MH or Fiver: Decisions, decisions... Has anyone owned both?
CWinLV said
03:54 PM Dec 31, 2013
We have been vacillating between purchasing a motor home or a 5th wheel. Since our current 1999 F350 dually does not have the towing capacity to pull a quality DRV (Mobile Suites), we would need to replace it with a newer model F450. The cost of a newer truck and fifth wheel approaches the cost of a quality gently-used Newmar MH, so we are leaning toward purchasing a MH.
I'd like to hear from those of you who have experience with both types of RV's and your decision to purchase your current rig. Some of main deciding factors to purchase a MH instead of a fiver are:
Mobility
Convienence during travel
Lighter weight tour vehicle while stationary
Resale value
We will be full timing for a few years, so quality is a must. Newmar or Tiffin are our top choices for a MH, and DRV or Heartland are our choices in a fiver, and approximately 40 feet either set-up.
What other things should we take into consideration when making our decision? I realize this is a highly personal choice, but we'd love to hear your input. Thanks in advance for you help!
-- Edited by CWinLV on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 04:09:30 PM
-- Edited by CWinLV on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 04:14:48 PM
-- Edited by CWinLV on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 04:15:14 PM
SnowGypsy said
04:08 PM Dec 31, 2013
I would take higher resale value out of the equation because large, older motorhomes don't move that easily. Lots of them on the market across the US. We have had a Class C and it was nice when we were on the move a lot but the travel trailer was nicer for us when we spent a long time in one area. So, kind of depends on how you will be traveling and moving about.
cherylbrv said
05:13 PM Dec 31, 2013
Those have been my requirements exactly, leaning heavily towards the Phoenix or Lexington models of the DRV as it had a back bunk ROOM which I would convert to my office, so that my computer equipment wouldn't have to be in the middle of the living area. However, circumstances changed and we're not sure at this point how much we'll have left over from the sale of our home. Currently it looks like we'll be forced to buy a used MH, as the cost of a trailer + truck may far exceed our budget.
If I may add another question - and let me know if it should be moved to another thread -- does anyone know much about the Alfa See Ya line? I see a lot of used ones on sale (but not many Tiffins or Newmars).
-- Edited by SnowGypsy on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 06:01:53 PM
Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry
CWinLV said
06:30 PM Dec 31, 2013
Cheryl -
We ruled out the Alpha brands due to their electrical problems. We felt they would not hold up to the heavy demands of full time use. On the other hand, if you are planning recreational use only, they may be an affordable option. You might want to start anew thread to discuss your wishes and concerns.
CWinLV said
06:34 PM Dec 31, 2013
I incorrectly posted this on another thread.
We have been vacillating between purchasing a motor home or a 5th wheel. Since our current 1999 F350 dually does not have the towing capacity to pull a quality DRV (Mobile Suites), we would need to replace it with a newer model F450. The cost of a newer truck and fifth wheel approaches the cost of a quality, gently-used Newmar MH, so we are leaning toward purchasing a MH.
I'd like to hear from those of you who have experience with both types of RV's and your decision to purchase your current rig. Some of main deciding factors to purchase a MH instead of a fiver are:
Mobility
Convienence during travel
Lighter weight tour vehicle while stationary
Resale value
We will be full timing for a few years, so quality is a must. Newmar or Tiffin are our top choices for a MH, and DRV or Heartland are our choices in a fiver, and approximately 40 feet either set-up.
What other things should we take into consideration when making our decision? I realize this is a highly personal choice, but we'd love to hear your input. Thanks in advance for you help!
Lucky Mike said
07:35 PM Dec 31, 2013
Bottom line above personal preference...
Space.....5ver has a more open living space
MH..you give up space , get more storage and have on the fly convenience.
as far as costs on maintenance.... they are about even.
as far as resale....depends on the market
My choice at this time.....MH with a toad....live life on the fly and boondock when the sun goes down!!
WestWardHo said
07:56 PM Dec 31, 2013
Christy,
Your choice but I have to disagree, lots of us are safely (operative word!) QUALITY rigs with a 350 Dually. If you're looking at a New Horizons or heavier a 450 might be better advised. That said, I understand you can never have too much truck.
There are advantages to both MH's and 5ers. Your choice.
