5th wheel vs. Class C

[Cdash]

Looking for opinions from those that have had this dilemma before us.

We have been in a bunk house 5th wheel for 9 years and are looking to upgrade. While it worked and served us well, we never really liked it, mostly quality and fit and finish stuff.

We do a lot of state and national park campgrounds, so need to stay on the shorter end to keep options open for sites. It's me, wife, 12 yo daughter and 10 yo son and 60 pound furball. We already have a good truck for towing our existing 5th, a 2015 F-350 with the 6.7.

We were all set on a Eagle HT 29.5 BHDS when we went to the recent RV show and happened on a Greyhawk 31FS. Really liked that floor plan, then started thinking about how nice it would be to be able to do bathroom stops while still moving and allow the kids more room than the back seat of the truck with furball between them. Kids are rooting for the Greyhawk.

Wife and I waffle back and forth. Bigger bunks and outdoor kitchen on the 5th are enticing, but ride comfort with Greyhawk is enticing as well. Cost of the Greyhawk when I already have a capable is a bummer. I know that no RV is perfect, and everything is a compromise. We know what the fifth wheel experience will be, but not the Class C experience. Afraid to make a $70,000 mistake by switching......

Is there anyone else that has been through this that can offer words of wisdom, or experience in the switch from one to another?

[SouthCo]

That's tough. My only insight is a pickup is nice to have around for house chores (trips to dump, hauling wood etc). Also at campsite, you need a toad with a RV. We travel from Md to Fl with three kids younger than yours. We only stop when the diesel needs fuel. They do great. Is your only plus to a class c the drive time?

You say you all never really like they 5th wheel experience. If you all don't like it maybe a class c would be better. Maybe rent a class c before making a decision?

[RodgerS]

My words of wisdom are to trade in some of your "thinking and thinking and researching and discussing and worrying" for some "actual personal experience" that you can get by renting.

No amount of thinking and wrestling with it will get it done. And anyone you ask for advice from is really gonna do nothing much more than come at it from their personal perspective which is irrelevant as to you needs as nobody knows your needs better than yourself and those only get sorted out via "actual personal experience."

I suggest you also rent a class A as well to round out your experiences.

So many buyers, not just new buyers, seem to get all dewey eyed and blow it. Just the nature of buying a dream. Similarly, so many buyers are so focused on buying new they ignore the best deals out there, which are the used units. However, buying used, in particular, is all about inspecting and that requires owners to upskill themselves and pay some professionals for assistance.

[Jagiven]

Never owned a 5 very or a MH. Have rented a class C a few times. Being able to move around was great. One thing we did not like was all the noise in the coach while driving. Lots of rattling.

[hoppers4]

I can't answer for you obviously but only post an opinion. Our initial quest for an RV was a fiver/truck combo. After much debate decided I didn't want a diesel commuter. Also didn't like the overall length of the fiver/truck combo.

We're on our third MH. First one was a shorter Jayco. Nice rig but was too small. Next rig was a 30' Class A. Nice rig also but I didn't like the ride or the drive. Wife didn't like the floor plan. The Jayco we have now is as close as we're going to get and it is also a compromise. We prefer opposing couch/dinette floor plan but then you give up a big galley. So far we're very happy with the rig in that it rides and drives much better than the other two. However, now we know we're going to eventually have to tow so now we're back to the overall length problem. Arrrrgggg! It's all a compromise.

As far as renting, you'd have to rent the exact rig that you're going to buy because they all drive and ride so different. Otherwise you won't get the whole story. Yes it is very handy driving a MH and being able to get a drink, a snack, or take a potty stop without a rest stop. Also a 15 minute setup is a real bonus. From the time we park til we're ready to check out the local campground is quick and easy. A real bonus if it's 100 degrees out.

Speaking of 100 degrees, 1 AC in my rig is inadequate. It's pretty darn warm in the rig after setup and takes quite a long time to cool down as the heat from the doghouse contributes a lot of heat.

