RV choices

bllelk · 11-06-2003, 07:43 AM

Slowpie and I are talking about retirement which is probably still 5 years away. Thinking RV way of life.
We're trying to decide which way may be the best to go. We have friends that have gone back and forth between motorhomes and 5th wheels and bumper pulls. What are some of ifishers opinions? Pro's and con's?

MacEFL · 11-06-2003, 07:49 AM

Depends on what you want to do. Do you want to pull a boat? How about a car for running around. There is a huge RV show going on now through Sunday at the Expo center. All the major dealers should be there. If you go today or tomorrow, see Pete AKA Seafood man at the UNEEK booth. I am sure that he can help you with your decision.

ICHTHYDEMON · 11-06-2003, 07:58 AM

I have a Travel Trailer right now,and if I were to do it again,I'd get a 5th wheel. At the time I bought my trailer I had a 1/2 ton truck,and there wasn't much choice for a 5th wheel that had a pin weight light enough for use with a 1/2 ton. Since then I have bought a 2500HD,and now I have a truck that will tow almost any 5th wheel my wife might like. With a 5th wheel,you won't need any W/D bars or a sway control. RVing is really big right now,and 5th wheels are the way to go if you have a truck that will handle the pin weight.

TheTexan · 11-06-2003, 01:24 PM

I am curious as to why you like the 5th wheel so much? I hear that they are better handling (sway, backing, etc..), but you loose the bed of your truck. I have a 28' bumper pull and don't have any issues as far as handling. I can also haul 4 wheelers, dirt bikes, generators, bikes, and many other things in the bed of my truck. Are the 5th wheels easier to hook up/drop? Thanks for your info.

Rocky · 11-06-2003, 04:06 PM

Like MacEFL said, depends on what you want to do. If you have a boat to tow then I would suggest a motor home of some sort small enough to get into the places that you want to fish/boat and large enough to live in plus store all your goodies/and or hobby stuff plus, you can take your home with you when you want to go somewhere instead of towing it behind you or having to find someplace to park it while you sight see or whatever which can be a hassle. If you get a trailer or 5th wheel you have the convenience of being able to drive around (sightsee/shop) without the extra baggage of a big shell around your rig and in a crowded city or downtown areas, for some people it can be intimidating and there might be a savings in fuel prices if you do alot of "solo" driving. With a pull trailer you would also be able to have a top on your pick up for extra storage. With a 5th wheel you still have a pick up bed but storage is more limited because your hitch is there right over the axle but there is still alot of bed space available to use. Also handeling on a 5th wheel will be more stable and eaiser to back because the hitch is over the axle. As far as hooking and unhooking there is not alot if difference but with a fifth wheel you can see exactaly where the hitch pin is and hit it every time, with a pull trailer there are some tricks to make sure you get it right on also. Where you want to travel is also a factor as many places are restricted on the size of RV's you can bring, many state parks for example you would not be able to pull a 31 foot tlr/5th wheel into because of space limitations, most of your newer private parks have ample room to bring a large rig into but many of your older private and public places have some pretty tight squeezes. My father lived in his 31 foot 5th wheel for seven years and traveled alot, he has sold it and bought a house but now he is talking about getting a smaller Class C motorhome so he can visit some of the places that he missed before.

If I was to retire right now

in my currant situation I would have a small motorhome or a pickup/camper to pull the boat with (which is what we have now). We also have a fifth wheel but I dont think I would go that route. I believe in California and maybe some other states you are allowed to tow a trailer and then a boat behind that but I think that is very dangerous as most people that tow that way really have no towing experience at all prior to doing that plus it makes for a very unstable combination. Ever see a set of tripples going down the road and watching the third tlr sway? If you have five years to figure it out you can maybe borrow/rent one or the other from a friend to help figure things out. Good luck and have fun :smile:

AuntyM · 11-06-2003, 04:14 PM

We have a small older class C motorhome and a fifth wheel. Now that we have an F350, I'm wishin we had a camper too.

Birdnest · 11-07-2003, 07:34 AM

42' Grandbanks. :grin:

bllelk · 11-07-2003, 08:03 AM

Thanks for all the ideas, friends. It's interesting how some folks go one way then another (motorhome/5th wheel)and vice versa. I like birdnests idea but I'm not sure I would be welcome in a hog line.
My buddy in Redding has gone thru the same problems (motorhome/5th wheel/bumper pull) and now he's really confused, he's trying to get a DB on top of his pickup.

Since he's a retired engineer I'm sure he'll figure it out just don't know if he can afford the fix.

We have 2 boats a kayak and two recumbent bikes. We may have to let go of both boats eventually and go with a car topper. How big/heavy can you go with those?

KROY · 11-07-2003, 08:28 AM

Bllelk,

Just thought I'd throw another choice in. I have a F-350 with a 11' camper and a 18' jetboat. This combo works great except when I take my family of four which is ofton. Here's a choice that would work for just about any situation. You can have a 4x4, a boat, and a motorhome. I don't know what the price is but it would work for just about all fishing and hunting situations.

http://builtrite.net/Default.htm

Ken

bllelk · 11-07-2003, 10:32 AM

KROY
That's cool. I'm going to contact them. Maybe I won't have to give up so much.
We're thinking of doing the RV thing on a permanent basis and need more room and a regular bed that a camper doesn't offer. [img]graemlins/applause.gif[/img]

Rocky · 11-07-2003, 02:40 PM

Hey thats a pretty cool idea I could see that working in some situations. Would have to have a fairly light boat or heavy vehicle on the bottom though

KROY · 11-07-2003, 02:59 PM

This is from their site:

With a total axle capacity up to 14,000 lbs. The Built Rite Trailer will handle as much as a Suburban on the bottom and a 22' boat on the top.