Sherry
kb0zke said
09:18 PM Dec 31, 2013
Christy, we went through the same thing a couple of years ago. I think you might be a bit ahead of yourself, though. You talk about the advantages of each of the two classes of RVs, but how are you going to be using your coach? Will you be moving every few days, or will you stay in one place for a few months? Are you going to do a lot of boondocking, or will you mostly be in campgrounds? Do you have any special needs that would make one more useful to you than the other? I call this type of question my mission profile, and yours won't be the same as ours, or anyone else's for that matter.
Once you have your mission profile down you can start evaluating a "generic" 5'er against a "generic" MH. You will see advantages and disadvantages for each, but eventually one or the other will percolate to the top of your thinking. If you have done some RVing in the past you might "take" those trips in each type of coach and mentally see how each one would be.
We started out thinking that we would end up with a used Bighorn, and didn't even think about a motor home because they use so much fuel. As we researched, though, we realized that the truck needed to tow the 5'er would be our daily driver, and it wouldn't get very good fuel economy either, whereas a MH can tow a fuel-efficient car behind. Since most of our driving will be without the MH, our annual fuel bill would be somewhat less with the MH than with a 5'er. As it turned out, we have a part-time job that requires 4WD. Even a 4WD F450 wouldn't work (truck would be too big), so we're glad we went with the Foretravel and a Jeep for a toad.
I wouldn't worry about the resale value of any coach. You aren't going to get much for it compared to what you paid for it no matter what. Buy the highest quality coach you can find. Had we gone with a 5'er a Mobile Suites would have been what we would have looked for. We initially considered the Tiffins and Newmars, but when we found the Bluebird Wanderlodges, Foretravels, and Newells, we concentrated on those three.
PM or email me if you want to know more about our researches and decision process.
kb0zke said
09:31 PM Dec 31, 2013
Christy, I answered you on the other thread, and for got a couple of things.
We have an indoor cat, and when we had our little travel trailer we had to put the cat into her kennel, carry it to the Mercury, strap it in, and then reverse the process whenever we stopped for a break. If weather was bad we still had to take her out in it to move from one vehicle to the other. That isn't an issue in a MH.
Once I sat in the driver's seat of a Grand Villa I was sold. I'm at eye level with the semi drivers, so the view ahead is fantastic. I drive and Jo Ann is the navigator. She can also see far ahead and compare what she sees with the map, GPS, and computer, and tell me far enough in advance which lane to be in and what we're going to be doing.
One other advantage to the Foretravel (most motor homes have this) is that we can pull into the campsite in the pouring rain, level, and boondock for the night, all without getting wet. Also, the interior of the coach is the proper temperature since that's what we've been in all day while traveling. Neither of those is true for any towable. You WILL have to get out in the rain, and the trailer (TT or 5'er) WILL be hot or cold inside until you either get the electric plugged in and the a/c going or get the furnace going.
Terry and Jo said
10:58 PM Dec 31, 2013
Christy,
If you would consider a used unit as well as new, check out Rolling Retreats out of Elk City, Oklahoma. They are a mom and pop dealership and deal with used DRV Suites models as well as new ones. Alicia and Slade are the owners of Rolling Retreats and are getting an excellent reputation in the DRV Suites community of owners. Check out their website and near the bottom of the "Inventory" page to see the used trailers.
Don't rule out the possibility of of a used truck as well. When we were researching, we looked at Tiffin Phaetons (two different models) and the Mobile Suites with a truck. When we found our 2008 Ford F450 used, we saved enough money that between the truck and the brand new 2010 Mobile Suites, our price was almost $100,000 less than what the new Tiffin would have been.
Terry
Workinrvers said
11:23 PM Dec 31, 2013
we have had both. Started out in a Montana 5er pulled with an HDT that also hauled our Harley on it's deck. Currently in a 36' Class A.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both and the following are my observations after traveling and living full time in both.
The Motor home is better for us when we are "on the road". It is easier for me to drive and park.
The 5th wheel was better when sitting for longer periods, had more interior living space (4 slide outs) and just seemed "homey-ier".
Cargo space goes to the motor home, but interior cabinet space goes to the 5er. This is very dependent on the rig that you choose but is what we have experienced.
Our motor home seems to be better insulated then the 5er as well as being a lot more stable on windy days when we are parked. The stability thing is due in a large part to the hydraulic levelers on the MH that our 5er did not have, many of the 5th wheels come standard with them now so this may be a non-issue.