Soooo, there ya go. No easy answer but we prefer the MH.

[Buckeye Hunter]

We have never had a motor home or a 5th wheel, but I spent a lot of time as a kid traveling with my grand parents in a class A. My opinion is that a motor home is good for traveling, a trailer is good for camping. What I mean is that if you want to spend only a night or 2 at a location, then move to a new location, a motor home is nice. The ability to move around, use restroom, grab a snack from the fridge (carefully) are very nice. If the plan is to camp at one spot for entire trip, then why waste inside space with the cockpit. You have already touched on my other though of tow vehicle. I am the type of person that wants and uses a full size truck. For me, why would I want to maintain another engine, for a vehicle that would only get a few thousand miles a year. On the other hand, if the truck would only be used to pull a camper, then it might make more sense to have a motor home, especially if your daily driver could be used as a toad.

[Cdash]

Originally Posted by SouthCo

That's tough. My only insight is a pickup is nice to have around for house chores (trips to dump, hauling wood etc). Also at campsite, you need a toad with a RV. We travel from Md to Fl with three kids younger than yours. We only stop when the diesel needs fuel. They do great. Is your only plus to a class c the drive time?

You say you all never really like they 5th wheel experience. If you all don't like it maybe a class c would be better. Maybe rent a class c before making a decision?

I should clarify a little. It's not that we didn't like the 5'er experience, is that didn't like the 5'er we chose. Was a bottom level rig and really cheaply made. It worked ok, but always was waiting for the next thing to break, fall off, etc. We have made the best of it and have towed it 45,000 miles across the country and saw some cool places and made good memories.

I know it may sound silly to buy bottom of the line and be disappointed, but it was our first RV. We didn't know what we were doing our really getting into. Nor understand how RV's are out together. Have a much better idea of what we are looking at this time around.

We are going to get something different and that opened up the discussion after seeing a C floor plan that would work.

[gmapatime]

Since we've gone from a FW to MH recently, I'll offer our opinion for whatever it's worth.


FW Pro's -

• Comfortable ride when equipped correctly
• Interior room/floor plans available

FW Con's -

• Step-up floor
• Less storage capability
• Maneuvering ability in tight campgrounds
• Exterior disconnect/connect in foul weather

MH Pro's -

• Comfortable ride when equipped correctly
• Ease of stopping anywhere
• Greater storage capability
• Ease of set-up/breakdown

MH Con's -

• Motorized maintenance not available everywhere
• Cabin noise

With all this said... Only you can decide which is better for you

Steve

[Watt]

We went thru the same exercise and eventually decided on a Super C vs our previous Fifth Wheel for most of the reasons that have been stated in the previous posts. We picked the Super C in order to stay with a diesel engine; maintenance is readily available and fueling is easy at truck stops. Setup/take down is much easier especially the older I get.

[hboy]

I like the idea of rending a C for a short trip or two. See how it goes. I know my kids would love bouncing around an open coach while traveling. Me on the other hand would get distracted having someone walking around while driving down the highway. Sounds like a trip to the ER if I had to swerve...

I've never done it, but does anyone get car sick trying to use the bathroom in a moving vehicle?

[NC Roamer]

Originally Posted by hboy

I like the idea of rending a C for a short trip or two. See how it goes. I know my kids would love bouncing around an open coach while traveling. Me on the other hand would get distracted having someone walking around while driving down the highway. Sounds like a trip to the ER if I had to swerve...

I've never done it, but does anyone get car sick trying to use the bathroom in a moving vehicle?

We stay buckled in when driving in the Greyhawk except for brief intervals when getting a snack or using the bathroom. Neither myself, DW nor grandkids have ever been car sick in the RV.

The grandkids really love being able to play games at the dinette while traveling. Having them occupied makes it much nicer.

