5 Ugly Truths about 5th wheels (why she wants a motorhome)
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- Опубліковано 21 сер 2024
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After living in an RV full time, the RV Odd Couple share 5 reasons to avoid a fifth wheel. There are RV safety issues and these serious warnings for those considering a fifth wheel will help you avoid an RV horror story!
In fact, while they love their Forest River Sandpiper Fifth-wheel, the wife wants a motorhome! And since there are many decisions to make when considering a motorhome vs. a fifth wheel, this list will help you decide if you’re ready to drive a huge RV!
Along with sharing the good bad and ugly, they share positive things of living in a fiver. For those considering a motorhome vs. a travel trailer, this might actually make you choose the fifth wheel.
If you’re considering the full time RV Lifestyle, this video will help you. If you enjoyed this video about the dark side of fifth wheels, be sure to subscribe to the channel!
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We’re the RV Odd Couple. We sold our house and most of all our possessions to live in an RV, pursuing freedom, independence and adventure. We documented the process to transition into full-time RV living with our family and experienced the RV travel mistakes. This channel provides trailer travel tips and tricks, RV life basics, and motorhome beginners tips. We upload fifth wheel RV vlog adventures as we travel! If you’re into traveling vlogs, RV country traveling, or want to start full time RV living on the right foot, join the adventure of our lives.
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#rvlife #motorhome #fifthwheel
I love that you can share your differing opinions with us openly ! And without strangling each other 😂❤️
🤣😂🤣 💚💚💚
Pretty they are the harder it is to strangle them.
Perhaps the parts that were cut during editing were due to moments of strangulation. Lol.
you have to wait until the taping is finished - the marks on the neck would stand out. on camera.
Two peas in a pod 👍
Some people shouldn't be driving anything!
Agreed!
😂🤣
😅🤣😂
Especially in Florida 👎🏻😱
Amen
On my 1st 5th wheel trip I took two grandkids (early teens, boy and girl) with me and taught them how to help me back into a site. That was all it took. Made many trips in the next several years. They not only had no trouble backing me into a tight site, they did all the set up inside and out. They totally enjoyed the trips because they had responsibility for their part of it. Best pit crew I ever had.
Thank you for sharing
Smart kids as College tuition for the "Pit Crew" isn't getting any cheaper.
Just a thought, folks. Consider getting a smaller 5th wheel like a 25 footer. With the sliders it may be big comfortable for everyone. I have noticed that regardless the size of RV, it ‘s the layout and best use of space that makes the RV a winner.
Thank you Sandra 😊
I agree with you on the layout
This video is exactly why you videos are so popular. This is a conversation, an expression of individual thought and opinion. Something that allows your viewers to meditate on. To hear possibly a viewpoint that may or may not solidify their individual view, either way it gives the viewer additional information to consider. Keep up the good work!
We love you Fred💚 These vids seem to do much better than our others. Thank you for being with us for as long as you have
It is a "mind set" As a woman I drove a semi-truck across country for 15 years. Yes, at first it was difficult, but once I understood what to expect with the semi it was much easier. You must know the do's and don'ts before making up your mind.
Good job on keeping it real!
Disclaimer we have a 31-ft class c and love it. We love the ease of traveling, gas stations, backing up, shopping and getting into sites. Zero stress. Lynn drives about 60% of the time and loves it! Now, I was not raised in a family that backed up campers, boats, etc, so I know zero percent about that. We do love the tremendous amount of space in a fifth wheel. Lynn agrees with Mercedes on being able to drive a class c versus a fifth wheel, if something happened to me. And we both agree with John - to each his own. Thanks for sharing. Danny and Lynn
Hey Danny & Lynn 💚💚💚
Yes, jyou can drive the class c and have the joy of a driving a van. and yes, you also get to enjoy a whole lot less room for living, I love the bigger ones and the feeling like you are moving your one bed room apartment with you and Washer and drier, full size bathtub..ect..ect..ect...
I agree with some of what you are saying and I am baffled by some of what you are saying. You are right about it not being for everyone, but videos like this discourage people from even trying. I am in horrible physical shape and I do it all alone. I'm a woman and I'm also deaf, not that it means anything to be deaf because it doesn't affect the Rving. I've done it since 2008, always by myself, sometimes moving every day, yes. I don't auto level, backup cameras are useless. I've done this in the dark in pouring rain. Why are you jumping in the back of the truck to hook up? Fueling is easy peasy. 90% of parks take big rigs, but it is sad about smaller ones and state parks, for sure. Mercedes, you are a woman. Women can do anything. Drive the truck. Pull the rig. Set it up, take it down. Learn how. No one should ever, either gender, rely on their spouse. In one video you said sometimes you are out of ideas for videos. Here is a challenge for one: Mercedes, do the hooking, unhooking leveling, set up, all by yourself. I want to see you do that. You would be successful, I promise. You are both making this sound way too hard. I am going to make a video about this.
Look forward to watching your video 👍😊
I would LOVE to see that Video !!
As another female rv and boat lifer I agree wholeheartedly. When we do this with our partners it requires us to stretch ourselves and learn the skills so that both people can handle the job if necessary or if the other is unable for some reason.
Preach it, sister!
U are rude
After a year of research and conversations about what we thought we wanted/needed for our first RV, we found our first RV in Feb 2017 (Carriage Domani 5th wheel). I purchased a used trailersaver hitch off craigslist in March 2017 and I flew to Chicago to purchase a used GMC Denali 3500HD dually with very low miles in April 2017 and drove it home to NY the same day. From the February date of finding the RV we wanted to purchase, we paid to have an inspection and I had 4 new tires delivered to the previous owner who then had them installed for us prior to picking up the rig. We picked up the new to us RV the weekend after purchasing the truck and arranged to have a 2 days of professional driving instruction (for both my husband and myself) as we both wanted to be comfortable and capable of driving the rig. The instruction cost us $600 and it was $ well spent. We still live in a sticks and bricks and are a few years away from retirement, but we have traveled thousands of miles vacationing in our rig (and visiting areas we want to investigate for retirement consideration). We travel with our 2 dogs and after traveling in our rig for 2 years did a full reno. We LOVE the RV and while we acknowledge that this will not be our retirement rig due to a few things we can't change in our current RV. We know that we will stay with a 5th wheel. It scares me to death when I see incorrectly matched tow vehicles and trailers (and unfortunately that trend seems to be more the norm than not). Our truck is capable of towing twice what it currently does and when we are climbing mountains in pennsylvania or the adirondacks, or slamming on brakes because someone pops into the space we leave in front of ourselves as traffic slows, I am thankful for all our research and the $ we invested in safety (both ours and others).
Love seeing this! Wish others would be patient, do their homework, get training, and hire an inspector. There’s a lot of work and a few extra bucks but your investment of time, diligence and money will pay off big. People like you make us feel more safe. Have fun and hope we cross paths
I am also with Mercedes.... I love driving my motorhome and parking, setting, leveling and pretty much everything else... its no brainer for me. It took a camper next to me one time 45 min to park and setup everything just to leave next morning.
Great video, and you guys hit on all the reasons we decided to downsize from a 38" fifth wheel and F350 to a 31 foot Class A. I never had issues backing and parking our old tagalong camper, but in three years I never really got the hang of backing the 5th wheel. The ease of finding campsites was also an issue, as we like state parks and COE campgrounds. However the biggest issue was the physical side of setting up the 5th wheel, by the time I had it unhooked, leveled, and so on I was worn out and my knees were killing me. Good points from you both for both sides, though. Loving your videos, keep up the good work!
Hey John and Mercedes, Great video. My wife and I sold out S&B in April 2020 In the middle of the pandemic. We have love our 35' Vilano. My wife drives our fifth wheel and we pull it with a 2015 Silverado 3500 dually. She was also concerned that if something were to happen to me, would she be able to drive the rig. I think the fact that I have always driven pickups (1500/3500) is a key factor in feeling comfortable when pulling a fifth wheel. Stacy (Wife) had never driven a pickup before we were married. She drove our dually for 2 years before purchasing the fifth wheel and got very comfortable with the maneuverability. I believe that is key.
