Is a Fifth Wheel Right for You?

From ample storage to spacious layouts, there are many reasons to consider this style of RV.

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Story and Photos by Jason Betzing

Earlier this year, my wife and I spent a good amount of time looking to replace our fifth wheel with a Class A. The final model we checked out during a trip to Washington had some interesting features and a nice layout. However, we went back to our truck and stared at each other in silent agreement. We were keeping our existing trailer.

In the last four years of full-time RVing, we have made five trips across the U.S. and after browsing a variety of Class As to continue our travels, we realized how content we are with our current model. There are a lot of advantages to owning a fifth wheel and our decision to initially purchase one was based on many factors and comparisons.

Why Buy a Fifth Wheel and What are the Advantages?

Looking back a number of years ago when we decided to retire early and hit the road full-time, we checked out several models before making our final decision. Pop-up campers, Class Cs and travel trailers were quickly removed from our list as we wanted a larger RV that felt like home.

So that narrowed our choices down to either a class A or a fifth wheel due to their spacious layouts and residential amenities. After some contemplating, we removed class As from our list for a few reasons. To start with, they are significantly more expensive (three to five times more, actually) than a fifth wheel and we weren’t crazy about the idea of towing a toad just to get around the regions we would be visiting. We also didn’t want to maintain two vehicle engines.

The model we ended up choosing was a brand new 12 m (41 ft) 2018 Keystone Montana 3791 RD fifth wheel with five slides. What’s interesting is we kept going back to this model the whole time during our decision-making process.

Features and Creature Comforts

While not all fifth wheels are identical, one common advantage is the storage space. It’s nothing short of amazing compared to other RVs of the same length. For example, ours has a very large, full-size pass-through basement storage upfront with a full-width sliding garage storage in the rear. We also like the four-season package that includes tank heaters, a gas furnace, and a heat pump integrated into one of the rooftop A/C units. Although we've sworn off cold weather, it was very handy to have these options available.

What also sold us was the design of the fifth wheel. There’s an elevated front bedroom and rear den area (along with a drop frame), which is conveniently separated from the kitchen and dining spaces. This was a key feature for us since we're big movie buffs and none of the other trailer kitchen/living layouts we looked at seemed to be as comfortable.

Another selling point was the separate bathroom that allows the occasional guest, (e.g. grandkids) to access without going through the master bedroom. This may not be available on all fifth wheel models, but it’s a nice feature to have and consider.

Cost and Value

At the time, the MSRP for this unit was $94,000 USD but we settled on a cash price of $60,000 USD. We didn't want to purchase a new model, but a used rig with all of the features we wanted wasn’t available at the time.  Yes, fifth wheels can be expensive but if you plan to travel months at a time (like we do) the comfort, space and storage provide some great value and convenience on the road.

In the end, we were happy that we ordered new from the manufacturer and while we made a few modifications, it had the ideal amount of space and platform to successfully modify it to our preferences. This included an upgraded toilet, permanently plumbed water filtration and water softener system, and we converted the dinette area into an office.

The space also allowed us to add a kitchen island, dishwasher and a larger countertop. These certainly aren't necessary, but the layout of a fifth wheel can be very accommodating and we used it to our advantage.

Towing Capabilities

We have to admit that there was a learning curve to towing our fifth wheel and it was a little complicated to drive and maneuver into tight spots at first. After some time and patience, we now find it fairly easy to maneuver and stable given its size.

It’s also not as difficult to backup and hitch to the truck alone as we originally thought. However, it is worth noting that driving through the mountains in our early days of full-timing were certified white knuckle events.

We tow our Montanna with a 2011 Ford F350 Diesel Dually.  Although a tow vehicle is a big necessary expense that needs to be considered (if you don’t already own one), the rig is very convenient to enjoy separate road trips at a destination and use it for daily errands and other tasks.

Of course, diesel for the truck can also be costly (like any vehicle right now for that matter) but we added a 340 L (90 gal) auxiliary diesel tank to prevent filling up as often. It also allows more time to find the best fuel prices.

Highway speeds can also be intimidating while towing a large fifth wheel and it depends a lot on personal choice and comfort. We see many  RVs rolling down the highway at more than 120 km (75 mph), which is likely too fast for the tire ratings. When we replaced our RV tires, we went with a speed rating of ‘M.’ This means we can safely travel at 128 km/h (81 mph) if we have to (and it’s really not recommended) but we usually drive about 8 km (5 mph) under the posted speed limit (similar to semi-trucks). Plus, the lower speed increases stopping distance and provides better fuel economy.

These are just some of the pros (and cons) that we have found with a fifth wheel and we enjoy all of the benefits. It’s always best to consider your options by doing a lot of research and speaking with local dealers or other RVers to determine the right model that’s ideal for your lifestyle. For us, however, the fifth wheel is the perfect RV no matter where the road leads us.

Jason Betzing and his wife sold it all four years ago and left Michigan to live their full-time RV dream. After retiring at age 40, they decided winter is a drag and travelling is more fun than shovelling snow. Jason loves helping people by sharing authentic, first-hand experiences. He's an RVpreneur and runs BadCompanyBBQ.com. Connect on Instagram or Facebook @BadCompanyBBQ.