Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Motorhome or Camper Trailer

What is your preference and why? Pros/cons based on experience?

If I was going back in I'd say motor home. Just jump in and go. We've had 3 pulls and one with a motor will be next. If we ever do.

Never owned either but I can tell you that Tiffin & Van Leigh(Tiffin 5th wheels) are customers of mine and really produce a nice product.

I think I would like a 5th wheel better but not entirely sure.

We're leaning towards a motorhome.

Just the opposite TC. Camper. If one vehicle breaks down, you just back another up to it. If you have a motor home and break down, you end up in a motel. If you're gonna end up in a motel anyway, why bother with a camper ? I prefer a 5th wheel too.

Camper! If you drive a motor home, you stil have to haul a vehicle with you to get around in. Motor homes cost a rediculess amount more.

I vote camper. I just sold my MH and the fuel mileage alone is enough not to buy one. Then think about having to drive that thing everywhere, and hope you can find a place to park it just to go to the store, unless you tow a car behind you. Then see reason #1 again. You have to maintain it like a car, and it's not as if you can just bring it down to Joe's gas station for an oil change. Do it your selfers have to find a place with parts, but hey, the RV store has everything........... at twice the price. Jumping into a MH is a great thought, until you actually owned one. Only an opinion by someone that did that.

I've owned 3 fifth wheels. Never regretted pulling them. They pull much better than a bumper pull. I go with the general opinion about having to deal with breakdowns in motor home and also I've always been told the upkeep is much worse with them. They do look great though. I hope to end up with another fifth wheel with a toy hauler to carry my harley.

If I ever make it, I'll be getting a motorhome.

Between both i enjoyed pulling the 5th more. When i was a kid i loved my grandparents motor home. Always remember riding shotgun and pop's telling grandmother" Go make us sone fried bologna sandwiches woman,heavy on the white,,light on the the yellow and don't forget the lettuce and mater". I agree and think the 5th with toy hauler is the ticket for me nowadays if i was in the market.

We've been looking at these little Forest River Wolf Pup campers:

https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers/wolf-pup

We've also been looking at the R-Pods:

https://forestriverinc.com/rvs/travel-trailers/r-pod?RegionSelected=1

But the other day when we bought the Jeep the guy also had a very nice Winnebago View similar to this one with 32k miles on it:

https://www.rvtrader.com/listing/2006-Winnebago-View-23J-5012832933

We were thinking that would be the perfect camper for us. Hook the Jeep to the back and head out West. He told us pulling the Jeep he got 13 mpg average on trips.

It's a diesel and it also has an onboard diesel generator that draws from the fuel tank and automatically shuts off when you get down to 1/4 tank. Throw some solar panels on the top and one of these woudl be awesome for some off grid adventure camping.

In Alabama, think about the yearly expense of your tag renewal price. I talked to my uncle this morning and his tag renewal for 5th wheel is almost $500, not sure what an RV would be.

Have you forgotten a motor home is no wider than a school bus. To get one with slide outs you'll really need deep pockets.

Our camping clan is mixed with campers from pop ups to class A motor homes. Their are pros and cons with each one. I think there are a few questions you have to ask your self.

1) Are you sit at a site and just relax or do you like to travel around area and see the sites
2) Set up time. You have more set up time with a pop up. Limited storage space when compared to a camper. So you pack more stuff in your vehicle
3) Kids or grand kids. They want to have their kayaks, bikes, corn hole, this and that.....which all take up space.

For my pros and cons.

Anything over 30' could limit the number of spots at a campsite.
Water is your enemy. If buying used, lean heavily to any RV that has been stored under a roof
Most motorhomes and 5th wheels have steps inside. Major consideration for me. (bad knees)
Make sure your tow vehicle can pull what ever you buy SAFELY.
RVs do not hold their value. Never buy new.


Motorhomes.
Used coaches can be a great value and normally very low miles. If you tow a car behind a motorhome, you can never back up without disconnecting. Everyone I know who has bought a gas coach have wished by bought diesel. If you want to site see, you have to pack up, disconnect, fight city traffic in a land yacht if you dont have friends with a car to mooch a ride with or a tow vehicle. My FIL has a coach and he and his GF have to cram into our F450 (I am a family of 4) to go anywhere we go. He does mount a moped on the back of his RV for ice or milk runs. They normally just sit at camp sites and dont site see much. Maintenance is very high, but you camp a lot, long distances, it is a great ride. Class B or C is no different than a large truck so maintenance isnt as bad, but the ride isnt as nice/plush as class A.