SAFETY: The cab of a pickup is soooo much safer for the passengers than the front end of a class A. You have to spend some pretty big bucks to get a Class A that is very safe to travel down the highway. If you do searches on how many of the so called Class A's are built it would scare you that they are even legal to travel down the road.
Bottom line their are no real safety standards required by RV Manufacturers and that is scary.
Have a Great Life and See you on the road.
Great read! Thank you for sharing 👍😊
The one thing you didn't talk about is with classes ABC when your camp is set up you have no transportation so you need to pull an auto. Now you have two engines to maintain and pay for. Keep up the good work.
Good idea
We have a class A and love it. We do not tow a car. When we get to our destination we rent a car, if needed. No car maintenance, no worries about towing and looking for a station were the motorhome and vehicle can fit. Now granted we only rent one 4 times a year so the cost of renting out ways the cost of buying and towing.
You are towing your “home” behind your truck. Either way you are towing something. So it is a wash either way. We prefer towing a small car. To each his own.
@@d.b.4162 We did the same going to Yellowstone a few years ago. We rented the RV for 12 days, took our time, enjoying the scenery, drove to Jackson Hole Airport, picked up a rental car, then drove to Gros Ventre and camped. That was a great trip! Got to see all the sites and never had to pack-up camp til the day we left for home.
So what...I have my Cummins in my motorhome and a 4 cylinder Honda CRV...and I'm retired, no big deal! I also have my Ford F150 4X4 at home, and I maintain them all myself, and enjoy doing so.
I am really proud of you two, that you can "fight fair" and still love each other.
Thanks Mercedes and John for sharing this perspective. 5th wheelers in Australia are generally a lot smaller and get pulled mainly by what we call utes. Our utes are generally about 19ft long and have mainly 4 cyl turbo diesel engines. Once detached they are very easy for anybody to drive.
We travel in a 4x4 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport towing what you call a travel trailer (caravan in Aust.). Ours is 18ft but it is just the wife and me plus our little dog. Our caravan is only 7ft 6 wide so floor area must be only abot 135sq ft. No slide outs or that.
We live it as it has a queen size island bed, compact kitchen dine and a full bathroom with separate shower, washing machine etc. A fold diwn awnong outside doubles our space when camped. We live outdoors most of the time as we are blessed with lovely weather most of the year.
Our trailer doesn't wobble and only has a single axle!
Fuel is so much dearer here which contributes to thecreason most Aussie setups are more like ours. $1.20 a litre for diesel.
We are blessed with what we have ve it humble its suits us perfectly.
Keep up the mixed content like you do and John, listen to Mercedes she is a wise woman of God.
Love and blessings from South Australia.
Wayne and Meredyth
We got a 28ft 5th wheel new in 2003. I am now the principle driver. We are not full time. Pull with a 6 speed manual Dodge 2500 diesel. Most people don't think about the fact you have to stop that puppy. Not a good idea to pull something too big without experience. Love the information you two give. Thank you. PS. I am 74, female, and have always done all the backing.
Love it! You go Girl💚💚💚
Hey John . . . support your wife!! Seriously, great video!! Love the "good cop, bad cop" bit. For me, even the motor-homes have gotten crazy long. If you're a single person, a 23' camper is manageable, while a 43' camper is a real challenge to navigate. John, single wheels are DANGEROUS because of physics. There is not enough traction for a single wheeled truck to prevent fifth wheel campers from sliding in many road conditions like rain, sandy roads, and high cross-winds. In the end, if you want to run with the big dogs, you have to be a big dog. In other words, get what you can handle, and get the equipment needed to be safe on the road. Thanks again!! Glad you guys are still at it and having fun.
I agree William...but To each their own
Great discussion! I drive a 35' fifth wheel with a 3500 diesel and it works great. Not a dually, but like John said, its a choice, and HD singles work great. Very comfortable on the freeway, even with most winds. That being said, yes, much more work than a Class A/B/C. We often travel with one or two night stops, and we just plan for it, sometimes only hooking up power. Good suggestion on the rear camera, I would like that.
So - While I understand where Mercedes is coming from (my wife is similar), I am in John's camp on this debate, Plus, you get to enjoy your truck whenever you disconnect!
By the way, the worst thing I find about a fifth wheel is that they love to cut corners!!! Definitely new owners need to check that out and practice!!
You drive like I do Wes! Love my truck! Even better unattached
Great video! When I first mentioned selling my home & getting some sort of an RV, my daughter said “you can’t even back a car up, how do you think you can back up an RV?” I was thinking of saving money by living in one but hadn’t considered pulling it! And after inquiring on the cost of staying in RV parks, I realized that wasn’t cheap either. Now I am considering the possibility of the small 16’ camper to pull behind my minivan. But, I wish I could try pulling one before making a purchase, to be sure that I am able to handle it! The older you get, the less confident you become. I think it’s wonderful that you had this discussion, to make people stop and consider the different possibilities!
Great video. Although i disagree on the safety of a 5th wheel versus a travel trailer. if the set up is right on the travel trailer just as safe. The issue, IMO, with 5th wheels is the height. a huge gust of wind and no different than a travel trailer and sometimes worse. I was travelling with my family in our travel trailer and following my buddy in a 42 foot 5th wheel and in really windy conditions and sure enough his rig flipped.
Thank you Rick 👍😊 to each their own
Hello RV Odd Couple, Here is my two cents worth regarding this video. I think you both need some serious discussion regarding her driving or at least helping with the driving. I myself would never own a bumper pull, I'm not into a class c or a class A motorhome. I am a professional truck driver by trade. I back up everyday many times a day in my 18 wheeler. in all kinds of weather and soil conditions. a bumper pull camper is way to squirrely when towing. I will take a fifth wheel over a bumper pull every time. Now with either of those two types of campers you can at least disconnect and go to town for a meal or whatever unlike a class C or A. now you have to unset everything to go to town Sewer, electrical water stabilizers for leveling. way to much hassle. Again it is personal preference. Yes i have used my dodge 1/2 ton pick up to tow my fifth wheel from state to state. I had way to much camper for the truck. I use my camper as my home. I have finally found a dodge 1-ton dully for towing my camper (used), Now that i have finally settled on a more permanent location for my camper. I don't really need the large tow vehicle. But i will keep it for when it is needed to be moved. Personally i prefer the duel wheels over the single wheel rear drivers. The tire itself will flex when turning (tire sidewall). Not only does this help the stabilization of side to side sway helps keep the trailer behind you on those windy days or uneven roads. yes it takes time to back up the fifth wheel but it is not that hard to do or even learn. cameras are an awesome way to help see when you don't have the help back up. Lets hope the other person does not mix up a hand signal . i don't find 5th wheels to really be that intimidating, practice makes perfect. as perfect can be. May i suggest a class A CDL lic. much cheaper way to go than buying a motorhome, plus you get the proper instructions on backing parking and other technics regarding these large vehicles. Mercedes, young lady there is no need to be intimidate by the camper truck combo size, please take the time to learn to drive the set up, a little investment and time and effort you too can drive that set up with confidence.
What an excellent comment! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, experience, and insight. Much appreciated JD 💚💚💚 Love talking to Truckers
Like he said
Class A drivers just use their towed car to drive into town.
@@drinkinslim Yes, I am in the process of getting an enclosed car trailer. That way, I can carry bicycles, my tool box, and an air compressor along with the extra "going to town" vehicle, all in the trailer. John, you said you always want more tools....idea for you!
Everyone that has a drivers license should not be driving a car.
People have mandatory insurance that makes invincible!
People have mandatory insurance that makes invincible!
I agree
Just bought a 41' 5th wheel and f350 dually. This sounds like me and my wife.
I'm a retired truck driver. 2 million safe driving miles. These guys are spot on with the info here. Feel free to ask questions. 😀
At 65, my wife and I have slimmed down to a 2021 Canyon Pickup, awaiting completion of a Vistabule teardrop trailer. At 14 feet we should not even realize it is behind us rolling down the road. Less is more I believe, but, we are property owners, versus full-timers living on the road. I chose gas over diesel due to my disdain towards smog regen systems. Being retired places serious limitations on income. If we don't have the cash saved for a trip, we stay home.
