5er vs TAG vs Moho - it’s about towablity and non-OHV fun too

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Desertdogs

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Sorry about the title!!😜

So here’s the scenario: have new truck, looking for a 5er toyhauler. Wanted to get a  Sandstorm 286GSLR, has the cargo space needed (16-17’); great cargo carrying capacity (@4k); and is short enough to use for many of the non-OHV parks and campgrounds.  That being said, Forest River isn’t making the 5ers, they like others, are concentrating on making the 40’+ $100K+ TAGs and ultra-large 5ers ( according to reps in Utah, Colorado, Nevada, and Washington).  That will not work for me, I live in Northern Nevada now, and want to do a bunch of traveling.

So, how old is too old for a 5er like this? Need the space because we have an XX with a 4-seat Speed on the way (some day).  What brands/models are good? Mind you, need to stay under 40’.

Or should I sell the new truck (F450) and buy a moho that can tow (i.e. Diesel)?
Again, want use-ability, reliability, and one that can tow 7,000 lbs.  

As always, the combined experience, intelligence, wisdom, sarcasm, and just plain good people of GD.COM is always appreciated.

 
After going from a 40ft 5th wheel to now a 32 ft motorhome and enclosed - The main thing I enjoy about the switch is the ease of the motorhome when camping places other than the desert...in example I am camping in San Elijo beach in a few weeks...I can just pull in an be done in a few minutes...vs a PITA back up procedure, have to un-hook truck, etc...and my 40ft 5th wheel wouldnt fit regardless at this campground and many others. 

With a 5th wheel you more or less need something 35 foot plus to be able to fit the desert toys - so you're off the bat somewhat limited on where you can camp given the length of the rig...whereas a 35 foot motorhome (assuming you camp without desert toys) - you can camp in more places as you are shorter.

That said though - your requirements are slightly different as it sounds like you want to always bring the XX with you...point being a 40ft 5th vs a motorhome and trailer is about the same as far as campgrounds / ease of parking.

Simply put -motorhome and enclosed if you plan to camp without desert toys and want to have more versatile options...but keep motorhome 35ft or less....that's my logic at least.

 
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I went a different route. I Seperated Glamis from everything else in life....Its its own thing!!!!  

38 Foot 5th wheel toy hauler made by Envy from my buddy @Pennywise that will stay in Glamis for Life / along with a 24 foot cargo trailer. (this comes home offseaon and maint trips during season) This way you have your Truck / Plenty of room / Low registration and insurance / Plenty of cargo room and LARGE pimpin lliving space while out in glamis!!!.  Spending the off season getting it ready for the season.

At home ultimate goal is a 32 foot Country Coach BUT for now its a toy hauler 5th wheel Gearbox 29 foot named "cup cake" that @matt86m hooked me up with when he got his moho..... that tows easy / fits everywhere / fits a SXS or quads & :atc70:  if you wanna go off roading OR to the beaches and state parks. Low Weight and LOW Registration fees

I figured I would never get out of glamis and I love the large 5th wheels and creature comforts. I always want my truck with me soo the extra trip back to storage is WELL worth it to have the toys & truck there in a doable budget.

I can have a 38 foot 5th wheel / 24 foot cargo trailer and a 30 foot 5th wheel at home for half the cost of a 90K moho without all the yearly fees, insurance,,,,etc

Don't get me wrong.....I love the Moho and stackers but I am on a shoe string budget compared to most peeps so this made good sense with the way we camp and spend time in glamis.

:poule:

 
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I'm not a fan of mohos, for many reasons. When I went to St Anthony, ID for 3 yrs, all of the moho owners (their wives were the ones telling the truth) complained of running the gen all the way up through NV, UT and ID and still the fridge couldn't stay cold and the interior was up over 90* even with both ACs running. Add in the 5.5 mpg (these were 400 - 550hp, very nice DPs) and the 45-50 mph uphill stretches and they were anxious to get there. Meanwhile, my chipped truck was towing my 40' trailer, doing the speed limit up the biggest hills (with plenty of throttle to spare), my GF was freezing from the A/C and I averaged probably 8.5 - 9 mpg. It would have been higher, but at 75 - 80 mph I can't complain. Then when we got to camp, all of the moho owners wanted to borrow trucks from trailer owners so they could go into town to get groceries, fuel, go sightseeing, etc. I'm not into borrowing someone else's truck.

