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fifth vs. mh


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Looks nice Jack....but the engine has spark plugs?

 

 

Ken

Yup. Gonna go gas. For what we are doing it should suffice. While I'd love to build a small custom diesel based Mh in the under 30' range, it is not practical to do for how we will use this coach. I may regret that decision, though.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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Yup. Gonna go gas.

Wow ~ Jack getting one that burns gasoline....... :P Welcome to the primitive side of life! :D

 

Don't tell anyone, but if we could afford it we would get one of those small coaches built on the oil burning Sprinter chassis that is what I want but if we did that we'd not be able to afford things like our upcoming trip to Australia so................... ;) Sigh....

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Wow ~ Jack getting one that burns gasoline....... :P Welcome to the primitive side of life! :D

 

Don't tell anyone, but if we could afford it we would get one of those small coaches built on the oil burning Sprinter chassis that is what I want but if we did that we'd not be able to afford things like our upcoming trip to Australia so................... ;) Sigh....

Kirk, I'd buy a Sprinter in a minute if they had one that had the space utilization of the 27N we are going to buy. We have a good friend with a View 24 and I have driven it a fair amount. It is a VERY nice coach, but she is single and it is "stressed" with two people. IMO. Of course at the weight of the 27N a Sprinter would not be a good choice. So it is the gas V10....and it should handle it readily since it is on the light side for what those drive trains support. Everything is a tradeoff, and those are the ones we are making.... SO when I'm getting 7 mpg while the Sprinter View 24 is getting 15mpg I'll be crying....but I'll be comfortable. :)

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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There was a convoy of four Sprinters headed south that we met at Xpu Ha (near Tulum) two years ago. They were all expert white water kayakers from US NW and BC and were headed to Chile. It took them over a year and planned to white water kayak in all the countries on the way down" Guatemala, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. We followed their blog for a year. They had a great time and probably shipped their rigs back to US. Our group of Grey Nomads was mentioned nicely in their blog.

 

They had extensively modified their Sprinters. One had been a world class extreme skier until he broke his back on a 100' jump. He recovered and though still paralyzed from waist down had become a world class extreme white water kayaker. He had to set up his Sprinter for wheel chair (large tires) and his manner of life.

Reed and Elaine

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.... SO when I'm getting 7 mpg while the Sprinter View 24 is getting 15mpg I'll be crying....but I'll be comfortable.

That is just the price that you must pay for being taller than I. We physically smaller people have a few advantages! :P

 

Actually, we have looked at that Vista and consider it a pretty nice coach.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Nice choice Jack. The CCC is quite generous, much nicer than any Sprinter C (we had a Gulf Stream Mini Vista). Please do post on the ride. I'm interested if they have damped the sway or if you can still use a the top cupboard as a catapult.

First thing going on is a rear sway bar and a Steer-safe type steering damper. Then I'll let you know. I don't expect it to have F1-type handling, though.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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  • 2 weeks later...

Weighing in a tad late here, but if you are going to buy a New MH or 5er you might want to take a hard look at a 5er - for all the positive things that have previously been said about them.

 

As for the negative things - these are not so much the case any more. The feature set on a modern 5th wheel compare favorably with a MH (and you don't have to buy a Mobile Suites to get them ;)

 

We will be going FT in a Forest River Cardinal 3450RL. Not only does it have a ton of storage (literally! CCC is 2233 lbs :) ) but with the auto level system you have the "Camp" button much vaunted by the MH crowd! Push a button and the unit raises to the correct unhitch height; unhitch & drive away. Push another button and it autolevels in less than a minute (hydraulic system). Push another button and the slides come out.

 

MH beats us in one area: we do not have the cool extending/retracting steps (Yet! A friend at Lippert says they are working on a aftermarket electric step!)

 

With the included backup cameras backing the unit is as easy as a bus (to me at least; maybe for others a afternoon in a empty parking lot with some traffic cones is all you need). However, like others have said pull-thrus are becoming the norm in big rig parks.

