Question Class A vs Fifth Wheel

[Neal]

A friend was asking me about RV's and all I know is Class A. I mentioned to him that one advantage of the 5th wheel is you don't have the driver area or the engine area so you'll get more living space. The downside may be the effort to setup and tear down. Has anyone gone from Class A to 5th wheel and if so I'd love to hear your opinions on this change as well. NO, I'm not getting another RV, I'm preparing for 10 year rule disputes soon to get my vintage Ventana into campgrounds

Please share pro's/con's between Class A and 5th wheel and I'd love to also here from people that have moved from one style RV to the other, either direction.

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

I went from a small fifth wheel (30 ft) to a gasoline Class A (34 ft) to a fifth wheel (46 ft), and now with a 40 ft fifth wheel.
We haul motorcycles, which required a box trailer with the Class A.
Okay, enough back story…
The only change in set up/tear down is hooking up the truck. It takes less than 5 minutes.
Backing a trailer can be a PITA for some, for others it’s easy. I’ve been towing trailers since I got a license nearly 50 years ago, so not problem. My wife is an excellent back up/hook up assistant and we use either cell phone or walkie talkies. We also have a camera on the back of the RV.
Towing is smoother with a fifth wheel than driving a gas Class A. F53 chassis ride like a school bus. They suck.
I get better fuel economy with my diesel truck (9-10 mpg) than the class A (6 mpg).
Getting fuel is the same problem…you have to be able to assess a gas station and make an immediate decision to stop or continue due to maneuverability area at the pump island.
Once we’re set up, we now have the option of using the truck to go places or take the motorcycles.
The driver and passenger seats in most Class A rigs spin to become living area seating, but the fifth wheel still has much more room.

We love our toy hauler and will most likely keep this as long as we camp. (This is not really camping)

 

[Rosy]

This is only one minor aspect of it but my consideration is the number of powertrains I'm maintaining. I feel like I'm always going to have a truck for hauling and other tasks around the S&B house. So to me it makes more sense to have a trailer than a motorhome.

We also like to go out exploring when we're camping. If you have a motorhome, your options are to tear down your site every day or to tow another vehicle. So now you're towing anyway and your vehicle purchases may be somewhat limited, depending on whether you want to flat tow or have a trailer for the car or a dolly or whatever. Truck and trailer feels simpler to me.

But, of course, what works for my family will not work for others.

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I have had them all.

When a drive train has an issue, I want better control of where I take the rig. That eliminates A, C, SUPER C, and some B's.

If budget is a consideration it eliminates all the above.

But you didn't cover all the bases.

A fifth wheel (preferably goose neck), also comes with a couple negative conditions.
The bed of the truck has a hitch in it. Without extra work hauling stuff while it's there is an issue.

The wind damn is as bad as a class A's.

Even if you take the hitch out, whatever you have in the back is exposed to theft.

The turn circles of the truck don't match the trailer.

In the event of a break down, you need to find someone that has a fifth wheel hitch to move your rig in the unfortunate case it must be moved while your truck is in the shop.

A pull trailer seldom is to tall for most places you may want to go.

The turn circles are close to the same.

Anyone with a hitch receiver and a capable truck can help in an emergency.

The truck bed can be covered.

You can haul what you would normally haul without the work of removing the hitch.

Hope that helps.

 

[Russellvh]

A fifth wheel (preferably goose neck), also comes with a couple negative

I have heard a 5th wheel is much smoother than a goose neck. What’s the noticible differences?

 

[Kevin D Pem]

I have heard a 5th wheel is much smoother than a goose neck. What’s the noticible differences?

The real advantage to a gooseneck in My view is the ball can be below the deck of the truck bed.

 

[JBright11]

We went from a 2016 KZ C220RBK bumper pull to our Bay Star after 7 years of ownership.
It was a very solid camper and we enjoyed it very much. Did not have any serious issues with it over many trips. It was fairly light and easy to pull and had plenty of space for our one or two week trips.

I'm approaching retirement now, and we wanted a little more luxury, space, and perhaps an "easier" setup and teardown process. So far we have achieved all of our goals and have really enjoyed the change. Even though my coach is gas, and doesn't have the luxury ride of a DP, I love driving it and when set up at the campsite it is very nice to stay in.

We wouldn't go back to pulling a trailer.