Baggage: to Tow or to Steer?

We’ve been living in our fifth wheel for six months. We find ourselves regularly thinking about other rigs and other options, mainly because the quality of our particular one is, in a word, nonexistent. Another word that comes to mind? Disposable. Pretty sure that’s never a word one wants to use to describe their home. (Does anyone remember In Living Color’s This Old Box?! Hilarious, an exception to the rule, and very much showing my age.) We often hear that a Class A motorhome is the way for full-timers, though we find ourselves closed to the idea. Is that a mistake?

We toured a few Class A’s when deciding what to buy. I was reluctant to tour because they are significantly more expensive than fifth wheels while oftentimes offering less living space, and what if we spent all that money and then didn’t take to nomadic living? (We’re just going to ignore the new dually we had to buy to tow our fifth wheel, m’kay?) We quickly decided we didn’t like Class A’s, as it felt like “living in your car,” no matter how high-end the finishes were. There was something about driving the thing to the place and then living in the thing at the place that didn’t work for us. Also, we hated the idea of having to cover the windshield for privacy and climate control. We have a large window at the front, so it feels light, bright, and airy. Spacious. And because it’s up high, we don’t worry about giving passersby a peepshow. (Which may be a good or bad thing for you; I try not to judge.) Also, no matter how sunny the day, the heat never ventures into the rest of the rig. The area has become our cat’s apartment, and she’s pleased with her sauna setup.  Almost every motorcoach in parks has a sun shield or curtain covering the windshield, eliminating all sunlight and view. The few that don’t? You can see everything.

Still, we can’t help but wonder if life would be easier with a Class A motorcoach. Motorcoaches have a motor (shocking!), so they are covered by automobile insurance. That right there seems like reason enough to choose one. Fifth wheels exist in a no-man’s-land, as in no man wants to deal with them. Motorcoaches are held to higher standards because they are better regulated. Presumably. Also, it’d be nice to drive something smaller than a monster truck to explore quaint, charming towns (with quaint, less charming parking lots), and a motorcoach would allow us to tow a vehicle. And possibly, the feature I pine for most often on the road? The ability to go to the bathroom without having to find a gas station or rest stop that will accommodate our hulking setup. That alone would solve my chronic dehydration. It might even make living in my car worth it.