The on going 5th wheel or Class A

[hdrider]

This question has gone on for years and will for many more I'm sure but now that we have fulltime in a Class A for over 6 years and switched to a 5th wheel for the last 6 months I thought I would give a comparison through our eyes on the topic in our Blog. Here is a link if you care to take a peak. https://wp.me/p2Dund-4iu

 

[2gypsies]

Awesome write up and fabulous blog. Good travels with your new home.  As with everything in life - nothing's perfect.  They both have good and not-so-good but you'll get used to it.  We're with Diane about having to drive the big truck around.  That was a big minus with our 5th wheel.  We loved having the Jeep with our motorhome.

Also..... LOVE the pickleball pics - our favorite game!!!

[hdrider]

Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Yup, Diane likes her car and I must admit, it is handy at times over the truck, but I like my truck LOL!! 

[Tee Jay]

You went mid level MH to Upper level 5th, we went mid level 5th to upper level but older MH.  Pretty much agree with your analysis.  We are reluctant to run the propane heater on the 5th going down the road, so very cold bedroom at 35 degrees.  The aquahot can be set to 70 and runs off the engine radiator when traveling, warm on arrival. Same with cooling, run the AC going down the road off the genny in the MH, not always an option in a 5th.  Not available in all MH, but a difference.  In the MH, the stove is the only propane, and it used about 3 gallons in 2 years of 4 to 5 months a year usage.  In the 5th, with the electric/ propane water heater and propane heat, I was filling the propane tanks monthly or sooner, but at lower temperatures.  The aquahot just makes heat using electric or diesel, and diesel is about 4x the heat as electric, plus it can use engine heat going down the road, or become a pre=heat for the engine in colder temps.  Had no issue hooking up the 5th, but it requires a long reach to get to the hitch lever, especially over a dually fender.  The biggest difference may be bathroom access when travelling.  For some it is an issue, not one for others.  I think your truck turns better than a 3500,  The turning radius in a 42' mh is amazing.  Turning radius differs in that  the trailer turns way farther inside than the rear axle on the MH.  Just practice wide, square turns, and a bit wider with a 5th.  A   dually truck is no issue as a daily driver, unless you want to go to downtown hotels or parking garages or most drive-thrus.  I still use the dually for a daily driver.  We (you and I) have flipped weights, The MH is 43,000 and 5th was about 25,000.  I really liked the variable turbo in the Ram, but the Jake in the MH works as well, and in both pay attention to gear choice.  In either case, an electric or household fridge is the only way to go.  Thanks  for the comparison, Happy Travels.

[hdrider]

8 hours ago, Tee Jay said:

You went mid level MH to Upper level 5th, we went mid level 5th to upper level but older MH.  Pretty much agree with your analysis.  We are reluctant to run the propane heater on the 5th going down the road, so very cold bedroom at 35 degrees.  The aquahot can be set to 70 and runs off the engine radiator when traveling, warm on arrival. Same with cooling, run the AC going down the road off the genny in the MH, not always an option in a 5th.  Not available in all MH, but a difference.  In the MH, the stove is the only propane, and it used about 3 gallons in 2 years of 4 to 5 months a year usage.  In the 5th, with the electric/ propane water heater and propane heat, I was filling the propane tanks monthly or sooner, but at lower temperatures.  The aquahot just makes heat using electric or diesel, and diesel is about 4x the heat as electric, plus it can use engine heat going down the road, or become a pre=heat for the engine in colder temps.  Had no issue hooking up the 5th, but it requires a long reach to get to the hitch lever, especially over a dually fender.  The biggest difference may be bathroom access when travelling.  For some it is an issue, not one for others.  I think your truck turns better than a 3500,  The turning radius in a 42' mh is amazing.  Turning radius differs in that  the trailer turns way farther inside than the rear axle on the MH.  Just practice wide, square turns, and a bit wider with a 5th.  A   dually truck is no issue as a daily driver, unless you want to go to downtown hotels or parking garages or most drive-thrus.  I still use the dually for a daily driver.  We (you and I) have flipped weights, The MH is 43,000 and 5th was about 25,000.  I really liked the variable turbo in the Ram, but the Jake in the MH works as well, and in both pay attention to gear choice.  In either case, an electric or household fridge is the only way to go.  Thanks  for the comparison, Happy Travels.

 Glad you enjoyed the read. Enjoy that new (to you) MH!!

[palmeris]

Nice write up, and nice NH rig you got there but wheres the Harley?

[hdrider]

18 hours ago, palmeris said:

Nice write up, and nice NH rig you got there but wheres the Harley?

 LOL, no Harley any more. I had been using the HDrider login for so many years that when I sold the last bike I never stopped using it. There might be another in the future.  

[palmeris]

Just now, hdrider said:

 LOL, no Harley any more. I had been using the HDrider login for so many years that when I sold the last bike I never stopped using it. There might be another in the future.  

I was curious as to how you would be hauling it if you still had one...I hope your future is full of smiles and many miles...Harley or not

[RV_]

Excellent! Thanks. A must read for new to RVs people trying to decide. Makes me want to sell the new house and take off again. My SH does not want to full time RV any more, but does let me play with one for weekends.

[hdrider]

23 hours ago, palmeris said:

I was curious as to how you would be hauling it if you still had one...I hope your future is full of smiles and many miles...Harley or not

 Well actually New Horizon builds their own frames and the frames are so solid that they will install a Hydrolift on the rear and this unit can haul a full dresser on the rear. And thanks,

[hdrider]

17 hours ago, RV_ said:

Excellent! Thanks. A must read for new to RVs people trying to decide. Makes me want to sell the new house and take off again. My SH does not want to full time RV any more, but does let me play with one for weekends.

