Motorhome VS Travail Trailer?

[Trekking]

I know all people have different reasons on picking different types of RVs.<br>I been kicking around a 15'-20' TT VS a Motorhome. I think there is an advantage to having a TT and a pulling truck, but never done the MH or TT before.<br>What have your experience been with both?<br><br><br>Thanks<br>Sam<br>

 

[Guest]

Hi Sam,<br>I have had experience with a lot of different set-ups. I am partial to a van for a four wheeled vehicle as I can get decent mpg as well as be able to access the drivers seat from the back should I need or want to.<br><br>I am very interested these days in compactness but along with that....I want good mpg. I don't believe that fossil fuel will ever really go down much so I am thinking these days of a good mileage vehicle...maybe a small car or station wagon with a teardrop trailer...esp. a really light one. Maybe even a hardsided Aline trailer...<br><br>At the moment I am on my sidecar motorcycle rig, for the next two to three months and it gets an average of 30 MPG.<br>Bri<br>

 

[judycmomx6]

Dang Bri, I thought my big gas hog trike did bad at 30mpg's pulling my teardrop, how heavy is that sidecar? What kind of bike do you have? I thought something was wrong, like I need a tune up or something, guess it must be right if your only getting 30.

 

[Guest]

Hi Judy,<br>Actually it is a pretty close to standard mileage for a sidecar rig with a Ural car and an 1100 engine. I have a 1983 Goldwing bike and a 70's vintage heavy steel hack. The full dress Goldwing of that era only got in the low 40's mpg. Don't forget I am dealing with four carbs, not fuel injection which if I had it would help a lot. <br><br>Mine is in my avatar...<br><br>What marque is your trike????<br>Bri<br><br>

 

[Kisatchieman]

<P>If I had to choose between a TT or MH, I'd have to go with the MH. I need something that I can pull a boat or ATV trailer behind and that pretty well kills the TT. I've owned a class C MH and it was a gas hog like Sparky said. I was getting 8 mpg with it but that's still horrible. I sold the MH and bought a truck camper (TC) and get 12-13 mpg and I can pull my trailers behind it.&nbsp;</P>

 

[judycmomx6]

Bri, I have a 2006 Goldwing, 1800. I see now why your getting that mileage.

 

[Guest]

Nice Judy....do you have an album in the photo section?<br>Bri<br>

 

[judycmomx6]

No, just one pic.

 

[Cubey]

I'd say it depends on if you plan to be in RV parks 99% of the time or not.<br><br>If you want to do a lot of urban overnight parking, you have twice as much "vehicle" when you have a trailer behind a truck. If you want to just find an RV park most of the time and unhitch your trailer and drive the truck as your daily driver, that's the better way to go.<br><br>Unless you will be taking a bicycle, scooter or motorcycle on the back of a van for your daily driver, like I will be doing... then a motorhome makes more sense. It boggles my mind when people get a motorhome and then tow a car behind it. That doesn't make any sense to me. They may as well have a truck and trailer.<br><br>With a motorhome and no other vehicle, you will be driving it full time which can be deadly in the mpg dept if you don't have a cheaper form of transportation to use in addition to it.<br><br>A trailer means more 2 to 4 tires to worry about it (depending on single or dual axles), hard/impossible to park in crowded urban areas, and is much harder to back up.<br>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;One thing I'd like to mention regarding trailers is the problems encountered when trying to 'boondock' in the backwoods.. can be problematic, if not near impossible, to get into &amp; out of&nbsp; many areas. A small motorhome can get into a surprising number of places, as long as it doesn't have a large rear overhang. I took my '75 Winnebago Brave (21') into some pretty rough country.<br>&nbsp;Another thing about the MH, if ya don't gotta toad, is that you're not tempted to leave your rig and head out. I'm kinda paranoid about my living quarters insofar as I've got some pretty high dollar stuff inside that I can't afford to have stolen. Therefor, wherever I am, my stuff is. ..Willy.&nbsp; <br>

 

[Gravediggerjason]

This is really a tough choice and there's a million factors to consider and most of them are dependent on your own circumstance. I'm more partial to the ease of use a MH offers but I have a sentimental dependence on keeping my old dodge pick up so I'll be in a TT be summers end. Backing it up is simple enough and like anything it only takes practice I've dragged one into some rough areas and most travel trailers can go off the path as much as a MH. Its all relative. If the truck pulling it is capable. I think it comes down to personal preference in the long run. My two cents worth <img src="/images/boards/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" align="absmiddle">