Set up and tear down is a lot easier with the motor home then it was with our 5er. Boondocking seems easier too since we can leave the slides on the motor home in and still be comfortable, we could not get to the living room, dining area or kitchen of our 5th wheel w/o opening three out of the four slides.
I know there are others on the forum who have done the opposite of us (went from MH to 5er) and hopefully they will chime in soon with their experiences and observations.
Phil
el Rojo and Pam said
08:29 AM Jan 1, 2014
Christy,
We've had motor homes and recently traded it for a 5th wheel (1st one). Since I had retired before my wife my job has been reducing the waste in our budget (my wife refers to these as toys).
Anyway, I started adding up the costs associated with owning a MH vs a 5th wheel and the trailer won. We never got excited about the 5th wheel until they had the auto leveling jacks on them though.
Here's what I came up with.
MH (2004) DP 5th wheel (2014)
insurance $1800 repalcement $450 replacement
Tires $800 ea (6) $400 ea (4)
Mileage avg. 7.5 Hope for 8.5 to 9 avg.
So we decided to make the change to a 5th wheel.
Here's the differences we've found.
MH has more underneath storage
5th W has more inside storage.
5th W has more livable room
MH drives and parks easier.
Problem with 5th W...with 30 usable gallons of diesel (F-350) we had approx a 200 mile range until we needed fuel, harder to find accessible fuel pumps. Fix: just added aux tank.
As I am newer to towing a 5th wheel (6/2013) it takes longer to back into sites. I've towed trailers all my life, but 5th wheels are different.
Over all we are happy with our decision to change to a 5th Wheel. Pam really loves the space in kitchen, bedroom, and living area.
Hope this helps.
Red
CWinLV said
09:17 PM Jan 2, 2014
Thanks everyone for your input. We are leaning pretty heavily toward a MH at this point, but since retirement is still a year out, things may change. I'm finding that the research is getting overwhelming! There are so many things to consider, and so many units to choose from. We want to be sure we select a quality rig that will hold up to full time use. Thanks again for your help!
Hdrider said
07:59 AM Jan 4, 2014
It's a question that has been asked hundreds of times. And some of those by many of us here, ourselves included.
We did have a 40' 5th wheel but it was a toy hauler so not really a fair comparison except to the driving and setup/takedown side of it. So as far as that goes I didn't have any problems with the 5th wheel but after switching to a MH I can say I like driving it much better. We have a much better view of the road and surroundings. And we feel a little less vulnerable I guess to the elements.
As far as living in them goes I won't use our toy hauler in this but we have looked at the option of a (regular) 5th wheel. We had always said a 5th wheel just felt more like a house but in current years MH's have certainly come a long ways in that area with corner TV's, fireplaces, dishwashers, L-shaped couches, heated floors, residential refers, even bath and a half floor plans. And we have found it is more common to find 3 air conditioners on MH's than 5th wheels which can be nice at times. And most diesel pushers anyway have good sized generators that do not take up cargo space like in a 5th wheel, if a generator is important to you.
As far as setup and take down goes I think MH's have always had the edge but 5th wheels have come a long ways with auto leveling and such. And it's true with a motorhome you don't even HAVE to go outside for that BUT many times you may still need to use blocks depending on your camping area likes. And you still need to deal with water, electric and sewer hookups on both that you need to do. But I would still give a edge to the MH just because of the 5th wheel hookup part.
Outside storage hand down goes to the MH and inside used to always go in favor of 5th wheels but not nearly as much recently it seems. Just depends on the unit itself. Some of the storage I have seen in some 5th wheels would be for things that I would never want to get to except for once a year or so LOL!!.
For us, because we tend to move every week normally the motor home is great. But maybe in future years when we may not move as often we would have no problem going back to a 5th wheel.
It's a tough choice, have fun researching it. The research IS part of the journey.
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
09:35 AM Jan 4, 2014
I think they are equal now in that hooking up if you have a larger coach you probably have a toad. If it takes 3-4 minutes to hook that up then thats the same 3-4 minutes it takes me to back in, hitch, and raise my front landing gear.
With all the auto level, electric steps, etc, it comes down to a personal choice. Having to hook up water, electric, and the great equalizer - Sewer- on both means you still get out in the rain on occasion.
el Rojo and Pam said
10:27 AM Jan 4, 2014
Jim I'm with you on your comments.
I guess it boils down to.... the 5th wheel is more house like but is a little harder to park and has less visibility going down the road.
