Hello Folks,
I am now on my second trailer, started with a 24 feet hybrid and moved up to 30 feet Kodiak travel trailer. We have two young boys ages 8 and 12 very active outdoors type. My wife and I are thinking of trading up to a class “C” but with the young active children that love water sports and like to go places when we camp we are not sure if a motorhome is practical.
We looked at the fifth wheel and the class “c” motorhome.
Question:
1) How do you find owning a motor home and pulling a small recreation vehicle?
2) How do you find the driving and manoeuvring of a fifth wheel?
Any advice is much appreciated and thanks in advance.
I towed a Toy P/Up behind my 26 ft Class C MH for thousands of miles with no problems. Easy to get in and out of service stations, tight camp grounds etc.
Moved up to a Class A 34 ft, did not care for that. Went to TT,then 5th w which I liked the TT better because I like to haul "stuff" in the P/Up bed. I did not see any advantage of the 5th w over the TT as I never had a problem with towing either . I have had a 22 ft MH and 34 ft TT at the same time which works out great because I can tow my enclosed trailer with my MC in it behind the MH when the DW does not care to go as she prefers the TT with slides
Similar to SAMSONTDOG's comment above, I used a motorhome/small car combo for years and thousands of cross-country miles. I felt totally comfortable with this setup and enjoyed having the small car (a 2000 Saturn) for getting about after setting up camp.
That being said, I joined the fifth wheel crowd last year and am quite happy with my choice. I won't go into detail on all the reasons to own a fiver vs a MH, or a MH vs a fiver because there are several threads on this forum dealing with that choice. Simply put, I like the fiver better because it is all living space and with the three slides is every bit like having a small apartment on wheels. Additionally, there isn't a second engine/drivetrain to be concerned with. Of course, there are many valid reasons to go the motorhome route and I truly did enjoy my many years of motorhoming. I just think a fiver is more practical as a dwelling (I fulltime).
As far as driving and maneuvering, there is a definite learning curve when going from MH to fiver. I learned pretty fast and now feel confident in all situations with my fiver in tow. Yes, a MH will be easier to park in a site once the toad is detached but parking a fiver just takes a little more skill and patience. Once in your site, setup is not that much different from a MH. Some say it's more difficult but from experience I can say it's not difficult at all.
Mr. Ed (fulltiming since 1987)
2007 Hitchhiker II LS Model 29.5 LKTG
2007 Dodge Ram 3500/6.7 CTD/QC/4X4/SB/SRW/6-speed man/Big Horn edition
I'm not very fond of Class C MH. The problem with most class C MHs is that you will not have enough power or GVWR to tow a vehicle behind. You CAN tow a toad but it would really push all but the largest Class C MHs.
I would go Class A or fifth wheel. How many Class Cs do you see pulling a toad? Without a toad you can go to a campground and sit there but you can't do any local exploring.
If you do go with a class C make sure you have enough GVWR and GCWR for your whole family, cargo and enough capacity to spare to pull a small car. Then watch out when you hit your first hill with all that weight!
I guess it wouldn't be too bad if you bought a Class C on a Ford chasis with a V10 that had a dry weight of 14,000 pounds or less. Then you would be at 17,000 pounds wet with your family and cargo on board. This would leave 3,000 pounds for a toad and you could still climb a hill without screaming too bad at 20,000# GCVW.
2004 Ford F250 Harley Davidson Edition
Crew cab short bed 4x4
6.0 PSD 5spd Auto 3.73LSD
2006 Cherokee 285B+
B&W companion 5th wheel hitch
I had a Class "C" and pulled a small trailer, with motorcycle, behind it all the time. I found it was sort of hard backing up because I could not see the trailer until it was too late. I did tow a car and found that there was not enough power to move booth the "C" and car toghther in the mountians. I now have a 30 ft fiver and find it really easy to go just about anywhere you could take a short "C" with trailer. Backing is a breeze because I can see the trailer at all times. I post someone behind when backing just to make sure that the unthinkable does not become the thinkable. To answer your question: I would have the fiver than the Class "C".
Jesse & Karen Norris with Kirby our chow-chow
2005 HitchHiker II LS 29.5 LKTG
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Turbo Diesel
Martinez, Georgia
We had a 27ft Class A and towed a Ford Ranger. Put a lot of miles on it and took many camping trips in it. Only my wife and I. Our MH was an older one and we liked having a 'backup' vehicle, which I had to use once (radiator blew out on MH). Problems include not being able to back up without unhooking, having a second chassis for maintenance, insurance, etc.
We now have a fiver and pickup. Fits our current needs better.
Disadvantages and advantages to both.
Watersports, do you want to carry a trailer with toys on it, or a boat? A MH is the way to go (A or C if the boat isn't too big). Does have the disadvantage that to put the boat in the water you have to maneuver the MH.
Or, toy hauler would be my vote if no boat. You could fit a PWC or two. Usually sleeping arrangements are nice in them for families.
Personal choice for towing is fiver.
charlie
2006 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab
2003 Skyline Nomad 24ft Fiver
Me and Wife
Maggie the Old English Sheepdog
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