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;Can you throw an 8' (or longer) slide-in camper on your truck? ..Willy.<br>

 

[Les H]

Hi Sam. For me, it depends on who is with me and what kind of experience I want to have. If I go out by myself, I use my bus. If my wife comes with me, I use our 14' 1969 Shasta TT. If the whole family goes, we have two large cabin tents. If I TRUELY want to get away, I strap on my backpack and hit a trail. If I were full timing, it would either be a small MH with a cargo trailer for tools, or a truck ( or van) and a tt. I think (some) women tend to prefer a van or MH because they don't have to get out and walk around to the drivers compartment to start the vehicle and drive away if there is trouble. And, if you go with only a MH without a toad, any time you need to go to get supplies, you have to break everything down and stow it. With a toad or tt, you just drive to town, leaving camp intact. Also, there is mpg to think about . A 6.5 mpg MH looks a lot better if you row a 40 mpg car to scoot around in. My 13.5 mpg bus looks even better with a 100 mpg scooter on the hitch haul.

 

[Gravediggerjason]

&nbsp;Can you throw an 8' (or longer) slide-in camper on your truck? ..Willy.<br>

<div><br></div><div>I haven't ruled that out but.... It's a half ton with a short bed so that has some issues and I don't plan on sleeping alone so the extra space for her is important. I need to lose me sentiment and just by the MH I actually want. Lol&nbsp;</div>

 

[Gravediggerjason]

&nbsp;Can you throw an 8' (or longer) slide-in camper on your truck? ..Willy.<br>

<div><br></div><div>I haven't ruled that out but.... It's a half ton with a short bed so that has some issues and I don't plan on sleeping alone so the extra space for her is important. I need to lose me sentiment and just by the MH I actually want. Lol&nbsp;</div>

 

[mockturtle]

I don't think you can haul much of a truck camper with a half ton but you can pull a nice small travel trailer with one.&nbsp; While we've had several motorhomes and I have a motorhome and toad now, my most economical and practical setup was an SUV and lightweight 19' trailer.&nbsp;&nbsp; A pickup with a canopy would be even better.&nbsp; Lots of storage.<br>

 

[Willy]

&nbsp;well, there ARE truck campers that your truck could handle but.. they're generally pricy. I'd say a 3/4 ton longbed should be the minimum for hauling a slide-in. ..Willy.<br>

 

[blars]

For me, I decided a&nbsp; class A would have more usable room and get about the same gas milage as a class C.&nbsp; If you want more of my reasoning, see the rv-shopping&nbsp; link on my blog.&nbsp; (below)<br><br><br>

 

[Erie1200]

There's some blatantly&nbsp;major issues that people aren't considering here...<br /><br />If you have a big motorhome, Class C, van, or any other type of RV that is it's own source of mobility... you are taking the risk of having your entire home end up in the mechanic shop. Sure, your van has the best&nbsp;parking ability&nbsp;and mpg, but once it breaks down and ends up in the shop being worked on, your "home" is unavailable to you, you have nowhere to sleep or seek shelter from the elements,&nbsp;everything you own is out of reach. Not smart.<br /><br />You also have to haul around your entire home whenever you simply want to go to the grocery store. Sure, a bike or scooter works great in the sunshine, but how is that going to work out for you in the rain or snow?<br /><br />Get a small 18' travel trailer around 2000lbs, and a 6cyl truck. You won't be handicapped&nbsp;by having&nbsp;everything you&nbsp;own in the&nbsp;shop if the truck breaks down,&nbsp;and a 6cyl is good enough to tow&nbsp;AND have decent gas mileage.&nbsp;You&nbsp; will have much more mobility, and you can even store some things in the truck bed, under a cover, or in a locked truck box. A small truck and small trailer is the most versatile platform.

 

[stude53]

Katie,<br />Sounds like you would be tickled pink to have a gypsy vardo. <img src="../images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><img src="../images/boards/smilies/rofl.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><img src="../images/boards/smilies/crazy.gif" alt="" align="absmiddle" border="0" /><br /><br />Bob