RockyRaccoon
York, PA USA
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Joined: 03/07/2002
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I bought my first rv two years ago this September--it is a 28 foot 5th wheel. I am starting to look into buying a Class C in the future, but some folks I know who own travel trailers are discouraging me. They say that you take a bigger hit depreciation-wise with a Class C and that being that it's motorized that unless you are retired and go out a lot that it's not worth it. I'm sure they have a point about the depreciation but I am curious as to what you guys and gals have to say about the advantages and disadvantages of having a Class C and what I should look for while trying to make up my mind. I would appreciate any input and insight that you have.
Thanks!
2004 Nissan Armada SE Off-road 4X4,White,5.6 L V8, auto,power tow mirrors,Tekonsha Prodigy,
Reese Performance Dual Cam setup
2004 Sunline T-264 SR
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golden lover
Florence, Oregon
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Joined: 03/01/2003
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Disadvantages are not being able to unhitch and drive to the store or go sight seeing. Also if the tow vehicle breaks down you can still stay in the trailer. Haveing the engine etc. in your liveing room. Personaly we prefer the trailer.
Golden Lover, Hubby & Memory of our Golden Retriever
2007 Arctic Fox 27 5L 5th Wheel,
2001 F-250 PSD,
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bubbabod
Beautiful Carlsbad, California
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Joined: 04/27/2001
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My first RV was a 28' Class C. For getting into RV'g, it was great for just me and wife. I think whether you're in a Class C or A, towing a vehicle is almost mandatory unless your C is very small so that you can use it for sightseeing. We sold our C for two reasons: It didn't have a slide, and the shower was too small. So we're looking at a 30' or so Class A now. The other big difference in going from a 5th wheel to a Class C is the storage. Our Class C had just enough for us, but was small compared to a 5th wheel. I've seen some of the larger C's that have more storage than ours did. We were very happy with our C. Also, we got around 11 mpg when not towing and around 8 when towing. I wouldn't worry too much about depreciation if you're going to keep a Class C for quite while. We got ours to really travel and not worrying about resale.
Frank & La Donna Bodden
2004 Sea Breeze LX
Once a Texan, always a Texan
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HiTech
SE Michigan
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Joined: 03/22/2002
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The depreciation point is true from a $$$ point of view though the percentage depreciation may be similar.
A few of the advantages to a C over my old trailers:
Vacation starts the minute you pull out of the driveway.
You get to use your RV more rather than sitting in a tow vehicle
Make better time (less bathroom stops)
More comfortable (bathroom, kitchen, lots of room for family)
Easier to stock up and do chores (food/laundry go straight to where they will stay rather than into the tow vehicle, then later the trailer)
Set up and break camp in minutes
Built-in generator runs the whole thing at once with the push of one button & no set up.
Easier to just climb up front and go if boondocking somewhere and you want to leave.
Easier to drive 31' of MH than 31' or more of tow vehicle plus trailer - especially backing up. (does not apply if you use a toad)
Don't have to dig it for long periods of time. You can stay long, or stay short, even stay a different place every night with ease.
Lots more reasons but I'm sure others will chime in.
-Jim
2002 Gulfstream Conquest Class C
Rolling wired and wireless network
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Horse Doctor
Cedar Creek, TX
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Joined: 07/21/2002
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It really depends on how you use it. We have had both. The 5th wheel has the advantage if you go somewhere and stay for more than a couple of days. We selected the Class C this time for the following reasons:
It has enough room for me and my wife.
We make much better time because my wife never saw a rest stop she didn't like.
I can take my portable bass boat in the back of the toad...I had to leave it home with the 5th wheel.
I can haul my ATV in the garage of our bigfoot.
We can just get in it and go. No setup required either. If we need AC fire up the generator.
And lastly, we can get it into places and spaces that I couldn't squeeqe the 5th wheel into.
Michael and Mona Greenlee + TJ the wonder dog
2003 Bigfoot 29G with all the goodies
2008 F150 toad
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R-ADVNTR
Staten Island, NY
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Joined: 02/28/2002
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I made the decision awhile back, and the main reason we went for a MH over a trailer was the riding comfort. We have children, and when they were younger it was great to be in the MH, as they could amuse themselves much better than in the back seat.