Jack Mayer said
07:29 PM Jan 5, 2014
Outside storage on a higher end 5th wheel is comparable to the same sized motorhome. There is little if any difference. There may be a difference in where the storage is and how accessible it is, though. And I challenge any MH owner to show me how there is as much storage inside their coach as in my 42' 5er.
dream reachers said
12:31 AM Jan 6, 2014
Jack has a nice 5th wheel and he is right about the inside storage space so I will not take him up on his challenge. We started fulltiming in a fifth wheel . It was a 35 ' Excell, well insulated but too heavy for a 350 back in '07 when we bought it. We were looking for a used 450 but happened onto a used Freightliner medium duty truck set up for pullling a 5th wheel. Generally speaking we liked the setup and drove all over the USA in the nearly 4 years we lived and traveled in it. It had 4 slides which gave us ample space inside. We were well pleased with everything exept for the water leaks we had on the slides. My wife had knee and back issues and was not comfortable riding in the truck . We traded for a used Tiffon Phaeton 40' DP with 4 slides. We had really done a lot of looking to find the right model but finally located the right one. This one has the amount of storage space inside that my wife needed. It took a 40' to cover the 35' 5th wheel interior storage. We have more exterior storage than we had previously in the trailer but I also had storageon the truck. We are both much happier with the MH and our cat likes it better too. The 4 slides gives us plenty of living room and we can access much more with the slides in which is important if traveling and setting up in heavy rain or wind. We pull a Jeep Liberty which also gives us some storage while traveling. We still do a lot of traveling in a year and this combination works well with us as we put on many more miles in the Jeep while the MH is parked. We would probably opt for a fifth wheel if we were staying at one location in the summer and one location in the winter but we do much more traveling. When we bought both the MH and the 5th wheel we paid about half of what a new one cost by getting one about 4 years old. Both were in very good condition. I would say that generally what I observed that th MH is probably a little more expensive for maintenance and repair than the 5th wheel . This is hard to compare accurately because every RV is different and they each have different issues. We budget for mainenance, repair and [replacement of the towed vehicle], and replacement of tires for both. Last year the tires on the MH were 7 years old. They all looked good but as recommended we replaced them. Our fifth wheel tires only lasted 3 1/2 years when we had 2 blow outs so replaced the other 2 also. You are looking at some good brands of rvs and you will probably like whatever you choose. We have as many friends that love their 5th wheels as we do friends that love their MHs. Everyone is different in their wants and needs and lifestyles. Wish you the best with your decision.
We have been vacillating between purchasing a motor home or a 5th wheel. Since our current 1999 F350 dually does not have the towing capacity to pull a quality DRV (Mobile Suites), we would need to replace it with a newer model F450. The cost of a newer truck and fifth wheel approaches the cost of a quality gently-used Newmar MH, so we are leaning toward purchasing a MH.
I'd like to hear from those of you who have experience with both types of RV's and your decision to purchase your current rig. Some of main deciding factors to purchase a MH instead of a fiver are:
Mobility
Convienence during travel
Lighter weight tour vehicle while stationary
Resale value
We will be full timing for a few years, so quality is a must. Newmar or Tiffin are our top choices for a MH, and DRV or Heartland are our choices in a fiver, and approximately 40 feet either set-up.
What other things should we take into consideration when making our decision? I realize this is a highly personal choice, but we'd love to hear your input. Thanks in advance for you help!
-- Edited by CWinLV on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 04:09:30 PM
-- Edited by CWinLV on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 04:14:48 PM
-- Edited by CWinLV on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 04:15:14 PM
If I may add another question - and let me know if it should be moved to another thread -- does anyone know much about the Alfa See Ya line? I see a lot of used ones on sale (but not many Tiffins or Newmars).
Cheryl: Tiffin has the Allegro, Phaeton and Zephyr with the Allegro the most likely to be seen available. This older thread might help with the See Ya: http://rv-dreams.activeboard.com/t47823848/2004-alfa-see-ya/
-- Edited by SnowGypsy on Tuesday 31st of December 2013 06:01:53 PM
Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry
Cheryl -
We ruled out the Alpha brands due to their electrical problems. We felt they would not hold up to the heavy demands of full time use. On the other hand, if you are planning recreational use only, they may be an affordable option. You might want to start anew thread to discuss your wishes and concerns.
I incorrectly posted this on another thread.
