Class C w/ car behind vs truck and pull behind

[boatnut]

I've had pull behinds in the past and in fact still have one I keep in Florida. I also have a class C motorhome. Considering taking some extended trips (4-6 weeks) to different regions of the country.

I have not yet pulled a car behind the Class C. While the class c is nice, I don't find it near as comfortable to drive as my F150. I'm tempted to sell the motorhome and buy another pull behind.

Any thoughts on one versus the other??

[Toyman]

My thoughts lead me to motorhomes pulling a vehicle. I would father hav the comfort & convience of a car when parked, to say nothing about fuel expense. We pull a newer Jeep that gives us the ability to explore back Forrest roads & Jeep trails. Then there’s always the call "I’ve got to pee" ! Just my thoughts, yours may differ.

[Jim34RL]

I am just the opposite I like the pick-up truck and a 5er behind me when I tow. The truck to me is way more useful when I need to haul something and I am always hauling something when I do not have the trailer attached. Such as wood for woodworking, trash to get rid of, mulch and other items. I also like the ride of the truck and being able to sit higher than a car.

An some 5ER's are just as nice as the top of the line class "C" are.

Just my very humble opinion.

[michael.wehrer]

I have a class C on a Sprinter chassis and it is as comfortable to drive as my Ram 1500 ecodiesel.

[Yakfishingfool]

Had a 34' class C and towed the van behind me on a two up trailer. Worked great, many trips to the OBX!!

[wahoonc]

Different strokes for different folks, or something like that.

Currently we are doing the Class C and renting a car the few times we need it. In the process of getting the car set up to be used as a toad. I have used a dolly a couple of times and won't be doing that again!

We have had several TTs, a 5vr and a Class A over the years. Currently the Class C fills the bill for our current needs.

I have a buddy that has 2 trucks and 4 different RV trailers.

Only thing I could see that might work better for us would be a Super C if we decide to travel longer and harder than we do right now.

We like the (relative) compact size of the Class C, wife will drive it, wouldn't drive anything else. We are completely self contained, just get in and leave, no hooking stuff up, worrying about trailer brakes and if something has worn out on the hitch. etc.

Aaron

[Mr. Dan]

Originally Posted by Jim34RL

I am just the opposite I like the pick-up truck and a 5er behind me when I tow. The truck to me is way more useful when I need to haul something and I am always hauling something when I do not have the trailer attached. Such as wood for woodworking, trash to get rid of, mulch and other items. I also like the ride of the truck and being able to sit higher than a car.

An some 5ER's are just as nice as the top of the line class "C" are.

Just my very humble opinion.

This is also my humble opinion.

I'm too _______ to buy and maintain 2 engines. If I had a MH, its engine would be idle while I'm home which is 2/3 of the year.

[CurtPutnam]

If you want to explore when you get someplace then you are going to tow something. Even if you park a Class B you still have to unhook from your campsite. My wife sat on the fence and I came down firmly on the truck side. So we have a trailer and a new truck and leave for the Sedona area tomorrow. 1st trip after my surgery and sitting in a wheelchair for almost 1½ years.

[patsylou2]

Enjoy your trip!

[jbrosecity]

This is definitely a different strokes for different folks matter. In general though, we decided long ago that if we were going to simply move between 2 or 3 spots a year, a 5er makes the most sense. A 5er will last much longer with very little maintenance than a motorized RV. Having driven everything from big Diesel pushers to small Class C's, maintenance is certainly a major consideration. It costs a whole lot less to have your Ford E450 worked on at almost any car repair shop, than to have the big diesel serviced, especially those with a rear mounted radiator.

I just watched my neighbor trying to back his brand new 40' 5th wheel into his driveway and thru his gate into his side of the house storage apace. After spending two hours at it he finally gave up and decided he is going to have to find a storage yard. He has a big boat as well and is competent with trailers, and he used to back his 32' class C in beside the house in a few minutes. Just sayin'.

It takes us literally about three minutes to connect our flat towable Dodge Durango to our Class C with our Roadmaster tow bar and permanently installed SMI braking system. So we can quickly hook and unhook at will. And oh by the way, there is little wear and tear on the toad... and towing it does not advance the odometer and needlessly use up the warranty. Probably the biggest reason we choose a motorized and tow our daily driver, is that it gives us flexibility to drive the motorhome alone while my wife drives the Durango and tows our boat. Can't do that if driving a pickup towing a 5er. For us, that clinches the deal.

[llevesque]

I like keeping my tow vehicle and camper separate. Why? Because my TV can then be used for other things . . . 2nd vehicle, hauling stuff, etc. Additionally, when replacing . . . the decisions are separate ones vs. being forced to sell/buy both at the same time. Just my preference.

[Sharon455]

We own a Class C and tow a jeep behind. We have tried to 2 vehicles driving for short trips and I didn't care for that (plus some state parks charge the fee for 2nd vehicle if it isn't attached as you go through the gate.) The one time we tried to take just the C and reserved a rental car they didn't tell us they closed early on Sundays and we were stuck with too small of a vehicle from another rental ... plus still had to do the 2 drivers thing for the final 40 miles and then back to the rental site on our way home. Yes, our mileage goes down a gallon or two, but we won't be stuck in the middle of nowhere without some form of transport.

