Motorhome vs 5th Wheel

[ROTYDE]

I am thinking of buy a 5th wheel pull behind or a motorhome what are the advantages one over the other?

 

[bigal1]

It's all depends on what you want. We are on our second motorhome and wouldn't have nothing else. But then again you talk to someone that has a 5th wheel and they might say the same thing.

Big weekend !!!
ROLL TIDE

 

[ddsmit]

A Motorhome is equipped with a generator and is self contained. It depends on how you use it. We like airshows and use the generator/TV/Convection Oven to kill time while the traffic moves out.

We also tow a car but if you have a travel trailer or fifth wheel you also have a vehicle with you. It's a matter of choice but if I went the trailer route I would get a towing package on your truck or at least install a transmission cooler.

 

[aden]

Personal preference,Ford vs Chevy. We have a motorhome and love it .You can put a generator on a fifth wheel and I have seen several this year. If you like to travel or go to games or racing, you will love it.

 

[ROTYDE]

Thanks for the input guys....

 

[kcin_4_BAMA]

A few things come to mind......

I have a TT & I love it. I went the TT route instead of a 5'er because of the fact that you lose the ability to put much of anything in the truck bed when towing. That being said, you generally will have more room in a 5'er & it will feel more "spacious" because of the taller ceiling....
Back to your original question - Like most have said it is a personal preference and possibly a $$ issue. Obviously you are going to spend a good deal of money on a motor home if you buy new. You can buy used & save some $$, but you just need to really inspect prior to purchasing. If you go with the 5th wheel, you are going to need a substantial truck depending on the size of the trailer. Combine purchasing a big truck & trailer & you can really get into some $$. The other thing to consider is how many people will be traveling with you or staying in it regularly....more people=more space=more $$.
Either way, you will enjoy it. IMO, if you are going to go all over the country or region on a regular basis, the motorhome is probably the best answer....if you will just be traveling a few hours a few times a year, the 5'er will probably work good.

 

[aden]

Regardless of what the salesman tells you,a motorhome a fiver or a tagalong , they all sleep only two comfortably.

 

[kcin_4_BAMA]

Regardless of what the salesman tells you,a motorhome a fiver or a tagalong , they all sleep only two comfortably.

I have to disagree, based on my current TT. It is a larger one(33') w/ 2 slides & most every BAMA game we have 4-5 people sleeping in ours. I am not going to say that it is as comfortable as my King bed at home w/ pillow-top mattress & memory foam, but the occupants in ours really don't have any comfort issues with the beds. FWIW, we have added memory foam toppers to the 2 main beds & that really adds to the comfort level.

 

[bamacrush]

My husband and I debated this issue too, and decided on a TT and heavy duty pickup vs. motorhome. Our next upgrade will be to a 5th wheel.

Deciding factors: we already have a generator, needed a new reliable vehicle anyway so why not a pickup, didn't want to tow a car, and did not want to have to do maintenance on an RV engine in addition to our regular vehicles.

I do see going to a motorhome down the road when we start taking more frequent and longer trip and we don't want to go through all the hitching, leveling, etc. we do on the trailer, but right now it works great for us and ended up being the least expensive option.

Hope this helps.

 

[kcin_4_BAMA]

My husband and I debated this issue too, and decided on a TT and heavy duty pickup vs. motorhome. Our next upgrade will be to a 5th wheel.

Deciding factors: we already have a generator, needed a new reliable vehicle anyway so why not a pickup, didn't want to tow a car, and did not want to have to do maintenance on an RV engine in addition to our regular vehicles.

I do see going to a motorhome down the road when we start taking more frequent and longer trip and we don't want to go through all the hitching, leveling, etc. we do on the trailer, but right now it works great for us and ended up being the least expensive option.

Hope this helps.

Very good points.....your "deciding factors" matched almost exactly with the reasons we bought a TT.
TT's are a good starting point to decide if you REALLY want to RV...

 

[noondoggie]

Hi Rotyde,
I have to put my vote in for the R.V. Everybody I know with a travel trailer or 5th wheel always talks about moving up to an R.V. on their next purchase. Travel trailers are cheap and 5th wheels do give you lots of room but they both have a major drawback. You can't ride anyone in a towed vehicle when you are traveling, so everyone has to ride up front in the truck. With an R.V. all your football friends can watch TV, make you a sandwich or use the head, all things that require stopping with anything else.
If you look around you can find some great deals on a used R.V., I took
almost a year before I found the deal I was looking for, the Internet is a great way to search around the south for the best bargain. I ended up finding a 1997 R.V. in Austin Texas that the owner had only put 512 miles on in the last 5 years and got it for only $13,000, about $8,000 below blue book.
Good luck with your search!

ROLL TIDE

 

[kcin_4_BAMA]

Hi Rotyde,
I ended up finding a 1997 R.V. in Austin Texas that the owner had only put 512 miles on in the last 5 years and got it for only $13,000, about $8,000 below blue book.

NICE FIND. You are definitely right about being patient and knowing what you want.....ANY RV you want is out there at a decent price, as long as you are willing to be patient. I talked to lots & lots of people when I was looking that bought theirs BRAND NEW earlier that year because they thought it would be a great way to take the entire family on vacation. After 1-2 trips, they realized that it was definitely a lot of work or they just simply wouldn't be able to use it as much as they originally thought & wanted to get rid of it!