Plus 95% of my camping is boondocking and mohos aren't setup with big tanks for long boondocking trips. I also have a home theater in my trailer with a 102" screen and an HD projector, HT receiver, 5 speakers and powered sub. It sounds very close to my system at home. Probably 6- 8 people could comfortably watch a movie in there and you can't do that in a moho.

The sand rail is stored in the 40' trailer. I also have a 35' toy hauler for the Speed UTV when it gets here and my Wildcat is in my 25' toy hauler. I tend to store the trailers near where I usually use it, like Glamis, Ocotillo Wells, etc. I can use whichever trailer fits in campgrounds with smaller spots. Even buying 3 trailers was cheaper than a DP. Instead of trying to find one perfect rig, I have different rigs for specific purposes.

Plus you can haul building supplies in a truck, but not a moho.

 
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I made the switch from 5er to motorhome years ago.  I will never go back. Having a truck is very nice but I love the Moho and stacker.  Family likes it much better too.   being able to spread out with multiple slides is great.   I never liked the hallway feeling of a 5er.   

 
They make trailers with slides as well. A friend recently called me and told me he's looking at a triple slide trailer with a 17' garage and a side patio that folds out. That's a pretty spacious trailer by any measure.

 
I went from a 06 WW 33LE 5vr to 02 Itasca 32ft V10 MoHo with 22ft box and HATED IT, for many reasons. The only thing I liked was actually once setup and camp-living for the 2-5 days. The inside and layout was much better then the 5vr. Now I have a 04 Monaco 34ft and it's a world of difference from the other MoHo.

I'd still go back to a 5vr given the right setup, driving the truck with trailer is just far less stress for me. The MoHo and trailer combo is stressful on long trips.

Also storage capacities are way different.
5vr had 150gl of fresh water, 75 grey and 75 black..... always had to drip the grey on long trips.
MoHo's are typically smaller 90gl or less. I've got 65gl now and the box trailer has 30gl. Dump tanks also smaller and again have to drip some trips. Not cool, adds to the stress.

gas stations and dump stations are another big issue with the MoHo, 5vr was 50ft overall with truck but kingpin swing was not an issue, MoHo is 62ft overall and swings at the 34ft mark
if gas most stations are not setup for that 62ft and swing clear. diesel truck or moho use the big rig lanes no issue unless they are packing out the shower rooms and blocking lanes

In 06 I was 90k deep in debt, now I'm only at $25k MoHo budget and can slowly creep up in years/quality of rigs as we need a change

 
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A great person to ask is @tjZ06....... he switched a few times. Situations are ALWAYS the factor...(Money / Time / # of people / Length of stay...# and types of toys)

If you have Lots of $$$$ and Money is not an issue.. a motorhome and Stacker are awesome. If you need a truck while you camp then having your wife drive out seperate is a possibility OR rent a car when you get to the destination........

This is where Glamis for us became "seperate"........we all try and maximize everything for the most logical amount of $$$$....You gotta weigh out #1...what are you trying to accomplish...... #2 how much $$$ do you wanna throw at it...........

If I had the ultimate budget / @HozayKwarvo has the rig/ setup I would pick for Glamis (BIG 5th wheel with Slides....Its like a luxry home in there) along with a 24 foot cargo trailer...set up on Hooker point and live there for the glamis season! , THEN have a nice 32 foot pusher and Jeep Combo for everything else in life.sitting at home ready to go....

It takes a lot of girations to get the perfect set up and then the kids get bigger and things change....then grand kids....change again.......Its a moving target............

This is a great tread for sure / Lots of peeps have put a lot of effort into their set ups.....In the end what you will appreciate most is the times you spent on an air mattress in the back of your truck with a CR500 and some cold beers & carne asada.  SIMPLE EASY BUTTON!

The AWESOME Family trips are also AWESOME but require a bit more "logistics" You do these soo your kids will have memories they will never 4 get!

Keep the comments and set ups coming!!!

 
I had a large TAG (32ft, measured out 37ft).  The trailer had issues but it was a beast.  I had to be focused when towing it and it made me stress a lot.  I should have gotten a 5th wheel.

