TT vs 5thW vs MH

[Mikeos]

Ok I am new to the travel / camping group. I just want to learn from those who have all that knowledge .
I like to here pros and cons of TT vs 5th W vs MH. There is a lot to compare so lets here it . For us it is no kids and pets Just travel and camp .

Thanks, Mike

[Jeff61]

Originally Posted by Mikeos

Ok I am new to the travel / camping group. I just want to learn from those who have all that knowledge .
I like to here pros and cons of TT vs 5th W vs MH. There is a lot to compare so lets here it . For us it is no kids and pets Just travel and camp .

Thanks, Mike

Lot of it depends on how much of your time you are going to spend inside of it, how deep your pockets are and manoverability in a CG. Most every body I see with a MH is towing a car with them. so when you need a six pack or dont feel like cooking you got some wheels. My bro has a 5er and it takes him a lot more time to set up. If you're going big, the manoverability will come in to play and you will need a 3/4 or bigger with a diesel and that 5th wheel to get it into a site . We spend most of our time outside if possible and don't do much more than 4 day week ends and once in a while a week out. We don't intend to live in it and what we own works fine for us.

2014 GMC 2500HD, CC, 4X4 6.0L , 4:10. Leer cap
2009 Jay Flight 24RKS
Equalizer hitch

[Mikeos]

We are not ones to sit in a camp ground for long periods of time, but do plan to go RVing several weeks at a time to visit this great country. I am thinking smaller is better than bigger for the reasons you stated. What is too small or too big???
We currently travel with a MC in the back of the truck. Don't plan on leaving that at home.
Our current set up is 26RLS TT, 2500RAM 5.7L reg cab , BMW R1200RT.
Does not meant I have the best set up . That is why i am asking that long time RVer this question.

[Crablad]

We are in our 70's and have had them all-- some of them twice-- o.k. tents maybe four times. For us the 5th is our choice, only one motor to worry about and fix if needed. Easy to set up and take down and lots of room with a triple slide. It follows the truck just great....it's a 31.5 RLTS Eagle. With the motorhome it was very noisy inside while traveling and to go for beer you had to have another vehicle. Travel trailer was o.k. too, but much more work to set up and take down. Hope this helps

[eldermike]

We have always had TT's. We showed dogs for 20 years and pulled TT everywhere we went. Now that we just camp and ride bicycles and fish from Kayaks, and we still have a pull behind, but it's a big one. I did not want to tow a car so the motorhome was out. The fifth wheel toy hauler idea was next on my list but after looking at them we decided that we could carry everything we needed in the truck bed. I have a rack on my truck and carry two Kayaks and up to 4 bicycles in the bed under the Kayaks. That still leaves truck bed room for 2 diesel cans, the power cord for the trailer and all my wood blocks and the wheels for the boats.

Here is how we looked at it.
Motorhome - Very nice self contained idea that still needs transportation once you get where you are going. Many people I know just nver setup camp, they just park sleep and then drive. When we camp with motorhome friends they might well drive the motorhome into town in the middle of the day and be back for the evening.
Fifth Wheel - Easy setup, better towing than pull behind, more storage than TT, eliminates use of the truck bed, you have a truck to drive when you get setup.
Travel Trailer - Less initial cost than above choices, slightly harder to set up than 5'th wheel, pulls best when you have a big truck (over-kill it) and get the best hitch, Allows full use of the truck bed while towing and once setup. (This one is big to me and the reason for our final decision).

I hope this helps you

[UPCamper]

We love our FW. Had a travel trailer and loved it but 5er is much easier. Tows much better and much more outdoor storage so less packing in truck for every trip. Also much more maneuverable with pivot point now in rear of truck vs hitch. Also we tow a boat behind ours. Sometimes I miss our TT tho for the sake of have a truck topper.

No interest in a MH. Worse fuel economy, always towing a second vehicle and expensive. Ntm having a trailer gives you a reason to drive your truck more.

[Mikeos]

Good input guys! Keep then coming :O)

[LkptRvPilot]

Hi Mike.
We looked very hard at all three and a motorhome (Class C) was our perfect choice.
We have kids (9 and 12) and drive long distances. So for us, the ability to get up and walk around, use the facilities and make lunch without stopping was important. We did not want to be confined to a small cab of a TV. Furthermore, I did not want a large truck to use as a daily commuter.

[Tex1961]

Highjacking the thread for just a sec. here... I own a TT so I am unfamiliar with setting up a Fifth Wheel.. Can someone tell me how they are easier to setup?

