Sorry to be so confused, but are you asking what PROCESS you have to go thru when hooking/unhooking and setting up a fifth wheel? For example, do you need to know what steps to take after backing the fiver into the campsite, such as leveling, unhooking, etc? If so, please clarify and I'm sure you will get the help you need.
You asked what others do, so here's my take. Whether I owned a fiver or a MH, after doing the necessary water, electric, sewer, etc. I would put out the outside rug, roll out the awning, drag out a couple of chairs, and TAKE IT EASY. But it is your own personal preference, so if your husband likes to stay busy doing all the other little things, AND ENJOYS IT, why not let him, as long as he does it safely and doesn't hurt himself. I have seen some people pull into a site, unhook and level, and that's about it. Other people apparently haul everything they own at home to the campsite - but if that's what makes them happy, so be it. Sounds like you and your husband just need to talk this over and figure out what works best for BOTH of you.
dennislanier wrote: Sorry to be so confused, but are you asking what PROCESS you have to go thru when hooking/unhooking and setting up a fifth wheel? For example, do you need to know what steps to take after backing the fiver into the campsite, such as leveling, unhooking, etc? If so, please clarify and I'm sure you will get the help you need.
I know the HOW-TO'S (been doing it), I want to know if your processs takes you a long time or is it quick and easy. I'm trying to figure out easier ways do to things. It seems to me that our process is very time consuming. I already know about the drill - DH won't use it and we have 1! He thinks that's no big deal and really, it isn't. I'm definately going for the auto leveling system someone mentioned here. Already researching it.
Bill & Linda
Ladymc & Shuttlebird
2008 Silver Dodge Diesel Dually 3500 - "The Silver Bullet"
Towing 1998 35 ft. Newmar 5th wheel
20K Husky Hitch & Blue Ox Bedsaver
Handheld Garmin Nuvi 350 GPS AND Sat. in dash mounted GPS in the truck
READY TO ROLL!
We had a small Class A and now a small fiver. Both used for traveling and we rarely stayed in one place more than a couple of days, most of the time overnight.
For the MH, when stopping overnight, I just leveled the rig and hooked up the electric. If stopping for two nights then the electric, water and sewer were hooked up and the toad unhitched. If longer then I'd also put out the awning, lawn chairs, TV satellite, etc.
I follow the same routine using the fiver. For overnight stops I don't unhook from the trailer if I can get it close to level it that way. Otherwise I will unhook.
So, for overnight stops it takes about 10 min max (sometimes just a couple of minutes). For two nights, 20 min. Longer stays it can take me a couple of hours to get the site all set up the way I like it.
Basically, a MH will be just as much work to get set up as a fiver with the same bells and whistles. Only difference will be that instead of hitching or unhitching the trailer you'll be hitching or unhitching the toad. If you want to make it easier then investing in automatic leveling system for the fiver would be much less expensive than a MH.
As an aside, I did/do not have automatic leveling on either rig. I pull into spot. Check how far out of level. Get out leveling boards/blocks and run rig onto them. Fine tune with manual jacks. When we traveled with friends who had a hydraulic system in their DP I could get my little MH leveled quicker than he could. He was anal about getting the bubble perfect, where I was OK with it being a bit off. When I was finished he was still playing with the jack controls.
charlie
2006 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab
2003 Skyline Nomad 24ft Fiver
Me and Wife
Maggie the Old English Sheepdog
I'm not a 5er owner but would like to jump in with an observation. Based on the feedback on this thread, it IS how things are done, not what things are done that takes the time. We love to watch others setup and take down. We've seen 5ers arrive and the owners are sitting on lawn chairs in less than 10 minutes with a glass in their hands. Others seem to take an hour or more getting settled. There are certainly mechanical things like the auto-leveling system that you are already researching that make the actual steps easier. But I suspect that part or most of the reason that it takes so long to set up has nothing to do with that. Why not make your request a bit more specific by:
1. The next time that you setup, note the steps that seem to take the longest or are the most difficult. You say, for example, that not using a drill for your current levelers is no big deal. If it is taking 10-15 minutes to do that task, it is a big a deal when you want to shorten and make easier the whole process. See what I mean?
2. Some of the steps, like hooking up the utilities are common to all RVs. Some setups for those are just easier. I've learned to leave my electric cord coiled in my compartment and to only uncoil what I need. Pulling the entire length of a 50amp power cord out every time (especially if we were only going to get 30amp service at the CG) was a lot of work. I usually ended up wrestling with it to make it look neat while it was lying on the ground. Now, the electric is hooked up in less than 2 minutes. The sewer hose is another area for improvement. I'm fortunate to be able to store a 20 hose that is already hooked to the dump valve end. I can pull it out, put a end and a donut on it and I'm done. If I couldn't store it as I do, I'd consider having several 10' sections instead and only use the ones that I needed with couplers. I've seen others mess with making a sewer connection for over a half an hour. None of us can tell you that you need to make a different arrangement for your sewer hose because we don't know what you are doing today.
