So Clueless

[OutdoorFT]

So I would like an outsiders advice. Ill give you my info, maybe you nice guys and gals can help.

I have an F350, crew cab, 8ft bed. Can easily pull most TTs and a lot of 5ths. 
I have 5 cats, 2 very stubborn. 
Wont get rid of any.

Im not against getting rid of the truck for a motorhome. The wife wants space/storage. Shes a makeup addict.
Other than a certain (legal) hobby, I can be pretty minimalist. But making 50k a year with OT, its hard not to splurge. Would be quitting the job to leave New York. Ironic I started a blog on budgeting.

So in your cheap rv living opinions, would trailer be better for our situation or motorhome? If motorhome, toad will not be used. One motor limit as I am not a mechanic.

Thanks for any help.

 

[BradKW]

What type of travel/distances do you plan to do? Moving with the weather?

Where do you see yourselves spending most of your nights, campgrounds or boondocking?

 

[cyndi]

I'd be looking at 5th wheels.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

You didn't say anything about what year your F350 is, which engine, how many miles, is it in good shape, do you really like it, etc.?

I tend to agree with Cyndi, a 5th wheel trailer has all the storage space, including basements, that a motor home would have.  Assuming the truck is in good shape, no too many miles, etc., a 5th would be my choice.

You and your wife should tour some 5ths and some Class A motorhomes (I don't think a Class C would be big enough for 5 cats) at some RV dealers and compare them.

 

[rvpopeye]

Will you be staying in one place for a period of time or just a short time and then moving to another?
Pickup and 5er for long stays so you can use the pickup for errands.
Moho for short stays for ease of travel prep.

 

[Optimistic Paranoid]

BTW, I highly recommend the DVDs from RV Education 101.  You'll learn a lot from them.

http://rveducation101.com/

 

[jimindenver]

I'd suggest the 5th Wheel also so you don't have to pack up every time you want to do something besides move the rig.

 

[blars]

I'm not a mechanic either, and I've got a motorhome and toad. I've had to drive the toad 10 miles to get to a pay phone when out of cell coverage and my motorhome was disabled.

Using a motorhome to get groceries can be a problem.

 

[bullfrog]

Motorhomes like to be driven so moving every 2 weeks or less they are great. Trailers are a little more set up with hitching and unhitching but with less moving parts tend to sit better for longer periods of time. We bought a motorhome and traveled for awhile and it was easy, but when we started staying longer it became expensive and lots more work to keep in traveling condition than a trailer.

 

[DannyB1954]

Seldom do you come out ahead selling something to buy something else. The truck gives you many options, trailer, 5th wheel, truck camper, storage space for whatever you are pulling. Also having a smaller vehicle to run errands with when you get to your destination is a big plus. All the way around I think keeping the truck is the best choice.

 

[OutdoorFT]

Thanks for all replies.

We would be moving with weather. Probably 50/50 at campgrounds/boondocking

My F350 is 2011 6.2 with 86k miles.

Probably stay longer stays..minimum of 5 to 10

 

[Gypsy Jane]

Unless you and your wife, and all five cats, ALWAYS want to go everywhere together, I recommend a trailer or fifth wheel. I've lived for years in a MH, but I'm single. I'm getting a TT next because I'm not a mechanic and I need less engines. (I do not tow a toad but I have vans for other reasons.)

Sent from my SM-N910V using Tapatalk

 

[OutdoorFT]

Well its been a month.

My truck bed is setup for 5th wheel, just needs to hitch installed. I will need more storage, so 5th wheel seems to be better. I just like the idea of not transferring back and forth before/after moving. Too many decisions.

Why cant choices be easier?

 

[Lotsahorses]

Having read quite a few posts it seems few pick the right vehicle on the first try. You might want to attend the RTR in January and meet a ton of people with all the different options and see them first hand. Looking at a floor plan is very different than stepping into one. Best of Luck.

 

[hepcat]

Well its been a month.

My truck bed is setup for 5th wheel, just needs to hitch installed.  I will need more storage, so 5th wheel seems to be better. I just like the idea of not transferring back and forth before/after moving. Too many decisions.

Why cant choices be easier?

Because what you think you want is seldom what you actually need.

After years and years and years of doing the travel trailer thing, it finally occurred to me that for the way we travel, a motorhome with a towed is a much better way for us to travel.  And it is.  But it may not be for you.  Time will tell.  But if and when you get fed up with a big truck as your grocery-getter, and hitching up your trailer is a hassle because you do it too often, don't get stuck in the rut of continuing to do it.  Go look at mohos and toads then.  Life is full of options, and don't feel like you're stuck in any one of them for very long.

 

[OutdoorFT]

Ive thought about mohos, but having 2 engines is not appealing in the least

 

[hepcat]

Ive thought about mohos, but having 2 engines is not appealing in the least

It wasn't to me either, for years and years.  And then I realized how much time I was spending hitching up, and all the places I couldn't go because I couldn't just drop the trailer and realized that, for the way I travel now (and that's the important phrase,) a motorhome and towed made a LOT more sense, the extra drivetrain notwithstanding.   My point was that, if using what you've got becomes tedious, you don't have to stay in that rut.  Other ways of traveling may make more sense for you at that point, and don't stay entrenched in one way of thinking like I did.  It made a WORLD of difference in how much I enjoy the world. 

Good luck!

 

[Every Road Leads Home]

I think a 5th wheel is by far your best option.

 

[OutdoorFT]

Thanks for everyones opinions.

How do I get the wife to let things go? Id prefer to be more minimal, but unlikely.