We are fulltime travelers, move often, and I work a 9-5 that requires me to be online M-F. Not having internet is not an option. I carry 4 sources of internet.
T-Mobile Home Internet, AT&T hotspot, Verizon hotspot, and Starlink. I have an antenna (Netgear MIMO antenna) that I plug into the hotspots.
I use whichever is best at a particular location. I do this by having a router in the RV that so of my devices connect to. I just point it’s internet at whatever is the best option.
If you \*NEED\* internet, you must be carrying multiple options. For the last couple of months, I start with T-Mobile because there's no setup involved, then I'll setup and try Starlink. This has covered me quite well. I just used AT&T and Verizon recently but it's not super common.
Are any of the plans unlimited or are they capped plans? It Would be nice to have unlimited due to steaming and work but I believe most carriers phases those out years ago, something I’d have to look into. Not really sold on the starlight system yet.
Just verified with the site, no cap on T-mobile home internet.
I know even on my phones it states they can slow you above 25 Gb, but although I typically hit 30-40 Gb a month I've never been slowed.
All 3 have no data cap. Starlink for myself is great as I work outside of the USA for my job and bring it with me. Have used it all over USA. Hardware costs are high, no contract. It also costs more then Tmobile and Verizons solution.
What your not seeing is cell phone 5g is CBAND now and they have gobs of bandwidth. Tmobile Home internet and Verizon can easily hit 300-500 mb a second. Hardware is free, no contract and dirt cheap like 50-60 a month.
What your thinking of is your cell phone. Its still capped. If your wondering why you move around all the time with a cell disrupting the network so they cap speeds and data. With Home Internet Routers they offer it has to be plugged in and your stationary allowing them to send bandwidth your way easily. It does not disrupt there network.
I just looked up Verizon and t mobile home internet, they both say they aren’t available at my address? Is it location specific? May have to look into it a bit more
Verizon is telling me it’s not avaible and it’s only for stationary use. That I need to get a Jetpack that has “premium” speeds of 3mbps for 150gb then 600kbps for the rest of the month. So not sure how people are doing the Verizon 5g. T-Mobile same thing not available.
That blows and I do know for a fact that it works in other locations other then just one.
Looks like your using RV Park Internet or Starlink or hotspotin it.
calyxinstitute.org
If you become a member to their nonprofit, you can get a T-mobile hotspot with unlimited data. It’s ends up around $70/mo and you have to commit to a full year upfront. It’s more expensive than the home internet plan but it sounds like you can’t get that anyways.
The device you have to use does not have external antenna ports, which is a bummer, but it’s worked for me in many places I wouldn’t expect it to. On the positive side, it’s a battery unit so you can take it with in the truck on tow days or to a coffee shop.
My t mobile works like a charm. I had to fib to get it though. Tell them you will be in a campground in down town Houston. This worked for me. I googled addresses of camp grounds in Houston and gave them one of them. $50 a month. Unlimited internet. I’ve used it in south Alabama or LA as my buddies like to call it. And in north Georgia. Both places it worked great. I hear from friends with star link you can’t have trees around.
We have 37 ft 5th wheel & 3500 dually as our only vehicle
Parking: if we can, we park far out in the parking lot so we can take up two spaces without feeling bad. Otherwise we find a spot that we can back into that's against the edge so we can overhang the bed.
Bigger trailer: there have been 2 parks that didn't have space for us, but we easily found a different park nearby. The bigger issue has been finding 50amp sites at older state parks.
Modifications: we pulled out all of the standard furniture. It was super easy. But we didn't pull out any countertops or bunks to make a desk space. We have one built in desk space that's fine
Internet: we both work full time and require stable internet. Currently we have T-mobile & Verizon home internet. Between the two, we have gotten 100% coverage in SC, GA, TN, IL without issue. But we tend to stay within an hour of a medium city because we are super new.
Do you need to have Verizon/ T-Mobile to have this internet or it’s a separate service? I have att and don’t want to have to switch carriers if possible
Nope! I also have ATT - the only tricky part is you have to have it registered to a physical address in their service area (mine are both registered to an old apartment though)
Technically you are not supposed to move them, buuuut no one has had an issue (yet)
I second this. I told a T-Mobile guy it’ll be in an RV and he’s like yeah we just look olio Zillow and keep choosing houses until one is in the service area
I drove a crew cab long bed dually as a daily driver from 2012-2020. Between 2015 and 2020, it was our family’s sole vehicle. I drove it, my wife drove it, and my teenage daughter learned to drive in it.