The basic fact is that that beside the leveling system, the biggest difference between a 5er and a MH is inter-vehicle connection. For us, it is connecting and disconnecting the toad. For you, it is the hitch. Perhaps your setup for that could be made easier. How easy is it to reach and unhook your light/brake cable to the 5er? Does your DH take a long time with the landing gear and if so, why? You might learn more by comparing what he is doing to what you observe that others do with their landing gear. Noone is going to be able to help you with that remotely.
In business, we might formalize the analysis of your situation with a time/motion study. While I realize that is way too much for your situation, the basic principal of it is what you might actually need. If you posted that your DH was taking 15 minutes dropping the landing gear and pulling away the TV, I'll bet that you'd get a lot more specific help that could benefit you. Better ideas come to those with better descriptions of a specific problem.
We don't own a fiver but thought i'd weigh in with some ideas to help with a specific situation you brought up.
When you say that certain things are hard for him to remember since the stroke (levers that go down instead of up etc) I have an idea that might help.
First you need to get a permanent marker and some duct/electrical or some kind of very sticky tape that won't fall off.
On each lever or handle you put a piece of tape with a number. This number is for the step. If it's step 2 - it would have a 2. Then write the direction that it goes in - left, right, up or down. That way if he starts out heading to something and it says "3 down" and he hasn't done step one or two - then he'll know not to do that yet.
Strokes have the effect that you need to re-train the brain for some simple funtions - depending on what was affected. By doing this your helping your husband "train" that part of his brain to remember and hopefully after several times of him "reading" the tape to see what to do, he'll remember.
As far as taking days to set up. It does sound like he likes to piddle with a lot of stuff and probably won't be happy being limited to only setting out a chair and table. Let him piddle. That's how some people relax - that may be his way. Sit back with a cold drink in your hand after set up and read a book whilst he piddles away.
I think Bill ought to do whatever he wants, when he wants. Only you and he know when he is actually enjoying himself. I bet he misses the stick house and his chores. Good luck, and I always vote for debt free as a retirement option.
The main thing is to have fun
2008 Dodge 3500 CTD LB SRW 4X4 6-Speed Auto
P3 Blue Ox Sway Pro
2007 Komfort 212
This is a really interesting thread because it asks the basic question - MH or 5er. Each individual needs to answer for themselves because each is different.
My observation is that it takes a little extra time to set up a 5er, but the routine gets pretty simple and easy, dependent on how long we are staying in place and how often we camp.
Overnight - I don't unhitch. Level as possible - run the slides out - drop the rear stabilizers (the drill is a great idea) - connect power cord and cable TV, if available - connect to water if I don't have any on board - small rug at the door - that's about it. I carry two stoves - one that has detachable legs and one that sits on a table (I like to cook outside). No lawn chairs, no big rug, don't even drop the awning.
Now staying for a few days - well not a lot different and the biggest time event is leveling and unhitching. I will then set up my outdoor kitchen (it's not elaborate, by any means), lawn chairs, big rug, position the cooler with easy access to the lawn chairs, etc. I like to putter, too.
What would be easier - electric levelers - as mentioned. That's about it, in my opinion.
The hitching and unhitching process is also the most thought provoking and it is pretty darned important to be paying close attention. I would think this would be the biggest issue for anyone considering MH as opposed to 5er.
Don't sell that truck until I have a chance to bid on it!!
Brian, Donna, and Ted the dog.
2006 Dodge MegaCab 2500 4x2 CTD 48RE 3.73 gears
Firestone AirBags - Reese with Slider
2006 River Canyon 34KSTSO - TrailAir Pin
I really like what the last 4 or 5 posters have had to say - you're really helping me UNDERSTAND what my problem is and that we DON'T need to buy a MH. Phew! I'm happy about THAT for sure!
portablevcb: Thanks for reminding me that we don't need to unhook for 1 night - forgot about that!
chasfm11: I really appreciated your post - it brought so much into perspective for me.
havedreamwilltravel: On our front leg switch we have it marked, but he still gets confused, so I think your suggestion to write down the steps: 3 UP or whatever is GREAT! I'm going to do that immediately and laminate it!
coolbreeze01: Trust me, I let Bill do whatever he wants and I sit on the computer while he does it. but 1 thing for sure - he DOES NOT miss the s/b house. Whether on the road or at the s/b he's a piddler - that's why it took him 2 days to get set up. It wasn't the necessities - it was all the other things he WANTED to do.
bdougt: Sorry - we're keepin' the truck! And you're right - the auto leveling system will be a LOT cheaper than a MH! I hear you on all the other things you wrote - good info.
Thanks to you all! You just saved us a TON of money!
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