5th Wheel vs Class A

[CanineCamper]

We currently have the 40' Jayco Pinnacle we pull with a 4 door 1 ton truck. We are looking at the Jayco Embark 39T2 40' Class that we would tow a vehicle behind.

Looking for opinions on which is better. Which one would be easier to maneuver and turn, do you feel wind more with a Class A than a 5th Wheel...any thoughts on differences welcome!

[Jagiven]

I have a coworker that went from a TT, 5ver (only had for a short time) to a class A.

The 5ver disappeared fairly quickly due the steps. They hatted all the steps just to go to the bathroom.

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

I have a coworker that went from a TT, 5ver (only had for a short time) to a class A.

The 5ver disappeared fairly quickly due the steps. They hatted all the steps just to go to the bathroom.

To get to the bathroom and bedroom on mine, it's not bad. 1 step, 2 steps 3 steps and you are on the bathroom and bedroom level. Maybe the out door steps were the concern.

[jetlag]

Lol, I don't think the OP is worried about steps to the bedroom.

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by jetlag

Lol, I don't think the OP is worried about steps to the bedroom.

I wasn't quoting the original poster. Read my post again.

[TxLoser]

If money were no object that’s an itch I’d like to scratch. What holds me back is floor plans, length and cost. I’d ideally want a 37ish foot DP, but $$$. So many of them have this TT floor plan where the TV is perpendicular to the seating. For a better floor plan you end up at 40’ or more and more $$. Then there’s the Gas A’s… Some good looking vehicles with nice floor plans. The latest Precepts look really nice, but you spend 180-200K and then a bunch of time and more money to make it comfortably travel down the road.

I’d like to hear what others say too. The thing I really like about A’s is the idea of parking, hitting some buttons and you’re done. Especially when there’s a downpour as you arrive at the site. Also, being able to pull into a rest area and do the same. Lastly, easy bathroom and food access traveling, long range due to fuel tank size, and generally being self contained.

One thing I’ve always wondered is if an equally long A is easier to park than a FW or tougher. Again, something we’ve been curious about as well and if money were no issue…

[Big1]

Yeah, I start out with a 37' TT and then I had two fiver, all were nice but now we just traded up to a Jayco Precept 36C which is 38'.

We was looking at it that we could go to the bathroom when traveling, all but myself of course I would have to stop and just go back to the bathroom, we get to the fridge and get a pop or whatever you like. I do like that fact that when we get to our site I just make sure that I'm line up with the water, power and sewer and then I just push the button to level the coach.

So, all I have to do is to go out and hook up the power and water and sewer of course. I love the floor plan of our MH it has two bathrooms, and I was able to transfer our washer & dryer over from my fiver. The coach is a little wider that what we had, which was a 2019 Jayco 321rsts which we love.

My wife had a hard time sometimes going up another set of stairs and myself since I have a bad back it is a little better, for us, everyone is not the same this was just for ours reason.

We love our new floor plan so it make it a little earlier. Now as far as the gas coach the ride was almost a white knuckle experience so I had to spend a little more money on making it drive better, it's not like a DP by no means.

I just spend money on adding a rear trac bar, safe-t-plus and koni's shocks and by adding those you want get blow around when the 18-wheeler blow by you or you get a big gush of wind and also by letting some of the air out of the tires.

The big tires that we have are Michelin tires which are 22.5 so you can make it to drive a whole lot better, so you want have to hold on to the steering wheel when any truck or cars blow by.

So right now, I have it just the way I want to, my tanks are pretty big the gas tank is 80 gals so we can go pretty far, coming home from picking it up I was getting around 8 mpg, but it is brand new, and I live in the PNW so that is to be expected. There are other reason why we went with the MH, but I can't think of them right now.

In our MH we have two bathrooms, a 5500 generator, solar panel, Winegard 2.0, and things that I can't recall now but yeah we love it and we are looking forward on taken it out again. We had to buy a little suv car to toad with but that's not a problem, our propane tank is about pretty big also. If you have any questions let me know I will be glad to answer them.

Oh yeah, I forgot that we got a good deal on our new MH and they just paid off what we owe on our 321rsts.

[F350guy]

Age old discussion. We've had a class A gas, a class A diesel pusher and a lifetime supply of 5th wheels. My comfort level is with a fifth wheel because it has no drive train to deal with and I can repair a lot of things on it. I was limited with our motor homes. I need a truck no matter what I have so it makes more sense for us to have a fifth wheel.

I spent a lot of money to get the motor homes to drive straight down the road. Out the box most of the truck/fifth wheel combo's I've owned have been really good in the handling department. They make all types of rv's to fit a variety of needs. An argument can be made for each depending on your wants and needs. For us, the expense of owning a motor home and a vehicle set up as a toad didn't make much financial sense. We had the motor homes for a total of 9 years so I am very much aware of their advantages with the convenience of a kitchen and bathroom available while going down the road. Somehow though the inconvenience of having those things in a separate box behind me is something that really doesn't bother me.

It's your money so in the long run only you can decide how to spend it. Good luck.

