Great job!! Really like these comparsion vids! Please do more of these!! Like how you talk about all the pros and cons in a objective way! Could you maybe do some vids on comparing cheaper "begginers" RVs for younger people who wants to start exploring the country. Thank you and keep up the good work!! Greetings from sweden!!
One thing I notice people dont ask about is if the RV/Fifth Wheel/Camper is winterized for being in cold climates. We were out camping and there was a major temperature dip that had come in and of course the rain turned to snow. There were some folks that even with the furnace system some have that still found it cold in their trailers. Now obviously to some it isnt really a worry for some folks but a lot of people dont even ask the sales person if it is winterized and is suitable for a cold climate. Some folks get so caught up about the features or this counter top or this finish or that upholstery that they forget about other deatils
Nice thing about the Class B, C or A is the generator. When a Hurricane comes and power is out for days or weeks. You can park it at your house or apartment if allowed and be comfortable with the family fully contained. This is my second Class C. I hope to buy one new one day. The one I have now only has 28,000 miles on it. Needs work still but a low price at $20,000 from an individual is the best way to go. Banks will usually finance as long as it's not more than 10 years old.
I love your videos. You do a great job of trying to be as unbiased as possible while explaining why you prefer certain styles, options, layouts, etc. For this comparison, I think a more even comparison would be a $60-75k 5th wheel vs a $110-120k motorhome. With a 5th wheel, you must have a truck to haul it. So, to get camping, you have to spend (or have spent) money on a truck to haul it. Even with that price difference, I'd still agree that 5th wheels are way better if you are camping at destinations and a motor home is way better if you are touring the country.
Eric Rhodes: thanks for the feedback. The reason I did the comparison the way I did, is because you can often use your tow vehicle (pickup) as your main daily driver, unlike a Class C. So there is value in that. basically a Pickup can replace or be a primary vehicle to the owner. When a Class C is in storage, it's the same as a Fifth Wheel and unusable.
Big Truck Big RV Very good point and I hadn't thought about it that way. I do use my truck as my daily driver and it replaced my Tahoe when we were ready to get an RV. We rented a class C before we bought our travel trailer. I hated that it was so closed in at the camp sites, especially with two young kids, so I knew that wasn't an option for us. We chose a travel trailer to get started simply because of the reduced cost. BTW, I agree that the mid-bunk is one of the best family floor plans. Two things to think about though. 1) You can get a nice bunk floor plan in a much shorter 5th wheel. All of the mid-bunks I've seen are approaching or over 40 feet. If length isn't an issue, that's fine. I like being able to get in more places and I have a GMC 1 ton SRW for easy of daily driving and don't want that big of a rig. 2) Very few mid-bunks have an outdoor kitchen. Some people won't care about this but we use ours A LOT every time we camp. Not sure I'd want to live without it. Keep up the great videos!
I've had a Class C for almost 30 years and towed offroad, street motorcycles, ski. fishing boats, quads, but never a "toad". I've seen hot air balloons, a helicopter and glider planes being towed. even a Toy-hauler can't do that. Three 2-place beds allowed kids' friends to come. It's been used as a wine-tour bus and we always have everything we need with us. Everyone can sleep in while one drives, (or use the facilities}, and have light snacks prepared. It can be repaired or fueled anywhere. They're even easier to get in or out of. I drive a 4x4 economical truck for construction or anything else. I agree for extended stays (or in "parks") a "mobilehome" is more suitable, and it can be moved and set up for you.
Great video! For me working at an RV dealership for awhile now it would be nice to see a redesign of the Econoline because it is such an uncomfortable and under powered vehicle. Doesn't matter the size or brand of unit like a forester,redhawk,freedom elite,grey hawk they all drive and handle like garbage. The v10 is now the only engine option you can get in a motorhome configuration and it is not enough and never has. The only other option is a Chevy express and that's not much better either. What I'm saying is Ford and Chevy need to think about there van line that is very aged especially the Econoline since it's been the same cab since 1994!
Spencer Deppe he just put up a video of a Class C HD3500 with the new Ford Full Size Transit. I agree the Diesel version would be a plus for towing and fuel milage.
This was an awesome video, please do more, maybe even on trucks! i enjoy these a lot more with the visuals versus your other videos where you just talk while driving, I find those boring but this style video was very interesting.
Mid bunk for our family of 7 looks like the best option. Now I just need to figure out my vehicle to tow this bad boy and start calculating everything.
Pretty much what I was thinking. A RV if you are going everywhere, a fifth wheel of you go somewhere for a trip and stay. Also a fifth wheel is a better idea if you already have the truck for other things. Why pay insurance on 3 vehicles.
I have a 35 foot travel trailer. If I buy another RV in a few years I will probably go with a smaller class A or possibly a class C. Travel trailer is ok but they are not fully equipped for boon docking.
First, love your videos! In the next year, I'm purchasing a F-350 Crew Cab Diesel SRW, Short-bed, then a 5th wheel. There are tons of us with short-beds but little information on the types of hitches. Can you do a comparison for the types of hitches? Auto sliders, manual sliders, Andersen etc. Think that would help a lot of us. With the Andersen design, does the fact the the ball is farther to the rear take care of clearance issues and if so, does it effect towing since it is not over the axle? Thanks!!