 

One of the key factors that swayed us to a 5er over a MH was staying cool. We plan on driving through some pretty arid and warm states and the idea of having to fire up the generator to run the A/Cs did not appeal to us. Besides, with our furbabies, it's easier to keep them cool in the crate in the back seat

 

RE: The comment about being able to pull over in a rest area and have lunch/bathroom breaks. We plan on doing the same thing (We are opting for a 5.5KW Onan, so we can fire it up over lunch and eat in a cool environment. With the unit buttoned up, it takes about 5 min for the unit to cool down in 100º heat (we are having a Linux roof put on which increases the reflectivity and keeps the interior about 20º cooler).

 

Access to facilities, refer and so forth in a 5th wheel (and some MHs) is floor plan dependent. In our case the floor plan is such that we can get to the restroom, open the refer, access the convection microwave, sit at the table (you have to pop the slide a tad to get to both sides of the table) and even crawl on the bed for a snooze <G

 

So, this is the view from our foxhole - hope the commentary has helped!

Bob & Anne-Marie Williams

| 2017 Berkshire XLT 43A with Ultrasteer Tag | Blue Ox Avail + KarGard II |
| SMI AF-1 Air Brake | 2016 Jeep Cherokee Overland TOAD | Pedego bikes |

| Nights Camped: 2013 - 242014 - 422015 - 56Jul 2016 - Fulltime |

 

event.png



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  • 4 weeks later...

I have read these four pages of the pros and cons of a MH or a 5th wheel. As far as hooking or unhooking I have a 35 ft Winnebago now (gas) with a banks exhaust system. Unhooking my toad is easy for me or my wife to do. I do feel trucks a little passing and I don't have he power of a diesel but some of my major concerns of a 5th wheel were not even addressed in any of these comments. 1. If you boondock in a 5th wheel how do you recharge your batteries unless you upgrade and buy a generator? And if you do doesn't that take up a lot of what would be storage space? We are looking at a Journey DP which has a battery bank capable of providing a/c for a residential fridge and when the batteries start to get low the genny will kick in automatically to recharge them. We have had three coaches so far and in the many campgrounds we have stayed in have watched many 5th wheels set up and take down. It always takes them much longer to set up then we do. And if you walk around a camp you see much more blocks on 5th wheels than motorhomes. I also have heat pumps so that I can use electric to heat my coach instead of using propane and I have found many 5th wheels do not have this option. We are going to upgrade and I hope this is for the final time to a DP Journey or possible a Montana 5th wheel and truck which would be a lot cheaper. Can anyone answer my questions about the battery bank and the heating ability?

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I have no experience boondocking as that's not our way of RVing. We do have several boondocking fifth wheel friends and they either carry an onboard Onan generator in the front storage bay (under the overhang), or a pair of 2000 watt generators (they are much lighter and smaller than a single 3000 watt generator), or they have solar cells on their roofs to recharge their battery bank.

Our two rooftop A/C units have heat pumps we use in the winter. We also have a Quadra Big Foot auto leveling system but we do put down wood under the pads if we are parked on grass or soft earth. We have never needed to place wood under a tire. Greg

Greg & Judy Bahnmiller
Class of 2007
2014 F350
2007 HitchHiker Champagne

Both sold 2/19, settled in Foley, AL after 12 years on the road

http://bahnmilleradventure.blogspot.com/

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Your final comment was it is a lot cheaper for a fifth vs a mh. There it is. We have always been 5th wheel people. Our last 5th wheel(5 years ago, 36') cost $45K, a new truck cost $45k, total is $90k invested add another $2k-$3K to fine tune the 5th to your liking and you are done.

 

An MH, entry levelish is at least $140K(actually smaller than our 5th), add buying a toad $35K, fine tuning(base plate,braking for toad) $2K, Total-$177K+.

 

For most people $87K is a lot of money.

 

We have found that a 5th has more options available than the MH, installed by mfg. Our 5th had deeper slides and a lot more internal storage and a lot larger tanks. We travel about 6 months of the year and always had half the cabinets empty. Never had to worry about what we were taking with us. With the Mh we are concerned about having enough space and storage for all that we would like to carry.