We also thought we'd be doing longer trips for shorter durations - moving around alot. If I were going to go to a few places and stay long I would prefer the trailer.
And last, the interest on the entire loan was deductible. With the trailer, only the trailer loan is deductible. That was sort of a small but deciding factor for me as I would have had to buy both a trailer and a tow vehicle.
I've since gone from a C to an A with 2 slides, as the C got small after awhie, but today they make them with slides and taht could have made a lot of difference to me - but at the time, they didn't.
2000 Winnebago Adventurer 35U
Demco KarKaddy SS, '06 Acura TL Toad 
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Ponderosa
Western US
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Joined: 06/24/2003
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Interesting thing happened with the kids this summer. We have had a C for several years and always vacationed in it. Also have a truck camper. This year we decided to take the camper on 4000 mile two week trip with the kids to see how it worked out. To our amazement, it was far easier with the kids in the back seat of the truck than it had been with them in the motorhome. In the motorhome, they have more to do, but they bug you about it constantly. They need to pee all the time from all the soda they drink, they have to have books, snacks, videos changed. They can't see where they are going because they sit too high so they bug you about sitting in the space between the front seats. Then you worry about the Firestones blowing and ending in a ditch with them unbelted. So I've come to the conclusion that kids (and especially the copilot) are better off with a truck. We are looking at a fifth wheel too.
2011 Coachmen Freelander 27QB
2006 Nissan Frontier NISMO toad
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rjstractor
Auburn, WA
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Joined: 01/20/2003
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One thing you have to ask yourself is: "Do you need that 300hp pickup when you are not towing your trailer?". If you also own a big boat, haul your own firewood or have other uses for a heavy duty PU, it might make more sense to have a 5ver. I like my MH because the only time that huge gas guzzling drivetrain runs is when I'm actually using it. I love big expensive pickups, but I can't justify having one just to tow an RV and commute to work.
1998 Gulfstream Ultra B/H Ford E450 V10
2005 Chevy 2500HD 6.0 w/ Maxidump insert
2006 Ford Escape Hybrid
1998 Saturn SL2 toad
2012 VW Jetta S
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Robare
Hampton, NH
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Personally I never felt I could afford tobuy an rv while I was working and the wife had 2 weeks vacation...we bought a C (used) after we both retired and then bought a new C three years later...we like the C as we are snowbirds and we have a lot of company in Fl. and we really use the bunk over the cab..keeps company out of the way if you want to use the rest of the rv...we took a couple to Alaska last summer and it was nice to have plenty of room and to be together...we have a slide and would not be without it...we also use it as a party vehicle for football games, taking as many as 8 people with us, all together, for relatively short rides to games...I would go used at first...it kills me to think of the depreciation on my new one but we use it a lot and will only be rving for another 5-6 years and we can't take it with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck in your decision!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2000 Tioga Class C, 1999 Saturn
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Crowe
Billerica, MA USA
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Joined: 01/29/2002
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We are in the process of switching from a 5'er to a Class C with a Jeep Wrangler as a toad. Although we do get some utility out of the truck, the disadvantages are starting to outweigh the advantages. It's expensive to insure and register, plus we have to register the trailer commercial. Maintenance costs are a little higher. The size of the truck prohibited us from reaching part of the Smoky Mountain National Park-it was too big to corner the switchbacks on the road. With our current setup we cannot take our dogs with us. They are too big to fit in the back seat of the truck with my son. Being over 52 feet long and not being able to detach the trailer to put it into a campsite is a real drag sometimes! With a MH and a toad, you can detach the toad. Taking a kayak/canoe is clost to impossible.
With a Class C we don't have to take a toad if we don't want to. We can take the dogs with us. Our son will have more room to spread out. Canoes & kayaks can be put on the toad. We can take our bathroom and kitchen with us when we sightsee if we choose. We can boondock. Putting a generator in a 5th wheel is a little more difficult.
When we get our Class C our minds may change, but for now this is how it looks to us.
Subscribe to the 3 "L" rule-don't stop livin', lovin' and learnin'
2004 Gulfstream Endura
2010 Subaru Outback toad
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