[jal0710]

I camped with my father and mother-in-law for a number of years in a Class A and then later in a C, as well as in a truck camper and our fifth-wheels. I'm not sure there is more storage space in comparably sized Cs to fifth-wheels. I have a fifth-wheel now and thought about going to a class C a few years ago when FIL was getting rid of his, but decided that since we generally take our boat along with us, we would have to have two vehicles anyway, the class C and another vehicle to sightsee and put the boat into and take it out of the lake, so we were simplifying our life at all. If you buy a rig large enough to be comfortable in, the ability to get "out and around" will be somewhat limited unless you bring along a toad, an additional cost. As you can tell, I am a fifth-wheel fan, and at my age, probably won't change since I won't be doing this for a longer time, whether with a fifth-wheel or a motorhome. You need to make your decision as to what you really "need" rather than what you want. If you don't ever get "out and around", then a MH is probably the way to go.

[Lolead]

My choice would be the 5th wheel. You have the tow vehicle, do not need to haul around another car to use once set up, and the truck could, if wante3d, be used as a daily driver and haul "stuff" when nee3ded. When NOT camping, what would the motorhome be used for ? If we ever upgrade, doubtful, I would go with a 5th wheel again. We like our Jay Flight but, the 5er we had was much easier to tow. Good luck with your choice whatever it may be.

[clubhouse]

We considered a MH briefly, but ultimately decided to stay with a towable simply to have one less motorized vehicle to maintain. For a MH to be useful you need a tow a car with it too, so now your combination has two engines, tranmissions, radiators, etc to worry about. Plus it was much easier to let economics influence the decision since towables are much less expensive. Should we not need the truck bed to haul dogs and stuff we would have gone with a 5r, I am sure that will come in the future when the need for an open truck bed is reduced as kids grow and move on.

[RedHorse1]

The bride and I briefly went through this decision process when we were trading up from the X23B. Obviously we went with a 5th.
For us the tipping points were the need for a toad, the MH is big truck that only does one thing (transports the MH) and the space for engine and front cab is lost storage and living area.
It is also obvious from the other posts that some folks have gone from a 5th to a MH and are completely satisfied.
Folks is folks and we're all different.
Ian Anderson said it in lyrics, "Wouldn't it be a real drag if we were all the same".

[3'senough]

Having a 5th wheel makes you wonder how the other half lives and the setiment is probably the same from the other side of the argument.

What I like:

Space inside
Outdoor kitchen
basement storage
ability to disconnect from living qtrs
no addition engine maintenance

What I would like.
Access to food while traveling
more cabin space while on the road.

I would not let my kids unbuckle to use the bathroom while underway. Nor would I like them sitting in an unbuckled seat while traveling.

Bathroom stops on the outbound are fast since it's a quick in and out of my 2 accessible heads. Takes longer to walk the dog than the kids to go. Food stops do require a bump out of a slide to get to the fridge, but again it's pretty quick. Inbound we use public restrooms as the time between trips is somewhat longer and I am not a fan of keeping my black tank full with waste for storing. That would still require me to stop for potty stops.

I have seen folks struggle with the toads and with leveling a larger unit without some type of ground control. Same is true of some trailers, but it's a lot easier with legs to get front to back that 2 axles.

I will just close with saying that the roads are dangerous and while many of us survived our childhoods of being in the back seats or sometimes trunks(station wagon) without seatbelts. I would not even think of it today. Antime an accident can occur and the 3 or so minutes it takes to duck in a rest stop is just not worth the savings in time still traveling. In the end I like my setup, but as mentioned it's a personal preference and we could all make arguments equal in both directions.

The rental idea sounds like a winner since you are already invested in a 5'er. Try it out for a long weekend or one of your planned trips.

[RodgerS]

I retired almost two years ago and in the interim earned my Certified RV Service Specialist and RV Inspector designations. My wife and I plan to travel around the U.S. and do some overseas traveling as well.

I really like 5th wheels, but I don't plan to stay in a specific location for an extended period of time, except occasionally, and don't want to be stuck with a truck for long distance travels. I have thought about a semi hauler, but I end up with a smart car or renting a car.