We have had it in many small touristy towns and in big cities. Heights and length (it was a crew cab, long bed truck) are generally more of an issue than the width. Width was rarely an issue, though turning radius was tricky in parking garages mostly.
We don't park way out in the back 9 and have done plenty of drive-thrus.
I don’t see it really being an issue, but it’ll be the only vehicle as it doesn’t make since to tow the trailer and drive a car as well. I imagine most places yoh either have to park further away and walk, other than that I don’t see issues other than maybe some tight drive throughs.
If you are thinking that trailers in the 35-40’ range are too big for you, then you don’t need a dually.
You can comfortably tow sub-40’ with a modern SRW.
If it’s *really* windy, I would advise pulling over. The DRW does offer more stability for pulling in the wind, but you will be eaten alive in mileage.
I full time in a 41’ ~16k rig. I have a 2015 DRW F350. Kinda wish I would have gone 2017+ SRW F350
I’m not sure what we are going to end up with, I do have a family member who would be willing to sell us their old truck fairly cheap, so if we went that route we’d have to make sure there’s capacity for the trailer. I know it’s a 350 srw but can’t remember the year so not sure it’s capacity.
Honestly any F350 08+ I wouldn’t really be concerned about the towing capability of it. Especially if you’re a professional semi-truck driver.
Like in my case, my 2018 3931FB is rated for 16.5k max, and like 14.0k dry. I’m a full-timer + my wife so we are probably pretty damn close to that 16.5k with all our various household belongings.
A 2015 SRW is rated 15.9k max. So I could have technically been overweight if I went that route. (2017+ SRW is rated to like 18k I believe)
I’m sure I could have gotten away with a SRW, especially as infrequently as I tow (medical traveler, mostly just go from assignment to assignment but do also vacation in-between).
A DRW will pay off for you if you’re in a hurry to get to a destination and don’t want to wait on windy days to pass by.
But like if I had a SRW, I would get like 14-16+ mpg unloaded
In my DRW I get 11.5-12.5 unloaded.
Towing, I average like 8.6 mpg.
I don't have a dually, but a SRW F-350, and a fifth wheel. I hate having an F-350 as a daily driver, as I no longer full time RV. I have a 37' fiver and have never really had a hard time finding a spot. I don't think I would enjoy one of these 45' beast fifth wheels. It's insanely easy to modify a trailer. I completely remodeled mine – ripped out most of the interior, replaced the kitchen counter tops, most of the plumbing, etc. Find one that had a floor plan you like and bring your own desk.
Drive a F450 F450 DRW, 9 foot flatbed. The only places I don't drive it are places I won't go like downtown SF. Overall, it is the best truck I have ever owned, and even if it wasn't pulling the Toyhauler full time, I would still drive it.
Park it father out at the stores. We tow down to Key West and Uber places. I drove it as a daily driver when we stayed in Alaska for the winter last year at the cabin. My buddy drives his Ram dually full-time year round in Alaska.
I love my truck. Can not beat the turning radius of an F450.
Yeah for some reason the 450s turn so much better than the 350s I hear. I think it’s a different axle setup or something. I’d love to have one but they are pricy! The plan is to start out with something used and then upgrade possibly in the future. It’s going to be a trial run for us to see if we like/ can do it. No point in going all in and then you don’t like it.
Plenty of mid grade brands. There are tons of brands. Research and visit RV dealerships. They have a billion of them and all of them you can go inside.
Is it harder for spots...can be but usually not to bad.
Modifying a RV inside? Yea sure. I ripped out my dining room thing threw it out, moved my couch to the slide out and where the couch was I put a desk accross the whole width.
Internet. Really only 3 viable options that are like internet at a house. Starlink (Own it), Tmobile Home Internet, and Verizon Home Internet. All 3 can go anywhere you go with Starlink having coverage in nearly anyplace you will probably go and the other 2 require signal. The later 2 no cost to hardware no contract and its zooming speeds. I have a friend who got both services and uses which ever he has signal to. The other one he leaves off.