[CanineCamper]

These are all exactly our thoughts. Would love smaller Class A, but like you said the horrible placement of the TV...sorry we like to watch tv without cranking our necks. lol and concerns about driving and parking that huge thing

[TWP723]

Class A's are great, if you want a complete unit. But then you still have to tow a vehicle behind you. So you STILL have two vehicles to contend with at the campgrounds. Fifth wheels are great because you can detach and have a vehicle to get around. Now, stop and think. They're basically the same configuration...just in reverse. Fifth wheel...you tow an RV. Class A...you tow a vehicle. Class A floorplans are the absolute worse. There's no creativity or surprise when you walk in a class A. They're pretty much copies of one another and monotonous. At least 5'ers mix it up a bit. Front living rooms, front kitchens, fireplaces in the bedroom, etc. Both require a huge investment regardless. Fifth wheels need a big money tow vehicle and class A's need a towable vehicle. So both are two unit configurations, just depends on what you desire. Depending on what you get, rig lengths can be close to the same. So parking your camp rig, regardless of choice, will pretty much be close to one another.

[Onyrlef]

Originally Posted by CanineCamper

We currently have the 40' Jayco Pinnacle we pull with a 4 door 1 ton truck. We are looking at the Jayco Embark 39T2 40' Class that we would tow a vehicle behind.

Looking for opinions on which is better. Which one would be easier to maneuver and turn, do you feel wind more with a Class A than a 5th Wheel...any thoughts on differences welcome!

All other things being equal my personal choice would be the DP, not so sure I'd roll the dice with that brand though.

[Big1]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Class A's are great, if you want a complete unit. But then you still have to tow a vehicle behind you. So you STILL have two vehicles to contend with at the campgrounds. Fifth wheels are great because you can detach and have a vehicle to get around. Now, stop and think. They're basically the same configuration...just in reverse. Fifth wheel...you tow an RV. Class A...you tow a vehicle. Class A floorplans are the absolute worse. There's no creativity or surprise when you walk in a class A. They're pretty much copies of one another and monotonous. At least 5'ers mix it up a bit. Front living rooms, front kitchens, fireplaces in the bedroom, etc. Both require a huge investment regardless. Fifth wheels need a big money tow vehicle and class A's need a towable vehicle. So both are two unit configurations, just depends on what you desire. Depending on what you get, rig lengths can be close to the same. So parking your camp rig, regardless of choice, will pretty much be close to one another.

Yes I would agree it's a preference thing for what one want.

[bucko]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Class A's are great, if you want a complete unit. But then you still have to tow a vehicle behind you. So you STILL have two vehicles to contend with at the campgrounds. ......

Not everyone drives around when they camp. When my wife and I take our class C out to a campground, we stay at the campground. We relax, we cook, and we enjoy talking with others.

Now if you are long term campers at one location, I understand the need for a toad.

[TWP723]

Originally Posted by bucko

Not everyone drives around when they camp. When my wife and I take our class C out to a campground, we stay at the campground. We relax, we cook, and we enjoy talking with others.

Now if you are long term campers at one location, I understand the need for a toad.

Yeah..I see people doing that on occasion. I guess it boils down to preference in your camping mode and planning. I'd be Jones'n if I didn't have a way to get up and leave quickly if need be. We were at Harpers Ferry camping one year and my youngest son, 20 at the time, had a seizure back at home and I had to leave fast. But yeah, not everyone has a toad...you're right.

[RedHorse1]

Ahh, the age old question: smooth or chunky peanut butter.
For me the answer was a 5th. The coach has its own engine, tranny, steering and other dedicated bits. At the end of the day all that stuff does is push your house down the road. Sightseeing, eating out, fetching groceries and refilling the adult bev cabinet require a toad, local rental, Uber, taxi or similar. An additional plus for the 5th was I got to buy a really cool 1T TV (my 1st pickup and 1st diesel).
It’s been the right answer for us.

[TWP723]

Originally Posted by RedHorse1

Ahh, the age old question: smooth or chunky peanut butter.
For me the answer was a 5th. The coach has its own engine, tranny, steering and other dedicated bits. At the end of the day all that stuff does is push your house down the road. Sightseeing, eating out, fetching groceries and refilling the adult bev cabinet require a toad, local rental, Uber, taxi or similar. An additional plus for the 5th was I got to buy a really cool 1T TV (my 1st pickup and 1st diesel).
It’s been the right answer for us.

Smooth.

[Lazierfan]

Originally Posted by TWP723

Class A's are great, if you want a complete unit. But then you still have to tow a vehicle behind you. So you STILL have two vehicles to contend with at the campgrounds.

More often than not we have been renting the grocery getter at or close to the destination, or do without a passenger car.

[LCBOYER]

I have had both at one time or other. For long term camping I thought Fifth wheel was better. For traveling I liked the class A. It was easier to hitch fifth wheel than Jeep.

[norty1]

We have had both and I like both?

Dislikes on a fifth wheel are the steps to get in and the additional steps inside to get to the bath and bedroom.

Dislikes on the Class A , or Class C even is the amount of $$$ you have to spend to make it basically driveable over and above what you spend to get in it.

[ceasare]

An older gentleman I met at a campground had a high dollar 5 er and was telling me how he loved the tiffien motorhomes so I asked how come he went down to a fiver. He stated” I broke down once”