Class A vs. 5th wheel?


eskie1193

New Member
I am new to the RV world & would love to have some input & any suggestions anyone may have. My husband just left for Iraq a few weeks ago & me & our 5 month old son have moved back to Mo. to stay with family while my husband is gone as we sold our house right after he left. The reason I have been considering purchasing a 5th Wheel or Class A is because we really need our own space as I'm sure you can imagine. My husband will be gone about a year & a half & then we will be returning to KS only a few months before we move to FL. My thought was instead of renting a house here & then not really having a place to live for a few months in KS. when he returns & then for a few months while we find a home in FL why not get a RV. We have always wanted a Class A Diesel when he retires but for the situation we are in right now I'm not sure which way to go & really don't know that much about either one or the pros & cons on both. Both of our vehicles are all wheel drive so I have been told we can pull them behind a RV & we can't really afford both a used class A & another vehicle. On the other hand we don't have a truck to pull a 5th wheel but could by both for about the price we'd spend on an Class A. Whichever way we go it would end up sitting & we would just live out of it until my husband comes home in a year & a half. He does get a two week break this June so we might want to take a trip at that time & could wait to buy a truck until then if we went 5th wheel or just rent a car maybe if bought the Class A. After the 2 weeks it would be parked again until he comes home & we go back to KS for a few months where it would be parked again until we moved to FL. We thought we would just sell it after that but with living about 3 hours from Disney I was thinking we might just keep it & store it for when we got to Disney which would probably be pretty regularly. Anyway sorry for the long post I just don't know which way to go & I'm not even sure if this is a good idea. I would greatly appreciate any feedback or suggestions anyone has.
Tyra
 

hertig

Senior Member
Re: Class A vs. 5th wheel?

I've had both a class A and a fifth wheel. The fifth wheel would probably be better for staying in one place a lot. They are a bit harder to set up, but once they are up, they can be lived in or stored just fine. And the truck will let you get around. Only 1 vehicle to maintain and insure (except for protection from damage, theft, fire, etc).

The class A is easier to set up, so would be better for travelling a lot and staying short periods. You can live long term in a motorhome, but you loose space due to the vehicle aspects. Plus, vehicles, particularly diesels, hate to sit for long periods. Plus you need a second vehicle (which needs to be maintained and insured) to get around with. This is known as a 'toad' because it it towed.

You generally CANNOT tow a AWD vehicle without significant modifications and/or annoying procedures. I believe that AWD is always active, so pulling it without the engine running would seem to be a disaster in the making due to the mechanism not being lubricated while it is operating without the engine (and thus the lubrication system) running. 4WD vehicles with a neutral transfer case and some manual transmissions generally are less of a problem. To see if any of your vehicles can be modified to be towed without significant risk or troubles, check with REMCO. Often you need either to add a pump to keep things lubed, or disconnect the drive shaft so no unlubricated rotation takes place.
 

tinkerer

New Member
RE: Class A vs. 5th wheel?

We had to make the same decision. We bought a Class A diesel because I like to go on fishing trips and it works out better to pull my 17 ft fishing boat. In the winter we go to Arizona and take my my 4 wheeler and a Toyota Scion on a 20 ft car trailer. The trailer pulls easy and it's easy to unload and I don't have to worry about damaging my extra vehicle from towing. Just our situation.
 

C Nash

Senior Member
Re: Class A vs. 5th wheel?

Think I would go with a 5th wheel or TT in this sitiuation. Sitting is not good for a MH especially a diesel. I would also think twice as you are doing about purchasing anything at this point. Rent might be best near your family. Prayers are with your husband and you during this time. Thank him and you for his service.
 
Top