With that said, the new trailers SUCK in quality.  Mine had slide issues really bad.  Had to replace and upgrade the slide system.  Try and stay away from Lippert slide systems (of course they make almost all of them).  They are not easy to fix or adjust.  If they fail, you are screwed.  Taking the motors off are a pain and God help you getting them back on.

I sold my last trailer and bought a box and now waiting for prices to come down from the covid surge to buy a moho.

 
We looked at a MoHo & trailer setup instead of our toy hauler and it didn't check all the boxes, some went with a 43' TH and recently picked up a 29' 5er for all our non ohv trips and National parks, the reason behind our thinking is we like having a vehicle for long trip to the desert and as stated above the fuel and registration costs are less.

 
Lord of the Dunes said:
I'm not a fan of mohos, for many reasons. When I went to St Anthony, ID for 3 yrs, all of the moho owners (their wives were the ones telling the truth) complained of running the gen all the way up through NV, UT and ID and still the fridge couldn't stay cold and the interior was up over 90* even with both ACs running. Add in the 5.5 mpg (these were 400 - 550hp, very nice DPs) and the 45-50 mph uphill stretches and they were anxious to get there. Meanwhile, my chipped truck was towing my 40' trailer, doing the speed limit up the biggest hills (with plenty of throttle to spare), my GF was freezing from the A/C and I averaged probably 8.5 - 9 mpg. It would have been higher, but at 75 - 80 mph I can't complain. Then when we got to camp, all of the moho owners wanted to borrow trucks from trailer owners so they could go into town to get groceries, fuel, go sightseeing, etc. I'm not into borrowing someone else's truck.

Plus 95% of my camping is boondocking and mohos aren't setup with big tanks for long boondocking trips. I also have a home theater in my trailer with a 102" screen and an HD projector, HT receiver, 5 speakers and powered sub. It sounds very close to my system at home. Probably 6- 8 people could comfortably watch a movie in there and you can't do that in a moho.

The sand rail is stored in the 40' trailer. I also have a 35' toy hauler for the Speed UTV when it gets here and my Wildcat is in my 25' toy hauler. I tend to store the trailers near where I usually use it, like Glamis, Ocotillo Wells, etc. I can use whichever trailer fits in campgrounds with smaller spots. Even buying 3 trailers was cheaper than a DP. Instead of trying to find one perfect rig, I have different rigs for specific purposes.

Plus you can haul building supplies in a truck, but not a moho.
Click to expand...
Which 35’ trailer? Again the TAGs just don’t seem worth it

 
Poule43 said:
A great person to ask is @tjZ06....... he switched a few times. Situations are ALWAYS the factor...(Money / Time / # of people / Length of stay...# and types of toys)

If you have Lots of $$$$ and Money is not an issue.. a motorhome and Stacker are awesome. If you need a truck while you camp then having your wife drive out seperate is a possibility OR rent a car when you get to the destination........

This is where Glamis for us became "seperate"........we all try and maximize everything for the most logical amount of $$$$....You gotta weigh out #1...what are you trying to accomplish...... #2 how much $$$ do you wanna throw at it...........

If I had the ultimate budget / @HozayKwarvo has the rig/ setup I would pick for Glamis (BIG 5th wheel with Slides....Its like a luxry home in there) along with a 24 foot cargo trailer...set up on Hooker point and live there for the glamis season! , THEN have a nice 32 foot pusher and Jeep Combo for everything else in life.sitting at home ready to go....

It takes a lot of girations to get the perfect set up and then the kids get bigger and things change....then grand kids....change again.......Its a moving target............

This is a great tread for sure / Lots of peeps have put a lot of effort into their set ups.....In the end what you will appreciate most is the times you spent on an air mattress in the back of your truck with a CR500 and some cold beers & carne asada.  SIMPLE EASY BUTTON!

The AWESOME Family trips are also AWESOME but require a bit more "logistics" You do these soo your kids will have memories they will never 4 get!

Keep the comments and set ups coming!!!
Click to expand...
Oh those were the days: Beer, Donuts, Air Mattress, Honda - Good to go!!

 
Desertdogs said:
Which 35’ trailer? Again the TAGs just don’t seem worth it
Click to expand...
WW LE3505 with a living room slide. I much prefer 5vers and if I could get a 25' 5ver that had any room in it, I'd sell the tag and get that. I'll settle for making it better. All trailers are getting their RV A/Cs removed and replaced with mini splits. 12k BTU for the 25', 24k BTU dual zone for the other 2.