 

Each person has to make a decision regarding the life style they want, the $$$ they have and how they will spend them.

 

It is just like campgrounds. We tend to look for inexpensive to free places to park. We have friends who only want to stay at "resorts", even if for one night. For a short stay we only plug in electricity, they do electricity, sewer, water(even for 1 night and dump each morning).

 

To each his own.....................

 

 

 

.

 

Setting up took us about 10 minutes, even when we had to put boards down(rarely). We had an efficient routine: DW hopped out of truck, checked level, if needed board would put out a board, backed up onto it. Done. She went inside,

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Well we are trailer trash (fiver). Have 4-6 volt golf cart batteries and 380 watts of solar. We back that up with an Onan Marquis Gold 7000. As far as storage being used by above mentioned equipment we still have more storage than we really need. As an avid watcher of motorhomers and fivers arriving to park, some know what they are doing and some don't. As Jack Mayer has said, start to finish we are hand and hand time wise with a MH. One thing I always see mentioned is how easy a toad is to unhook and re-hook. Watching for years, most motorhomers go to great lengths not to unhook. And if they do more times then not the toad is in the way of parking the MH and granny usually has the job of moving the toad to make room. I have been baffled so many times by this maneuver I just now scratch my head. What ever you chose, make sure it works for you!

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I have read these four pages of the pros and cons of a MH or a 5th wheel. As far as hooking or unhooking I have a 35 ft Winnebago now (gas) with a banks exhaust system. Unhooking my toad is easy for me or my wife to do. ne and I have found many 5th wheels do not have this option. We are going to upgrade and I hope this is for the final time to a DP Journey or possible a Montana 5th wheel and truck which would be a lot cheaper. Can anyone answer my questions about the battery bank and the heating ability?

First of all, since you are a long time Escapee but new to the forums, we are happy to have you join us here! We do try to assist and support everyone to the best of our ability so join in with any subject or thread.

 

We were fulltimers in a gas chassis motorhome for nearly 12 years and loved the experience. I believe that the preference for motorhome or fifth wheel is more a matter of personal choice than it is of any particular feature of one over the other. If you examine the many threads on this debate over a long period you will soon see that most of us tend to buy the one we like best and then search for reasons that our choice is better than the other type of RV. Reality is that any type of RV will work best for someone and any type will also be unsatisfactory for someone else. Pick what fits you and just enjoy life.

 

Can anyone answer my questions about the battery bank and the heating ability?

There is very little if anything which can be found on one type of RV which is not available in others. Fifth wheel trailers can be purchased with builtin generator sets or a portable one can be use, just as is true for motorhomes. They are more common in motorhomes because of the available fuel tank that can be shared, but if you order new you can get one as long as you are willing to pay the cost and as long as you pick one that has the physical capability of carrying the weight and fuel tank capacity. Fivers do come with heat-pumps just as most RVs do.

 

Part of your dilemma is that you are comparing a Montana to motorhome that is in a significantly higher cost/quality range. You would see the same sort of differences of availability if you were compare the Journey to one of the lower priced motorhomes that are in the same cost/quality range. You may want to consider a fifth wheel by someone like New Horizon, DRV, or Heartland if you want the amenities you find inn the Journey.

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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RV

 

Those photos of a small Casita like RV you had a few pages back brought back thoughts of two older couples we have met over the years. We are 75 this week and those couples were 80 and 85 and still on the road for weeks at a time in Casita like trailers. One couple had convoyed down to Panama and back in their Casita. They figured they would not do that again being over 80 but planned to make it up to Alaska at least one more time.They noted that one couple on their Panama and back convoy did not have a spare tire for their trailer. You can get good tires (Michellins in big cities) anywhere for your truck but tires for small trailers are often not found in Latin America. We met a Fench couple in Yucatan that had to have tires shipped in from Quebec for their European built Class B.

