GipCTraveler, it is just your inexperience showing, so I make the following corrections to your response

Well...I know my math may be off just a bit...But when I talk about a Motorhome (MH) vs. a 5th wheel, I assume (maybe incorrectly) that one might consider a diesel, tag axle unit. So, with that there are 10 tires. I just picked a tire size at random (Michelin XZA2 Energy 315/80R-22.5). There are smaller tires, thinner tires, less quality tires, less weight rated tires, lower speed rated tires and MH's without tag axles. But this particular tire runs $1000 to $1200. Buy the road hazard to go with that, mount and balance, I'm sure the price went up. 10 of these tires would be around $10K. Let's go with a smaller, less expensive, less rating tire. Cut that in half. $5K. (That's not a dig. Shorter/lighter rigs don't need the one spec'd above).

I've told this to you before, TAG axle motorhomes are 8 tires like mine, not 10. The tag is single wheel, often a steerable axle. Sorry, not even a $2M Prevost has 10 tires. Also, I think you are guessing at size. Mine are actually Michelin XZA-3s at 275/80R 22.5 which is a pretty standard tire for Freightliner and Spartan on a 45,000 lb coach with a tag. They run about $550 a tire. There are exceptions, but we aren't talking exceptions here, right?

Batteries...I've seen 4 to 12 batteries. It depends on whether one has a solar array or not. Maybe they have the 600HP engine that requires larger or more batteries. So, I'll average 6-8 batteries (for engines and accessories). I know I bought two AGM batteries and it was $700. So if I buy 6, that would be $2,100. I know...there are wet cell batteries for $200 each. That would still be $1,200.

6-8 batteries average - fair enough (PS - 600 HP still only takes 2 batteries on the chassis side). Sam's club 31 series AGM deep cycle (standard MH) $179. Sorry you paid $350. I couldn't even find any for $350, not even Trojan. (PS, there are only 2 US manufacturers of AGM batteries; Trojan and East Penn who make all the others besides Trojan

Oil changes...I can't debate directly as I don't have one but I have inquired since I was interested in buying a MH at one point. I did not find a $200 oil change. And I know that a good quality oil filter(s) is not that cheap. Neither are the Diesel Fuel filters.

$299, not $200. Speedco using Rotella and Fleetguard oil filters, same as Cummins so I don't see a quality concern. It's not like these are over the road trucks getting pounded 24/7, rather they are babied, garaged little Cummins that come out every spring to get their oil changed 🙂

Towing? This is where a person I know stated it cost them right at $2K to tow. I don't recall how far that was but nearly fell over at that cost. Luckily, they had insurance which covered a large part of that.

With towing insurance, the playing field is level. I'm sure it costs more to tow a large diesel pusher, but I've also had my truck AND fifth wheel towed to the shop when the truck broke down and I don't think that would have been very cheap either.

And I don't take it personal that you may have found better pricing or different equipment. IF I were to replace the 5th wheel with a MH, I would treat it the same way as the 5th wheel with quality and safety in mind. My interest was in the 40'+, Tag Axle, 600HP units. I know you have a MH and once had the 5th Wheel. Your experiences are likely different based on what you have. Thanks for sharing your experiences. All who watch this site need different (or same) perspectives. They just need to understand that there are different rigs that have different maintenance costs. They are not all the same.

Then perhaps sir you need to just qualify what you are trying to say before you say it. Rather than throw these ridiculous numbers out there in a comparison titled "5TH WHEEL VS MH", say what you are really comparing; a relatively average 5th wheel to a high end motorhome like a Newmar King Aire or a ForeTravel!

I consider my 44' + tag 450 hp diesel pusher pretty average and felt my numbers were a pretty realistic comparison between a MH and a 5th wheel. I also maybe resent your implication that my pricing is cheaper because I'm looking at "thin" tires and cheap filters 🙂

When you get your Prevost, cmon back and give us another write up! It would be an interesting comparison. For now, I think when you throw up a 5th wheel vs a MH discussion, you need to be realistic and not try to compare using extremes.

Respectfully...

From the original question about SRW-VS-DRW...just do the "math". Your answer will make it easy to make the determination. Hope you enjoy your RW as much as we enjoy ours. Been full-timing over five years now and loving life.