@@garbinator09 Ok great. Sounds good!
This video goes into my reality-check playlist for vehicle glamping. :) Do more of these types of videos. People need to know, but people will do what they “want” to do anyway.
So true about driving fatigue. Most people don’t think about that. Also, there is making decisions fatigue when things go wrong, making reservations to next campground, choosing where to go when the weather changes, etc.
PS,
Modern 5th wheels are beautiful! Yes, to each their own.
To Each Her own 😊😊😊👍👍
Nothing sends a wave of fear through a campground at night like the arrival of a big ass fifth wheel trying to find his/her spot and park....
In January of 2020, we bought a 2011 American Tradition 45' Class-A diesel pusher and love it for our type of travel. All of our trips have been from 6-12 weeks in length, moving to a new location every 3-5 days. All that said, a Class-A works very well for this sort of travel. We do occasionally dry camp along the way (rest stops, Walmart, Lowes, Kohls, etc.), but have yet to boondock. Our preferred places to stay are city, county, state parks and private campgrounds. My wife (5' 2") drives occasionally, but I do the majority of the driving.
Our first and prior coach was a 2009 40' Fleetwood Discovery diesel pusher. When I began my research for that coach I was stunned to find that, at least here in Ohio, there is no special licensing required to drive such a large rig. I said to the first RV dealer I went to, "Do you provide training?" He said, "Well, if you want we can drive up and down the street with you a few times." I replied, "You mean an 85-year-old (no disrespect to men of that age) man could walk in here, plunk down $500,000 and drive off without any training?" He didn't answer. Previously the largest vehicle I'd driven was a "box" truck from a rental company, so I contacted RVSchool.com and lined up a retired bus driver for instruction. We learned a great deal about not only driving but parking, backing, etc. It was well worth the $695 for the two-day, two-person training.
Anyway, the biggest difference in a Class-A compared to other RVs is that the steering axle (wheels) is behind the driver, not in front as it is in most all other vehicles. Therefore, turning a Class-A requires a different strategy. My personal opinion is that anyone driving a Class-A motorhome should be required to have a special license that would include a driving exam. Although I've never driven a pickup truck with a 40'+ fifth wheel, I would think some instruction should be required as well. While some would have no trouble driving without such a requirement, it would be safer for all if there was. I'm sure we've all observed drivers that clearly either need training or shouldn't be on the road at all.
One final point about Class-A diesel pushers. While they have many pluses (air suspension, quiet while driving because the engine is mounted in the rear, less likely to get blown around on the road due to weight and length, easy bathroom access), their biggest drawback is cost. They're typically 3 times the cost of a gas engine Class-A. Engine repairs and maintenance must be done by diesel mechanics. Tires for my coach run about $750 and it has eight of them. It also has eight AGM house batteries that cost about $300 each. Oh, and I get about 6.5 miles per gallon of diesel fuel.
Thank you for taking the time to write this Steve! We appreciate you sharing your thoughts and experience. We get so much more than we give from our viewers. The info you provided is a great summery of what we have learned about Class A diesel pushers ( which is what we are considering) with weeks of research. It’s always good hearing someone’s own experience. Hope we cross paths and thanks again for your contribution.
great video! when my wife and I decided to get into this camping world, I spent weeks researching travel trailers and trucks to ensure that I matched things up in a way that was safe and provide the most confidence as possible while driving the rig. I not only wanted to keep my own family safe, but the safety of people I was going to be around was paramount to me as well. too much weight and danger to not take this topic seriously. thanks for doing this video.
You both have brought up a great points on pro's and cons about fifth wheels and motorhomes.
The biggest question is how are you going to use it.
The question you have to ask yourself am I going to be a weekender, a few months out of the year or a full-time camper.
The next question is if I get a fifth wheel do I need to buy a truck in order to pull it that is the right size for it.
If you buy a fifth wheel you have to pay the insurance on it and if you buy a new truck you have to also have insurance policy on it. Which comes with full coverage which can get quite expensive.
Most everybody has some type of vehicle.ans can have a tow bar installed on it. Which can be pulled behind a motorhome from class A to a class C.
The class A and class C motorhomes have all kinds of slide outs which can make them as big as a fifth wheel. The thing that is nice about a motorhome is it's a lot easier to set up at a campsite most of them have Auto levelers you just push a button and it levels itself and you're done you don't have to unhook anything except your tow vehicle if you have one.
Whereas if you have a fifth wheel it takes about 20 to 25 minutes to get completely set up and unhooked.
Then when you want to leave you could take up to a half hour to get ready to pull out whereas if you have a motorhome you just push a couple of buttons and you're ready to go.
If you have a hard time deciding on what to get there are plenty of places that you could rent them by the day week or month that would be your first option you could try out a fifth wheel or you could rent a motorhome to see what you really like. It comes down to being a matter of preference.
Check out all the videos.
Talk to other RVers visit campgrounds and find out what will best suit you and your family.
Please watch all the videos they have made about the RV life.
And enjoy the outdoor life !!
Try it you'll like it
This would be a great blog article! Thank you and enjoy👍😊
This is awesome!!! Being a work from home mom (I babysit) I started looking at potentially getting a SMALL towable (pull behind my minivan...real small) I spent about a year looking at floor plan & how to videos...I found one I thought was toooooooo cuuuute...& was super affordable I took my husband to see it...it sold in the 5 days between finding it & his day off...he liked bigger...many tours & much more research later my dream of a little trailer & exploring on the house on the weekends has turned into renting a permanent spot & buying a 43’ fifth wheel that will just stay parked....
Glad you liked it 😊 thanks for sharing
We had a 32’ Travel Trailer and pulled it with a Ford F-250 Diesel Crew Cab and enjoyed it for 5 years. We went to a 40’ diesel pusher Class A and had that for 5 years. In 2019 we started looking for our next rig for retirement. We saw some beautiful 5th wheels and it was very tempting, however, being in our late 50’s and already being “spoiled” to the convenience of a class A, we stuck with a class A. 38’ Georgetown XL gasser with full body paint, a bath and a half, king size bed, auto leveling, etc.... We don’t have to get out of the rig to do anything if we don’t want to except to get gas. It’s big and you have to be intentional when driving and parking but the physical demands are so much easier than a 5th wheel. I do all the driving and my husband loves it. I enjoy driving and he doesn’t so it’s perfect. I can drive a 5th wheel and Mercedes can learn and get comfortable but she needs to drive it in a less stressful situation, it was painful watching the video where she was “learning” 😪 You guys should enjoy the 5th wheel why John is comfortable with all the work but start looking at floor models of the Class A’s so you are ready when the time comes to downsize and get into the convenience of a nice Class A 😊
Thank you for sharing👍😊 We are looking closely at the Georgetown. Forrest River has been great for us.
We bought a Georgetown gasser. We love it!
@@brandoncorley3142 which one did you go with?
We ended up buying a 34 foot Georgetown 335 DS platinum edition. It is a 2015 and only had a little over 3,000 miles on it. We think the previous owners only used it for tailgating.
@@brandoncorley3142 wow! That’s awesome! We went with the 360 DS. 2014 with 37k miles. We love ours too!
Love this video. My husband & I had the same discussion about our 29 foot travel trailer. I like the rig just fine, but I do NOT feel comfortable driving it at all. Ironically, I would feel more comfortable with a tiny 5th. The Winnebago Micro Minnie for example is only 27 feet long, 7 feet wide, and a foot taller than our travel trailer. It would be easier to hitch up than the travel trailer is. And, more stable behind the truck.
I'd love a class C, but my husband & I both love our truck and get a lot of use out of it outside or RVing. So, a towable is a more practical choice for us. We just need something we can both drive & hitch.
I love how you have your arguments for all of us to see! Real, common, arguments that I think every couple goes through! GREAT VIDEO!!
