Motorhome to 5th wheel

[Rwake901]

We are considering trading our motorhome for a 5th wheel. We are planning to retire next year and are hoping to spend the winters someplace warm. I’m thinking that the 5th wheel will have a lot more room for us to spend 3 to 4 months in. I’m having a hard time letting go of my motorhome though. Anyone else do this and are you happy with the 5th wheel or do you wish you had your motorhome back? Thanks for your thoughts

[kzoocamper]

We have recently gone the other direction and moved from a long line of fifth wheels and trailers to a class "A". Unless you are looking at a 40" plus motor home you are more than likely going to find the fifth wheel a better option for long term stays. In our case however we will be doing more short term traveling (a month at the longest) and believe the ease of use, and enhanced ability to travel with our dogs along with not being saddled with the cumbersome gas consuming tow vehicle make a motor home a better choice.
I am sure there are times we will miss the fifth wheel though.

[et2]

We've had 4 fifth wheels up to 40'. Last MH and now our new have had every bit of room as our fivers. The MH is many times more enjoyable to drive, in my opinion of course.

[Rwake901]

Mile High wrote:
We had 3 fifth wheels before, the last being a 40' with full slides. I'm not sure we lost room with a MH, just different. We don't have as big a pantry or bedroom closet in the MH, but we have 2 bathrooms and enormous basement storage. I guess it's a trade off by individual floor plan.

With the 5th wheel, I hated the dually truck the most, and I really learned to despise the trailer chassis they are built on. If you can get away from the standard LCI I-beam frame and buggy springs most have and into a high end frame and suspension, you'll be steps ahead. However not many companies that build them anymore and the trucks required to pull them are back into the heavy duals or MDT range again. We did have an LP 5500 gen, but not a lot of situations you used it. It was something you needed when you needed it, but not really worth the cost.

For us, the MH is far more automatic (transparency of systems between roadboound-parked-camped) between the inverters, generators, autostart, etc. which makes it easier for us. As a result, we are more willing to move it or use it than we did the 5th wheel. It's also nice just to have something solid, or at least the perception is that it's much more solid and sturdy than the 5er.

Thanks but if I purchased a big beautiful diesel pusher like you have I couldn’t afford to retire. lol Right now if we sell what we have we can buy a nice 5th wheel and trade my current pickup in for a pickup that will pull the 5th wheel and break even. Thanks for your advice though.

[Mile_High]

We had 3 fifth wheels before, the last being a 40' with full slides. I'm not sure we lost room with a MH, just different. We don't have as big a pantry or bedroom closet in the MH, but we have 2 bathrooms and enormous basement storage. I guess it's a trade off by individual floor plan.

With the 5th wheel, I hated the dually truck the most, and I really learned to despise the trailer chassis they are built on. If you can get away from the standard LCI I-beam frame and buggy springs most have and into a high end frame and suspension, you'll be steps ahead. However not many companies that build them anymore and the trucks required to pull them are back into the heavy duals or MDT range again. We did have an LP 5500 gen, but not a lot of situations you used it. It was something you needed when you needed it, but not really worth the cost.

For us, the MH is far more automatic (transparency of systems between roadboound-parked-camped) between the inverters, generators, autostart, etc. which makes it easier for us. As a result, we are more willing to move it or use it than we did the 5th wheel. It's also nice just to have something solid, or at least the perception is that it's much more solid and sturdy than the 5er.

[htss]

Rwake901 wrote:
We used to have camping trailers in the past so I’m assuming that pulling a 5th wheel won’t be much different than that.

My experience towing travel trailers vs 5th wheels, is that the 5th wheel towed much nicer.

[Rwake901]

Thanks for all the response’s. We need to look at some more 5th wheels before we make a decision. As cold as it is in Illinois right now we’ll have to wait for some warmer weather to be able to do that. We used to have camping trailers in the past so I’m assuming that pulling a 5th wheel won’t be much different than that.

[2chiefsRus]

We have a few friends who have gone the route you are considering. Based upon their feedback, all really liked the extra space when parked for longer periods of time in one place. The ones who were not as happy are those who still traveled from place to place more frequently with shorter stays in one place. They didn't like riding in the truck as well as riding in the motor home while traveling. One couple really didn't like having to drive a big truck once they got to their destination, the answer for them was getting a small car to keep at their southern location.

[Johnny_G1]

We kept the both of them, 2yrs in the fw as I like my truck but still keep the mh under cover, never know when a guy might change his mind, and momma says I am not allowed to put a hitch on her Honda CRV which would have to be trailerd, awd touring model.

[JohnG3]

We’ve had 5th wheel RVs for several years. After a trip from the California Central Coast to Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, several more states then back home. On our arrival my wife locked herself in the computer room. Came out and announced that the 5th wheel is going and we are getting a Class A.

The reasoning is grabbing a snack, water, wife going to the restroom, dogs have more room and ease of setting up breaking camp. Instead of carrying around stacks of plastic blocks, moving back and forth to level side to side, then front to rear. Now just two buttons and wait. Heated tile floor, 10k genset, residential refrigerator, nice tiled shower, larger closet, bath and a half.

[Chainwright]

I can't say we don't like 5ers. Some are really really nice. Initially when we first started to look into RV'ing we wanted a Super C, but they lack our preferred dimensions, so we looked at some 5ers, BUT unfortunately we read and witnessed RV parks that ONLY Allow class A MH's. We wanted a vehicle that has access to ALL CG's that we wish to patronize. So we chose a MH.

[imgoin4it]

I’m not about to trade our motor home for a fifth wheel or anything simply because we retired 15 Years ago and are at the age we wonder how much longer we will be traveling. However several years ago I ran into two couples that had gone just the opposite, fifth wheel to motor home. One couple did so because of some medical readon where she could not be very far from a bath room facility and actually had to stop traveling until they got the coach. The other couple did the same because they traveled a lot and wanted the ease of pulling over and having lunch or whatever without going back and opening to the fiver. I do think if you plan on staying in one place for relatively long periods of time a fifth wheel might be a little more livesble as it is more like the sticks and bricks . Just something to think about. Best of luck and travel safe.

[Bird_Freak]

We made the switch years ago and have no regrets at all. 5th has more room in it and both mh and 5er were same length with 3 slides.

[ScottG]

I always thought the best part about having a MH would be the ability take a nice little car to drive around rather than a big truck. Seems like getting around would be more comfortable and it would be easier to park.

[Campinghoss]

We did that in January of 2017 as well. We had a 40 foot dp and yes, it was nice but a motorhome does not afford the room a fiver has. We had a Sunnybrook fiver for a long time but when I retired NOOOO I had to buy a motorhome. We have not had one regret on this decision.

I am not bashing motorhomes just for the record. Every rv'er has their preferences. We did not see that big of advantage.