They build multiple models.

Ken

[ 11-07-2003, 04:01 PM: Message edited by: KROY ]

bllelk · 11-07-2003, 03:32 PM

Whoo doggies!

Buy a new Prevost Motorhome, run a nice new 4x4 pickup on the lower deck and a 22 foot Arima on top!!! Not!

How about an old Winnebago with my beat up GMC on the lower deck and my DB on top. More likely!!!

Beer Waggin · 11-07-2003, 05:26 PM

That's funny, those guys are in Nebraska. You're allowed six axles in NE, so towing a trailer and a boat is legal to do at the same time (or at least it was a few years ago).

[ 11-07-2003, 06:26 PM: Message edited by: NorRivDave ]

salmurai · 11-07-2003, 10:44 PM

Picture this: Stuck in traffic and someone has to pee = Motorhome.......

Joe Schwab · 11-08-2003, 06:41 AM

Bill, pound for pound, the tag along offers more room. You get to use your pick up bed and get more choice in floor plans. Fifth wheels pretty much offer only one floor plan.

Weight per square foot is much less due to the hitch configuration. Fifth wheels can add a lot of extra weight.

A good chassis makes towing a breeze. I towed commercially for a year and got to experience them all in different lengths and weights. The fifth wheels track nicely but it feels like you have a sail out above 55MPH.

pdxkevin · 11-08-2003, 07:05 AM

It boils down to what kind of travel/camping do you want to do? Are you happier finding a spot and staying there for extended peroids or every night in a different place?

We had a 24' motorhome that we vacationed in when I was young. It fit the style of vacationing we liked. Someone could be making a meal as the other drove. The bathroom was readily accessible without having to stop (unless the driver was the one who needed it).

If you are looking for a great place to see what's out there and what the going price is... RV Trader online. They have a great set of links to rental places as well as other reference links.

[ 11-08-2003, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: pdxkevin ]

fortywinks · 11-08-2003, 07:23 AM

FYI - current law in Oregon allows an RV in combination with one other vehicle not to exceed 65' max. Oregon law does not allow three vehicles in combination even if you have a CDL. Some of our surrounding states do allow three vehicles, but not here.

Rocky · 11-08-2003, 09:28 AM

Go to a RV show I bet you will find that 5th wheels have almost as many floor plans as regular pull trailers. I believe this weekend there is a RV show at the Expo center in portland, might cost a few bucks to get in but you can see everything right there without traveling all over town to see different makes and models

fishchaser · 11-08-2003, 03:53 PM

I'll tell you what I did. I bought the Lance Camper, and I can pull my boat. Yeah, the camper can be a little too small sometimes, but I will probably get a bigger truck and camper when the old man retires.

My dream is to have a 12' double slide out camper. This way I can still pull the boat to whereever I am going. My camper now is loaded to the gill w/every bell and whistle that can come on a camper.

The camper has electric/wireless remote jacks and so you don't kill your arm raising it up to get it on and off the truck. It takes me 5 minutes to drop the camper. Now I can drop the camper at camp, and go pull the boat to the launch without unhooking everything and taking my home with me.

If I was to get a fifth-wheel I wouldn't be able to pull the boat. Than what would there be to do without a boat. Maybe hunting, but even hunting I like a nice fresh fish breakfast.

[ 11-08-2003, 04:55 PM: Message edited by: fishchaser ]

bllelk · 11-10-2003, 08:21 AM

Well, we went to the RV show Sunday and learned a lot. So right now we're thinking motorhome because they seem to be better built than travel trailers and have the floor plans that we like with much more storage. I learned things like most gas engine motorhomes only have 5000# towing capacity and the diesels typically pull 10,000#. The diesels have a tighter turning radius vs gas engine and, they claim longer engine life and fuel economy. Insulation and how they build the box on the various models was good information and the fact you probably really don't need a washer/dryer or a dish
washer since they take up space and use a lot of water and propane. It was time well spent. Looked for Pete at Uneek but he wasn't there altho his boss was. Right now we're thinking we could pull a small pickup with something like a 14'-16' aluminum boat on top. As usual still gathering information.
Thanks again for the help gang. :smile:

Steelhead Hound · 11-10-2003, 11:02 PM

Gota 2002 29' Komfort travel trailer. It's nice but if I could go back I would have gotten the 31' Komfort fifth wheel. Fifth wheels are smoother towing then bumper pulls and they are bigger inside without making your rig to long. Disadvantage is that they take practice to back up...They do not move the same as a bumper pulled trailer does. and you lose most of your truck bed capacity. If you do get a fifth wheel I recomend a goose nech hitch.

[ 11-11-2003, 02:45 PM: Message edited by: Steelhead Hound ]