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Old 08-10-2012, 11:28 PM   #1
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5th wheel or class A

Okay we were talking about pros and cons over a few camp sodas last weekend and wanted to get more input. I will start with my ideas and then others please fire in... I like the 5th wheel for floor plans they seem to open up more than the class A units. Also the Maintenance on a 5th wheel including tv is less than the class A. The newer 5th wheels have all the same amenities as the class A's and I feel you can get into more campsites with a 5th wheel vs the class A. I prefer a triple or quad slide unit with opposing slides allowing the unit to expand to 14 ft wide. When you compare 100k to spend on a unit I think you get more with the 5th wheel..
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Old 08-11-2012, 12:47 PM   #2
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For me I couldl'nt see paying the extra money for a class A and having the extra upkeep of another vehicle for all the more I use it. If we were full timing and traveling a certainly would consider a class A but for now the 5er works well.
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Old 08-11-2012, 01:53 PM   #3
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For my opinion, and after reading everything I could get my hands on for the past 24 years about RV'ing as well as actually owning a 5er for the past 4 years, I can tell you that as long as we weekend, or part time camp, we will stick with a 5er. If and when we go full time, a Class A will definately be on our wish list.
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Old 08-11-2012, 03:45 PM   #4
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I had two older Class A motorhomes in the past so I'll throw in my 2 cents worth.

Class A motorhomes are a great way to travel. You get an exceptional view and they are easy to park. When you pull over to rest you are able to remain in the comfort of air conditioning, can walk around, sit down and have lunch and you never have to use nasty public restrooms or a hot one in the trailer! You're never in a hurry in a motorhome so it is very relaxing.

There are some things about Class A motorhomes that make them undesirable such as they are typically built with the same quality as travel trailers, and there are few craftsmen in the business. They usually have pretty crappy dash boards and those big windshields can be problematic. Sometimes the opening might be cut to big or the structure can have enough flex to pop out a corner. Some come with oddball headlamp lenses and taillights that might leave you in deep voodoo 10 years down the road trying to find a replacement. Several years ago there was a model so overbuilt it only had about 850lbs cargo capacity but it looked nice and shinny.

Service can be a pain too as often certain things are not where they should be and access to parts has been restricted by the way the coachmaker built it, in spite of the chassis maker's build guidelines. Sometimes there will be an oddball part nobody can find in the books. I had a Ford dealer partsman who told me Ford didn't make my chassis, an E33. The other dealer in town had no problem locating the parts I needed.

For all those reasons the Class C motorhomes are a better choice because you get auto manufacturer quailty on the dash, cab structure and service access. Parts jockeys are not nearly as confused when you have a Class C as when you say you're looking for a part for an E33 chassis or a P30, F53 or a Workhorse whatever.

It can cause sleepless nights when trying to sort out a problem with a dead Class A in the driveway because you toss and turn thinking about big wreckers, cracking fiberglass front caps, and the rear end dragging while on the hook. Luckily for me I never had to have one towed but I had the sleepless nights thinking about it before finding the problem.

After all this rambling I say the motorhome for comfort traveling, but the 5er will give you more room and peace of mind.
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Old 08-11-2012, 11:11 PM   #5
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Our truck and trailer cost less than half of a nice motorhome with several slides. We use the truck for other chores and trips and we get better mileage towing than most of our friends do with their motorhomes.
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