5th Wheel.
Stairs inside to get the bathroom and master bedroom or in the newest designs, kitchen, is a downside. However, the ability of a king bed is very nice. They are normally 2-3' taller than a bumper pull which limits covered storage options (the reason I dont have a 5th wheel). They handle much better than bumper pulls, usually 2-3K pounds heavier, and require a bigger tow vehicle than bumper pulls. The toy hauler option is totally awesome and my dream is the XLR Thunderbolt. Toy Hauler also are great for bicycles, kayaks, fishing stuff and not just toys. Plus the back area can be converted to bunk beds and we normally have 2-3 middle school boys with us and hard to damage the hauler section vs the fancy living area. Biggest plus is you have your tow vehicle to site see. We like to site see a lot so this is a must for us. You are usually in pulling with a dully and that can be an issue (not huge IMO) on some parking at restaurants, and small parking lots. The public beach parking for example sucks for parking a dully. If you live on a side of a large hill and introduce different angles to park from your driveway, the king pin doesnt flex like a bumper mount. Tremendous stresses are applied and basically over time the camper integrity takes a toll.

Bumper pull
This segment is huge. You can go from mild to wild. If you have a tow vehicle already then match to a camper you like and enjoy the US. If you dont, find your dream camper, then buy a vehicle to pull it. It is very rare to find a king size bed, and most are limited to 30A. So max will be two air conditioners. If you go over 35' in length cooling can be tough. This is what we have and very happy with it.

Pup ups
We had one for 4-5 years. Served us well, but the set up time, and difficulty to keep the interior temperature regulated where a huge downer. Plus the ladies wanted a bathroom with a door vs a toilet out in the open. Had to kick every one out to poop or pee. You have a very small refrigerator so you have to haul a cooler.....need ice regulatory. This goes back to the set up and hauling stuff in your tow vehicle. Great for boon docking. If you have limited tow vehicle budget and have to use a SUV than a pop up isnt a bad option, just limited IMO.


Things I have learned what ever you choose.
1) Give your self some room on tow weight and vehicle tow capability. The trip is suppose to be fun, fighting a camper in cross winds or 18 wheeler passing the hole time has to be exhausting. My BIL pulls a 30' camper with a ram 1500. IDOT
2) May sure you have a air vent AND furnace vent in the bedroom.
3) Most will be, but a refrigerator that can run of electricity and propane is nice. Propane to keep the frig cold while driving is nice
4) The only brand of sewage hose to buy is Rino Flex. Those feliable water hoses are the bomb for water hook up. Take no room too.
5) If tandem axle, BAL X-Chock Tire Locking Chock is a must
6) Phone GPS are not for RVers. Buy a specific RV GPS. Ebay has used ones for under $100
7) Your 1st couple of trips camp near the house and/or a Walmart. You will forget stuff and realize you need XYZ.
8) All camper mattresses suck. Be prepared to upgrade or by a foam topper.
9) If DOA is over 6' lay in the bed before you buy......ask me how I know this. I am 6'1" and my feet hit the wall in our current camper
10) You need to have a 50A or 30A extension cord, and 20' of sewage house, and at least 20' water house. RV parks are designed by pissed of golf course designers. Hooks are all over the place.

Hope this helps.

Irish I like those Wolf Pups. I dont know anything about them but the wife and I like looking online and going by Gander RV and looking at the different models. We have to get these 3 children raised before we can enter that world I think.

Google Showhauler. It was my first motorhome. Still regret selling it at times. Had a Tiffen after that. Very good company. Our first was a 5th wheel. Liked it too.

The thing I like best about the Tiffen motorhome... "IT'S GOOD, IT'S GOOD!"

Motorhomes, RVs, pull behinds are nothing but work. I would rather rent a cabin way cheaper and way easier.

We picked up a Coachmen Catalina last year. It's around 35' and has room to sleep 8-9 with no one on the floor. We were going out 2-3 times a month until the virus hit. We've only been twice so far this year.

A class A wasn't something we evened considered due to budget. I can't really offer pros/cons between the two. Like many before me have said, I rarely get set up at a site and stay there the entire time. Unless you are going to tow something behind your class A, you will be limited in your ability to move around without breaking everything down first. That would be painful.

I'd bet you could find a heck of a deal right now. I'm happy to answer any pointed questions if you have them.

We rented an R-Pod from base to see how serious we were about getting a camper. It was acceptable but tight for the 4 of us. It'd be about perfect for you and the wife, but something a tad bigger might just be hte ticket.