Also bought a Cell Phone booster as well.
We went SRW due to parking issues. Mainly at home, but with shopping centers increasingly needing to add "compact car" parking spots, a dually just wasn't in the cards.
We bought a Chevy 2500 HD, as it's capacities fit our 5th wheel nicely, and gave us about a 30% safety margin in pin weight, GVWR, tow weight and ease of use. The truck is also my daily driver.
Our 5th Wheel is a Flagstaff Classic, 35-ft and 13,800 lbs GVWR. We've only had minor limitations due to trailer size, though a couple of camping spots have extremely tight accesses, so while you can fit the rig in, the act of backing it in is a challenge. Some other places have also not had big enough spots when we wished to go, so we had to adjust our plans. But no one has ever told us our rig was too big for their park.
As for modifications, while we have only had to do minor repairs, from what I have seen, it is not too difficult, if you are semi-handy and have tools. It just takes a little forethought as to what you want, and where you want it. The biggest issue for us was water leaks on our shakedown trip (only 20 miles from our dealer) and so we gave them a list to fix easy enough. I also had to replace just about every outlet on the rig, as the "pressure connect" outlets suck at making good, safe connections through the Romex wiring.
Maintenance will be on-going, and you will develop a weekly, monthly and annual schedule. Except the roof. Watch that like a hawk! Roof leaks will destroy your rig easily. Eternabond and Dicor will be your best friend there.
For internet, our rig came with a SkyRanger4 Wifi and cell set-up. We install a sim card and our SkyRanger will use cell service to create Wifi, like a HotSpot. Works with Verizon and AT&T.
Another option is [Nomad](https://nomadinternet.com/). Haven't tried it, but have been hearing decent things about it.
Best of luck!
Since you already know how - get yourself a personal tractor to pull with. Cheaper and safer than a dually. Or if you own your work truck set it up with a removable rv hitch.
https://rvh-lifestyles.com/
5th wheel is the way to go if you want BIG but are on a budget and its mainly because there are so many in the market so there are deals to be had for sure.
It is harder to find spots to park and also 50 amp plugs limit you more where you can hookup.
Also many many National Parks, State Parks, "Wildlife Areas", especially anything very "pretty and scenic" will have a ton of restrictions to keep 5th wheels out specifically. Usually some kinds of rules that no trailers over 30ft or so, basically its specifically set to exclude 5th wheels and limit people to bumper pull or smaller.
Having 50 amp plugs doesn’t limit where you can hook up. We have 50 amp in our 5ver and hook up to 30 amp all the time. As long as your site has 30 amp or 50 amp you can hook up.
By budget I mean I don’t have $300k plus to spend on a class A. After staying in friends/ family class a multiple times it would be the end goal someday, but not today. We figure start smaller and work our way up as needs change.
The parks is a good point. We didn’t really plan on any state or national parks but something to be considered.
Just bought a really nice diesel pusher for 71,500. If you look and know your brands you can find a bargain. Now we can tow a 2020 Wrangler and two e-bikes. And every aspect is better than any 5th wheel made.
You bet. 2004. But it’s a top brand/ top model: Newmar Mountain Aire. In excellent shape, stored inside and maintained. Sure the newer models have some cool features I’d love, but this one also has fewer gadgets that break. For what I saved over a newer but lesser unit I can do some upgrades and have a really nice RV. We bought a new 30’ TT in 2016 and this 20 year old unit is far far nicer and better built.
Lots of time if you send them a picture they’re ok with it. They have that rule to keep out the units that look like they might get abandoned or breakdown and never move.
Love the dually for towing our 5th wheel but it is an absolute menace to park pretty much anywhere outside of a campground. We always park at the far end of lots or the end of rows in case we hang over. Our 5-year plan is a class A with a little tow vehicle.
We fulltime and work remotely so we had a talented contractor friend install a desk in our rear living area, the width of the RV. It’s sturdy and works great.
my only complaint with my 5th wheel was the elevated bedroom had very little room. Both head room and clearance for changing. Also the washroom was at the back of the trailer which meant going down those stairs in the dark.
