motor homes vs tag along vs 5th wheel NGC

[hooah54]

We belong to Good Sams and a local chapter in Fayettevile, NC.  (150 miles from us but I get to reunite with old Army buddies monthly) Club members have the spectrum of RV's from small tag alongs to 40' diesel pushers.  There are expenses to owning but we have met the most friendly and interesting people RVing.  Think of a Master Card commerical...pricel ess

[charlie b]

Short beds can be a problem (the 5ft beds) but the regular beds are not that big a deal.  I have a regular bed on my truck and if I turn too tight the trailer will hit the window.  I also have a sliding hitch to use in case I need to turn that tight.  Have never used it.  I still get over 60deg in a turn so can maneuver wherever I need to.  Just have to be careful.

Yes, diesels are more expensive to operate unless you keep them a long time.  Mine is approaching 100k miles after 6 years.  It wasn't broken in until 50k miles.  Probably half of that was towing and most of those trips were cross country, 3-5 days each way.

It really depends on how much towing you do and how far you go.  A gasser is much better as an around town vehicle.  If you are taking one day trips every month or so, then a gasser would be better.  I drew the line at 10k miles a year towing.  If less than that a gasser makes more sense.

[Green1]

Mine has the garage in the front,makes the trailer lighter as it only has to be reinforced at the front where the hitch is,its 1/2 ton towable which is a big plus in my book,downside is I have to remove the tail rack for loading

[Arizona Wayne]

I had a 5th wheel before a comparable length toyhauler w/antiswaybar hitch setup.  With the 5th wheel I lost a lot of room in the 8' truck bed to put things.  With the same truck w/toyhauler that is no longer an issue and surprisingly it's no harder to hook up the trailer than it was the 5th wheel.    As far as handling I see no real difference.  So now I have more storage room in the back of the truck than I ever had w/the 5th wheel + the storage in the toyhauler.   

Today I just got my new cheap Chinese 4,850 watt generator running on propane. Tomorrow I will test it with my trailer microwave and A/C.  Stay tuned............

[Shorty]

Very timely discussion for me. Looking to try RVing. I keep going from one extreme

to the other

Now, both of us are on CPAP. No desire for sleeping on the ground, and we need power for the breathing machines. Also no room at our house to park RV. So, whatever we get will involve storage fees. And as mentioned, the damn thing is eating whether it is working or not. I shoulda listened to my teachers and went to CEO school.

[Arizona Wayne]

Very timely discussion for me. Looking to try RVing. I keep going from one extreme

to the other

Now, both of us are on CPAP. No desire for sleeping on the ground, and we need power for the breathing machines. Also no room at our house to park RV. So, whatever we get will involve storage fees. And as mentioned, the damn thing is eating whether it is working or not. I shoulda listened to my teachers and went to CEO school.

Shorty, I have 1 of those PU tents too and used it once.  If my 3/4T PU got better gas mileage I woulda gone that route a lot more, but I digress.  The only option I haven't tried is a bonafide MH and I didn't have to learn the expensive way to avoid that.   

[Rotten Ralph]

We tried the RV route and decided to sell.
Pluses are self contained, not too bad to handle.
Negatives are storage, 8 mpg, cycle not real easy to load and unload, either tow a car or rent one.

[Noguzznoglory]

Have owned bumper pull trailer, motor home no 5th wheel trailer. We went back to a trailer from a motor home because you have less upkeep. With the motor home you have another complete vehicle to buy tires, brakes and every thing else for. Trailer you just have to poack the wheel bearings periodically. You'll be maintaining your tow vehicle anyway and using it for other stuff.
If you buy a trailer new don't plan on getting more than 4 years out of the tires. All manufacturers use cheap tires and they'll start blowing out after 4 years. Upgrade the tires.
The differences between bumper pull and 5th wheel have been covered.
Also, with any size trailer plan to upgrade to a diesel. Many trailers are sold as 1/2 ton towable but I was never happy towing til I got a diesel. Your f150 will get 8-9 miles per gallon towing and you can get 11-13 with the diesel depending on what you pull. Plus the power mAkes it mu he easier to tow, especially if you live in a hilly area

[LowRyter]

Downside to 5th wheel, if you have dual cab that usually means a short bed and if you don't have a sliding base for the hitch you will take out your rear window in a sharp turn.

While researching this a while back someone else had done the hard work and said diesel was not worth the extra money unless you put in a lot of miles, towed a very heavy load and/or planned on keeping the truck a long time. Most folks tended to upgrade their trucks before they broke even.

Gas mileage will be poor, you do this for the convenience (we're considering it because we have three dogs, a pain to find a hotel that will accept over two if they accept any at all). But I keep hearing that for just about everybody, with more planning, it is much cheaper to hotel it than to own an RV. You are trading money for convenience (or time, if you're lazy like me).

I'm looking at a used Airstream (still seduced by the Class C's and A's) since they are low and tow very easily and if we hate it - great resale value. Guzzi content!

I think when my wife retires we'll do the trailer despite all the bad reasons to do so, just for the life experience. I'd rather not regret not doing it.

agree with everything you said.  And have had first hand experience.  DUH.

