4girls&Aman are a family of six so you may want to try contacting them for some information. We can fit 4 small people across the back in the sleeper and can be fairly comfortable but stops will be needed to get out and stretch. You will see refrigerators in some HDTs but not usually working bathrooms unless you go with a Toterhome style. We carry a porta potty but in 5 years it has never been used as we find we still need to stop and stretch our legs and get a bite to eat, even if it just a walk to the trailer and have lunch in there. Most full timers we have heard only travel a few hundred miles in a day so is the facilities really needed in the tow vehicle?

Trying to keep the truck short but then wanting bathrooms and storage areas are somewhat contradictory, but may be possible depending on how big a bathroom you need and how much storage you need!

Check the FAQ post for other answers to questions you might have and try to get to a Rally to see the trucks and different arrangements in person.

Dave

[ctsedlak]

Welcome to the forum Kenny.

We are also a full-time family of 6, that started with an F350. It didn't take much convincing that an HDT is the way to go, especially when we broke the engine on the F350. Our HDT is a 2004 Volvo VNL 630 that is still tandem. In regards to length, I wouldn't consider our truck long, but compared to our 23' F350, the Volvo is about 30'. Our original plan was to use it as a daily driver, but having purchased a separate daily driver car, I'm glad that the Volvo is not something we have to mill about towns with. It's just too big in my opinion. My wife drives separately behind the rig.

I recently removed the bunks and installed a 4-person Sprinter van seat in the back. I will eventually be installing a college fridge back in there and an entertainment wall for the kids. I doubt there would be much more room in the back for anything more.

What part of the country are you in now? Maybe we can plan to cross paths and talk more.

Chris

[Kenny Heaton]

Thank you everyone for your replies and information. Sounds like having a vehicle with the room we want would end up being too big for a daily driver. My wife and I will have to talk about if we want two vehicles or not, or if sticking to simple and short is the better option for us. Having a smart car on the back isn't an option until the kids are out of the "house".

I know some people do use their HDTs are daily drivers. Is this less common? How big of a truck are people comfortable with driving around town? Other than parking our current truck doesn't seem that big and my amazing wife is able to fit it in some really tight spaces.

Jack, thanks for you video, very informative. I think half of what I know about HDT's I got from videos of yours or Greggs so thank you for taking the time to share your knowledge. I hadn't seen that particular video yet and it cleared up my questions about hitch placement.

Chris, It's nice to hear someone else is in the same place we are. Trying to find parking for something 30' seems stressful. I understand why you got a separate car. I'd love to see pictures of your setup.We are currently in California headed to Washington State where we will be till August.

 

Kenny

[ctsedlak]

Occasionally I'll take the truck to Home Depot just to get it out and run it. While it will fit into two parking spaces, it is really snug. So technically it fits in 4. Think about taking that through a small town and looking for a space is just too much to think about. 

You guys are on the other side of the country right now. We're on the East coast currently. 

Here's a photo of our rig. (hopefully I did this correctly)

Click For Full-Size Image.

[ctsedlak]

Oh, as for space, as you can see in the photo, just behind the cab are toolboxes that are 4' long and there's another set on the other side. That is a golf cart in the middle, because, like you said, a Smart car would do nothing for 6 people. But we all fit on the cart!

[Jack Mayer]

Kenny, as you may know, Danielle and I used a Volvo 610 for three years as a daily driver. We had no other vehicle. It worked fine for us. It could easily be set up with appropriate seating in the back and would not be much longer than a crew cab dually. Our's was singled short to a 182" wheelbase - 6" longer than our F550 that it replaced. It could carry a motorcycle but not a car. Lots of storage.

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

We use a '98 Volvo 610 as our daily driver as well.  We are singled short at 182, with a small but usable hauler bed with storage.  The bunk area could be configured to carry 4 seated face forward with issue.  If a 730-780 was used those cabs are wider.   

We don't park up front anywhere...... If there is a pull thru spot up front at Walmart, we can fit easily within the lines, but usually get dirty looks for it.  

[Av8r3400]

Kenny, I'm an admitted nooby to the HDT crowd, so this is a rookie's perspective, but IMO, I think you would be better off with a motorhome and a toad than a HDT and a 5er.  Your needs to be able to seat 6 and have a toilet is going to be very difficult (read expensive) in an HDT.  Then, using this large vehicle as a daily driver will be a challenge.

[RickW]

13 hours ago, Kenny Heaton said:

I know some people do use their HDTs are daily drivers. Is this less common? How big of a truck are people comfortable with driving around town? Other than parking our current truck doesn't seem that big and my amazing wife is able to fit it in some really tight spaces.

Most do carry or follow along with another vehicle (car or motorcycle).  As you can tell others do use the HDT as their daily driver with out any real issues.  The main reason for having another mode of transportation is mainly convenience.  I have seen many who started out using the HDT as their daily driver and then ultimately start a vehicle.  I know for some it was just taking time to decide what would be the best for them and their lifestyle.  In the end, I think the convenience of having a vehicle for daily use vs the HDT is what drove their decision to carry a daily driver.

