Motorhome or 5th wheel?
By dreamertink
@dfollin (25603)
United States
March 16, 2025 10:39am CST
I am speaking of RV's. A motorhome being one vehicle and a 5th wheel being a camper or camper style home towed by a vehicle. The vehicle it is towed by is usually a truck that is strong enough to pull it depending on it's size.
Even though usually the 5th wheel's can be larger in space and have more detailed features to me personally I would prefer a motorhome for a few reasons. One being that I have never driven a vehicle towing one, but it appears to me that it would be harder to drive. Two, if someone needs to use the bathroom or grab a drink or snack I would have to pull over, unbuckle my seat belt (or a childs) carefully get out (if we are on a busy road) and also deal with the weather conditions go to the 5th wheel, then back again dealing with the same issues. And if I am the only adult and have more than one child I would need to be safe and remove all the children to take with me.
Driving a Motorhome style RV depending on who it is that needs to use the facilities or get something as to whether I would have to pull over or not. If it was another adult or teenager that needs to go back in the RV and has no mobility issues then I may not need to pull over!
Plus just having the one vehicle, not towing the second one it is probably easier to drive!
What do you think?
Driving a Motorhome style RV depending on who it is that needs to use the facilities or get something as to whether I would have to pull over or not. If it was another adult or teenager that needs to go back in the RV and has no mobility issues then I may not need to pull over!
Plus just having the one vehicle, not towing the second one it is probably easier to drive!
What do you think?5 people like this
5 responses
@AmbiePam (96579)
• United States
16 Mar
I lived in a fifth wheel for a year by myself. It was in a trailer park so I didn’t have to tow it anywhere. In the winter, I froze, and in the summer I burned miserably. I’m sure to travel in only it’s a lot more fun. Living in one was not.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (96579)
• United States
16 Mar
@dfollin They just aren’t insulated well. I had an air conditioner in it, but it still got scorching hot (I live in Oklahoma). In the summer, I had to have a little heater, but I could only have one heater on because any more would trip a breaker. So I’d keep the little heater by me, and gave my dog a heating pad. I imagine it would have been better with a brand new fifth wheel, but even my friend, who bought a 2015 RV two years ago said it gets incredibly hot in the summer, and super cold in the winter.
1 person likes this
@porwest (97465)
• United States
11h
Well, actually there are three types. Motorhomes that are drivable and travel trailers and 5th wheels which are towed. Travel trailers are towed via a hitch, and 5th wheels are towed via a kingpin. 5th wheels are generally larger and more luxurious than travel trailers, and depending on the motor home, usually they are more compact and not as roomy as travel trailers or 5th wheels.
My wife and I have a travel trailer and love it. It does have its disadvantages, such as you mentioned. But we like it. If we were ever to live in one full time, we'd definitely have a 5th wheel.
BTW, here's a picture of a travel trailer. This is actually ours. I'll post a picture of a 5th wheel in a second comment.
1 person likes this
@dfollin (25603)
• United States
8h
I have never heard of it being called a kingpin.That's what I was saying, they have more room and detailed things but! lol Yeah like I said if I were to live in one and only park it I would go with a 5th wheel. Does your wife drive pulling that?
1 person likes this
@porwest (97465)
• United States
7h
@dfollin Yeah, the kingpin is what connects the 5th wheel to the bed of the truck that's pulling it while in our case, we just hook it up to the hitch, and thus, it's known as a travel trailer.
My wife doesn't pull it at all. But many women do.
The hardest part is learning how to maneuver them, but with practice you do get the hang of it.
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (11512)
• United States
16 Mar
Simplicity is key. Having the one vehicle and not towing the second is probably easier to drive like you said.
1 person likes this