We have been vacillating between purchasing a motor home or a 5th wheel. Since our current 1999 F350 dually does not have the towing capacity to pull a quality DRV (Mobile Suites), we would need to replace it with a newer model F450. The cost of a newer truck and fifth wheel approaches the cost of a quality, gently-used Newmar MH, so we are leaning toward purchasing a MH.
I'd like to hear from those of you who have experience with both types of RV's and your decision to purchase your current rig. Some of main deciding factors to purchase a MH instead of a fiver are:
Mobility
Convienence during travel
Lighter weight tour vehicle while stationary
Resale value
We will be full timing for a few years, so quality is a must. Newmar or Tiffin are our top choices for a MH, and DRV or Heartland are our choices in a fiver, and approximately 40 feet either set-up.
What other things should we take into consideration when making our decision? I realize this is a highly personal choice, but we'd love to hear your input. Thanks in advance for you help!
Space.....5ver has a more open living space
MH..you give up space , get more storage and have on the fly convenience.
as far as costs on maintenance.... they are about even.
as far as resale....depends on the market
My choice at this time.....MH with a toad....live life on the fly and boondock when the sun goes down!!
Your choice but I have to disagree, lots of us are safely (operative word!) QUALITY rigs with a 350 Dually. If you're looking at a New Horizons or heavier a 450 might be better advised. That said, I understand you can never have too much truck.
There are advantages to both MH's and 5ers. Your choice.
Sherry
Once you have your mission profile down you can start evaluating a "generic" 5'er against a "generic" MH. You will see advantages and disadvantages for each, but eventually one or the other will percolate to the top of your thinking. If you have done some RVing in the past you might "take" those trips in each type of coach and mentally see how each one would be.
We started out thinking that we would end up with a used Bighorn, and didn't even think about a motor home because they use so much fuel. As we researched, though, we realized that the truck needed to tow the 5'er would be our daily driver, and it wouldn't get very good fuel economy either, whereas a MH can tow a fuel-efficient car behind. Since most of our driving will be without the MH, our annual fuel bill would be somewhat less with the MH than with a 5'er. As it turned out, we have a part-time job that requires 4WD. Even a 4WD F450 wouldn't work (truck would be too big), so we're glad we went with the Foretravel and a Jeep for a toad.
I wouldn't worry about the resale value of any coach. You aren't going to get much for it compared to what you paid for it no matter what. Buy the highest quality coach you can find. Had we gone with a 5'er a Mobile Suites would have been what we would have looked for. We initially considered the Tiffins and Newmars, but when we found the Bluebird Wanderlodges, Foretravels, and Newells, we concentrated on those three.
PM or email me if you want to know more about our researches and decision process.
We have an indoor cat, and when we had our little travel trailer we had to put the cat into her kennel, carry it to the Mercury, strap it in, and then reverse the process whenever we stopped for a break. If weather was bad we still had to take her out in it to move from one vehicle to the other. That isn't an issue in a MH.
Once I sat in the driver's seat of a Grand Villa I was sold. I'm at eye level with the semi drivers, so the view ahead is fantastic. I drive and Jo Ann is the navigator. She can also see far ahead and compare what she sees with the map, GPS, and computer, and tell me far enough in advance which lane to be in and what we're going to be doing.
One other advantage to the Foretravel (most motor homes have this) is that we can pull into the campsite in the pouring rain, level, and boondock for the night, all without getting wet. Also, the interior of the coach is the proper temperature since that's what we've been in all day while traveling. Neither of those is true for any towable. You WILL have to get out in the rain, and the trailer (TT or 5'er) WILL be hot or cold inside until you either get the electric plugged in and the a/c going or get the furnace going.
Christy,
If you would consider a used unit as well as new, check out Rolling Retreats out of Elk City, Oklahoma. They are a mom and pop dealership and deal with used DRV Suites models as well as new ones. Alicia and Slade are the owners of Rolling Retreats and are getting an excellent reputation in the DRV Suites community of owners. Check out their website and near the bottom of the "Inventory" page to see the used trailers.
Don't rule out the possibility of of a used truck as well. When we were researching, we looked at Tiffin Phaetons (two different models) and the Mobile Suites with a truck. When we found our 2008 Ford F450 used, we saved enough money that between the truck and the brand new 2010 Mobile Suites, our price was almost $100,000 less than what the new Tiffin would have been.
Terry
There are advantages and disadvantages to both and the following are my observations after traveling and living full time in both.