We've had tow-behind toyhaulers, but really needed to upgrade the truck (F-150) to do it well and it wasn't in the budget at the time.

[tosh99]

I tow a trailer with a full size cargo van.


Once we set up, we like to sight see and sometimes go fishing. I realize having a tow behind would work but maintaining too many things with motors becomes a hassle. I also maintain a fishing boat for the ocean.



With the van, we can explore all day long at our leisure by taking everything we need. Overhead fishing rod holders, coolers and if we have to, we can actually sleep in it.


Besides, our van has a major senior convenience, a porta pottie!

[EdnKat]

To each their own. We have an '09, 33' C, E450 V10, tow a '16 Equinox. Over the Rockies and the Appalachians, to and fro. No problems. Bathroom is near, food the same. Only reason to get out is for fuel, run the Chevy, check around. And, again, to each their own.

[MikeRP]

These are tough decisions. I have Sunseeker 3010 DS w. A Jeep Grand Cherokee we pull behind. Things I like are the ease of hookup. The class c is easy to back in, generator runs off gas, torque shirt transmission is great. Things I don’t like, 7 mpg towing, loudness when driving, constant squeaks and rattles, drivers side a little cramped, and towing a little tougher in the mountains, bathroom to small.

So we changed it out and bought a new Cedar Creek 34 Ik and a. Ram 3500 CC Srw w HO Cummins and Aisin. Still looking at how to use the residential fridge properly w invertor and what kind of generator I want. We won’t be parked, I will be towing all over. So I’m a year I’ll tell ya what we like best.

[SailorSam20500]

Originally Posted by Jim34RL

I am just the opposite I like the pick-up truck and a 5er behind me when I tow. The truck to me is way more useful when I need to haul something and I am always hauling something when I do not have the trailer attached. Such as wood for woodworking, trash to get rid of, mulch and other items. I also like the ride of the truck and being able to sit higher than a car.

An some 5ER's are just as nice as the top of the line class "C" are.

Just my very humble opinion.

Originally Posted by Mr. Dan

This is also my humble opinion.

I'm too _______ to buy and maintain 2 engines. If I had a MH, its engine would be idle while I'm home which is 2/3 of the year.

These two match the reason I have a truck and trailer. Good part is as Mr. Dan said - I'm too cheap to pay insurance on two motor vehicles. Not sure everyone knows the following: have you noticed the number of engines on planes has been decreasing? Used to be most if not all passenger jets had 4 or 5 engines. Now most have 2. Why - odds of having an engine go down are a lot lower and maintenance is significantly lower.

Just my opinion... (On the other hand - I recently offered Frog Bob $10,000 for his Berc when he moves up to his next one.. )

[n-e-d]

Originally Posted by tosh99

I tow a trailer with a full size cargo van.


Once we set up, we like to sight see and sometimes go fishing. I realize having a tow behind would work but maintaining too many things with motors becomes a hassle. I also maintain a fishing boat for the ocean.



With the van, we can explore all day long at our leisure by taking everything we need. Overhead fishing rod holders, coolers and if we have to, we can actually sleep in it.


Besides, our van has a major senior convenience, a porta pottie!

Totally agreegotta love that senior convenience beats searching for a McDonalds. Only way I'd give up my MH for a TT

[Wolverine 1945]

Originally Posted by boatnut

I've had pull behinds in the past and in fact still have one I keep in Florida. I also have a class C motorhome. Considering taking some extended trips (4-6 weeks) to different regions of the country.

I have not yet pulled a car behind the Class C. While the class c is nice, I don't find it near as comfortable to drive as my F150. I'm tempted to sell the motorhome and buy another pull behind.

Any thoughts on one versus the other??

We are thinking of the same things,,, wife is afraid of trying to sell our 2013 Sunseeker,,, even though it is better than new,,, and our 2003 F-150 only has about 38k miles on it !!! I don't think I like the cost of making our 2013 towable,,, 3 to 4K ??? so I think we are looking @ renting a car,,, when we need ???
Or other problem is we are very uncomfortable @ our dinning table in the evening watching TV !!! We love the Theater Seats in some of the smaller TTs ??? Do not see a way to replace dining set with chairs,,, 2500TS !!! I am guessing renting from a Co. that would deliver a car to us @ a Campgrounds would not be a problem ??? Any thoughts on that ???
I would love to go to the Great Smoky Mounts,,,
and rent a car for 2 or 3 days !!!

[blue daze]

Nice rig! Is that a Westie dog you have?

[cariboo camper]

Tough choice for sure. I went class A 28' and tow a Honda CRV which is our drive around car anyway. Takes a few minutes to unhook and a few to hook up. Really easy


I really had a tough time with this but the last two years of going south convinced me I did the right thing. Why? because it actually became evening entertainment for me watching folks maneuver their 5 ers and trailers into some of the tightest most unimaginably awkward spots. Not their fault as it is just some of the campsites are older and were made for smaller vehicles. In our situation we like to travel around so we actually set up in literally minutes.

I used to drive trucks and love offering my help. Hear is a tip, when guiding someone into a parking spot make sure the driver can see you in his mirror. You can't see him he can't see you.