Nothing wrong with just weekends.

[Kirk W]

17 hours ago, RV_ said:

My SH does not want to full time RV any more, but does let me play with one for weekends.

We kind of reached that situation too but if you work things out right you can make some mighty longe weekends. You know that they have 3 day weekends, just slip in a 0 and make30!

[Want2Go]

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Edited October 13, 2019 by Want2Go
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[Want2Go]

Awesome comparison.  Great technical info too.  I'm trying to relate my much smaller, literally, decision on RV purchasing. We have a somewhat stationary 5th (switch between 2 locations annually). We will not be full time, but hope to really have some/many long retirement trips.  I'd be interested on what your initial thoughts, pre-purchase on benefits of the change.  Sounds like you had a wonderful experience in your A.  And know you'll have the same with the new 5th!

•  

[richfaa]

When we went long timer we purchased what best  suited  our travel needs and our  budget .It was a 40 foot 5th wheel ,4 slides and a F-350, diesel,CC.LB dually.

[RV_]

3 hours ago, hdrider said:

Nothing wrong with just weekends.

Oh we know. We've been retired since I was 45 and we moved into our 36 foot HitchHiker fiver and did seven years of full time RVing. We loved every minute. No job, no Stix n Brix home, we just followed our noses seeing and meeting North America one person at a time. Stored our family flicks and pics, antiques and collectible heirlooms with Kids and parents. We bought the Fiver used and had bought the 1 ton Ram dually truck six months before in preparation. We did everything West of the Mississippi, and from Mexico up to and including Alaska. We both grew up in the world as military brats, her brother born in France, I went to kindergarten and first grade in Bogota Colombia S.A. in Spanish! Then we did 27 years USAF including eight years in Germany (yes we spoke German there too) Both of us lived in Florida as Kids and in the Northeast for my teens in the 60s. We traveled all of Europe on three day weekends and winters used all my 30 days of leave, and three day weekends to Ski all the best slopes in Austria, Switzerland, France, and one in Italy that started in Zermat Switzerland, around the Matterhorn, and down to Cervinia Italy. We dove the Red Sea for a week in 96 for our open water certification, then visited the Temple of Karnak, crossed the Nile by boat and saw Tut in his tomb. We are not done traveling, it's in our blood. So while our next adventures will be to do Australia, New Zealand, and Japan/China/India, and all that tentatively for now, we will have another RV. We started in our early 20s with a VW pop up Wesrphalia camper bus then a bare bones Coleman pop-up camper pulled by our Subaru Brat with camper shell. We hated the popup so I restored Seven VW campers. We winter camped in one in Colorado in 1979 and decided that winter camping with canvas walls up top wasn't for us. But we used several more VWs ending in Europe with our US Spec Eurovan. Then we moved into our first fiver, and after seven years switched to a 28 foot Sunnybrook fiver, and a Scamp until we sold it a few months ago before moving to Colorado with two Subarus, a new Forester and a 2006 Turbo Baja I had the engine rehabbed and replace weal head gaskets, timing belt and turbo. I'm already thinking of the new VW camper if they ever sell it in the US. But with AWD.

In other words, we haven't lost the itch, we were literally born to travel.

Don't worry, we aren't ever going to be done.

Safe travels my fellow travelers on spaceship Earth.

[RV_]

3 hours ago, Kirk W said:

We kind of reached that situation too but if you work things out right you can make some mighty longe weekends. You know that they have 3 day weekends, just slip in a 0 and make30!

Kirk,

We moved to Colorado, no more hot humid summer nights! Even 90℉ is fine to sleep in when the humidity is 20%, sometimes less, give or take. We'll do short trips, not necessarily just weekends, we are retired you know. But as long as we are tied to a Stix n Brix never more than a weekend or week. Even with Ring video security which we already have, we like to back it up with our other .40 cal wireless security systems. Seriously though once our old pup leaves us, we are fine with longer airplane trips.

[palmeris]

9 hours ago, hdrider said:

 Well actually New Horizon builds their own frames and the frames are so solid that they will install a Hydrolift on the rear and this unit can haul a full dresser on the rear. And thanks,

At the super show in Tampa earlier this year, I spoke to Brian at the NH show trailer about that, he said they no longer will install them as they had too many complaints of bikes being damaged " shaken apart " is what he mentioned. 

[hdrider]

15 hours ago, palmeris said:

At the super show in Tampa earlier this year, I spoke to Brian at the NH show trailer about that, he said they no longer will install them as they had too many complaints of bikes being damaged " shaken apart " is what he mentioned. 

That is the first I have head of that, when we were there in June they were still doing it. Things have changed I guess. 

[filthy-beast]

One other thing to consider is stairs inside. DW has RA and not having stairs inside the living area is a must.

 

[hdrider]

16 hours ago, palmeris said:

At the super show in Tampa earlier this year, I spoke to Brian at the NH show trailer about that, he said they no longer will install them as they had too many complaints of bikes being damaged " shaken apart " is what he mentioned. 

 After reading your comment I reached out to Cole at NH because I certainly don't want to share bad info (not that I was questioning you) and as you said they are not offering the lift option any longer. Now that many of their units are in the 48' range they are getting comments of more bounce and are now suggesting the wheeled platform option in the rear. In fact they just did one that holds a Smart Car I see on their Facebook Page.