7.6Kw of Lipo, 1000w of solar and 3kw of hybrid inverter charger on the 25' (it's only a 30A rig.) Both 5vers are getting 20kw of Lipo, roughly 2Kw of solar, 6,000w of hybrid inverter chargers. All 3 rigs should be able to easily run off of solar even in 100+* heat in total comfort and silence from no genny or A/C noise.

 
AT the dunes both are nice,  I rent my truck out at the dunes for $10 a Minute, seems fair,  

I am not one to barrow a truck, and when people do, something is always off with it, So you Moho guys all us fithers that let you barrow the truck with a smile deeps down inside we are like F@ck someone is F@cking up our money's,  

Anyone that has a Truck and does not feel like that is a is full of BS, 

A lot of 5thers dont unhook there truck and sacrifice leveling there trailer because they dont want people to ask them, 

The next Gooseneck hitch on the trailer is going to look like a ATM machine, 

What more funny is when these same people brake down, in the dunes and want to use your truck also,  

MHO put a $100 or 2 in your wallet and when you barrow a truck just leave it in the glove box for your buddy and text him after the weekend is over and tell him thank you, so he does not feel bad, 

 
Was a truck and toy hauler / trailer guy forever. Recently switched to DP and trailer. Wife loves it. 4 slides, tons of room, make sammiches and watch tv while we drive, or sit up front and feed me road sodas. Pull up to camp and hit some buttons for slides and jacks. Done. No going back now. I was good either way.  

 
We downsized from a 36’ 5er(Raptor) to a 28’ 5er Genesis 28CR and are very happy with it! It allows us to fit the Wildcat XX and kids dirt bikes. But also made it much easier to slide into the state parks. I prefer having the truck,for running into town,emergencies,and not having to borrow someone’s else’s truck. 3E598B91-A13B-477D-A16D-7577B44CA24A.jpeg

 
I had a toyhauler for many years and switched to a motorhome about 7 years ago.   We do beach camping and river trips.  The only time it sucks not having a truck is the river trip.  Otherwise it has never been an issue not having another vehicle.  

My toyhauler served us well. It was a 25’ tow behind.    Just got old doing the shuffle when you get to camp late in the evening and having to unload the toys  to get the inside set up.  Plus on windy days in glamis loading up the toyhauler sucked.  

I find driving the motorhome a lot less stressful. The wife and kid like it.    I like the ease of set up when you reach your destination as well.  Driving on hot days sucks because the a/c dash does not keep it cool. So you have to fire up the genny and run the coach a/c.  
 

My motorhome is a 32’ gas engine.  It tows  my 18’ flatbed trailer with my SXS and two quads no problem.  
 

 
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Nicest thing about Motorhome is flexibility with the toys. Just switch trailers and you’re set. 

Spare vehicles are nice, we usually drive the Jeep out separately on big weekends as the recovery rig. Plenty of favors owed us to borrow a truck if needed. 

 
We sold our 40 ft 5th wheel after 17 years this season, honestly it was pretty much perfect for the desert, it was getting older, but was in perfect condition, really no complaints. 
 

we wanted to do more river stuff and just go camping without toys, hard to do it all with one rig. Big fifth wheel doesn’t work at some campgrounds or beaches Also wanted to flat tow the jeep on occasion

But we do more trips racing than desert or river so this played the biggest factor. Last year we raced in Missouri 3x and the long travel and hotels sucked on us, the dog and the crew. To get our stuff to races took 2 trucks and 2 trailers.
 

we went with a used toter home and a 40 ft liftgate stacker, approx 72 ft. We also order a new toter that will arrive next year. This summer we will know better how our decision plays out. Now we have a real truck that can tow a big trailer, we can take both race cars plus support vehicles all in one truck and trailer. Between the truck and trailer we have plenty of space, plenty of water (210 gallons) holding tanks are the weakness at 50 gallons.

we will also be buying a gooseneck flatbed so we can take jeep and side x side to desert instead of the stacker, this will also keep us at or about legal length.

I kept one dually in case I change my mind again which happens daily

 
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