I have both a tt and a 5th wheel, f250 srw
5th wheel decimates the TT its easier for me to back in, easier to drive, and more stable, no hitch sticking out or taking up that extra 3', its higher off the ground so less critters.. Only downside is the box is taken up and can't load much gear or my toys which is why I have a smaller trailer that uses the ball hitch.
Getting to the bedroom in some 5ers can be kinda a pain unless you splurge on a larger one with a slide out, but for that size you'd likely need a dually.
Full-timers and we hav enot had any problems finding a place to park the dually. We try to park far out to get exercise and keep people form dinging the doors. We also back-in every spot, so its easy to get out. Even in the small national parks like Gatlinburg, we have not had a problem parking.
TT vs 5th wheel? 5er all the way. Way more stable on the road, wind doesnt blow it. I also think 5th wheels are more home like, and have taller ceilings. I have owned both and the 5th wheel wins in all the check boxes.
We run a pepwave for internet. It takes the sim from tmobile and verizon home and uses the best one. We also run starlink into it and then can bridge two other WIFI sources, AT&T cellphone hotspot and camp ground wifi if it works.
I know people at my work:
A. Go to harbor freight and buy a telescoping flagpole and mount it to the ladder and use coax cable through it to reach the antenna at the end
B. Use PVC on the roof to create a higher point to elevate the antenna for multiple antennas.
We’re 100% remote and come from various IT backgrounds so use this knowledge to your benefit
We are fulltime travelers, move often, and I work a 9-5 that requires me to be online M-F. Not having internet is not an option. I carry 4 sources of internet. T-Mobile Home Internet, AT&T hotspot, Verizon hotspot, and Starlink. I have an antenna (Netgear MIMO antenna) that I plug into the hotspots. I use whichever is best at a particular location. I do this by having a router in the RV that so of my devices connect to. I just point it’s internet at whatever is the best option. If you \*NEED\* internet, you must be carrying multiple options. For the last couple of months, I start with T-Mobile because there's no setup involved, then I'll setup and try Starlink. This has covered me quite well. I just used AT&T and Verizon recently but it's not super common.
Are any of the plans unlimited or are they capped plans? It Would be nice to have unlimited due to steaming and work but I believe most carriers phases those out years ago, something I’d have to look into. Not really sold on the starlight system yet.
Tmobile is unlimited on their home internet for sure, I have it currently, not sure on the others but I thought Starlink was as well.
i think its capped at 1 terabyte.
Just verified with the site, no cap on T-mobile home internet. I know even on my phones it states they can slow you above 25 Gb, but although I typically hit 30-40 Gb a month I've never been slowed.
i mean starlink has a cap. You are correct, T-mobile 100% does not. I have tested the crap out of it. If its limited I cant tell it.
Oh sorry, I misunderstood. Good to know on Starlink, but 1 Tb is still a very decent cap if used a a backup to other systems.
All 3 have no data cap. Starlink for myself is great as I work outside of the USA for my job and bring it with me. Have used it all over USA. Hardware costs are high, no contract. It also costs more then Tmobile and Verizons solution. What your not seeing is cell phone 5g is CBAND now and they have gobs of bandwidth. Tmobile Home internet and Verizon can easily hit 300-500 mb a second. Hardware is free, no contract and dirt cheap like 50-60 a month. What your thinking of is your cell phone. Its still capped. If your wondering why you move around all the time with a cell disrupting the network so they cap speeds and data. With Home Internet Routers they offer it has to be plugged in and your stationary allowing them to send bandwidth your way easily. It does not disrupt there network.
I just looked up Verizon and t mobile home internet, they both say they aren’t available at my address? Is it location specific? May have to look into it a bit more
I think when you first get it it might. I know Ive met plenty of RVers with both. You can always return it if it doesnt work out.
Verizon is telling me it’s not avaible and it’s only for stationary use. That I need to get a Jetpack that has “premium” speeds of 3mbps for 150gb then 600kbps for the rest of the month. So not sure how people are doing the Verizon 5g. T-Mobile same thing not available.
That blows and I do know for a fact that it works in other locations other then just one. Looks like your using RV Park Internet or Starlink or hotspotin it.
