Motorhome towing a small car or truck towing a trailer?

As my work goes more and more remote, my wife and I are tossing around the idea of traveling a ton, and by that I mean living in an RV/trailer for months at a time. Don't know if it'll actually happen, but it's fun to think about and watch youtube videos about. So before anyone gets mad and yells out some financial advice, I'll emphasize that this is mostly just a thought exercise.

Converting a skoolie would be the coolest and most personalized option, but that takes too much time, space, and I've read some RV parks won't accept conversions. Therefore, our current debate is: Buy a large motorhome (class A or C) and tow a small car behind, or get a truck and tow a large trailer? They would offer similar amounts of space. Here's the main differences I see:

Motorhome towing a small car: slightly worse gas mileage while driving/towing, but when parked we could drive the Prius around and get 50MPG. Class A requires a special license.

Truck towing a trailer: slightly better gas mileage while towing, and possibly better off-road. When parked we could drive the truck around and have much more room than the prius, but we'd be getting 20mpg in a modern truck instead of 50 in the prius. 

That seems to be the biggest differences, in terms of how it would affect our daily lives. A large trailer and a large motorhome would be similarly equipped and of similar sizes, would have similar amenities, etc. 

Your thoughts?

First off, the joke reply: truck, toy hauler RV and a Miata inside the rolling garage. M.I.A.T.A.

I don't know of many states that require a license depending on the type of RV.  I know Tennessee does not.  You may muddy the waters if you claim it as a business expense and functionally become a professional driver, but as scary as it seems, if you can drive a Geo Metro here, you can legally drive a 45 plus foot long diesel pusher with a full-size truck hanging out the back...

My dad's answer when he was traveling as a bike race official on weekends was a Bounder diesel pusher class A, flat towing first a VW golf, and then when he realized he needed more room for supplies runs and to carry the dog, a Grand Cherokee.

The main benefit to the class A was that it was much easier to head into the living quarters.  Stuck in stop and go traffic? Passenger gets up and makes a sammich.  Zoom call?  Pull into the nearest large parking lot and set up at the table without having to get out in the rain.

You forgot that with the motor home/ small car option you will also have 2 separate insurance policies, and maintenance on 2 separate vehicles. 
 

Personally, my choice would be a medium sized motor home. I hate driving a large motor home, and equally hate driving a Geo. That option would mean I always hate driving. If it has to be a large living space, then I'd choose the truck/trailer option. 

Here's another maintenance difference... tires. 
 

With the mh/ car option, you will most likely have 6 large truck tires and 4 compact car tires rolling on the ground at all times. That's 10 tires wearing (6 of them expensive). 
 

With the truck/ trailer option you will most likely have 4 medium truck tires and 4 trailer tires on the ground rolling. That's 8 medium priced tires. (Unless you drive a dually)

There are some states that require a non-commercial CDL for large RV setups, but most need no special licensing.  And as I understand it, you play by the rules of your state of residency. 

I started with motorhome and trailer primarily so I could use it to take the race car to multi-day rallycross events.  We have vacationed with the same setup - I've put the Miata or the Neon back there for trips to the Rolex and the MZ5 back there for family trips.

It's going to depend on what you're driving, but on my P30 chassis with the 454, you really feel the car/trailer back there, especially when it gets hilly.  There's a lot of watching the temp gauge.  Plus, especially on the older rigs, the weight limit can be reached quickly - many are only rated for 3500lbs.

The other problem is that it's a pita to get a car on and off a trailer.  And the bigger pita is what to do with the trailer once you get the car off.

I would advocate finding something that you could flat-tow rather than using a trailer or dolly.

The motorhome is going to be much nicer to travel in, especially if there are more than 2 of you and/or larger pets.  But a towable is nice because an F350 can be serviced anywhere, whereas a motorhome needs a different facility.  Pickup truck or SUV tires plus trailer tires will be cheaper than motorhome tires.  You're also going to be driving the tow rig more, giving yourself an opportunity to discover faults in time to fix them.  With the motorhome, all your problems will happen on the road.

I'm aiming to sell our motorhome once tax season starts and we're looking at bumper-pull trailers to replace it.  You can get a lot more for your money in terms of nice accomodations inside with those versus a motorhome and it's one less drivetrain to maintain.

Another big difference...