 

Big expedition level vehicles were mentioned a few pages back as well. We ran into the same Dutch couple three times in Yucatan driving their 5-ton MAN expedition level. They were on their way back from two years from Canada to Chile and back. They had spent three years from Europe to Vietnam and back in a 10-ton MAN and then two years around Africa. They were shipping home to Nederlands for a year and then off to Australia for a couple of years. The vehicle had 2" thick polycarbonate-glass windows to prevent break-ins/road damage etc. 2" thick is proof against most firearms as well. They refused to ever stay at an RV park and just pulled off to the side of o the road. They had problems a few times with hoodlums but just turned on engine and drove off, one time right through/over the vehicle that was supposed to block them. This is several levels of adventure beyond what we would ever have chosen to do.

 

Reed and Elaine

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As Kirk mentioned, and as I mentioned some pages back in this thread - a 5er can be set up EXACTLY like a MH. And I mean EXACTLY. There is not a single amenitiy or piece of infrastructure available on a MH that I cannot put on my 5er. Including auto levelers; Aqua hot; diesel, gas or LP genset with auto genstart; heated floors, fireplace; whole RV automation; heat pumps; automated shades; solar; large battery bank (I have 1200 Ah); storage trays that are powered; automated satellite system; large TVs; bath and a half; separate office; sewing room; etc. I challenge someone to tell me somthing of substance that you can do in a MH that cannot be done in a 5er. I can't think of anything.

 

We have owned both and are currently in the process of buying a small MH (28'). We currently own a custom 45' 5er. It has EXACTLY what we want in it. As Kirk said, it boils down to personal preference. But here are some things that a 5er can give you that "most" MHs do not.

  • larger and more windows.
  • higher ceilings - we have 8' at the back and 9' at the entry - the roof tapers back.
  • More interior storage is typical. Because of the higher ceilings and larger slides.
  • MUCH larger (deeper) slides makes for more living space when parked.
  • More usable length when parked since the cockpit area is only marginally useful in a MH.
  • Better protection for passengers with a 5er if in an accident. The trucks have far more safety equipment and do not have the interior flying around in a severe accident, like a MH does.
  • More value for the dollar spent if you are careful to compare comparable units. And I include the tow vehicle in that assessment.

Here are some things that a MH gives you that a 5er does not

  • a Diesel pusher gives you a better ride and a quieter experience than even my setup. I pull with a custom semi truck which rides far better than any other tow vehicle and is quiet. But it does not equal a DP. Close, though.
  • Typically better access to "what you need" while travelling. However, my semi has a fridge, microwave, dinette, etc. so that negates everything but the bathroom. In either case you SHOULD STOP before moving around.
  • A small toad for sight seeing. The way we resolve this is to carry a smartcar on the back of our truck. But realistically, that option is not available to everyone.

On edit: By the way, if you want to see what is in our custom 45' 5er the details are HERE. The 5er AND our custom truck can be bought for $299K (although I have not advertised it yet). Compare that to a high end motorhome - it compares better than a 600K motorcoach.

Jack & Danielle Mayer #60376 Lifetime Member
Living on the road since 2000

PLEASE no PM's. Email me. jackdanmayer AT gmail
2016 DRV Houston 44' 5er (we still have it)
2022 New Horizons 43' 5er
2016 Itasca 27N 28' motorhome 
2019 Volvo 860, D13 455/1850, 236" wb, I-Shift, battery-based APU
No truck at the moment - we use one of our demo units
2016 smart Passion, piggyback on the truck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
See our website for info on New Horizons 5th wheels, HDTs as tow vehicles, communications on the road, and use of solar power
www.jackdanmayer.com
Principal in RVH Lifestyles. RVH-Lifestyles.com

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This subject can be debated until the end of time and there is no right answer. This is why I strongly suggest buying a first RV as used. The depreciation will be a killer if it is sold early and you will not be happy.

 

The best thing to do is find a 5er and a motorhome that you think you like. Tell the salesman to get lost and spend a couple of hours and feel like you have moved into the RV. Go through a daily routine of getting up, using the bathroom, making breakfast, other meals and getting ready for bed. See where you will put clothes, linens, silverware, pots, pans, and very importantly...food. Is the bathroom and kitchen large enough to actually use, is there storage for summer and winter clothes, is there basement storage for all of the other things you will need...fishing gear, BBQ grill, golf clubs?

