Disadvantages Of A Class A When Fulltiming

[FL-JOE]

The first time we "sold out" and hit the road full time I had done a lot of research.  The first part of my research was based on what type of RV to even get, a TT, fiver, class C, or class A.  One of the main factors in our decision making was if something needed repaired on a motor or tranny and we were out of service for a couple days or more, what would be the best RV to have.  Obviously we decided that either a TT or fiver would be best because you would still have a place to live while that motor or tranny was getting fixed.  So we went with a fiver.

Fast forward to last year when we "sold out" again and began round 2 of full timing.  Since we never had a motor or tranny fail we felt more comfortable and went with a class A DP.  At 5,800 miles it is in the shop overnight for an oil leak.  We are hoping it gets done today but we may be displaced a second night.  

So, if you are just starting out and trying to decide what type of RV to pick for your "adventure", you have to consider this sort of thing happening.  We have been lucky up until now.  The good news is everything is covered under warranty.  Covered or not, I would certainly rather have a 1-ton truck in the shop for a couple days rather than the whole RV.

[docj]

With all due respect, I think you're making a broad generalization based on a very limited experience base.  We've been full-timing for ~8 years in our Class A and we've suffered our share of unexpected problems in our >60,000 miles of travel.  Yet I can count on one hand the number of nights we've had to spend in hotels or other accommodations because ours couldn't be occupied.   Most of the time we've been able to find repair facilities that could, at least, provide us electrical power overnight; once or twice we simply ran the generator all night while awaiting the shop to open the next day.  One CAT dealer said that we couldn't stay in the MH overnight since it was inside its locked security fence, but that was an exception rather than the rule.

The MH vs towable debate is one that has no right or wrong answer; each RVer has to decide which is the best choice for him.  There are lots of factors that figure into that decision, but, IMHO, this isn't more than an incidental issue.

[pjstough]

If being out of your motorhome is a major concern, then for sure, I would recommend at travel trailer or a 5th wheel, that isnt a major concern for us, and fortunately,  in our six years of fulltiming, we havent had to do so.

[Barbaraok]

We've never had a problem with having to be out overnight - but then we also try and make sure that we find service facilities that know how to handle DPs.   We've been "locked in" a fenced area before, but only twice have we had to overnight because of a motor/tranny issue in 12 years.   Having body work done (which can happen to any type) is a different issue - that might come with 2-3 days worth of being out of any rig.     

[Pat & Pete]

~8 years . Not once have we HAD to sleep anywhere but our MH and only once did we sleep in a shop parking lot , with provided electricity . That once was by our choice and not a 'needed' repair . We had a Safe-T-Plus Steering Stabilizer installed . 

I'll agree with Docj : " a broad generalization based on a very limited experience base."

For all the hoopla about a 5er or even a TT , I'll take a motor home any day .

[MoSKP9]

1 hour ago, FL-JOE said:

The first time we "sold out" and hit the road full time I had done a lot of research.  The first part of my research was based on what type of RV to even get, a TT, fiver, class C, or class A.  One of the main factors in our decision making was if something needed repaired on a motor or tranny and we were out of service for a couple days or more, what would be the best RV to have.  Obviously we decided that either a TT or fiver would be best because you would still have a place to live while that motor or tranny was getting fixed.  So we went with a fiver.

Fast forward to last year when we "sold out" again and began round 2 of full timing.  Since we never had a motor or tranny fail we felt more comfortable and went with a class A DP.  At 5,800 miles it is in the shop overnight for an oil leak.  We are hoping it gets done today but we may be displaced a second night.  

So, if you are just starting out and trying to decide what type of RV to pick for your "adventure", you have to consider this sort of thing happening.  We have been lucky up until now.  The good news is everything is covered under warranty.  Covered or not, I would certainly rather have a 1-ton truck in the shop for a couple days rather than the whole RV.