[Tunce the traveler]

For us the choice was a Hybrid EXP21M with the 36" slideout. You can pull it with an SUV and the diesel gives you great mpg and plenty of power for those steep grades. It's easy to park and we have some premo locations where the long ones don't fit but we can also take the big spots that are premo. We don't take a lot of home junk with us, we're camping and on vacation. It's just a home base for us and we eat out a good 50% of the time. Our trips average 6-7 weeks at a time and our stays are around 1 week at each place. Many places offer stay 6 or 7 nights and the next night is free plus the GoodSam discount helps.

[nylyon]

In my opinion, a MH is great if you're spending a lot of time on the road. I don't, I take some weekend trips, and a couple longer outings so for me the MH is overkill. I have had 5ths and TT's.

If you want a big camper, then 5th all the way. I think that they pull far better, are easier to maneuver into spots and are usually a little higher end than TT's plus more storage. Once you go under 30' however, TT's become more attractive because 5th's have limited headroom in smaller footprints. 30' or less floor plans seem to be nicer than the smaller 5th's too since you don't need to worry about the transition chewing up interior space. Your options are also far greater with a TT in a shorter floor plan

Then of course is your tow vehicle / toad. If you don't plan to upgrade then you need to fit your RV to your vehicle.

[UPCamper]

Originally Posted by Tex1961

Highjacking the thread for just a sec. here... I own a TT so I am unfamiliar with setting up a Fifth Wheel.. Can someone tell me how they are easier to setup?

I won't say it is much easier but it is quicker. One you lower front jacks to unhitch there are only two more in back. So only need to do a side to side level with two jacks. So basically three jacks vs five on TT. Also, hitching and unhitching is quicker because you can easily do it by yourself in one try (no back up camera in my truck) and its only one lever. No spring bars to install every trip or store while camping and no sway bar to worrying about adjusting or remembering to take off before backing in ( made that mistake once).

[nylyon]

x2 - lower tailgate, back in hitch automatically latches, close tailgate, hook up power and disconnect cable, raise landing gear - done. Much easier in my opinion.

[Nighthawk 96]

For us MH way too expensive. 5th wheels tend to be large and more expensive than TT.
Also need 3/4 ton truck for most 5th wheels. Our current trailer has plenty of space for 2 plus large dog and occasional grand kid. Can be towed easily by 1/2 ton truck. Also we put a lot of stuff like bicycles in the bed and need the whole bed. Planning to put cap on truck so we can keep bikes, generator and other stuff more secure.

[Paulx213]

I went for a travel trailer. Much cheaper and lower maintence then a motor home and you don't need to have a pick up truck like a fifth wheel.

It's really personal preference.

[Ela1948]

Originally Posted by Tex1961

Highjacking the thread for just a sec. here... I own a TT so I am unfamiliar with setting up a Fifth Wheel.. Can someone tell me how they are easier to setup?

To be honest, there is not a great deal of difference. There are no friction or lift bars to deal with on a 5th wheel. You level them in pretty much the same way. You need a camera or a second set of eyes on either of them to hook up. at least on my truck you do. There is one area that they differ that may be hard to believe. The 5th wheel will pull easier then the trailer. I would not have believed it if I hadn't experience it. We had a 28 ft. Arctic Fox TT. It weighted in 8000 lb. loaded. Stood 11 ft. high. We now have a 31.5 Jayco RLTS. 34 1/2 ft. in length. Weighs in at just under 11000 lb. Stands 13 ft. high. I never got over 11 1/2 mpg pulling the trailer. pulled it in excess of 3000 miles. The 5th wheel which is heavier and taller will average 12 mpg or over every day. We never drive over 62 mph. We run cruise control all we can. I Ive pulled both of them several thousand miles and there is no doubt the 5th wheel gets better mileage with same truck. I have to assume the difference is that with truck and trailer you are breaking a hole in the air twice. While the 5th wheel is so close to the truck that the air is only separated once. We loved our Arctic fox trailer but wouldn't go back from a 5th wheel now.

[jal0710]

We thought about getting a small motorhome at one time, to replace a FW that we owned. However, we almost always go places where we can fish so we take our boat with us. If we were to take the boat, we felt we would also have to take another vehicle to sightsee and put the boat in and out of the lake where we fish and we didn't feel we wanted to do that, not when we could pull both the FS and the boat with our TV and have the TV for sightseeing as well as putting the boat into and out of the lake. I just didn't feel comfortable trying to put the boat in to the lake with the motorhome, but I believe a lot of people do.

[fidalgo66]

With just the two of us and our Lab, we decided on a 26' Grey Hawk for our first RV. A year later, we went up to a 32' Grey Hawk. Perfect for us, and I don't have to drive a pickup around when at home.