All valid points! I totally agree w/ Mercedes on the fact of “God Forbid” anything does happen to John... she’s in charge of not only y’all’s daughter and bring in emotional distress but then, add on the whole process of tearing down, loading up and hauling. It’s emotionally draining to even think about. We had a 30’ travel trailer and when my Jake got hurt (long story short.. he races a dirt bike, went over the bars on a “fun ride day” 🙄 and ended up breaking 3 ribs and his right wrist.) Well, needless to say that we had a come to Jesus meeting and traded in the trailer for a truck camper. That is so much easier to maintain, drive, boondock, pull into small parking lots etc.. and “God Forbid” he gets hurt again.. I can take care of everything and get us home. Thank you for sharing y’all’s thoughts on it. A lot of people do not have the common sense to weight out the pro’s and con’s about a situation. Blessings to y’all! If y’all really want to try out a small space... come borrow our truck camper!! 😂 Blessings to y’all! ~ Kat
Blessings Cat💚💚💚 Thank you for sharing that perspective
So sorry
I understand what you are both saying. We are on our second 5th wheel. The first one was a 25’ Shasta that had a triple axle for help in pulling a boat (previous owner). That was a bear to backup if you weren’t straight! Both my husband and I drove it. I did add a backup camera to it. We went to a 32’ Grand Design Reflection 27RL. I love this RV! I have driven this with our Chev 2500 Diesel. I also added a Haloview backup camera to it. The camera is great for regular driving too! I study backing a lot and can talk my husband through it and have even backed it myself when he got frustrated. After the triple axle, the dual axle was so much smoother! I steer from the 6 o’clock position so you steer in the direction you want the rear of the rig to go. You don’t have to think in opposition like you do if you use a 10 & 2 hand position on the wheel. You just back without having to think about it. But like anything, practice makes perfect and I want the ability to handle the rig if my husband couldn’t! You need patience and just take things slow! Rushing always creates problems! I’m the real camper in the family and I do all the work on the camper and my husband cares for the truck. We make it a team effort and have a good system for set up and tear down. He loves me so he humors me by going camping but he’s getting more comfortable with it and is enjoying it also (yeah)! We are 67 & 68 years old and have only been camping together since 2016-17. But I think it is a safer tow and more manageable once you learn your pivot points and how it tracks, especially in a turn. We aren’t full time and won’t be but it’s a fun experience together and with the grandkids when you are capable of handling the rig and fixing it when things need attention. Anything worth having is worth working at! Happy Camping, no matter what your choice is and thanks for the video!
Love how you two interact and disagree in such a fair and honest way. I love your video, even though I have a T@B teardrop which is enough for me, my dog, and sometime one other person. I just take trips and camp in state and National parks all over. I have had it for almost two years and I still am unable to back it up proficiently! I purchased a rear cam when I got my camper and it is the best investment ever. It eases my mind not only while ATTEMPTING to back into a campsite, but also in going through city traffic on interstates. Also, thanks for your videos on campground etiquette! 😊
My wife said the same thing about our 40ft class A. After driving it a few times, she has no problem whipping it around the country.
John, I feel your pain, Brother. I thought we were happy in our 5er until my wife informed me that we wanted a Class A instead. So we went from a 36' 5er to a 45' motorhome this winter. 😁
I went to RV Driving School before we picked ours up. I want to be confident I can safely move our rig if something happens to my husband. It was the BEST, most confidence building weekend I've ever had.
Would you like to mention which one, and anything more about the experience?
We had a 31’ft airstream and Beautiful F350 truck. After eight months on the road and looking at everything we decided to go with our Tiffin Allegro Bus 40’ and tow our Jeep. Love this setup! Just my husband and I and our three small dogs retired. Been on the road with it for two and a half years!!! I love being able to use the restroom and access to our kitchen and king bed.. No class C’s for us!!!
I completely agree with to each their own. There are plusses and minuses for TT’s, 5w, class c and class a. Whatever you are comfortable with is safer for you and everyone around you. I have had two TT’s both 33’ and now a class a at 38’ and to be honest the class A is much less work. Only TT towing problems we ever had was because of horrible highways (I10 and I20 in LA) where the toy hauler started to porpoise due to the motorcycle weight in the back. That was due to the roads not the hitch weight and hook up. Bottom line, to each their own and drive what you are comfortable driving. IMO. Have a great week.
To each their own 👍😊
You did great driving the 5th wheel ! I am so proud of you ! Just keep driving short distances till you feel good about it . If you want to practice just drive the truck till you feel better about it.
Thank you Annie💚
I really appreciate your concerns and comments regarding 5th wheels. I wanted a 5th wheel, my roommate wanted a TT. We purchased a Keystone Cougar 34tsb 2018. It's so small, my granddaughter and I share the bunkhouse, I had to remove Jacknife sofa to install my Queen bed, I have MS, CFS, etc. Keith got the forward stateroom with king mattress. He is miserable, and he is barely ambulatory. I have ambulatory issues as well. We have our granddaughter, 19 and my Sheltie Littleman, plus 3 cats and 2 parakeets. It is cold 🥶 They sold us a Polar Package which means nothing, we needed the artic package. Live and learn. Selling in March! 👍❤
One of my top favourite videos that you folks have put out. My wife and I have a 42' 5th wheel that we tow with an F350 dualy. To make her more comfortable we took the RV driving course at an annual RV safety conference. I highly recommended for any RV owner. In the video you made many valid points about the massive size of a 5th wheel and truck trying to maneuver into sites, especially in state parks. Often times we have found The road through the parking area is not wide enough to accommodate the turning radius required by such a long rig. This forces you to drive off road, in bushes, or in adjacent RV spaces to get in-and-out of your campsite. It can be a real challenge. We never, ever, never attempt this after dark. While we do in joy our rig there are many other topics that could be covered. My wife's spends hours planning route to ensure there are no low over passes. There are many beautiful campsite that we cannot go to because the roads To and from are not suitable for such a large rig. With a rig such as ours total length 61', we really have to stick to truck routes. I could go on but you folks have done a wonderful job beginning to address this subject. John listen to your wife and soon you can put out a follow up video to this one.
I think I have broken the code. If Mercedes bites her lower lip, it’s going to be a bad day for John. 😀
🤣😂🤣
If John’s lips flatline it’s going to be a hard day for Mercedes.
1. Mama wants a new rig. Mama gets a new rig. Happy wife, happy life.
2. So true not everyone should be driving a truck with a 5th wheel.
God Bless, Stay safe.
Lol...God Bless you as well Brad
One thing to consider which was not mentioned is that if you have a Class A or C and once you pull into a site, level up, hook up water, sewer and electric you have to be towing a vehicle, motorcycle or have a bike if you don't want to break everything down to go shopping, dinner out etc.
RV ODD COUPLE, NO, I'm not going to say you're wrong on anything you said thus far. Youz guys have learned a lot in the past few years and am glad you're willing to share. I've had 4 travel trailers in 40 plus years. Never a 5th wheel., nor a class a/b/c/d/e/f. Sorry, some letters don't apply to this great discussion. My latest rig is 23' AS Flying Cloud with WDH & rear view camera. My TV is a GMC Yukon. A good match. How in the world though does anyone these days go without that safety device, the camera? Indeed it is a safety device to know what's all around & behind you at all times. I'll admit, I went back into campin' with a trailer again at age74, and not having done it since 2015. That's 4 years & a few months., a long delay time to do this venture. SO, it's true, once you ride a bike you don't forget. But with trailers, every trailer make is different & driving now is somewhat different than when I was 'younger'. My equipment is new & that helps relieve some tension. There are many more angry folks on the road now vs way way back in 2015. Did I hear Mercedes say she wants to share the driving? Well, there you go. As you'd likely recommend to others, practice, practice, practice. And from all appearances, youz guys are 'brutally honest'., thanks for that, to the benefit especially for the 1000's of newbies. And when you argue, it's not the end of the world because I see you still holding on to each other throughout. Nice. Keep it up. And as for the many new campgrounds, it's a good thing, but costs are getting outrageous. It's a business, it's a lot of work to run a decent park/campground, so they're entitled. I'm not going for the toyhauler, but wishing there was another way to carry an Indian, Scout. Electric bikes are an option, but aren't quite the same experience. I've seen that some campgrounds do not allow mtrcycles. What have you observed on that restrictive issue? I'd be interested to know what you have to say since you find yourselves in many different parts of the country. Have you ventured to historic New England, or ever plan to? Caution, some roads in really nice places used to be cow paths. Thanx, The Silver Conestoga Wagon Driver.
