5th wheeler or RV toy hauler?

[Injun Joe]

My wife and I are looking forward to retirement. Rather than doing the typical snowbird arrangement, I'm trying to build a vision in my wife for one of the two "locations" being a mobile one. Is there a lot of difference in maneuvering a 5th wheel type set up as opposed to a dedicated RV? My wife makes a very good point that with a 5th wheel, you also have a truck to use once you get to where you're going. But I'm wondering about the actual driving and maneuvering never having driven either.

Ultimately though, I still think riding wherever and then staying in some sort of rental might be my preferred option to either. Or maybe make the journey between the two snowbird locations as the one long trip of the year...

Good thing we have a few more years to decide! Then again, eventual grandkids could change everything!

[Steve 0080]

I agree w/ your wife... a 5th wheel is easier to drive and back that a traditional ball mount...

[DJL951]

I have had 5 trailers (3 ball mounts and 2 fifth wheels) and the 5th wheel is far more maneuverable when compared to a bumper pull/ball mount of similar length. While I was not particularly fond of the 2-3 steps up into the bedroom on our fifth wheel, I sure liked the maneuverability of it.

[hoglaw]

I drove myself nuts with this question...RV or 5th wheel? Finally settled on the RV and I think I made the best decision.

A 5th wheel is more difficult to set up, but has more room. With the RV you can say "go make me a sandwich" without having to stop, and one of you can nap while the other drives. With a Toy Hauler you give up a lot of space with that garage, unless you convert it to something useful once you unload the bikes. Space in any camper is a major concern and Toy Haulers don't have enough space if you're camping more than a day or two.

I've watched 5th wheel owners set up and it is a major PITA, especially setting the levelers. All the ones I've seen use a mechanical crank at all four points. I push buttons until my auto-levelers are down. Most RV's have a generator, few 5th wheels have them.

I got a deal on an enclosed trailer that holds the bike, golf cart (almost a necessity at many campgrounds) and a Smart car. Of course it cuts my mileage to about 6 MPG. There are also racks that allow you to load a bike crossways on the back of the RV. Then you can tow a car (Jeep is best because of the neutral position on the transfer case).

A 5th wheel is cheaper, but then you have to buy a good truck, probably at least 3/4 ton, and those trucks aren't cheap. If you use a truck in your business that makes the decision easier.

Those are just a few issues you'll have to deal with. I'd suggest you rent one of each for at least a weekend and find out what suits you best.

A final word...buy used. There are boat loads of used units out there. Depreciation on a new unit is massive. If you search you can find units that have barely been used and the market for resale isn't strong.

[cueman]

When passengers need to go to the bathroom you can keep on driving with an RV.cueman

[Injun Joe]

When passengers need to go to the bathroom you can keep on driving with an RV.cueman

Sad but true: If I'm driving, it's more than likely not the passengers that need to go to the bathroom. So unless a catheter is involved, that's probably a moot point.

[Texas TC]

I went through the same thought process in 2006. I finally decided on a C Class Fun Mover on a Chevy 5500 Diesel chassis complete with a lft gate for loading two motorcycles in the back. Like someone mentioned, the garage took up a lot of the valuable living space in the coack. I am now on my third RV. I quckly moved, within a year from a hauler type coach to another conventional Class C, then to my current Class A bus. I trailer either my F6B or tow my Silverado 4x4 depending on the nature of the trip. Simetimes it would be nice to have both but I deal with it. My experience has been that owning a RV is expensive but a tremendous amount of fun. Just know whatever you buy first will probably not be your final purchase. It seems it is a process to get to the one you actually want to keep. However, mark me down in the coach column. I never really considered towing a traier.

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