So, it comes down to a new Seneca Super C or a used high end Class A. The high end used Class A can be had for about half price of a new Seneca, so the probability is something along the line of a used Newmar Mountain Aire or slightly newer Dutch Star with Comfort Drive. The price then allows some flexibility to upgrade the dp, cover a lot of local and international travel costs, and pull an SUV around.

I would say it is about 85% decided, but the wife and I will rent, I will visit the factories, and then we will see. An air ride, air leveling, pulling an SUV, and a high quality interior has its draw. This is especially so as if the chassis is in good shape and there is no water damage, then all is possible with a used dp, in particular if the prospective buyer has good repair and inspection skills, and brings a few additional pros into help as well, like a diesel mechanic and chassis specific experts.

[Cdash]

We found a 29.5 BHDS to look at on Saturday and went and test drove a 31 FS tonight.

I was hoping that looking at them would make it a easier decision, and in the end, I think it might have.

The fifth wheel felt a little smaller than it looks, but feels like it will work for us. It is somewhat similar to the one we have now, but the bigger bunks with higher weight capacity Few little things that I don't like, but I think we can make changes to deal with all of that. I wish they offered this plan in the regular Eagle line, but seems like shorter bunk houses are only offered in the lower price units, just the market, I guess. Even though, feels much better than our current rig from a quality standpoint. Just really leary of the low cargo carrying capacity of the unit. Now for the important part: wife loves the outside kitchen and big awning! I'm wondering about adding an invertor to run the outside fridge, but I'll worry about that later.

The 31FS test drive left me feeling very underwhelmed. Everything about looking at it just seemed "blah" to me. It's a nice looking rig, but it seemed like beyond the kitchen, everything else was a sacrifice. Small bunks (vs growing kids), a short queen (vs my 6'-2" frame), storage that would be scattered, no easy way to add a second battery, lack of outside storage, lack of outside kitchen and very short awning. Even the drive was "blah". Maybe I am spoiled with my 15 F-350 6.7 lariat, but the ride, handling, noise and power were just blah. I enjoy driving with my truck, with the test drive, not so much. The unit had the rear vibration too. Who ever would have thought a diesel would seem quiet compared to a gasser? The only good thing I can see about it is the ability to quickly get snacks use the restroom, but I'm not seeing enough to offset the "blah" of it...... I can't seem to shake the feeling that this could be a $20,000 mistake.

Even the kids are torn. They really want the Class C for travel comforts, but both of them like the beds in the 5'er, not that they get to make the decision, but I like getting their input.

In the end, I think we'll be going 5'er, but need to sit down and decide with the wife. We've survived 9 years with a 5'er already, so continuing on shouldn't be too difficult.

Thanks for the input, it helped with the looking process!

[DesertJayco]

My wife and I just went through this. We had our old bunk house fifth wheel for eleven years. Now the kids are older we were entertaining the idea of moving to a MH. We looked and looked and compared and just didn't get the same "feel" from the motor homes. I am also a "truck guy" at home and we didn't want to buy a toad. The MH floor plans didn't appeal to us (at least right now....not ruling one out down the road!) I need to stop every once in a while to stretch the legs any way so this gives passengers a chance to stretch and use bathroom at the same time. I have been able to put my Fifth wheel any where a comparable sized MH can so parking is not an issue. We decided we are still 5er people !

[driwer]

My wife and I had a 32' 5th wheel for a couple of years. When we retired, we wanted a new camper. We went back and forth the same way you are. We decided on a the 2015 Grayhawk DS. There are several differences between the two but you learn to live with them. We went on a 22 day trip to the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone with our two 15 yr old grandkids. It got tight a couple of times but good for the most part. Parking, setting up the new coach, getting gas, and stopping anywhere is so my easier than the 5th wheel was. Potty breaks and snack breaks while in motion are a major plus. We just park and take the toad on day trips. It sure gets a lot better gas mileage that my F350. I just kept it to use around the house.

Good luck with your decision.