When you are looking for a new RV, you have many choices to make. One of the primary choices that you do have to make is what style of RV do you buy? Should you purchase a 5th wheel, a travel trailer or a motor home? (For sake of simplicity, anything including tent trailers will fall into travel trailer – if it’s not a 5th wheel and attaches to a vehicle with a ball hitch.)
I know that I had to go through all the thoughts of which one would be best for my family, my circumstances and my budget. Let me offer you some of the ideas that came to my mind and things that came out after owning an RV.
Travel Trailers – The First Option
The first RV my wife and I owned was an old tent travel trailer. It was very old, didn’t have any options but it was a hoot! One of the biggest reasons to get into a very light weight travel trailer is to keep your costs low, but allow you to get going now. That’s probably the biggest advantage on the lower end of cost.
Now, you are not limited to a simple tent type travel trailer. You can pull a monster behind you that has all the comforts of home. But what you do need to decide and understand is that the bigger and heavier a travel trailer becomes, the more difficult it is to drive and the more vehicle you will need to pull it.
Again, the biggest advantage to a tent travel trailer is the fact that you can pull it with most home vehicles. Now watch, there is a limit to the weight a vehicle can pull and that is normally the strength of the engine and transmission of the vehicle and there is also a limit to how much a vehicle can support on the tongue and that is the rating and strength of the rear suspension of a vehicle.
On the higher end of travel trailers, if you have a truck that can support the weight and pull the load well, there are good points and bad too. The strongest reason to go with a travel trailer again is cost. Dollar for dollar, you really do get the biggest bang for the buck.
I’ve seen travel trailers that have everything for under $25,000 and the same 5th wheel is over $50,000. Why? Well, it has to do with drive ability. Travel trailers being longer and the load is controlled behind the rear wheels of the towing vehicle, it is harder to pull. Not impossible by any stretch of the imagination. But have you ever seen a person towing a trailer and the trailer is swaying?
This is what I’m talking about. You have to get experience and learn how to avoid this situation. And there will be times when you decide to pull over when the wind is against you, to avoid an accident. Travel trailers are great, but you must know and understand the risks that go with them.
5th Wheel Trailers
The 5th wheel trailer is definitely the middle child in this mix. In terms of cost and what you get, it’s right about dead center. This is one of the reasons that 5th wheels are so popular. Again though, there are things to consider.
If you wish to own a 5th wheel, you will need a truck that can appropriately pull it. This is no negotiation on this one. You must make sure that your truck is more then adequate to pull the load and support the weight. If your truck is on the edge of being able to, you’ll find yourself in more of a dangerous situation then trying to pull a travel trailer!
The big difference in pulling is that the load is centered on the rear axle of the towing vehicle. This makes a ton of difference when it comes to drive ability. Corners are easier, towing is easier and you are less affected by weather conditions like cross winds.
I’ve pulled both and the 5th wheel comes out the winner. In my opinion, if you have the appropriate vehicle to pull it with and the extra funds, I’d go 5th wheel.
Motor homes
Motor homes are a great option for a number of reasons. They are usually the most expensive option as well. A motor home is an RV that is driven by its own power. So there is a lot more to a motor home. Again, you have a lot of choices to make with a motorhomes.
Do you go for an A class, B class or C class? Do you go with slides?
We personally went with an A class motor home. It was a used model that offered the advantages we needed. So why the a class? For us, we didn’t have a vehicle that could pull much more then a tent trailer. We did look at tent trailers and felt that it wasn’t much of a step up from a tent.
For us to purchase a travel trailer or 5th wheel, we were looking at a solid $15,000 to $25,000 to invest into a stronger vehicle for our needs.
And in the end, we liked the flexibility of being about to pull over and enjoy a cup of coffee easily, or allow the kids to sit around the table when driving down the road. It gave us room when we were going from point A to point B. In terms of cost for running, it’s probably the highest.
All in all though, for us it offered the greatest flexibility. For example, when we were travelling home last summer from Eastern Canada, we travelled through the States and it wasn’t an issue to stop and park for the night in the highway stop offs. Now it wasn’t a pleasant park, but it was a really cheap place to park our heads for the night.
So that’s why we went with a motor home. We did shop around a lot and when we found a unit that was well taken care of, we jumped on it. One more note too. If you are undecided between an A class and a C class unit, choose the A class. The A class are normally built on proper industrial truck frames where C class are built on normal consumer grade truck frames.
Good luck and I hope this helps you somewhat on your RV adventures!
I have a question. My husband and I have decided to travel fulltime. We have several issues that need to be addressed. One, is that we are on a limited budget. Two we have problems with stairs. Which would be better – a 5th wheel or a motorhome.
Hi Garnett,
Without any hesitation, I’d recommend a motorhome. For full-time, it’s truly the way to go. Also considering costs for a good truck and a 5th wheel, you are looking at a great used motorhome. One thing that the motorhome offers is the fact that you can truly relax while moving down the road. Being on a limited budget will hinder your getting a great motorhome, but if you are not in a hurry, look around, and you’ll find the right one. We found ours after much searching and we are thrilled with it.
