Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
Jayco RV Owners Forum
 


Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
 
Old 07-09-2014, 02:10 PM   #1
Senior Member
 
Plowtoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Hamilton, MI
Posts: 429
Trying to talk my folks into a MH, Pros and Cons?

Alright, I really dont belong in this part of the forum, but I figured its going to be the best place for my question to get answered.

My folks (Dads retired and his health is not so well, Mom will be retiring in November) currently have a 5th wheel that is a big TURD. Its a 2005 model year made by a company who is not Jayco. They spent a LOT of money on this supposed higher end unit and took care of it as best they could, however it still seems to have a lot of issues. Decals have been peeling for years, rubber roof flops in the breeze (although it is sealed and checked annually), the landing gear continues to break the bolts on an annual basis, slide out gear bolts break on a annual basis, has had a new inverter, consitantly trips the circuit breakers if more than one appliance is being used at a time, spring shackles have broken twice and so on...

Dad loves the space he has in the 5th wheel, but it seems as its just becoming to much for him to hook it up, set it up once the reach the CG, and I dont like him to tow it alone anymore (which does happen on occasion).

Mom loves to be with us kids any time she can and would camp in a tent if it came down to it, just to be with us. Her health is great but she hates driving, and refuses to tow the camper.

My suggestion to them is to unload the 5th wheel and find a nice early 2000's Class C on a Ford E450SD Cutaway chassis. My thought is that dad wouldn't have to mess too much to set it up, and if push came to shove, mom could drive it because it wouldn't be much bigger than the van she drives now (o.k., it would be a bit bigger than her Montana, huh, i just realized their car is the same model name as the model of their current camper...)
I figured a Class C on a Ford Chassis would be a good fit for size and I could easily work on if I needed to it since that is what chassis I work on during my 9-5 job.

Has anyone ever switched from a towable and how do you like it? Tell me the good and the bad please so I can pass it onto my folks. Thanks Dave!
__________________
'97 Jayco Eagle 314BHS

'03 Tahoe LT 5.3L
Plowtoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2014, 02:33 PM   #2
Senior Member
 
lx22f/c's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Friendswood
Posts: 917
My brother switched from a tt to a class A motorhome and he loves it. About the same in fuel ( a little more usage) as towing a big fifth wheel. Extra expense on tires.
My neighbors also dumped their tt and bought a brand new class c to travel in and they love it. Some like some don't, might be tough to talk them into it though but you can try. It sounds like a better fit to down size.
Good luck
lx22f/c is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2014, 02:46 PM   #3
Senior Member
 
Camper_bob's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: South Texas
Posts: 7,206
I don't own one myself, but my dad and his wife bought one a couple years ago and so did my parents' in law.

Dad had the truck and the plan to tow a 5er with a boat on the back, but a MH just fits them better. We had a TT when I was a kid. Their plan (since they keep it garaged at the house) is to keep it stocked with everything they need so they can just hop in and go. They have been marginally successful at this, they had to throw out a bunch of food they had stocked because it sat in there for a year unused. They got it used and got a really good deal on it through a dealer in MI, and they ABSOLUTELY LOVE it.

The in-laws bought a much smaller one. Same thing with them. They used to have a 5er that they loved, but quit using it and sold it many years ago. A few years ago, they got a small MH, and they have recently started taking their cats and dog with them, and they ABSOLUTELY LOVE it too. The just can't understand why we have such a big TT, and they rave about how easy it is to just drive up to a site, plug in and they're done.

Both sets of parents chose the Chevrolet Chassis on their MHs. Dad works with cutaway chassis and box-on-frame in the commercial market every day too and swears the Ford ones are junk (his opinion).

The reason we chose NOT to get a MH is because we like to explore adjacent areas when we travel, and didn't want to deal with a TOAD, and we really like the floorplan of our TT, and we already had a truck to tow it with, and we didn't have the money for the MH we would have wanted, and we're still young and strong enough to deal with the physical rigors of towing a TT.

All that being said, I think a MH is definitely the way to go for older folks who are having difficulty with health issues and what not. My FIL has issues with a nerve in his arm, so there's no way he's dealing with hitches or jacks or whatnot; the MH is perfect for him. My dad just wants to go to the lake and his MH tows his boat just fine. He wants to go on a moment's notice; MH is Great for that. He takes all the grand kids to Fort Wilderness once a year in the MH and they all have an absolute BLAST. Both of them are generally handy and can work on the chassis part or the MH part of the rig on their own (my dad has been turning wrenches since he could walk).

Yeah, it's a bit of money, but I think for A LOT of people, the MH is definitely the way to go, and it sounds like it would be a fantastic idea for your parents! They should go for it!
__________________

-2018 Greyhawk 29MV
-2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (JLU) (Primary Toad)
-1994 Jeep Wrangler YJ (Secondary Toad)
-2014 Jay Flight 28BHBE & Ram 2500 6.4L CC 4x4 (sold)
Camper_bob is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2014, 03:29 PM   #4
Senior Member
 
Grumpy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Where ever the boss says we're going.
Posts: 15,943
Have you thought about them looking at a 2006-2009 SENECA? Granted it is bigger than a F-450 chassis but width and length would be no bigger than their FW and truck,
__________________
DISNEY LOVERS
Grumpy is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-09-2014, 10:56 PM   #5
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Thibodaux
Posts: 54
Hi I purchased a Motorhome from my uncle who is 80 and he has no
Problem driving or using this greyhawk he jus sold me this is my first rv and I love it
Karl06greyhawk is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-10-2014, 07:45 AM   #6
Senior Member
 
Plowtoy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Hamilton, MI
Posts: 429
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grumpy View Post
Have you thought about them looking at a 2006-2009 SENECA? Granted it is bigger than a F-450 chassis but width and length would be no bigger than their FW and truck,
I haven't... I don't think dad would have a problem driving it, but because it looks so much bigger than a "normal" van, I don't think I could convince my mom to try to drive it.
They currently have an 03 F250SD CC short bed, and she wont even consider driving that because it looks so big to her. Thats why I thought a E450 chassis would be best, because IMO they feel smaller...
__________________
'97 Jayco Eagle 314BHS

'03 Tahoe LT 5.3L
Plowtoy is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by Jayco, Inc. or any of its affiliates. This is an independent, unofficial site.


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 05:16 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8 Beta 1
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2002-2016 Social Knowledge, LLC All Rights Reserved.