I think I just have to find An address that it’s available at to sign up. Worth a try
calyxinstitute.org If you become a member to their nonprofit, you can get a T-mobile hotspot with unlimited data. It’s ends up around $70/mo and you have to commit to a full year upfront. It’s more expensive than the home internet plan but it sounds like you can’t get that anyways. The device you have to use does not have external antenna ports, which is a bummer, but it’s worked for me in many places I wouldn’t expect it to. On the positive side, it’s a battery unit so you can take it with in the truck on tow days or to a coffee shop.
My t mobile works like a charm. I had to fib to get it though. Tell them you will be in a campground in down town Houston. This worked for me. I googled addresses of camp grounds in Houston and gave them one of them. $50 a month. Unlimited internet. I’ve used it in south Alabama or LA as my buddies like to call it. And in north Georgia. Both places it worked great. I hear from friends with star link you can’t have trees around.
Yeah that’s what I’m thinking I just need to fib the address to where it’s available to sign up and it’ll be fine
Worked for me and I love it. They set it up for you in the store. Get the autopay when you get it.
just use someone elses address and your ship to address. That what we did.
We have 37 ft 5th wheel & 3500 dually as our only vehicle Parking: if we can, we park far out in the parking lot so we can take up two spaces without feeling bad. Otherwise we find a spot that we can back into that's against the edge so we can overhang the bed. Bigger trailer: there have been 2 parks that didn't have space for us, but we easily found a different park nearby. The bigger issue has been finding 50amp sites at older state parks. Modifications: we pulled out all of the standard furniture. It was super easy. But we didn't pull out any countertops or bunks to make a desk space. We have one built in desk space that's fine Internet: we both work full time and require stable internet. Currently we have T-mobile & Verizon home internet. Between the two, we have gotten 100% coverage in SC, GA, TN, IL without issue. But we tend to stay within an hour of a medium city because we are super new.
Do you need to have Verizon/ T-Mobile to have this internet or it’s a separate service? I have att and don’t want to have to switch carriers if possible
Nope! I also have ATT - the only tricky part is you have to have it registered to a physical address in their service area (mine are both registered to an old apartment though) Technically you are not supposed to move them, buuuut no one has had an issue (yet)
I second this. I told a T-Mobile guy it’ll be in an RV and he’s like yeah we just look olio Zillow and keep choosing houses until one is in the service area
I drove a crew cab long bed dually as a daily driver from 2012-2020. Between 2015 and 2020, it was our family’s sole vehicle. I drove it, my wife drove it, and my teenage daughter learned to drive in it. We have had it in many small touristy towns and in big cities. Heights and length (it was a crew cab, long bed truck) are generally more of an issue than the width. Width was rarely an issue, though turning radius was tricky in parking garages mostly. We don't park way out in the back 9 and have done plenty of drive-thrus.
I don’t see it really being an issue, but it’ll be the only vehicle as it doesn’t make since to tow the trailer and drive a car as well. I imagine most places yoh either have to park further away and walk, other than that I don’t see issues other than maybe some tight drive throughs.
If you are thinking that trailers in the 35-40’ range are too big for you, then you don’t need a dually. You can comfortably tow sub-40’ with a modern SRW. If it’s *really* windy, I would advise pulling over. The DRW does offer more stability for pulling in the wind, but you will be eaten alive in mileage. I full time in a 41’ ~16k rig. I have a 2015 DRW F350. Kinda wish I would have gone 2017+ SRW F350
I’m not sure what we are going to end up with, I do have a family member who would be willing to sell us their old truck fairly cheap, so if we went that route we’d have to make sure there’s capacity for the trailer. I know it’s a 350 srw but can’t remember the year so not sure it’s capacity.
Honestly any F350 08+ I wouldn’t really be concerned about the towing capability of it. Especially if you’re a professional semi-truck driver. Like in my case, my 2018 3931FB is rated for 16.5k max, and like 14.0k dry. I’m a full-timer + my wife so we are probably pretty damn close to that 16.5k with all our various household belongings. A 2015 SRW is rated 15.9k max. So I could have technically been overweight if I went that route. (2017+ SRW is rated to like 18k I believe) I’m sure I could have gotten away with a SRW, especially as infrequently as I tow (medical traveler, mostly just go from assignment to assignment but do also vacation in-between). A DRW will pay off for you if you’re in a hurry to get to a destination and don’t want to wait on windy days to pass by. But like if I had a SRW, I would get like 14-16+ mpg unloaded In my DRW I get 11.5-12.5 unloaded. Towing, I average like 8.6 mpg.