As you know, I like trave trailers. The trouble with travel trailers is the sway.. They have fairly good anti-sway brakes nowadays. Add to that an anti-sway and weight distribution hitch. They become pretty rock solid. Now you can get away with a somewhat smaller unit. Put a camper shell on the truck bed. You gain the storage to go smaller. As to the class c or A. Do not like the engines in most of the class c. As to class A. I consider a super c a better choice.
John I’m with you we have a 35’ toyhauler. I feel safer towing it than I did towing our previous tow behind. I just need to be more aware of trees and other low clearance. Also my wife has been on me to teach her too drive it. Just in case for some unforeseen reason I can’t drive she can. I tell the wife another thing to be aware a 5th turns at a tighter inside radius then the truck that’s why I make wider turns
😊👍😊👍
My sister and I both have Lupus and started out with a TT and then switched to 5th wheel. The 5er is much easier. We have also learned ways to make things easier for ourselves. I use a small ladder to get in the back of the truck, we got auto leveling, we got an Andersen hitch (which I can easily hook up by myself), we got Andersen jack pads for front and snap pads for the back Jack's. We also practiced driving in the country and take our time. My hubby gave us lots of tips and so far (thank you Lord) we haven't had a problem. We have even had to change a tire and it it 90% done before someone stopped to help us. The only thing left for him to do was tighten the lug nuts. We used the power of our truck. People tend to believe women can't do it and we get a lot of stares when we drive down the road.
Awesome!
We went full-time in September. I’m disabled so my wife does almost all the driving and we needed to go big because our 17 year old autistic son will always live with us so he needs his own bedroom. We settled on a big mid-bunk, the 5er is 42 feet long. We got a regular bed SRW because she wouldn’t drive a dually and/or long bed.
Driving this beast with our GMC 3500 SRW is super easy. We have the Anderson Ultimate Hitch and barely know the trailer is back there. Driving isn’t any more fatiguing than driving without it hitched up. Parking definitely can be a trial though. We are moving every 2 to 3 weeks and get pull throughs when we can so we are definitely still amateurs.
Big tip from us is when you are in trouble, like GPS trying to run you under a 10’ bridge... when someone experienced offers to help, let them but tell them you need them to talk to you along the way so you can learn. Have had two experienced big rig drivers who have really helped and taught us a lot.
Overall, loving our fifth wheel but do wish we could have found something with a reasonably sized bunk room that was shorter. May trademit in a few years for one of the new floor plans with the slideout bunkroom on the back dropping the length down to 38’ or so feet.
I really like this particular video from RV Odd Couple because it presents both points of view. Anyone watching can benefit, versus only presenting positive views or only presenting negative views, as most RV videos do. You two might want to consider doing more videos like this?!
Thank you Tiffani 💚
Mercedes & John you both are ALWAYS a HOOT 🤣 to watch - and always learn much from ! Godspeede ! Keep rolling and stay well and safe, that includes your "baby" girl.
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We have a 2006, 39.5 foot diesel pusher. We love it! We live in it full time. We are not yet on the road full time due to hubby’s job. The travels we have taken have been great!! Driving and setup has been great. I am sure we will have some difficulties in the future, but so far we are very satisfied. We do not plan on camping in campgrounds very often. We both drive. In our travels we boondock or stay a friends/family. We have a residential frig and I have my washer /dryer. Love you guys! Love your hearts. Blessings
My husband and I have had camping trailers, class c and class A RVs. We are now our 2nd Class A 42 ft diesel pusher. I absolutely love it. It has all the bells n whistles and makes life easy. My husband finds it extremely easy to drive. I will never drive it. A regular ole driver's license is all you need to drive a Class A.
It freaks me out when I see a big rig approach the site and the lady stays inside the truck or sits at the picnic table while the guy tries to back into the site with no help. This is team work guys! When you take a driving class, they teach the driver and the co-pilot.
To each their own... I found that a backup camera system was better for my marriage 😊
I can tell you know nothing about backing a trailer Anne! You're one of those whom it'd be better for you to stay inside!
Mercedes is right, a person needs to know their limitations when choosing their RV and they need to make sure they have the right tow vehicle if choosing a trailer. BUT, a person’s age shouldn’t arbitrarily be used as a limiting factor or a reason to choose one type over another. In fact, that is a bit insulting. Ive seen 40 year old people drive their class C away from a campsite with their awning out only to hit a tree and do thousands $ damage.
Statistically of coarse
Everyone is stupid, there are different degrees of stupid. But it does make great UA-cam videos!
Damm
After buying a 28' camper & towing it with our Ford Expedition, I was stressed backing that up and agree with the whip feeling going down the road. We bought a Class A a couple of months later, I totally like driving the motorhome verses the camper. I can not even fathom driving a 5th Wheel at all, they do intimidate me. I know my weeknesses and agree I would need to take a course to drive for sure. As for it staying stationary, maybe but then I would just go buy a mobile home, if I wanted to stay stationary.
Of course to each his/her own!! My hats off to 5th Wheel owners!!
I asked an old guy one time, What was best, a 5th wheeler, or a motor home!! He told me, if you want to Camp, you want a 5th wheel, and if you want to travel, you want a motor home!! Have had both, and he was totally correct!!!
Over the last 35 years I have had them all Motorhome, Travel Trailer and 5th Wheeler. They all have Pros and Cons in my opinion. In my line of work I will always own a 3500 Truck so the 5th wheel is for me. With a Class A or C you gotta get another vehicle to tow behind you that will create other problems. Lets not forget You can never back up with tow vehicle attached to a Motorhome.
Great points!
Your last point may be why I end up selling my Dually and abandoning the plan to take my show on the road.
The Open Road has become very crowded.
Super busy and getting worse in 2021 Dave.
@@RVOddCouple Don't you think it will even out and there will be a glut of used RVs on the market? I already saw someone begging others to take over their loan so they could walk away from $700/mo payments! I figure, because i got taken on 2 homes, 2 very different stories , that i won't have the down i wish for, but my truck and 5th payments will be the same as i pay now. But if i were to do both, bankruptcy for sure. I think a lot bought out of fear and kept their homes, too! Not everyone could or should do that. Some have money for several homes and RVs, but not most. I am old with no one to worry about financially after i leave, so i am ok. I can hardly wait to get on the road, even if it is crowded for a year or two. I just wonder what will happen to the RV industry. Seems very precarious.
My last truck was a dually as well, F450 King Ranch 4X4, and quite possibly the most comfortable truck I've owned, and I've had many! I also had it programmed, and exhaust changed out, where it was producing well over 500 rear wheel HP, so the hills where never a problem, 'but' I just had an Arctic Fox slide in camper in the truck (don't get me wrong...they're not light with having a slide) and then I hooked on an 18' trailer with quads behind. We eventually decided..we want more comfort, so we bought a preowned Tiffin Class A motorhome with the Cummin's engine, 4 slides, and we tow a Honda CRV behind. It's pretty easy to set up overall, and if on the road, we just park it, and we're done, no getting out (unless I forgot to turn on the propane previously) at an overnight Rest Area, or boon docking. I HAVE driven semi's, for the last 10 years of my career, so backing a 53' trailer helped with feeling fairly confident at backing up, albeit having a CDL and my wife not having one, she would have trouble as well, but she's very capable, and would do so at the drop of a hat if I asked her! It's really hard to beat the comforts of a Class A, and when all slides are out, more than enough room! The self levelling IS easy, but they still haven't yet come up with a water hose and electric cord, that will automatically roll out and hook themselves up! Maybe one day they will...and the sewer hose as well, so we can just watch it happen as we grab a beer from the fridge! Have to agree with Mercedes, but also John, as the Ford F450 is a dream to drive....I did say 'drive' not necessarily to park in a mall parking lot.
