Shewolf55 Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Hello everyone, I really hope you can help me out with some advice in buying a: Largish motorhome or 5th Wheeler UK one poss a Puma 26’ length) We have been caravanning for many years across UK and France in a large Elddis and would now like to upgrade. Here are the main points we would look for: Easy touring – across Europe with access to sites for overnight stops or a few days Comfort and space inside living – including full oven, microwave, permanent bed (long – we are biggish people) 4 berth and full fridge (tall) I need to be able to drive or tow this thing and couldn’t cope with the caravan, yet, in my days; I could drive a long wheel base mini bus. We both have the older driving licence passing before the January 1, 1997 so can pull heavy weight types. We have looked at bigger motorhomes and even though we have found some really nice ones, with a fair amount of space; we don’t have much difference in space to our caravan. Yes – built the same way more or less, I understand. My big question, as my husband has fallen in love with the big truck and 5th Wheeler type option is how many of you have actually driven throughout Europe in one of these things? I have to admit, the inside living space is to die for and is literally better than some house living accommodation. I guess somewhere, we are going to have to compromise with something, but if some of you are using 5th Wheelers and still find plenty of places to stay with no problems, I think we could end up with one? PLEASE, if you could advise me and tell me your experiences of driving large motorhomes and the 5th wheelers, I would be so very grateful, thanks xxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Some people are happy driving large vehicles and some are not - and the way to find out whether you are OK with it is to try for yourself. Large MHs and fifth wheel outfits are not for everyone but it's not really a gender thing; we see lots of ladies driving big buses these days so give it a go. I suppose a big fifth wheeler outfit is a bit like a bendy bus! There is a sensible limit on size in order to tour enjoyably using British and Continental roads and for example touring Devon and Cornwall will show you the potential problem. I remember driving an A Class Hymer (which is not particularly wide) along an A road in Devon (from Kingsbridge to Slapton) and deciding never again. But we tour widely on the Continent in our 7 metre long, 2,3 metre wide Hymer and rarely have difficulty and I wouldn't baulk at driving a 9 metre long A Class in Europe but I would certainly baulk at driving an American-sized fifth wheeler. Traffic density is a big factor too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Welcome to the Out&AboutLive forums, Sarah. Although there will be people here with plenty of experience of driving large motorhomes (say up to 9 metres long) I’m doubtful if anyone has ‘5th Wheeler’ experience, as in the UK buying/using this form of leisure-vehicle is very much a niche pastime. So your best bet for advice is probably from one of the specialist forums (examples here) https://tinyurl.com/spb9f42 The dimensions of a really large motorhome will impose restrictions on where it can go and where it can be parked, and that will also be true when a car tows a really long caravan or a pick-up tows a large 5th-wheeler - in this instance, size definitely does matter. I’m concerned by your statement that you could not cope with a caravan, as a 5th Wheeler towed by a pick-up is pretty similar to a large caravan being towed by a car. If your husband has become addicted to the 5th Wheeler idea, you may need to accept that there’s a good chance you won’t want to drive the outfit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 4, 2020 Author Share Posted March 4, 2020 I quite agree, it seems like my husband is forgetting that i would actually like to drive sometimes and i am not sure that a big 5th wheeler is easier than a caravan! Thanks for the help, i will check to see other sites to see if anyone has experience of these monsters xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Hi Sarah B, We have hired large RV's in the US and find them not a problem, not 5th wheelers … because everything else is correspondingly large so I'm a little puzzled by the question that indicates you are already well travelled and assumed to have most of the answers to site access's and narrow roads which are abundant in the UK. I found that in whichever country I chose it was sensible to adopt the easiest platform to enable us to achieve what we wanted in that particular country and here in the UK very large means large limitations. Have either of you considered two separate Motorhomes ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Welcome to our site! The first time we ever took our first motorhome away, we parked next to a 5th wheeler and pick up. The chap was parked up for the winter in Alicante, and the one thing he did say was that touring with the rig was not generally an option due to the size. So, if you intend to stay for some time in places then it is a good option. The books and internet will advise on the maximum size a site will take, and our current 8.3 metre motorhome has only been unsuitable for a couple of sites (mainly due to height) so no real problem. In fact we intend to go up to 9.3 metres in the not too distant future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtravel Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 It depends on your vacation style. Resident or itinerant? If permanent, how many campsites have pitches large enough to accommodate them (don't forget that you also have a pick-up to host). If itinerant: I have traveled all over Europe and met large motorhomes (e.g. Concorde, Morelo, Phoenix, etc.). Also on the Eagle Road or on the Trollstigen