When rolling, the mh/car option means you can freely walk around the cabin, and the driver can speak easily with someone sitting on couch. Can't do that with a pickup truck. 

Lots of good tips guys, thanks!  Large trailers are a dime a dozen, really. As long as they're structurally sound, they can be easily renovated. Class A and class C motorhomes do cost more, especially when you get something more modern and decent, and I'm not familiar with them at all. An F150 with a 3.5 ecoboost will tow a pretty big trailer (my parents use a Lincoln navigator with a 3.5 and it tows like a beast) and they're not too expensive.  

I didn't think about the multiple insurance policies, so thanks for bringing that up, SV reX. That'll definitely affect things.

I do still love the idea of making our own skoolie, but we don't have the space for that. It's fun to think about, though. Granted, it would be a lot easier to just get a used class C or trailer and fully renovate it.

We've been looking at lot rent rates around the country and found some nice surprises. The sequoia trees in California is a pricey place to stay, as expected. Wine country in new york? Cheap. Lot rent is like $2200/year cheap.  Me being a veteran means I can use the MWR camp sites on a lot of bases--MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa has an incredible RV Park, for example. The first time we saw it, nearly a year ago, we immediately thought of living there in an RV.

It's fun to think about.

Maybe several of us who have dreamed of building a Skoolie should get together and make it a group project!

I can't imagine OH requires a special license for a class A.  It would have to be a massive thing, as in over 26k GVW.  Only state I know that requires a special license for big motorhomes is CA where they issue a non-commercial class B after passing a written test.

As wae pointed out, the GM "workhorse" chassis is fine, but can feel like it's overworked and under-stiffed.  It's basically a variable-length version of the P30 step van chassis.  John Deere/Freightliner make a more capable chassis for class As.  Most class A gas/front engine are absolutely maxed-out, stretch the limit, don't top off the gas tank scenarios.  As in, if you eat a big meal you might notice that the steering feels a little looser.  Ok, I'm exaggerating, but not by much.  My uncle had a 30' Apollo with a 454 on a P-chassis and it was a nightmare on its own and when he hooked up a 3000-lb boat behind, it became just bloody frightening.

The same basic chassis can be found under Ford and GM class Cs.  They are usually the G30/40/50 in the case of the GM or the E450/550 in the Ford... which is functionally very similar to what you would find under an ambulance or a van box truck.  Still, the lower profile of most class Cs tends to make them much more stable and often times less of their own weight.

Long story short, there is a reason that 90% of what you see in the motorhome/toad scenarios are diesel pushers.  Then you're into Gillig/Blue Bird chassis territory which are created to haul 60 people for 15 years of 24/7 service.

You can do it with any of the above.  It just depends on how hard you want to push a gas V8 and light duty transmission, and how stressed, white-knuckled, and pissed off at the world you want to be when you get to your destination.  Driving a rig like that really needs the good equipment.  Driving 5 miles to a state park?  Heck, use the Prius to tow a Travel Trailer. (ok, not really)  Driving 500 miles a day?  Go big or risk being an exhausted bear at the end of the drive.  When I lived full time in an RV (F250 powerstroke towing a 31' TT), the truck was more than capable of the 8900 GVWR trailer, but after 5 or 6 days of a cross country drive I was really wishing I had bought a dually.  It was a very active driving situation and it got old, fast.  Everything was great if there was no wind, no excessive traffic, and no flying trucks shoving you around, but it didn't take much of an adverse condition to make you "on duty" with every synapse to prevent death and dismemberment.

SV reX said:

Maybe several of us who have dreamed of building a Skoolie should get together and make it a group project!

IN!

Another option is to get a Toy Hauler that can carry the car you want to use.  That would the truck-trailer option.

SV reX said:

Maybe several of us who have dreamed of building a Skoolie should get together and make it a group project!

I love the thought of this.

ON A CHALLENGE BUDGET!

SV reX said:

You forgot that with the motor home/ small car option you will also have 2 separate insurance policies, and maintenance on 2 separate vehicles. 
 

Personally, my choice would be a medium sized motor home. I hate driving a large motor home, and equally hate driving a Geo. That option would mean I always hate driving. If it has to be a large living space, then I'd choose the truck/trailer option. 