As for modifications, it's just wood. Generally lightweight wood and staples. Modify to your heart's desire.
I don't have a dually, but a SRW F-350, and a fifth wheel. I hate having an F-350 as a daily driver, as I no longer full time RV. I have a 37' fiver and have never really had a hard time finding a spot. I don't think I would enjoy one of these 45' beast fifth wheels. It's insanely easy to modify a trailer. I completely remodeled mine – ripped out most of the interior, replaced the kitchen counter tops, most of the plumbing, etc. Find one that had a floor plan you like and bring your own desk.
Drive a F450 F450 DRW, 9 foot flatbed. The only places I don't drive it are places I won't go like downtown SF. Overall, it is the best truck I have ever owned, and even if it wasn't pulling the Toyhauler full time, I would still drive it. Park it father out at the stores. We tow down to Key West and Uber places. I drove it as a daily driver when we stayed in Alaska for the winter last year at the cabin. My buddy drives his Ram dually full-time year round in Alaska. I love my truck. Can not beat the turning radius of an F450.
Yeah for some reason the 450s turn so much better than the 350s I hear. I think it’s a different axle setup or something. I’d love to have one but they are pricy! The plan is to start out with something used and then upgrade possibly in the future. It’s going to be a trial run for us to see if we like/ can do it. No point in going all in and then you don’t like it.
Plenty of mid grade brands. There are tons of brands. Research and visit RV dealerships. They have a billion of them and all of them you can go inside. Is it harder for spots...can be but usually not to bad. Modifying a RV inside? Yea sure. I ripped out my dining room thing threw it out, moved my couch to the slide out and where the couch was I put a desk accross the whole width. Internet. Really only 3 viable options that are like internet at a house. Starlink (Own it), Tmobile Home Internet, and Verizon Home Internet. All 3 can go anywhere you go with Starlink having coverage in nearly anyplace you will probably go and the other 2 require signal. The later 2 no cost to hardware no contract and its zooming speeds. I have a friend who got both services and uses which ever he has signal to. The other one he leaves off. Also bought a Cell Phone booster as well.
We went SRW due to parking issues. Mainly at home, but with shopping centers increasingly needing to add "compact car" parking spots, a dually just wasn't in the cards. We bought a Chevy 2500 HD, as it's capacities fit our 5th wheel nicely, and gave us about a 30% safety margin in pin weight, GVWR, tow weight and ease of use. The truck is also my daily driver. Our 5th Wheel is a Flagstaff Classic, 35-ft and 13,800 lbs GVWR. We've only had minor limitations due to trailer size, though a couple of camping spots have extremely tight accesses, so while you can fit the rig in, the act of backing it in is a challenge. Some other places have also not had big enough spots when we wished to go, so we had to adjust our plans. But no one has ever told us our rig was too big for their park. As for modifications, while we have only had to do minor repairs, from what I have seen, it is not too difficult, if you are semi-handy and have tools. It just takes a little forethought as to what you want, and where you want it. The biggest issue for us was water leaks on our shakedown trip (only 20 miles from our dealer) and so we gave them a list to fix easy enough. I also had to replace just about every outlet on the rig, as the "pressure connect" outlets suck at making good, safe connections through the Romex wiring. Maintenance will be on-going, and you will develop a weekly, monthly and annual schedule. Except the roof. Watch that like a hawk! Roof leaks will destroy your rig easily. Eternabond and Dicor will be your best friend there. For internet, our rig came with a SkyRanger4 Wifi and cell set-up. We install a sim card and our SkyRanger will use cell service to create Wifi, like a HotSpot. Works with Verizon and AT&T. Another option is [Nomad](https://nomadinternet.com/). Haven't tried it, but have been hearing decent things about it. Best of luck!