The Motor home is better for us when we are "on the road". It is easier for me to drive and park.
The 5th wheel was better when sitting for longer periods, had more interior living space (4 slide outs) and just seemed "homey-ier".
Cargo space goes to the motor home, but interior cabinet space goes to the 5er. This is very dependent on the rig that you choose but is what we have experienced.
Our motor home seems to be better insulated then the 5er as well as being a lot more stable on windy days when we are parked. The stability thing is due in a large part to the hydraulic levelers on the MH that our 5er did not have, many of the 5th wheels come standard with them now so this may be a non-issue.
Set up and tear down is a lot easier with the motor home then it was with our 5er. Boondocking seems easier too since we can leave the slides on the motor home in and still be comfortable, we could not get to the living room, dining area or kitchen of our 5th wheel w/o opening three out of the four slides.
I know there are others on the forum who have done the opposite of us (went from MH to 5er) and hopefully they will chime in soon with their experiences and observations.
Phil
We've had motor homes and recently traded it for a 5th wheel (1st one). Since I had retired before my wife my job has been reducing the waste in our budget (my wife refers to these as toys).
Anyway, I started adding up the costs associated with owning a MH vs a 5th wheel and the trailer won. We never got excited about the 5th wheel until they had the auto leveling jacks on them though.
Here's what I came up with.
MH (2004) DP 5th wheel (2014)
insurance $1800 repalcement $450 replacement
Tires $800 ea (6) $400 ea (4)
Mileage avg. 7.5 Hope for 8.5 to 9 avg.
So we decided to make the change to a 5th wheel.
Here's the differences we've found.
MH has more underneath storage
5th W has more inside storage.
5th W has more livable room
MH drives and parks easier.
Problem with 5th W...with 30 usable gallons of diesel (F-350) we had approx a 200 mile range until we needed fuel, harder to find accessible fuel pumps. Fix: just added aux tank.
As I am newer to towing a 5th wheel (6/2013) it takes longer to back into sites. I've towed trailers all my life, but 5th wheels are different.
Over all we are happy with our decision to change to a 5th Wheel. Pam really loves the space in kitchen, bedroom, and living area.
Hope this helps.
Red
Thanks everyone for your input. We are leaning pretty heavily toward a MH at this point, but since retirement is still a year out, things may change. I'm finding that the research is getting overwhelming! There are so many things to consider, and so many units to choose from. We want to be sure we select a quality rig that will hold up to full time use. Thanks again for your help!
We did have a 40' 5th wheel but it was a toy hauler so not really a fair comparison except to the driving and setup/takedown side of it. So as far as that goes I didn't have any problems with the 5th wheel but after switching to a MH I can say I like driving it much better. We have a much better view of the road and surroundings. And we feel a little less vulnerable I guess to the elements.
As far as living in them goes I won't use our toy hauler in this but we have looked at the option of a (regular) 5th wheel. We had always said a 5th wheel just felt more like a house but in current years MH's have certainly come a long ways in that area with corner TV's, fireplaces, dishwashers, L-shaped couches, heated floors, residential refers, even bath and a half floor plans. And we have found it is more common to find 3 air conditioners on MH's than 5th wheels which can be nice at times. And most diesel pushers anyway have good sized generators that do not take up cargo space like in a 5th wheel, if a generator is important to you.
As far as setup and take down goes I think MH's have always had the edge but 5th wheels have come a long ways with auto leveling and such. And it's true with a motorhome you don't even HAVE to go outside for that BUT many times you may still need to use blocks depending on your camping area likes. And you still need to deal with water, electric and sewer hookups on both that you need to do. But I would still give a edge to the MH just because of the 5th wheel hookup part.
Outside storage hand down goes to the MH and inside used to always go in favor of 5th wheels but not nearly as much recently it seems. Just depends on the unit itself. Some of the storage I have seen in some 5th wheels would be for things that I would never want to get to except for once a year or so LOL!!.
For us, because we tend to move every week normally the motor home is great. But maybe in future years when we may not move as often we would have no problem going back to a 5th wheel.
It's a tough choice, have fun researching it. The research IS part of the journey.
With all the auto level, electric steps, etc, it comes down to a personal choice. Having to hook up water, electric, and the great equalizer - Sewer- on both means you still get out in the rain on occasion.
I guess it boils down to.... the 5th wheel is more house like but is a little harder to park and has less visibility going down the road.