Technically, both options have two insurance policies and two separate vehicles to maintain.  And RV maintenance is more extensive than a car.  So your first point is more of a wash than an advantage to one or the other.

As for your second point, working on a few medium sized RV platforms, do make sure that you get one that has a good GCVW that you can really deal with.  There are some very significant climbs that an overly heavy vehicle will be very tough in a marginal platform.

And for the truck-trailer options (which is what we have pretty much chosen)- before committing to that path, make sure you know what kind of trailer you really need.   Once you do that, you will know exactly what truck you need to pull it.  You can go really small with a fiberglass shell trailer up to a massive 5th wheel trailer that has multiple push outs and a living room.  BTW, we've talked with some fellow campers, and they really love having a 5th wheel.

In reply to alfadriver :

Um... not anywhere I have lived.   The trailer is covered by the tow vehicle insurance.

And yes, it's a different kind of maintenance. I should have clarified- I meant drive train. Oil changes, regular scheduled maintenance, etc. 
 

The additional maintenance on a travel trailer is no different than the maintenance on a motor home, so that part is a wash. 

Curtis73 (Forum Supporter) said:

Long story short, there is a reason that 90% of what you see in the motorhome/toad scenarios are diesel pushers.  Then you're into Gillig/Blue Bird chassis territory which are created to haul 60 people for 15 years of 24/7 service.

This sentence just makes me want a skoolie more. Heavy duty chassis, big diesel engine, reliable as the day is long. I would jump at the chance, but I don't have a place to build one.

Thanks for all the good advice though! It's looking like a heavy duty truck and a nice trailer is going to be the more reasonable option.

In reply to SV reX :

We all live in different places.  One should know what the requirements are- we needed insurance here in MI.

In terms of modern vehicles, I really find that the claims of maintenance is way over played.  Especially for the vehicle being pulled, which won't have many miles put on it.  We've had an Escape for 1.5 years now, and it's oil has been changed exactly once- hardly a burden.  

WRT a schoolie conversion- how are they to drive on open roads for long distances?  Given they are designed mostly to drive in urban areas not going too fast.

I've driven all of the above for long trips and I've found that I prefer to drive a *nice* class A over anything else. Even with a dually, a large 5th wheel just requires you to often correct steering as something goes by, etc. A large diesel pusher on air shocks is so big and heavy that it's pushed around a lot less and to me it's a much less stressful drive. Also, my wife makes me a sandwich and drinks and we don't need pee stops because everyone can move around. 
I will say that the tire and power train differences are very real. With a large A you're really looking at semi truck tires and many places will not work on them- they're pricey as well and blowing one (or 3 in one day) is not fun. 
A truck and 5th wheel would allow you to upgrade the truck as you go. 
 

In reply to infinitenexus :

A couple of drawbacks to a skoolie for long term use:

- High floor- climbing in and out every day

- Frame rails- They are heavy duty (which is nice), but they also have trouble having any decent storage under

- Gearing- They were almost all built for driving around town. Highway miles are brutal. 
 

- Tires- commercial tires are EXPENSIVE!
 

- Fuel economy- OK, anything big will be bad. But old school big and heavy which was never designed for highway cruising is worse

- Insulation- The shells were not made to insulate. Yes, that can be solved. You still have to deal with drafty windows, etc. 
 

- Slideouts- Skoolies never have slideouts. Motor homes and big TTs do. An 8' wide shell is significantly less desirable to live in than a 10' wide shell. 
 

Plus all the build-out issues...

SV reX said:

In reply to alfadriver :

Um... not anywhere I have lived.   The trailer is covered by the tow vehicle insurance.

In a crash, yeah, but coverage for things like a tree falling on it or something like that would be an extra policy.  Probably not as much as a motorhome, though.

My personal choice is/was a TT with a pickup truck.  You can throw bikes, a motorcycle, or anything in the bed.

I think you'll also find that the novelty of being able to walk to the back in a motorhome wears off fast.  In some states it's illegal anyway.  Sure, you can walk back there, but opening the fridge usually results in emptying the contents onto the floor.  You can go back and pee, but you'd better sit down, at which point you'll have your pee sloshing up on your nutsack.  I find that needing to pee happens about as frequently as my desire to have a stretch anyway, and if I want to not stop for a meal I can pack some sandwiches in a cooler.