I ll never understand how your totally oversized f450 with huge engines has a 1ton payload, meanwhile the compact hilux has the same 1 ton payload and does it great with a 2.5 diesel. I mean, i get the towing part, but still... All that 8 foot bed to carry all the feathers you want. What is the weight limit for a vehicle to be driven with a standard licence?
Nice! The problem with the 5th wheel is you can't move between the vehicle and the living space when you're traveling . With our class C we do. We move front to back, refrigerator to toilet while moving. Without that we would stay home. BTW: the class C is a piece of junk - Thor.
So a SRW f350 wouldn't be appropriate to haul that fifth wheel, would it HAVE to be a DRW? I've seen your videos explaining the difference, but would I be endangering my family using a SRW?
+sillyitis: well, anything in the 16k lb range.is really too heavy for a SRW truck, both from a Tow rating perceptive as well as stability. I know a ton of folks do it, but my suggestion is to always toe as safe as possible and a dually would be the better and safer option.
sillyitis if you do use a srw truck, you will need to get the best highest load rated tires poss! Also filled with nitrogen to get the most heat advantage. It you keep your speeds down and are always conscious of your weight distribution, you should be ok. Also if you are not a full timer. Also you will be forced in my opinion, to get a 4x4 truck, just for the fact that traction is very important! Plus be sure to use the best synthetic lube in the single rear wheel axle, with a fined aluminum differential cover! You do all the above and you will be covering all the problem areas in general.
Drive a srw vs a dually. You will feel the difference. Feels so much more planted. The srw will tow it. Its just so much more planted. Trust me. Towed all kinds of everything. The long wheel base srw is better than short by far.
+Big Truck Big RV Can't a motorcycle(s) be laid upon its side, or would it leak fuel? I don't even like motorcycles. Too noisy. If I had one, I would want a very quiet motorcycle. But I was thinking that a problem with those huge RVs, is that they aren't very portable for running around and for running errands. And bicycles are slow and under-powered. You can't put a car into an RV, and towing a car behind is a big deal especially with an RV that has no engine included within it. Even on Star Trek, the Enterprise spaceship has those little shuttlecraft for getting around in.
only trouble with the v10 is no gas milage.especially pulling a load like that wind resistance is terible. i guess i wasnt aware ford had a v10, dodge does for sure but friends i know that bought one pulling 5th wheel stock trailers say you can pass anything but a gas station
Went over to RV.net just a few minutes ago to see if that was discussed in the Class C section. Posters there disagreed amongst themselves. However, those that said they did launch said that a rear camera and plenty of practice in an empty parking lot is mandatory before actually attempting your first launch.
Honestly, since I have no kids, to pull a boat, my best option may be a large truck camper (11 ft) on a F350. We spend most of our awake time outside of our current camper and the small size of our hybrid never bothered us because of spending time outside it, the small size of an 11 foot truck camper would not really be an issue. Not sure, may rent one for a week to see if I stop hold that opinion afterwards.
+Erin Davis: Sport type medium duty trucks are great, just not practical when not towing and harder to manoeuvre, get in and out of, and cost more to maintain. An F450 or RAM 3500 Aisin are both essentially medium duty trucks.
With a Mercedes Benz you get NO Right Arm Passenger Rest or NO Left Arm Driver Rest !!!... When you turn those cab Chairs around to face the rear be prepared to do some "knuckle dragging'" on the floor !!!
We have a class C with two double slide now we love it absolutely I have no complaints at all but I have always wanted a fifth wheel but my daughter doesn't feel like that she can handle it and that yes it is more set up like at a house or apartment because my son-in-law has one of my son-in-law has a shelf well he had it custom-made to his he designed it himself and and he loves it and he's jobs at fifth wheel on a semi not moduli but a semi that's how big of a town is it is I would love to have something like that but my daughter can't handle it and so but the sea we have I have no complaints about at all it has bunk beds and it sleeps 10 and we are very comfortable and we had a Winnebago we did not trade it in because I don't give you nothing so we just gave it to my grandson he's Thirty fourth hit let him have the benefits on that one right he's having fun with it remodeling it to his desired taste lol
Nice video. But tell me is the Chevy available with a diesel? Cause they still build them like that in the vans. It's a detuned DuraMax, without the Allison trans. But they do have a good track record.
Speaking from an ambulance-purchasing perspective, Ford completely stopped offering a diesel van cutaway chassis a few years ago. When we spec'd a new unit in 2014, the only chassis we could get with a diesel (which we preferred for standardization) was a GMC 4500. That may have been due to Ford's contractual issues with Navistar from a year or two before - I don't recall the details of it. But we've been very happy with the GM platform - it works just as well as the older Ford 450 diesels.
Big Truck Big RV - sorry; I meant to say a diesel van chassis (in reference to Kevin's question) - Ford does still offer a van cutaway, of course, but only with a choice of a V10 or a flex fuel V8.
Kadin McDermott: not recommended though some do. Really it depends on you states laws for towing as well as you fifth wheels construction and ability to support significant tongue weight plus tow capacity.
they do it all the time out in the midwest, im talking real midwest, south dakota and surrounding states. kind of funny at times watching them pull into a service stationfor gas and want to gas up the boat. not all are tow capable, im talking drivers