 

If you spend some time 'Playing house", you can see what works and what does not work and hopefully get some insight into what will fit.

 

Ken

Amateur radio operator, 2023 Cougar 22MLS, 2022 F150 Lariat 4x4 Off Road, Sport trim <br />Travel with 1 miniature schnauzer, 1 standard schnauzer and one African Gray parrot

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Ken as an excellent suggestion. That's exactly what we did, picked out a MH and 5W and spent time in each comparing them as if we were living in it. That really helped us decide which was best for us. Greg

Greg & Judy Bahnmiller
Class of 2007
2014 F350
2007 HitchHiker Champagne

Both sold 2/19, settled in Foley, AL after 12 years on the road

http://bahnmilleradventure.blogspot.com/

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I am in agreement with living capacity versus mobility. We have lived in MH and 5th wheels.

Roaring into Walmart at 10:00 pm, hitting auto level, letting momma out to shop and going to bed to begin at 0500 the next morning makes a motorhome worth every penny.

Sitting in a location for 3 months with all three slides deployed, room every where, I'm in my house, really promotes 5th wheel living.

 

Sitting is terrible for the chassis on a motorhome. Tires die whether you travel or sit. 4 LRG, 16" tires for a fifth wheel are more palatable, than 10 of 275-75R22.5 truck tires.

 

Large 5th wheels require large vehicles to pull. Opinion: Any 5th wheel over 16,000# should have at least a F450 as a tow vehicle. F350 are tough and claim up to 30,000# tow capacity. In an emergency, they are not adequate. I use an HDT, 2006 Volvo T780. Full control, nice ride, good for momma and grandkids to rest, fix snacks, watch TV, see the road. (Shades of motorhome.)

 

https://picasaweb.google.com/116257422250833348502/HuntRVTravelPackage?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ7W0K6BmoyaBQ&feat=directlink

 

Here's what we use for now.

 

I answered nothing. Just my opinion. Whatever you do ... Travel.

TravelFit

hunt.reese@yahoo.com

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Disclaimer: I've never owned either a motorhome or a fiver, so I really don't know what I'm talking about. B)

 

But I have been looking for a couple of years, going back and forth between a motorhome and a fiver, and will be pulling the trigger relatively soon. I'm still undecided.

 

But one think I have noticed that I haven't seen mentioned here (unless I missed it). If you choose a motorhome but don't like the basic motorhome floorplan - front to back, sitting area, dining and food prep area, bathroom, bedroom - you're pretty much out of luck. Every motorhome has the same basic layout, with minor variations.

 

In a fiver, on the other hand, you have a lot more flexibility. The most common layout is bedroom, bath, kitchen and food prep, sitting area, but there are many models that do it differently. Want the kitchen in the back, or in front over the basement? Can be done. Want the main bathroom all the way forward? Ditto. Want the living area in front and bedroom in the rear? No problem, lots of models available. Want a huge big screen TV across the back? Of course.

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Earlvillestu: There are motorhomes that have a front kitchen, mid-living area and a walk-in huge closet/full bath across the rear with another 1/2 bath off the living area. The huge big screen TV can be placed within the living area easily. It's all what you want to pay and what size you get.

 

Newmar will custom design your motorhome interior as long as it doesn't involve structural changes. We customed over 100 items on ours.

 

Hope you find the RV for YOU! :) They come in all kinds.

Full-timed for 16 Years
Traveled 8 yr in a 2004 Newmar Dutch Star 40' Motorhome
and 8 yr in a 33' Travel Supreme 5th Wheel

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Can you buy one with the bedroom in the front and the kitchen in the rear? Or the bath in front and the bedroom right behind it?

 

And I'm looking at used units, not custom built new ones. So I'm limited to what's generally commercially available.

 

I'm not ANTI-MH. And in fact of I decide today, I'd choose a MH.

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