Current Class A CDL driver. My rig is 80,000 pounds, 75+ feet long and takes 650 feet to stop at 65mph.....very similar to a cruise missile. Well over a million miles. Glad to answer any questions. Class A drivers have a wealth of experience and knowledge.
I love how you two have your arms intertwined. I don't know if that's a sign of true love but its good enough for me. Ps i love dynamics between the two of you
Thank you 💚💚💚
I'm sorry John, but I think if something happened to you there would be a long line of guys willing to help Mercedes out!
Of course
😂😂 you're right!
Very long line!
I’m cutting in line
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
You will never get better or more comfortable with anything if you never do it. We are still researching an RV for the future and will definitely take a look more than one type, but we understand it will be a learning process. Have you ever pulled live weight - horses - that move around and panic in a trailer? I have. I have pulled a small camper, a tagalong horse trailer, a pontoon boat and a small utility trailer. They are all unique and all have their own challenges. The only way you get better and more comfortable is to do it. First on easy roads with minimal traffic and ideal weather. Then as much as you can. I once backed my horse trailer up into a service garage with a bunch of old men standing around watching for the woman to mess up- yup, no pressure there, but I nailed without even having to adjust once. Once you become afraid, it becomes much harder to overcome that fear. While you have to be cautious as a driver, you cannot be passive. Thanks for the thought-provoking video. :-)
We looked at many RVs before we purchased one. The fifth wheel is definitely the one with the most room and they are beautiful but we decided and bought a 33 Tiffin Class A diesel pusher because we both liked the idea us being in one unit (don’t have to get out to go to the bathroom for instance) and I actually had no problem driving it even when towing our Jeep Rubicon. It’s just the two of us and we found it was a perfect size and luxury we wanted. It is expensive but when you take into consideration when buying a 5th wheel the cost sounds reasonable, but the extra cost is with the vehicle that is going to pull it. It’s comparable to the cost of the class A in that respect.
John: "They purchased a 5th wheel and it's too big and they're intimidated." Me: *Googles shortest 5th wheels*
Yes, the short 5th wheels are interesting. Happy camping with whoever you go with.
Believe it or not, I've actually seen an ad for a 27' long fifth wheel. Insane! I've seen class Cs that were longer than the trailer!
@@stephenpowstinger733 😄
I know I am one of those people who shouldn’t be driving a large 5th wheel. 🤣 And parking? No way! I have the opposite extremes with my small 18’ camper the Little Guy Max. 😁
To each Their own 💚💚💚
Why don't you take a course and learn. It isn't hard.
@@matt89108 That’s an awesome idea @Matt Shaw 😁
You folks are great. I always enjoy watching your presentations, and both Mercedes and her Chauffeur raised good points.
For unfamiliar people I want them to know my experiences in driving, drivable RV's so that they can shop smarter.
Don't be afraid of the size of a drivable unit. The big Class A diesel pushers operate effortlessly and are the easiest to drive.
When I bought the Class C unit the learning curve was small. It's a van with wider sides so compensate for the extra width. That was about it.
But when I bought my first big coach 35' I had apprehension. So what I did was, around midday on weekdays when the kids are in school I'd get into the coach alone and I'd drive around the streets and back roads where I lived. I was most familiar with these roads so that absorbed a big burden from me and I could focus on take-off's, stopping, turning, tree limbs heights, and all the basic's. Also, I had learned where all the switches and controls are and adapted from that for a quick locating glance and then operating them by feel while I was underway. Even if it was only at 20-30 MPH, doing that kicked the door in for operating them at 65 MPH.
I practiced like that daily, and moved up to unfamiliar roads, and expressway driving. And I did this before ever setting out on a trip because that's not the time to learn.
These daily practice drives, alone in the coach, made for very effective and accelerated learning. And being alone was a big part of that, though some days I did take the dog along. He was a quite dog that wouldn't disrupt me, and that helped him get use to the coach too. I learned right in the driveway that dogs can get scared at first because they think they're in a house that's moving and houses are supposed to do that. So it was a great help to build his confidence, and it didn't take long for him to become very excited when we would ask "Do you want to go camping?"
When the day came for our first camping trip I was completely ready. I knew how that coach was going to be on the roads in my neighborhood, on secondary roads, and the expressway. I wasn't a seasoned expert, but through those little midday practice drives I had built knowledge and confidence. Most importantly, I had confidence that I could drive the coach safely. And that first two hour journey to the campground was magnificently beautiful.
After the 35' gas coach transitioning into the 39' diesel pusher was a piece of cake. The biggest learning curve with that is to keep a good awareness of the speed on small back roads. The reason is that with the engine in the rear you don't have much of an aural reference. We don't realize that when the engine is up front where you can hear it well, our minds are using the sounds as part of a speed reference. In the diesel pusher that's missing and speed goes unnoticed leading to taking backroad curves way too fast. Of course a few good scares and paying mind to speed sinks in quickly.
My first unit was 23' Class C Chevrolet 350 engine . That drove awful. The winds blew it around, the suspension was roly-poly, and it didn't have good hill climbing power. The suspension was overwhelmed by the weight of the unit.
In short, unless there have been big changes in the industry that I'm unaware of, I've found that Class C units have the highest amount of driver workload. Mine was an unpleasant chore to drive. Even though it was only a 23' unit the suspension was not up to managing the weight of the unit.
Second unit was 35' Class A Gasoline/front engine, Ford F53 chassis, Ford 460 engine. The noise of the engine being right next to the driver's seat would wear on me at times and always required speaking up during conversations. In warm weather the heat coming from the engine cover was very uncomfortable and at times compromised the A/C system. The cab heating system was not sufficient during cold weather driving and required running at least the front propane furnace, and sometimes the rear propane furnace as well for enough warmth. The cab A/C became marginal when outdoor temps reached about 78F. Warmer outdoor temps required starting the generator and running the front roof A/C, and if outdoor temps went over 85F I'd have to run the rear roof A/C too. The suspension was roly-poly, and also overwhelmed by the weight of the unit.
The Class A gas unit was marginally better than my 23' Class C. That unit at 35' had the same suspension issues with it being overwhelmed by it's own weight. It was another unit with a high workload on the driver, but it did better on secondary roadways than my Class C.
My understanding of Class A gas units is that peak handling and suspension requirements are their best at 30' length and below, but as the length increases beyond 30' the manufacturer's just add extensions onto the chassis to hold the larger bodies, but they do not upgrade the suspension for the increased weight.
Third unit was 39' Class A Diesel Pusher, Cummings 6 cyl Freightliner chassis. This coach was easy to drive and had the lowest level of workload. The lightest touch on steering wheel, or the pedals, effortlessly accomplished all types of driving. Once you drive a diesel pusher you'll no longer want to drive another type of RV. Air suspension was excellent, not roly-poly.
This particular coach had a small engine and it was slow to pick up speed from a stand still, but once at speed it would hold the speed without any problem. I have excellent driving skills so the slowness didn't bother me and an upshot was that it had good fuel mileage, usually over 11MPG. The cab A/C was excellent well into the mid 90's outdoor temps. The cab heat was insufficient for winter driving.
Do your homework!!! And test drive under all roadway conditions, speeds, and on windy days. No one wants any drivable unit that places a heavy workload on the driver.
I want to make an important point about cab heat in Class A units (the heater operated by the engine).
This does not apply to Class C or Class B units because these use the truck manufacturer's heater, A/C, and ductwork system. But large Class C units may have to close the curtain behind the front seats to retain sufficient heating.
The cab heat in Class A units in all likelihood will be sufficient during mild seasonally cold weather--Spring and Autumn. But when the cold weather arrives Class A units can have cab heat of insufficient capacity and design to manage only down to a certain outdoor temperature range. And I had two of them. Bear in mind that the heating systems in these are not necessarily designed to the extent of the heater in a car. And making the situation worse the driver's side heat on both of the Class A units that I owned only used a cut-off air duct hose stapled to the firewall, no duct work, and no diffuser to spread the heat effectively, or evenly. The diesel pusher did have a diffuser for the passenger side.