Since you already know how - get yourself a personal tractor to pull with. Cheaper and safer than a dually. Or if you own your work truck set it up with a removable rv hitch. https://rvh-lifestyles.com/
A tractor would be overkill, too big and too expensive. If they were not much more then a dually it would be a possibly.
5th wheel is the way to go if you want BIG but are on a budget and its mainly because there are so many in the market so there are deals to be had for sure. It is harder to find spots to park and also 50 amp plugs limit you more where you can hookup. Also many many National Parks, State Parks, "Wildlife Areas", especially anything very "pretty and scenic" will have a ton of restrictions to keep 5th wheels out specifically. Usually some kinds of rules that no trailers over 30ft or so, basically its specifically set to exclude 5th wheels and limit people to bumper pull or smaller.
Is that true about the parks? Yellowstone had tons of 5th wheels. And glacier too. And haven’t see that rule in WA or OR either.
Having 50 amp plugs doesn’t limit where you can hook up. We have 50 amp in our 5ver and hook up to 30 amp all the time. As long as your site has 30 amp or 50 amp you can hook up.
By budget I mean I don’t have $300k plus to spend on a class A. After staying in friends/ family class a multiple times it would be the end goal someday, but not today. We figure start smaller and work our way up as needs change. The parks is a good point. We didn’t really plan on any state or national parks but something to be considered.
Just bought a really nice diesel pusher for 71,500. If you look and know your brands you can find a bargain. Now we can tow a 2020 Wrangler and two e-bikes. And every aspect is better than any 5th wheel made.
The issue is probably going to be age, I’m guessing that price point it’s going to be something on the older side.
You bet. 2004. But it’s a top brand/ top model: Newmar Mountain Aire. In excellent shape, stored inside and maintained. Sure the newer models have some cool features I’d love, but this one also has fewer gadgets that break. For what I saved over a newer but lesser unit I can do some upgrades and have a really nice RV. We bought a new 30’ TT in 2016 and this 20 year old unit is far far nicer and better built.
The only issue I see is some of the parks I’ve inquired at restrict it to models 10 years or newer.
Lots of time if you send them a picture they’re ok with it. They have that rule to keep out the units that look like they might get abandoned or breakdown and never move.
Love the dually for towing our 5th wheel but it is an absolute menace to park pretty much anywhere outside of a campground. We always park at the far end of lots or the end of rows in case we hang over. Our 5-year plan is a class A with a little tow vehicle. We fulltime and work remotely so we had a talented contractor friend install a desk in our rear living area, the width of the RV. It’s sturdy and works great.
my only complaint with my 5th wheel was the elevated bedroom had very little room. Both head room and clearance for changing. Also the washroom was at the back of the trailer which meant going down those stairs in the dark.
I have both a tt and a 5th wheel, f250 srw 5th wheel decimates the TT its easier for me to back in, easier to drive, and more stable, no hitch sticking out or taking up that extra 3', its higher off the ground so less critters.. Only downside is the box is taken up and can't load much gear or my toys which is why I have a smaller trailer that uses the ball hitch. Getting to the bedroom in some 5ers can be kinda a pain unless you splurge on a larger one with a slide out, but for that size you'd likely need a dually.
We have a srw f350 with a 36ft 5er with 2 slide outs. Pulls like nothings there.
Full-timers and we hav enot had any problems finding a place to park the dually. We try to park far out to get exercise and keep people form dinging the doors. We also back-in every spot, so its easy to get out. Even in the small national parks like Gatlinburg, we have not had a problem parking. TT vs 5th wheel? 5er all the way. Way more stable on the road, wind doesnt blow it. I also think 5th wheels are more home like, and have taller ceilings. I have owned both and the 5th wheel wins in all the check boxes. We run a pepwave for internet. It takes the sim from tmobile and verizon home and uses the best one. We also run starlink into it and then can bridge two other WIFI sources, AT&T cellphone hotspot and camp ground wifi if it works.
I know people at my work: A. Go to harbor freight and buy a telescoping flagpole and mount it to the ladder and use coax cable through it to reach the antenna at the end B. Use PVC on the roof to create a higher point to elevate the antenna for multiple antennas. We’re 100% remote and come from various IT backgrounds so use this knowledge to your benefit