If you're going somewhere for a few days and don't plan on leaving the campground, a motorhome is likely fine.  One thing a lot of people don't realize is that once you are in a campsite and hooked up to water, sewer, and electric, your only means of transportation is anchored.  You spend an hour leveling, hooking up everything and putting out the awning and you're stuck unless you reverse all of those actions.  Having a toad is one way to get around that.  A towable RV is another way, and I prefer that from a cost/maintenance perspective.  Towables are cheap, in PA they don't require insurance (covered by the tow vehicle's liability), and they're about $15 to register every year.  They have no oil changes, no spark plugs, no cooling systems, no transmissions.  You hook up and go.  They don't get stale gas if you let them sit for a year.  A motorhome is a large registration fee, all the maintenance of a vehicle (and then some).

My F250 powerstroke of course only got 20 mpg driving around without the trailer which isn't prius-level MPG, but for the added convenience of drop-and-go camping, it was a win for me.  12mpg towing and 20-22 mpg empty compared to 8mpg motorhome and 50 mpg from the toad... you would have to do the math on your brand of camping, but it was a no-brainer for me.

The big downside to towable RVs is that since about 2000 their quality has gone to absolute E36 M3.  Go to an RV show sometime on the last day.  You'll see carpet worn beyond recognition, cabinet doors broken and sagging, corners on the walls missing the ink in the wallpaper from people touching it, doors that won't latch because they've sagged or the hinges bent... just from 100 people walking through on a weekend.  You should have seen the damage to my parents' TT when they blew two tires.

Oh, one thing that I noticed about 5ers versus anything else is the head room.  The additional ceiling height makes a 5er seem so much more like a small apartment as opposed to a trailer.  A friend recently bought one to full time in and since it's just him, we were looking at alternative floor plans.  Where most fifth wheels have the master bed in the section that goes over the pickup truck bed, his has this nice open living room area with three couches, a fireplace, and a large TV.  With the slides out, it really feels like a "real" house.

Something else to be aware of, especially if it's a new unit that you buy:  A lot of warranty things are void if they find out you're full-timing in it.

One thing to think about is with a truck and trailer your only transportation is the truck so you are literally driving a big truck always, fine in a parking lot and the highway but in a big city? May not have parking at all or just very far away. 

Personally I'd skip all of this and just look into like....air bnbs. Drive to the place or fly, stay for a week or whatever and move on. Older trailers run into a lot of problems, like parks that won't accept them and appliances that are best suited to being used sometimes. The prices are insane right now too, I've got a 21 footer sitting here that was smoked in and a bit beat up and it'll easily net us 5k apparently. Insane

You need to define some limits.  Money is the biggest one.  What do you plan to budget, how much can you afford per month on the road.  Motorhomes and trailers depreciate.  Current crazes go counter to this but in the end your rig will lose a lot of value when you are done with it.   And the cost per month is going to be higher than you think.  

Finding a place to camp is getting tougher.  Florida state parks book a year ahead.  You can find other options but that requires learning the tricks.

Then comes living space.  Smaller is cheaper, but some stuff like wet bathrooms are not everyone's favorite.  Another is beds with walk around space.  Is the middle of the night pee going to involve crawling over someone?  Is that an issue?  It wasn't in my 20s, in my 60s it is huge.

Couple of comments on comments.  Insurance on 2 vehicles might be more but losing your house when the engine needs an alternator is a pain.  Towing a well setup rig is not a big deal. 

So hide the checkbook and do more research.  IRV2.com is excellent if you want to learn.  utube is fun to watch and there are a few posters who have done a great job sharing knowledge.

My rig? 04 silverado pulling a 19 foot trailer.  I carry a 19 foot kayak on a ladder rack, bikes in the truck and we travel for a month at a time.  Next trip is 6 weeks in Florida, booked it in December, average cost per night is under 10 bucks.  We have gotten good at this!

In reply to SV reX :

All of your points are 100% valid. Building a skoolie just checks the "cool" box, though. Once you change the gearing or go to 24" rear wheels I've read it's a lot better.

Honestly I think the biggest draw for a skoolie is that 1) you can get one super cheap and it's still functional and reliable, and 2) they are completely open to customization. But then again, we can just get a nice travel trailer and gut it and redo it if that's what we really want.