If it’s just you and your husband, you should even consider non-slide motorhomes. They are on average $10,000 cheaper for a used unit compared to a comparable slide unit. If you can put up with less room, it’s a great way to save $$$. That’s what we did. We do wish we had a motorhome with slides, but it worked for us in so many other ways and it fit our budget.
I hope that helps! Please be sure to post your progress, I’d love to hear about it!
Frank
We’re retired and want to travel but have never gone rving. My husband and I aren’t sure if we’re ready to go homeless, i.e. fulltime rving. How do we know if its the right thing for us? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
Sorry for the late replay Donna, dealing with over 32,000 spam comments and I almost missed yours. Full time rving is a tough one to be honest. What I’d recommend is renting or borrowing an RV close to what you want to try living in. Try it for two weeks. If you like it, go for a month. Again, feel it out and if you think it’s still something that interests you, purchase a used unit suitable for you and go for two to three months. I found that to be extremely beneficial on multiple levels. First, it helps to see if it’s the right thing for you and second, to help you make the best choice on a style of RV if you want to do this full time. Good luck!
I love this article, I have put it in my post today for all my readers. let me know if this is not something you would like me to do and I will take it down 🙂
Bonni
No problem what so ever Bonni. Thanks for sharing it on your site!
Hi, I have a question regarding children in RVs. My husband and I had settled on a motorhome, but when we looked in to installing our children’s carseats (they are 4 and 2), we started having second thoughts and began looking at fifth wheels. Do you have any insights on this subject? Thanks!
That’s actually one thing I’ve never thought about, as our kids are years out of car seats, but a legitimate question, never the less. Just thinking about it, and our motorhome as a comparison, I’m thinking that you can buckle in car seats but in most cases, the best you have is lap belts. In a 5th wheel, you are relying on the seats in your truck at that point. I’d recommend talking to a local dealership on this one. Personally I still sway towards motorhomes as I really like them over the 5th wheel alternative, but that’s truly personal preference. Also consider renting a motorhome for a weekend to feel the difference. That could be very telling for your particular situation. Good luck!
Interesting discussion. I have owned truck slide ins, travel trailers, and my current a class A motorhome. I am now in the process of trading my motorhome in for a 5th wheel. Don’t take that as I don’t like my class A. I do. Mine is getting old and requires a lot of upkeep. One of my best friends is a RV repair guy. I am retired and spend a lot of time at his shop. I would say all RV’s require maintenance, especially class A. After all a class A is a house on wheels which includes a generator and propane system. I find that most women and kids like the class A. Usually Dad does most of the driving which allows my wife to do art work, make a sandwich, etc, etc. Being stuck in the tow truck is not really any fun for them. Class As are very self contained including a generator allowing max flexibility.
I think safety is something to consider also. Based on what I have read the Class A’s may not fair well in accidents compared to other RV’s. I don’t know this for a fact, but if you think about it when towing a RV you are usually in a vehicle designed to protect you to a greater degree than a class A. I don’t know about newer class A’s but my 04 doesn’t have air bags, etc. Also passengers tend to move around and even sleep on the bed. I would recommend that you turn off the propane when traveling and use generator to run frig.
On deciding on full time. I agree with Frank. Renting or owning an RV and doing some trips starting with short moving to long and you will decide whether full time is right for you. I would do more RVing if my personal circumstances would allow. Met a lot of full timers or folks who do a lot and they are great folks. Met folks from all over the US and Canada. Even from Europe. Some full timers have given up their home. Other live at home part time usually in winter. My first long trip was two months. To friends in Montana, then Glacier NP, Yellowstone & Tetons (you really need to do those!!) and a Ranch in Wyoming.
I towed my auto four wheels down behind the class A. With four wheels down you utilize a special tow bar (like Blue OX) that hooks to the front of the towed vehicle) That is another consideration. Some folks tow on a trailer, some a dolly. Some put a motorcycle back there. I like four wheels down with a brake assist in the towed auto. If you go four wheels down you have to make sure the vehicle can be towed that way. Toyota will not allow their vehicles to be towed that way and keep your warranty for example. I went with a Ford sports track 4wheel drive. Had to have Ford install a chip in the transmission. I met some full timers who actually rent a car when ever they need one and don’t tow at all.
Also if you go class A you need to decide between gas or diesel. I have a gas, but if I buy a A again I will probably go a diesel pusher (engine in rear). At least with older models I am told the diesel pusher is on a stronger frame with air bags. My gas can be rough riding at times. I could add air bags. The dealer I am working with on the 5th Wheel(which would be my first new camper) says that at least in the Southeast folks are going with gas and he claims they are better made for ride, frame etc. However he is a salesman. His camper world dealership doesn’t have a diesel on the lot currently.
Sorry to be so long winded. Never commented on anything on any blog before. RVing is very interesting to me. I would just go and go if my personal life allowed. Wife and I are retired, but have a disabled daughter so doesn’t really fit our life style.
Thank you for taking the time to post! I value your opinion and I’m sure our many readers do too!
Frank