I might add that a hotel is no substitute for a campground, especially at a rally or race.  But it is a luxury.  And owning and operating any RV as an "economy" measure isn't going to pay off.

And finally, I was content with pulling a motorcycle trailer and packing a tent in my Trooper.   Then I thought about a pick up and a small box trailer to finish out.  By the time I was done I had the 5th wheel and 3/4 ton pick up.  Be careful.  It's easy to inquire about a simple trailer for your car or SUV or your pick up or your 3/4 ton pick up or dually or light truck and the next thing you know you have this RIG.

[Demar]

I've thought about something like this.....

[LowRyter]

Now a bad deal.  Two bikes out front or an ATV.  Room to spare for a generator. 

Make sure the bed fold out is good and won't need replacement. 

You could get by with a half ton with towing package.  But you'd still feel more secure with 3/4 ton.  Either way, don't expect to get more than 8 MPG average with a gasoline powered truck when pulling it. 

[Joliet Jim]

35 foot tt pulled by a silverado with the 5.3. it does the job, but i'm looking for a heavy duty when the year end discounts come out. looking to full time possibly in another couple of years. i could tow a 5th wheel if i could attach it, as someone said payload capacity is the limitations with a half ton. we've thought of a toy hauler but the idea of living in something that smells like a garage just doesn't do it for us. might try a fifth wheel since they supposedly tow better, wind can be a bitch with the long tt. i do like the room in the tt with the opposing slides. fun but it does limit time on the bikes.

[Arizona Wayne]

I'm surprised on one here has talked about how much the ownership costs vary from state to state on what RV setup you have.  In Calif. this is crucial unless you don't care how much you have to pay for your lifestyle decisions.  A MH vs. a RV trailer or even what size PU truck you own makes for very big differences in ownership costs depending what state you reside in.   

[ITSec]

An advantage of 5th wheel trailers (If I understand the law correctly) is that people can ride in the 5th wheel while towing - but they cannot ride in hitch-pull trailers while towing.

This varies from state to state - in many states, passengers may not be in any trailer regardless of type.

[Texas Turnip]

I'm enjoying this interesting discussion from those of you with experience. I used to think when I got old this would be the way to go, but do you have regrets when you have your big rig and you can't pull over to read a historical marker, park at a local cafe, make a u-turn to (to see Deadmans Hill in MI). take off down a gravel road to see a ghost town? Many times I asked myself that with a big rig I'd of misted that.

I seldom eat out in the local area, so when I travel one of the enjoyments is eating in the local cafes and visiting.

And if I did buy a big rig I wouldn't be obnoxious at rallies by parking it under 4 trees and running the exhaust with fumes blowing in a tent.

I liked it at John Day because the big rigs had their own area.

Tex

[rocker59]

I'm enjoying this interesting discussion from those of you with experience. I used to think when I got old this would be the way to go, but do you have regrets when you have your big rig and you can't pull over to read a historical marker, park at a local cafe, make a u-turn to (to see Deadmans Hill in MI). take off down a gravel road to see a ghost town? Many times I asked myself that with a big rig I'd of misted that.

I seldom eat out in the local area, so when I travel one of the enjoyments is eating in the local cafes and visiting.

And if I did buy a big rig I wouldn't be obnoxious at rallies by parking it under 4 trees and running the exhaust with fumes blowing in a tent.

I liked it at John Day because the big rigs had their own area.

Tex

Trailering definitely changes the trip.  Less local interaction en route to the destination.

Motorcycle travel is a full-immersion experience that you just can't get sitting behind the wheel of a pick up truck.

Getting to and from the rallies/campouts is most of the trip when you're riding the bike.  Lots of fun things to see and do along the way that you'll probably just pass by if sitting in the truck on 70mph cruise.

On the other hand, having your own bed, and the ability to carry extra food/clothing/tools/etc. is nice when trailering.

Definitely two different experiences. 

[Ted N]

We have a 26.5 ft Safari Trek MH. It is fully self contained, is able to fit in most smaller camp sites, make a U turn on a wider 2 lane roads and we can pull over for lunch etc anytime. The queen size bed disappears into the ceiling via electric motor when not in use making the entire MH living space during awake hours. The 8.1 gas V8 recently got 8.6 mpg on a 1250 mile tour of the Utah mountains and does better in the flatlands. We took the Vespa along on a rear rack this time but we usually haul the side car rig on an aluminum ATV trailer which makes no difference in fuel mileage. We use it as a base camp and tour from there. We have been real happy with it.

Ted

[charlie b]

Yes, there are the disadvantages to owning a big rig.  We like our smaller 5th wheel just because it can get into some tight spots....but....you are right, you can't pull over and park on "Main Street" to eat at that little diner you just saw.  And many places make it difficult, like some fast food places.  You even have to look over gas stations carefully to make sure you can get in and out.

What you have to do is alter your trip a bit.  If you find a town you want to explore then stop at the next campground or big parking lot and set up camp for the night.  Take the truck or walk into town.  Be careful where you stop.  Always best to ask permission or you may get a knock on the door in the middle of the night.  :)