If your planning to drive a Class A in cold weather do your homework on the cab heating system before purchasing.
You all are absolutely right. Our fifth wheel is only 34 feet and we realized (after the fact) for our skill level buying it was a mistake. We love it to glamp in but essentially it has to stay parked in order for us to enjoy it. John & Mercedes have been so kind, reassuring me that if we aren’t comfortable driving it-we shouldn’t drive it.
I am hopeful we will continue to be able to camp whether we have to hire someone to relocate the fifth wheel for us every now and then or we decide to rent and try out other options before investing in something different. We’ve been following Mercedes & John since the beginning and I have taken advantage of so many tips!!! I may not be able to drive but I am able to help quite a bit with set up and ,breakdown, including dealing with the tanks and if it hadn’t been for their videos I would still be feeling completely incompetent.
Sending Sage a hug! Thanks for all you do!!!
Hugs back Auntie Susan❤️ Sage can’t wait to meet you and thank you for all of the gifts 🎁 Sage loves them all. Good people attract good people🙏
I guess it all comes down to the needs of an individual or family unit.
"To each is own." Mercedes is an individual who may not need a 5th wheel. Let's not forget we humans can do anything if the desire is strong enough. If you want it bad enough, you'll go through the struggle to get there. Thinking about the movie and true story "The Pursuit of Happiness." I love this channel. So Authentic. Thanks for what you do. Your thoughts are valuable.
Thank you Jurgen 💚💚💚 Thank you 😊
Bottom line, make Mama happy. Happy Wife, happy Life!!!
Amen!!! Happy Wife... ya know the rest
When I got my boat years ago, my mantra was don't buy the biggest boat you can afford, but buy the smallest you can live with. And as far as pulling/backing into a dock or campsite, slow is the way to go. You don't get extra points for speed except for the laughter from those watching you.
Love our 42 foot 5th wheel. We tow with a 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500 Cummins Diesel. We have never had trouble getting camping spots. Amazing living space and amenities plus we setup and have a vehicle to drive since we have a 5th wheel.
Thankfully, there are lots of options for RVers to choose from.
Great info guys I love how you guys keep it real and honest with everyone . I would rather know the good and the bad of both sides before making a huge purchase . Thank you both for all the great info .
Always welcome 😊👍 Thank you
I haul a 42’ toy hauler with a dually. It is harder finding campground parks. Most challenging has been driving thru West Virginia and Pennsylvania back roads. I’m in my most favorite spot in West Virginia since November.hoping I’ll stay here a long time 🤞🏼 I’m at the mercy of my work and where projects are and how long they last. After I get comfortable somewhere I dread moving unless I get to go home for a bit. When I went to Virginia for the summer of 2020 I had to wait 2 weeks for a park spot to open up, I had no where to even store it! So I left it home in Michigan stayed in hotel, when an opening became available my parents brought it for me.
Thank you for sharing this Heidi 😊👍 We think it will get harder in 2021 for Campgrounds
LoL imagine how the poor semi drivers feel about those two lane roads with almost no shoulder and and even over hanging trees in some locals.
@@RVOddCouple - incredibly harder here in Canada as well John. We have to phone to get a reservation for a campsite these days. Last March (which is when the government opens up reservations) on the first day, both my wife and I (separate phones) where on seconds..after they opened up, and we both tried for 4 hours to get a campsite in the area's we had previously chosen that we'd like to visit. We got 'nothing' in those 4 hours...so campsites are definitely at a premium these days! Private is the best way to go, albeit some area's, even the private sites are booked up quickly. Seeing some of the storage sites close by, you'd think it was a huge RV Dealership with the rows and rows of RV's, but these days they're squeezing us humans into smaller locations, putting homes on smaller lots, where you just can't fit an RV any more! I thankfully can fit our 36' motorhome in my driveway, but you don't get longer driveways in most new homes here any more! At about half a million new RV's being built per year, when you count that up over the years, finding campsites is only going to get harder!
West Virginia is so hard to find spots for 40++ rigs. We are looping back through there this summer and we had to adjust our route to find a place to stay. Kentucky we even worse. We have to be in that area for a week for work, and we ended up booking in a state park just north of Cincinnati, because we couldn't find a place with full hookups near Lexington, ( one campground that had dump site ). We haven't had an issue in PA in and around the Gettysburg/Lancaster area.
We had always had 5th wheels most of our married life. When we decided to go full time I still wanted a 5th wheel, but we shopped for both a 5th wheel and Motor Home. We travel with 2 dogs and 2 cats. When we needed to vacate our house for byers to tour and we had to put 4 pets in our truck for a couple hours, it made me want the Motor Home. We bought a 44' diesel motor home with a side radiator (husband wanted the side). We love it for travelling. I can get to the 1/2 bath while going down the road, we can run all three air conditioners going down the road so when we arrive at our next camping location we are cool and not getting into a hot 5th wheel. The pets are comfortable and I can even fix lunch when we stop on the road. While we fill up with fuel I can go back and make a quick BLT etc. I've run back and made popcorn going down the road. It is great. We can take our children/grandchildren with us. They can watch tv etc. There are 6 seat belts between the two davenports. And I can drive it. I practiced on interstates when Covid first hit and there was little traffic. This summer I even made it several hours down 2 lane highways, through cities, across bridges and through road construction. Do I enjoy it? Not especially but it is a relief knowing I can do it if something happens to husband. Setting up is a breeze. Unhook electricity and sewer. The longest chore is unhooking/hooking up our F150 that we tow and checking the lights, but that is about a 5 minute job. So much easier than a 5th wheel. During Covid we had our daughter and granddaughters come and stay a month and they did virtual school in the mornings and we swam or beached in the afternoons. Plenty of room. Yes when our pets are gone I would love to downsize to a shorter Motor Home to have access to more campgrounds. But for now this is what we need and love. God bless you in your travels and hope to meet you on the road. Linda
It's episodes like this one that really demonstrate why this is the best fifth wheel UA-cam channel
You've convinced me to limit my choice to a minivan conversion.
This is why I enjoy your channel yall keep it real and make sure your viewers have the info needed to make good choices
We love to help 😊👍
okay, our discussion in our case was a maintenance-based thing. We don't go to a campground and just sit; we see the sites, we go to attractions, and most important, we seek out the breweries, wineries and distilleries! To do that in a Class fill-in-the-blank means attaching some other vehicle, which means added engine maintenance. Now, I'll admit, I drive professionally (school bus) and my Kathy is also very tense about our rig...it's a Chevy 2500 HD and our rig is a 37 footer. I know, not a huge one, but satisfactory for us. I'm not telling Kathy she has to spot the rig. We'll work up to that after some roadwork and she gets used to watching her side-to-side as well as front to back. We all don't need to be an expert driver right off and a rig the size of a housing development. Start comfortable; stay comfortable. Love you guys. Hope to see you on the road sometime.
Love ya back Harry & Kathy 👍😊💚
What we did was get a average width of rv spots . We put cones in our yard marking all four corners. We backed in and practiced a lot . There are also schools that you can go to to help you back in. Sometimes you can find huge parking lots to do the same thing . Even with Travel trailers it helps to practice . You can have cones marking the width of the road your backing in from. You can get small cones very cheap. One person backing n the other watching if your going over boundaries . There are ways to get more comfortable backing in and all this helps. Get out there and practice
I see a lot of rv'ers driving very fast passing everyone and I see that they are overconfident thinking its ok.
We see this as well Henry and worry for everyone else.
I am man! Watch me park!! I hear ya John! My wife wants to help me park cause it make her feel good. But! I sometimes don’t listen to her while I’m parking. Lol. My wife like an RV cause she can walk around inside while going down the road. I like bumper pulls, they feel easier to pull and or drive down the road. Love you guys!!
Lmbo Benny & the Bandit 🤣😂🤣!!! We need to create a shirt! I am Man, Watch me park! 🤣😂🤣 And....I’m with you on the rest
Firstly, I love you guys!!!! So the Dually (DRW) vs single (SRW) rear wheel comes down to math. For the SRW, the bed weight gets distributed on to 4 tires. With 6 six wheels, the weight (stress) per tire is cut down significantly. Keep these cool videos comin!!!!!!
