When Dave and I decided to transition from a boating lifestyle to an RVing lifestyle, the first thing we did was buy a 2-door Jeep. We were convinced this would be our towed (tow vehicle) for our class A motorhome. We loved that Jeep! It was what fueled our retirement fantasizing!!

For fun, we would go to RV dealerships and RV shows all over New England. Our “shopping” also fueled our retirement fantasizing. We were pretty convinced we would buy a class A motorhome.

If you are considering buying an RV, you probably already have a general idea about the style and functionality of a Class A motorhome, Class B van, Class C, tow behind travel trailer or 5th wheel.

Because this blog is based on our experience, we can only speak to the differences between 5th wheels and class As. Anything we would say about class Cs or Bs would be based on hearsay.

The 5th Wheel

One day in late 2016, I needed to get out of the house. A few months before I had surgery to repair a torn Achilles tendon and I felt like I had been cooped up forever!! In Maine there were not a lot of options for looking at class A motorhomes. So, Dave suggested we go look at 5th wheels. On crutches.

We didn’t have a tow vehicle. We had a Ford Sport Trac and my 2-door Jeep. But we went to look at 5th wheels anyway. We joke about it now, but I say we went to look at 5th wheels because Dave wanted a new truck!

Of course, we found a new Winnebago 5th wheel with a floor plan we liked. We bought it. The dealership brought it home for us in November 2016. We ordered a new Ford F250 and it was delivered to us in February 2017. Our maiden voyage was in May 2017. See our blog: Why Both of you Need to Know how to Drive your RV

While I loved the floor plan, I did not love the 5th wheel. I couldn’t reach ¾ of the cabinets and I hated the idea of going up and down stairs all of the time. Remember, I was still recuperating after Achilles surgery. And I HATED hooking up the 5th wheel to the truck. “Threading the needle” or the physical act of connecting the 5th wheel to the pick-up truck wasn’t the problem. The problem was I could not do it by myself. I am not tall enough or strong enough to pull the pin! I was ready to trade for a class A.

The Class A Motorhome

We traded the 2-door Jeep for a 4-door Jeep. For the first “long” ride in our new Jeep, we went to an RV dealership about 2 hours from where we lived. Dave said they had just listed a used 35’ Winnebago Adventurer. He wanted to look at the layout. He thought it was what we might be looking for.

Of course, it was exactly what we were looking for.

So, in August 2017, 9 months after we bought the 5th wheel, we traded it in for our used class A. Financially, it was a horrible decision. We took a huge hit in depreciation on the 5th wheel we bought new 21 months earlier.

In the long run, it was the best decision ever! To this day, I would not trade even for ANY class A, new or used, bigger or smaller. This is “the one” for us.

Having said that, it sounds like we would be biased toward a class A vs. a 5th wheel. Perhaps. But this is our experience. Hopefully you can take some of the things we say into consideration when you are making a decision for you.

Pros and Cons

If you are getting ready to buy or trade an RV, decide what is important to you for features. We sure did! Everyone has their own reasons for buying one RV over the other. There are no right or wrong decisions. Even if you were “wrong” to begin with, like we were, you can always trade later!

Fifth Wheels
Pros:

• You have only one motorized vehicle to register, the truck.
• Your 5th wheel will generally be covered by your truck insurance. Check with your insurance company to be sure.
• The 5th wheel itself can be less expensive to purchase than a class A. This is especially true if you already have a truck that can tow a 5th wheel!
• You probably are more comfortable and familiar with driving a pick-up truck as opposed to a class A.
• The turning radius in a 5th wheel is easier than in a class A.
• A toy hauler 5th wheel means you can bring your motorcycle, golf cart, etc.

Cons:

• You are “always” going to be climbing stairs, to bathroom and bedroom or to your living area (depending on your 5th wheel’s configuration).
• You will have less under RV storage than in a class A. It is configured very differently.
• Height of interior storage space may be inaccessible by a shorter person, for example, me!!
• Generally does not have a generator installed in the 5th wheel for back-up power (some do, and in most cases a generator can be installed later).
• Your tow vehicle is going to be very large for driving around a city or in smaller parking lots.

Class A

Pros:

• Everything is on one level.
• The view from the front window is amazing. You can see ahead more easily.
• All of the inside storage compartments are easily accessible.
• Multiple outside storage makes it easy to distribute weight evenly.
• Tow vehicle can be smaller, easy for city driving and smaller parking lots
• Most come with generators already installed (your separate generator can’t be stolen at a campground).
• In many cases it is easier to back up a class A than a truck and 5th wheel.
• Getting ready to go is easier in a class A than a 5th wheel, even if you are towing.
• Nothing beats pulling into a parking lot or rest area in the rain, and never having to go out into the elements to the bathroom, get something to eat or to just relax.
• For us, it is easier to travel with pets in a class A. The cat will HOWL his displeasure for hours in the truck, but we never hear a peep from him in the class A. Levi, our 100 pound Anatolian Shephard, loved to stretch out in the RV, while he was more cramped on the back seat of the truck.

Cons:

• If you are towing, you cannot back up. You have to unhook, make your maneuver, and then re-hookup. We have done this in gas stations where we thought we had enough room, but didn’t.
• If you are towing, you have two engines to do maintenance on. Two vehicles to register and pay excise tax on (if you are in a state with excise tax). Two oil changes.
• Class As are more expensive than 5th wheels.
• If you do not have a tow vehicle (vehicle you tow behind your class A), you will be limited to the campground, an Uber, bicycles or you must unhook services and take your motorhome to the grocery store.

There are so many other comparisons besides what we have listed. These are just the ones that mattered to us. If you are contemplating buying a 5th wheel or class A, we hope we have given you some “food for thought”.

Take-away Point

Deciding to buy an RV is a big decision. But it is not one that can’t be changed later. There isn’t really an RV style that is “better” than any other. What matters is what features are important to you and your human and/or animal traveling companions.

Your partners in travel,
Kathryn, Dave and Lucky
RVing Nomads

It’s a lifestyle

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