You don't say how long you were in the 5er, however, some factors must have played into your decision to change into a MH. I think that the whole RVing thing  has various stages of ones personal "evolutions". Some people go back and forth between rigs trying to find their "perfect " rig. Most of us make some changes each time we upgrade to our next rig based upon our own experiences with our existing rig. Each person should first decide how they would like to travel based upon what they like to do while they are traveling. For example, I like to fish mostly on beaches and my wife likes to take long walks on the beach. I'm also a retired mechanic and wanted to have a lot of tools with me. This pretty much eliminated a 5er and a MH. I wanted to make sure that I had enough truck so that i could feel safe doing it. I decided on a truck towing a large TT. I started out wth a Dodge 5500 with a service body for my tools and an Excel TT that weighed 15K. This worked out pretty good for 2 years until I got my New Horizons TT which weighed in at 24K+ this made my gcvw 42K which was over the Dodge specs. I changed to an HDT Freightliner M2 with a gcvw of 72K and now I'm riding high like in a MH , but have the added safety of having the easily serviced engine in front of me. It works for me as I am able to carry my 300# electric beach fishing cart in the back of the truck.😎  Hang in there you can always change rig types, sooner or later something will fail on all types of rigs.

[JRP]

There are just as many reasons a TT or 5'er may need to spend a few days in the shop. Of all the various factors that go into deciding on your choice of RV type, days in the shop for any reason is not a major one that swings the decision one way or the other. If your TT or 5'er has to stay in the shop, you drive your truck to the motel. If your MH has to stay in the shop you drive your towed vehicle to the motel. Your "home" is still in the shop, assuming the shop won't let you plug in in their parking lot overnight, what's the big difference? 

In the 10 yrs I used my class A DP fulltime or extended time, I never spent a night in a motel for any reason.   

PS: I have 2 5th wheels in addition to my class A MH, so I'm not biased one way or the other. I have different type RV's because I think each type fits a certain type of travel pattern better than the other.

 

[Bill Joyce]

We have been fulltiming over 15 years and close to 200,000 miles in two Class As. So far we have not had to vacate overnight for engine or chassis issues.  We have had to vacate for RV issues, once for bodywork and another time for electrical issues that made the Class A unusable until fixed.  (The fridge could be plugged in overnight externally, but everything else 120 or 12 volt was off.)

[FL-JOE]

3 hours ago, FL-JOE said:

The first time we "sold out" and hit …….cut......  

So, if you are just starting out and trying to decide what type of RV to pick for your "adventure", you have to consider this sort of thing happening.  We have been lucky up until now.  The good news is everything is covered under warranty.  Covered or not, I would certainly rather have a 1-ton truck in the shop for a couple days rather than the whole RV.

My purpose of the post was just to remind folks starting out their search that you have to consider such issues.  I'm not saying it is a "major" concern or should be the single deciding factor in picking what type of RV you end up getting.  

Sounds like some of you experienced full time class A folks have been really lucky and never forced out of your coach.  I hope your luck continues.  However, if it happen to me with a brand new Cummins with only 5,800 miles on the clock it can happen to about anyone.

MoSKP9, between our 2 fivers we were only full time for 2 years.  We didn't switch to a MH for full timing but purchased a sticknbrick in SW Florida instead.  While in our home we picked up a 38' gas MH for some summer travel.  But after about 22 months of that we wanted to be full time RVers again so the Florida house got sold and we switched to a DP.

[FL-JOE]

5 minutes ago, Bill Joyce said:

We have been fulltiming over 15 years and close to 200,000 miles in two Class As. So far we have not had to vacate overnight for engine or chassis issues.  We have had to vacate for RV issues, once for bodywork and another time for electrical issues that made the Class A unusable until fixed.  (The fridge could be plugged in overnight externally, but everything else 120 or 12 volt was off.)

Bill, I am hoping this will be my last time being forced out overnight for engine issues.  I'm fortunate with my current coach that I can leave it unplugged for up to 4 days and not worry about frig due to large battery bank.