I tow a 29' #8,400 loaded weight 5th wheel toy hauler with my 1/2 ton silverado 5.3L .
I love my rig.
I get 10 MPG all day long and tow at 65 MPH .
I'm okay with that.
I'm small enough that I park the truck next to it at the shorter spots in camp grounds.
I did install a hardwired rear camera system and also bright LED backup lights for backing up into tight spots at night BY MYSELF.
The real trick is to install the rear air bags in the truck for leveling it for proper handling and braking.
I think my 5th wheel setup us much more maneuverable mostly due to its length.
Just FYI , I'd NEVER buy a class A or a travel trailer.
When I pull a small trailer behind a class c, you can’t even see it in the mirrors. The trailer doesn’t move the class c at all. If it wasn’t in the rear camera, I wouldn’t even know it’s there. Gas mileage doesn’t change either, but v10s only get 7-9mpg anyhow. That’s what happens when the tow vehicle is smaller than what you are towing. With 5th wheels, the tow rigs are shorter and skinnier than what it’s towing, even if the pivot point is in the bed. You are dragging a big block behind and on top of you.
People somehow can justify spending $80k on a truck because you can do more than just camp with it. They use it daily. You don’t drive a motor home everyday unless you full time, so the cost- to-use ratio is higher.
Great points Weston! Thank you 👍😊
John: “I do all the work!” I’ve got a couch and a stuffed bunny rabbit reserved for you, John...’cause you ain’t sleeping or snuggling with Mercedes any time soon. Way to go, genius...😉
I'm sorry...I can't remember how you identify? What was your preferred pronoun???
When we purchased our 5th Wheel my wife and I had driven our TT. Boy what a difference. I have had some crazy experiences, almost taking out a gas pump in a small gas station ,ripping a hole in the roof because of not considering the height. My wife drove it on the highway so the fatigue level was not as bad. We now have it parked in a permanent spot in a campground year round because my wife just can't travel as much as we once did. You are so right about the costs ;adding the price of the truck and 5th wheel ,if I had to do it over again I would definitely have gone the Motorhome Route. It does make for a great second home for getting away ;especially when the campground is 45 miles away at the beach.
Great video (as always!). There are pros and cons to each (Class A/B/C vs 5th wheel). John hit the nail on the head in that the more you drive it and park it, the more you get used to it. Like anything else in life, it takes practice. Now me being a solo full time RV'er those issues become much bigger for me. No one else to check anything, no one else to mention this or that. It's all on me. So, I'm still debating the best way to go. I think ultimately later in life I'll be in a Class A pulling a TOAD just to get around for groceries and all that. For now a 5th wheel towed by a dually seems the most logical. Who knows, but that's where the adventure is...enjoying and being grateful for today, and letting tomorrow "happen". And...gotta ask...does Mercedes have a single twin sister? ;-) HA! With all due respect of course. John, that is one awesome wife you have.
Wassup my odd fam when we have those bad days in the rig you guys make it feel like it's normal to be frustrated thank you for your content 💕 you guys !!!!
Same here 💚 the RV Odd Squad helps us through the tougher days 😊👍
So true about finding a place to camp if you are to long. We have a 38ft travel trailer pulled by a 4 door F250, it is so hard to find a campsite. We are looking for a class C less then 35ft long.
It’s going to get harder in 2021
Good discussion. I have a commercial drivers license. When people ask me about this subject, I talk to them about how are you going to travel. We like to move often and seldom do two nights in the same location. We also like to go to music festivals and tour with music groups. For us, a motorhome (Class C) is the best choice for us. We use bicycles to extend our range and explore when camped. On the other hand, if you want to travel to destinations and spend three days to a week (or more), then a travel trailer or fifth wheel may be a better choice. IMHO...having the tow vehicle as your get around ride when camped is a HUGE advantage. Towing a dingy vehicle with a motorhome is not fun and wasteful. Thanks guys for your good videos.
Hey guys always great content. Well I am the guy after looking at Recreational Vehicles and Travel Trailers purchased a Disney timeshare and here is why. Todays subject is right on target, I was in the heavy equipment business for quite sometime and was familiar with driving many types of vehicles and knew the issues i had faced pulling trailers in general. Therefore, pulling a travel trailer for me was out of the question, no way, no how, as I had to work on those things in the rain, snow and heat during breakdowns so that was the turnoff for me.
The biggest issue which is more relevant to todays topic is "what can be used to pull a travel trailer "should" it be used" to pull one is the question. I felt in speaking with dealers that I got the answer I wanted to hear in terms of asking "will" my truck tow however never got the answer "should" I be using this or that vehicle to tow. Never mislead, just misinformed by uneducated sales persons not in the Trucking business.
Towing on flat ground is one thing, towing on an incline or decline is another. Then there is the safety issue of just not knowing. A campground is located just past my home and I see weekend warriors pulling all kinds of travel trailers on a 22' wide road that definitely should not be. Pulling one on the weekends and/or week or so during the summer is much different than pulling one all the time. Even staying on one location for long periods creates issues for tires sitting on flat surfaces for long periods.
I truly believe education should be required to tow a trailer or drive a vehicle of certain weight or length, not for regulatory reasons, for safety reasons. Thank you for permitting me to comment.
Excellent Article for a Blog Post Kevin! Thank you for taking the time 👍😊👍😊👍😊👍
Use to drive long haul, our bestest fear was spring and summer time on the interstate. People retire, buy a travel trailer, or 5th wheels and hit the interstate traveling and never drove anything bigger than a car or small pickup, never drove even a 4×6 trailer. Watch out don't get close to them
Agreed! Pisses me off when one flies by at 90mph and their on their phone
We might be looking for a class C motor home for my wife feels and does the same thing as yours, she can drive the motorhome. She won't drive our 5th wheel.
Being "comfortable" with what you're driving is not an acceptable reason to get what you want. Safety must be the paramount reason for marrying a tow vehicle and any type of RV. Check out some of the YT videos from Big Truck Big RV either on YT or the website for technical aspects of towing vehicles.
We personally won't have a 5th wheel because hubby doesn't want truck bed tied up with 5th wheel hitch equipment nor does he want to have to deal with removing it when he needs the entire truck bed for something, like when we brought home a pallet of pellets for our wood stove. I don't want to have to deal with towing anything longer than about 30 ft+truck. So for us it's been TT over 5th wheel, even in our younger days, even living in it FT for months. To each his/her own...SAFELY (not speeding over 65).
We have a toy hauler 24'. Would be nice to have pop outs, but we're only camping not living in one. I haven't had much trouble backing them... takes practice. I've seen people back into gas stations and other parking very quickly and they obviously are experienced at it. Most is experience. We chose a toy hauler because it's much more modifiable which a regular trailer of that size isn't and the rear gate is a "patio." Very sturdily built.
We like having a free truck bed too. It's also more acceptable in many parks - but at 8.5 ft wide there are about 5 states that don't allow them.
We owned a 38 foot fifth wheel. We drove it once 3 hours. I hated it. I love it once we had it set up but hated the journey. I payed to keep it at the campground. It lived there for a number of years before we sold it. We lost our mobility. We moved up to the fifth wheel after years of camping. We now want to downsize to a small fifth wheel so we can be back on the road. Good video. The big thing is the truck must match the trailer. The bigger the trailer the harder it becomes.
We have a 33’ travel trailer we pull with an Excursion. My wife will not even drive the excursion by itself which is fine. I enjoy driving and I have a CDL and like you said” to each his own”. I will say that even going from a 25’ trailer to a 33’ it has been much more difficult for us to find a roomy campsite. We like state parks and places like that and the bigger sites get reserved quickly. My wife and I are kinda like y’all because we both have jobs we do in setting up the trailer. I do all the driving/parking and outside stuff and she does all the inside stuff. I enjoyed the video and appreciate your honesty! Thanks for sharing! God bless!