In our case, we carried a Jeep.  The decision to haul a Jeep was driven by our lifestyle and the activities we pursue.  While it was extremely rare to move or use the HDT once arriving at our destination, we did have the luxury of having two vehicles, so we could split up if needed for running errands and such.

[jkennell]

We have a HDT set up to seat 8--in a fairly small older Volvo.  Our family of 7 took several trips in this...its FAR better than a dually crew cab.    As far as the potty, totally get the thought, but typically found it preferable to stop regularly and let the kids out to run around a bit.   Space wise, its just nicer to have more room in the cab--a small table gave them a place to set all their stuff.

Daily driver is doable...although we found a few places we could not go because of the 13' high sleeper.  Particularly out East coast.  Height was always more of a problem than length.  If you can park the dually, you can park the HDT.  I haven't had time for a vacation in the last couple years, so its been sitting in the shed.  Sigh.

The option a lot overlook is just rent a car when you get to a place you want to run around in for a while.

[Jack Mayer]

10 hours ago, Av8r3400 said:

Kenny, I'm an admitted nooby to the HDT crowd, so this is a rookie's perspective, but IMO, I think you would be better off with a motorhome and a toad than a HDT and a 5er.  Your needs to be able to seat 6 and have a toilet is going to be very difficult (read expensive) in an HDT.  Then, using this large vehicle as a daily driver will be a challenge.

I also agree with this. The MH will better match the needs to its capabilities.

[4Girls&aMan]

just a couple of thoughts - 

1. We did and do use our HDT (~28') as a daily driver and vacation camper.  There have been few places we could not go in the lower 48 states.  This year we took the HDT to a TN state park and spent the weekend.  Microwave, fridge and generator make this a viable thing to do.  It was easier when the kids were smaller but it still works just fine.

 

2. Moving up from a F-450 to the HDT was wonderful!  My longest run with the family so far has been about 800 miles in a day.  I don't think that will get repeated often, but it is very possible in a pinch.  Such a trip could not have happened with a pick-up of any description.  We use the marine toilet - although, as the kids have gotten bigger we have had to rig a curtain around the potty for use in transit.  I really try to keep my stops down to fuel alone as time is a precious commodity at present.  The curtain works and keeps me from having to stop, but some time in the future I'd like to have a COE with a real wet-bath and still be about the same length I currently am.

3. My fifth wheel house at 44.5' is much nicer than any motorhome I have seen for 6 people to full-time  in.  Powerhouse coach, show hauler or transport designs might be able to get you close but it would be a huge RV.  That being said, we currently have neighbors full timing with 6 kids and a big german shepherd in a 31 foot travel trailer.  There are a lot a ways to make it work - 

[beyerjf]

As an over the road driver who delivers semi trailers, I spend about 25% of my time bobtailing, as do all the guys in our fleet who have tractors with wheelbases from short (mine 168") to LONG (300" +)  All of us just make adjustments when we stop at businesses or locations where we want to play tourist or shop. Either park where the motorcoaches do(Disney World) or in the far reaches of the parking lot. You need the exercise, and the kids definitely need to blow off some pent up energy. Race ya to the door dad....

[Kenny Heaton]

Thanks @4Girls&aMan and @beyerjf that gives me more confidence. I have looked and haven't found a motorhome that I feel fit our family well. We really like having a fifth wheel. And we also don't want to drive or maintain multiple vehicles. I've been paying attention lately and most of the places we've gone I see class C's and some class A's finding places to park so you could easily park an HDT.

Our desire for a in rig bathroom is just what you said, we don't want to stop more than we have to. In our case we have two little ones that predictably be asleep when someone needs to go to the bathroom and if we stop they wake up.

Thanks again everyone

[HomeAutom8r]

If you have the opportunity to make it to one of the HDT rallies, that will be a great benefit to you.  It will give you the opportunity to look at many different rigs and how many folks have tweaked them to their needs.

East Coast Rally - Crossville, Tennessee - http://eastcoasthdtrally.com/

National Rally - Hutchinson, Kansas - http://www.hdtrally.com/

West Coast Rally

Steven

[rdickinson]

http://www.cowboycadillac.com/doonanpeterbilt.htm

There are other trucks than Volvos. An extended cab could take 7 or 8.  I've forgotten the site for used units but it will come back to me.

[Nigel]

Roger 

Was is https://horsetrailerworld.com/home/searchtrucks.asp ?

Nigel

[rdickinson]

11 hours ago, Nigel said:

Roger 

Was is https://horsetrailerworld.com/home/searchtrucks.asp ?

Nigel

That's the one, Search by make.  335 is the smaller engine, 387 or whatever they come now, is the bigger motor.  With a mob like that, carrying a Smart wouldn't work.  So not sure what you'd use for a get around vehicle.

They do have nice interiors.

 

Thanks Nigel

[SuperHauler2000]

Not taking anything from the wife driving and considering length you'll maybe comfortable with a M2 from Freighliner a MDT, you have  similar power but more comfortable accommodations and better visibility for backing and turning.