[Kirk W]

We are no longer fulltime but were for 12 years and in that time we stayed elsewhere than the coach on 4 occasions. Of those, 2 were for mechanical work and the others were RV related where they kept the RV inside overnight. In one of the mechanical issues we could have stayed in the coach at night only but leave in the daytime as they would put us just outside the bay doors for the night, but we chose to spend the time at the home of our kids. In neither of the RV cases was there any option to sleep in the RV at all. In fact, we asked and both shops declined to allow it based on their insurance. While it is something to consider, it is important to also realize that the same can be true of any type of RV on occasion. 

[Mr. Camper]

Things can go bad regardless of what your RV is or what type of coverage you have.  We had 2 issues this past summer trip and couldn't stay in the TT so it was a hotel for 3 and 1/2 days.  We even had to drive the half mile from the campground to the RV dealer with one slide out.  Not a fun experience.  The first time this occurred a local resident living at the park was able to call someone who did help us and we were on our way the next day, with the slide retracted.  It worked well for the next 3 months but the gremlins struck again and we had to leave the TT at the RV dealer and drive to a local motel.  Obtaining the correct part and getting it installed took some time but the last 10 days of the trip the slide went in and out as it should.  I guess if we were that concerned and unprepared we could look for another TT without slides.  Stuff Happens.

[Barbaraok]

FlJoe, 

Most Cummins repair facilities have places for Fulltimers to plug in over night.  Sorry you couldn’t find one.  We have had the coach pushed out from the service bay, plugged in over night, pulled back in the next day to finish work.  Sorry you could find one.  

[jcussen]

If your truck breaks down by the side of the road, will the tow truck tow both the truck and trailer at the same time, and if to say a Ford dealer, what do you do with your trailer?  Have had my MH break down and it was towed to the shop. Of course, I followed in my toad, so could get  a motel if really necessary. If your truck breaks down, how do you move your trailer to a campground?

Personally if I were a newbie, I would appreciate the redundancy of having two self propelled vehicles, in case something went wrong.

 

 

[trailertraveler]

17 minutes ago, jcussen said:

...If your truck breaks down by the side of the road, will the tow truck tow both the truck and trailer at the same time, and if to say a Ford dealer, what do you do with your trailer? ...If your truck breaks down, how do you move your trailer to a campground?...

A good RV Roadside Assistance Plan will take care of both the tow vehicle and the trailer, 

Quote

If the repairs on your truck are serious enough that they will take several days to complete, Good Sam Roadside Assistance will pay to have your travel trailer taken to a safe location, such as the nearest campground 

 

[sandsys]

In three years of full timing and three years of snowbirding all in various motorhomes we never spent a night in a motel. When we needed service we were always allowed to stay in our rig overnight. Once was actually inside a shop but once you close the curtains you can't tell the difference.

Linda Sand

[Jim & Alice]

In 5 + years (& 30,000 miles) of our first (and only) Motor Home, we have yet had to sleep away from our rig - indeed, the only chassis related problem to date has been a generator that appears to have a fuel line problem... not really 'chassis related' but as close as I could get.   We have a 2007 National RV Dolphin, Ford F53 chassis, Gas, bought with 28,000 miles... now at 58,000 miles.

Our experience.

 

[jcussen]

56 minutes ago, trailertraveler said:

A good RV Roadside Assistance Plan will take care of both the tow vehicle and the trailer, 

 

Good to know. Still if you are out in the boonies and have to get from your trailer in the campground  to check on your truck repairs, and no cabs or uber or rent a cars........ Everyone has to pick their own comfort level.

[Pat & Pete]

4 hours ago, FL-JOE said:

My purpose of the post was just to remind folks starting out their search that you have to consider such issues.  I'm not saying it is a "major" concern or should be the single deciding factor in picking what type of RV you end up getting.  