in Norway. Fifth-wheleer maybe one or two. They are vehicles for American roads, certainly not for most European ones. IMHO, they are fine for circus owners. Max Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Allen Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Sarah Welcome. There are hundreds of almost free to stay Aire's in France; almost every other village has one. They are only allowed to be used by Motorhomes/Camping Cars. Caravans and 5th Wheelers would definately not be allowed. This would definitely reduce your freedom to roam as you would always need to be pre-booking your next overnight stop and please don't confuse these Aire's with the ones on the motorways which you should try to avoid as they are a prize target for overnight robbers. Cheers John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkyrunner Posted March 4, 2020 Share Posted March 4, 2020 Have seen quite a few on the continent espeially Spain and they tend to stay longterm on a site. The main problem is the popular campsites have tight access onto pitches especially nearer the coast as they tend to packem in. Also becauseof the need for summer shade the trees can be a nuisance even if they trimmed back in winter. As previous answer the better solution is a not too big M/H as even the coastal sites in France/Spain accomodate up to 10 mtrs but always check with the site. But as already pointed out the M/H gives you all the freedom of aires which you do not get with 5th wheelers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Hey Flyboy, thanks for the tips, since posting, we have been trying to have a sensible talk and if hubby is allowed to buy his new ford truck, i think he's quite happy about giving up the 5th wheeler idea and go for the larger type motor home. I will just gain experience driving in large car parks!! So.... you are going extra large? 9.3 mtrs? In your option, parking larger types is no problem? Any advice welcome thanks xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Hi Max, i agree.... but we were looking at the purpose built new European type 5th wheelers, but they are still BIG! Think we are opting for a large motorhome now xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 5, 2020 Author Share Posted March 5, 2020 Thanks John, yes, the main freedom of movement and Aires is exactly what we wanted, so having taken all advice, we are going for the motorhome. Its amazing what you can sort out by just asking other people for ideas xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Shewolf55 - 2020-03-05 11:52 AM Hey Flyboy, thanks for the tips, since posting, we have been trying to have a sensible talk and if hubby is allowed to buy his new ford truck, i think he's quite happy about giving up the 5th wheeler idea and go for the larger type motor home. I will just gain experience driving in large car parks!! So.... you are going extra large? 9.3 mtrs? In your option, parking larger types is no problem? Any advice welcome thanks xx Hi Sarah, Yes, no real problem with driving or parking a larger motorhome. The thing to be aware of is the overall size! As others have mentioned, it is important to check that the site can easily take the larger vehicle. Most of the larger vans will be around the 3,5 metre height and over 10 metres, they can be taller. When overtaking, remember how long you are, and definitely have front and rear sensors for parking, and a very good rear view camera.. My wife always sees me into a tightish parking space, and you need to look out for low tree branches! She is also comfortable driving occasionally, but I like to do most of it.That said, I personally find the van very easy to drive and manoeuvre. Generally with the larger van comes more payload availability, and that is important when your are travelling extensively. More points to consider. Where will you park when you are not using it, and what type of chassis to chose. The longer wheelbase vans with twin wheels in line are not always welcome on site as they can churn up the ground, and I.M.H.O. a rear wheel drive transmission is preferable to front wheel drive. Also, which is my dilemma at the moment, what transport will you need when you do get to your destination! Tow a car, have a motorbike in your garage, or just pushbikes. DOH, decisions, decisions. B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 My only rider to what you have said, is not to go overboard on size. The larger the vehicle, the more it restricts access to supermarkets, campsites, aires, town centre car parks, etc. etc. meaning that you will have to rely much more on secondary transport (bikes, scooter, public transport etc.) to get into places. If you want the flexibility to travel with minimal restrictions, you'll need to find a reasonably compact internal layout that works well for you. As ever, it is a compromise, but the bigger the vehicle the more miles you will be liable travel on main roads and dual carriageways (including motorways), so as to avoid those unexpected stretches of narrow road, overhanging rock faces, blind bends, tight hairpins, narrow bridges etc. that tend to characterise the routes to all those "interesting" places. But, as said above, it so much depends on the sorts of places you would want to visit. Once sited, the internal space is an obvious boon, but while en-route, the greater bulk can be the source of avoidable stress. Ultimately, the answer to your question is ………………. it all depends! :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conrad Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Unless I've missed it, no-one has mentioned what I thought was the benefit of a fifth wheeler, that. like if you have a caravan, when you get to your chosen site, you can unhitch and have a more manageable vehicle to tour locally. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted March 5, 2020 Share Posted March 5, 2020 Conrad - 2020-03-05 10:42 PM Unless I've missed it, no-one has mentioned what I thought was the benefit of a fifth wheeler, that. like if you have a caravan, when you get to your chosen site, you can unhitch and have a more manageable vehicle to tour locally. But the OP wants to be able to use Aires, etc and fifth wheels are not allowed to use them! Shewolf55 - 2020-03-05 11:57 AM Thanks John, yes, the main freedom of movement and Aires is exactly what we wanted, so having taken all advice, we are going for the motorhome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 A lot of (most?) French ‘aires’ involve a service-point providing fresh-water and a toilet/waste-water emptying capability, with the service-point located on a public car park. In such instances caravans or 5th-wheelers could legally stay there as long as they were not ‘camping’ or there were no specific prohibition. Motorcaravanning differs from caravanning and 5th-wheelering as, in the last two cases the towing vehicle can be decoupled from the caravan/5th-wheeler and used separately - that’s not so with motorhomes. The longer the motorhome the longer the wheelbase and the wider the turning circle. Ultra-long motorhomes present real manoeuvring challenges that need to be recognised. Owners of large motorhomes don’t tow small cars for fun - they do it so that they can travel around in the car and leave the motorthome parked up. If Sarah’s husband MUST have his new Ford ‘ute’, using it to tow a 5th-wheeler makes a lot of sense, as does using it to tow a big caravan. But buying a really large motorhome able to offer an equivalent internal space to that of a big caravan or 5th-wheeler because Sarah feels that she could happily manage to drive a large motorhome but could not drive a ute + caravan, or ute + 5th-wheeler combination is a big risk in my view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Derek Uzzell - 2020-03-06 9:22 AM If Sarah’s husband MUST have his new Ford ‘ute’, using it to tow a 5th-wheeler makes a lot of sense, as does using it to tow a big caravan. But buying a really large motorhome able to offer an equivalent internal space to that of a big caravan or 5th-wheeler because Sarah feels that she could happily manage to drive a large motorhome but could not drive a ute + caravan, or ute + 5th-wheeler combination is a big risk in my view. Can we ever assess the risk/benefit or cost/benefit for other people, when individual perceptions and taste in choosing and using motorhomes/caravans/fifth wheelers varies so much? If the OP has deep pockets and plenty of storage space for toys, why can't they have a large motorhome and a large pickup truck - together with a few classic cars etc etc? Clearly if they are on a budget there might be overriding factors but otherwise, why not one of each? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 Yep, i definitely get what you mean - our current choice today is - Buy the truck for Mike get a 7mtr motorhome - poss an Autotrail Apache 700 (like this layout, lots of room and do not mind making up bed each night) or an Elddis Marquis majestic 180. Tour everywhere for a few years. Then..... possibly sell the motorhome and get a Puma 5th Wheeler, with the intention of touring, but staying on certain sites areas that we love for a month or so before moving on to another one. Sounds good to me xxxx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 I am truly laughing now!! You are right We live in France and UK and have loads of room in 4 acres to park stuff in France I have to say a huge thanks to you all, because talking it over with you has helped us decided what is best for us. This way i think we might end up doing it all over the next few years. Mike has semi retired, so it helps. Keep the advice coming; i can see me posting much more in the years to come xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyboyprowler Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Shewolf55 - 2020-03-06 6:06 PM I am truly laughing now!! You are right We live in France and UK and have loads of room in 4 acres to park stuff in France I have to say a huge thanks to you all, because talking it over with you has helped us decided what is best for us. This way i think we might end up doing it all over the next few years. Mike has semi retired, so it helps. Keep the advice coming; i can see me posting much more in the years to come xx So Sarah, are you resident in France, or intending to be in the future, as your intended wanderings could be curtailed by Brexit. But that is another matter, MUCH discussed on this forum. *-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Shewolf55 - 2020-03-06 6:02 PM ...get a 7mtr motorhome - poss an Autotrail Apache 700 (like this layout, lots of room and do not mind making up bed each night) or an Elddis Marquis majestic 180... Forget the Elddis, its short on usable payload. The Apache 700 is built on a Ducato ‘heavy’ chassis, so its payload is much more generous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinM50 Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 I was under the impression that the legal max length of a caravan is 7.0m though my son's Hobby, new last summer, is just under 8.0. The dealer said no-one's ever been prosecuted but of course in the infamous words of Mandy Rice Davis, he would say that wouldn't he? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 Hi Flyboy, we mainly live in France, but spend some time in Uk too. We have no idea how Brexit will affect us yet, but hopefully, it won't slow us down xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shewolf55 Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 Apache 700 seems the best choice for us and there are plenty to view. Layout is perfect for us xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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