Sounds like some of you experienced full time class A folks have been really lucky and never forced out of your coach.  I hope your luck continues.  However, if it happen to me with a brand new Cummins with only 5,800 miles on the clock it can happen to about anyone.

MoSKP9, between our 2 fivers we were only full time for 2 years.  We didn't switch to a MH for full timing but purchased a sticknbrick in SW Florida instead.  While in our home we picked up a 38' gas MH for some summer travel.  But after about 22 months of that we wanted to be full time RVers again so the Florida house got sold and we switched to a DP.

That's the problem , brand new . 

They just don't make 'em like they use to . We've seen brand new high end RVs that have spent way more time in the shop than should be . 

[Mr. Camper]

2 hours ago, jcussen said:

If your truck breaks down by the side of the road, will the tow truck tow both the truck and trailer at the same time, and if to say a Ford dealer, what do you do with your trailer?  Have had my MH break down and it was towed to the shop. Of course, I followed in my toad, so could get  a motel if really necessary. If your truck breaks down, how do you move your trailer to a campground?

Personally if I were a newbie, I would appreciate the redundancy of having two self propelled vehicles, in case something went wrong.

 

 

4

Yes.  our coverage includes both truck and RV.  We haven't had the misfortune to need both since our truck was running well, but the issue with the slides is something else again.  With two adults and two dogs, staying in the RV with the one slide half in (or out) wasn't an option.  Coverage covered the hotel cost and meals.

[PunchItChewie]

Me personally I'm looking at a HDT and TT, just for the lower initial cost aspect.  Have nothing against motor homes.  I'm sure I could pick up a used MH and trailer for the price of a HDT, and TT.

[Big5er]

4 hours ago, sandsys said:

In three years of full timing and three years of snowbirding all in various motorhomes we never spent a night in a motel. When we needed service we were always allowed to stay in our rig overnight. Once was actually inside a shop but once you close the curtains you can't tell the difference.

Linda Sand

Linda, I spent the weekend inside a shop once (knew the owner. He gave me a door key). Couldn't believe how late I slept in on Sunday. Since they were closed it was still dark in there at 9am. No light through the bathroom skylight or around the windows. Took me a minute to figure out why I slept so late. I might have slept later if the dogs hadn't needed to go out. 

[2gypsies]

Full-timing 16 years and always stayed in our home.  Like Big 5er, we had maintenance done in Phoenix which was finished late afternoon. We asked to spend the night on the lot.  The owner didn't want the responsibility because it was in an 'iffy' neighborhood.  He let us stay in the motorhome inside the garage.  Yes, a very weird feeling!

[FL-JOE]

17 hours ago, Barbaraok said:

FlJoe, 

Most Cummins repair facilities have places for Fulltimers to plug in over night.  Sorry you couldn’t find one.  We have had the coach pushed out from the service bay, plugged in over night, pulled back in the next day to finish work.  Sorry you could find one.  

This was a Freightliner Service center, not a Cummins repair facility.  They have a couple Cummins certified mechanics on staff.  About 90% of their business is commercial trucks.  It wasn't a problem with being plugged in or being in or out of their bay, they won't let you stay in your coach on their property.  

[FL-JOE]

15 hours ago, Pat & Pete said:

That's the problem , brand new . 

They just don't make 'em like they use to . We've seen brand new high end RVs that have spent way more time in the shop than should be . 

I totally agree with that statement.  When we began our search for a DP we were only looking at 2 to 3 year old Tiffin and Newmar models.  I had went through buying a new fiver once and swore I would never buy a new RV of any type again.  After several months of searching we only found 2 that we wanted and both of them had been owned by folks with at least one dog.  You could still smell dog odor inside, right along with the strong deodorizer that the dealer was using trying to cover up the smell.  

We are at 10 months and I think all the bugs are about worked out.  Everything was very minor except the oil pan gasket leaking.