Bob & Debbie

Unfortunately we are struggling a bit to properly "interpret" the math regarding weights and our hope was that other fifth wheelers could guide us.
The F350, SRW, 6.7L Diesel, 4x4, Crew Cab, Short Bed (159.8") shows in their brochure a 5th Wheel Towing of 20,700--5th wheel towing rating limited to 5th-wheel hitch rating of 18,000 lbs., or Conventional Towing Weight Carrying of 18,000 with Payload (we interpret to be Hitch Weight) of 3950 lbs.
The Redwood 3901MB shows GVW of 17,900 (UVW 14,402 + Cargo 3,498) with Hitch Weight of 2,570. Adding W/D (approx. 250 lbs.), generator (approx. 100 lbs.) and Hitch (approx. max 300 lbs.) and clothes will we believe, greatly impact the hitch weight total. We believe the 17,900 GVW would put us well within our Weight Carry limits of 20,700. BUT, are we interpreting that correctly? We are also looking at the Anderson Hitch which another 5er recommended to us, if anyone has an opinion. THANKS

When doing the math there are 2 numbers that mean absolutely nothing in the equation, #1 rv dry weight, the ONLY time it will weigh that is the day it rolled off the assembly line, no liquids, no battery, no propane, maybe no propane bottles, #2 the max trailer/rv tow rating of the truck, most will exceed the payload long before they will ever tow the max. The best number to use would be the GVW of the rv, believe me you'll get to that number quickly if loading for fulltime or extended trips. Figure 15-20%+/- of that number as pin weight. Weigh your truck with it loaded exactly as you'd be towing + the calculated pin weight & go from there.
The payload is the pin weight plus anything/anybody in/on the truck, this includes people, pets, toolbox, tools, aux fuel tank if added, running boards, even fuel & adds up a lot faster than you'd think.
My recommendation would be a dually or pack light for a srw. It's ultimately up to you how or with what you want to tow with just keep in mind the safety of yourself & the rest of us when choosing.
Today saw a fellow at a fuel stop towing a 38' Montana with a 2 wheel trailer behind with an ATV on it with the rear bumper of his F250 about a foot off the pavement. I told the DW if he pulled out the same direction as us that we would wait a while to leave, I didn't want to witness or be part of the mess he could make on the highway.

Unfortunately we are struggling a bit to properly "interpret" the math regarding weights and our hope was that other fifth wheelers could guide us.
The F350, SRW, 6.7L Diesel, 4x4, Crew Cab, Short Bed (159.8") shows in their brochure a 5th Wheel Towing of 20,700--5th wheel towing rating limited to 5th-wheel hitch rating of 18,000 lbs., or Conventional Towing Weight Carrying of 18,000 with Payload (we interpret to be Hitch Weight) of 3950 lbs.
The Redwood 3901MB shows GVW of 17,900 (UVW 14,402 + Cargo 3,498) with Hitch Weight of 2,570. Adding W/D (approx. 250 lbs.), generator (approx. 100 lbs.) and Hitch (approx. max 300 lbs.) and clothes will we believe, greatly impact the hitch weight total. We believe the 17,900 GVW would put us well within our Weight Carry limits of 20,700. BUT, are we interpreting that correctly? We are also looking at the Anderson Hitch which another 5er recommended to us, if anyone has an opinion. THANKS

You are obviously within the limits of the max 5th wheel towing, but that is the easy metric to meet.

The newer trucks have significantly higher tow ratings than my 2012 F350 SRW. The one metric that probably hasn't changed is the trucks GVWR, which if memory is correct is a max of 11,500 lbs. With DW & I, 2 dogs and full fuel, with a pin weight of 3,000 lbs, our GVW of the truck was right at the limit. The rear axle could handle another 50 - 100 lbs, but then the truck would have been over GVW.

You also have to consider GCVWR, which is truck + trailer.

As many of us have advised, we did the SRW and it does not work, as many of us traded in almost new trucks to purchase a dually.

I believe your getting some great advice here. I will let others comment on the weight issue as I barely understand my own. I use a Denali 3500 dually. I wanted the auxiliary fuel tank. Partly to save money and avoid expensive stops, partly because I dislike pulling into strange fuel stops and worrying about getting stuck. One of the advantages for us, is we keep it full when we arrive at our destination. The added weight in the back really makes the truck ride nicer. We offset some of that weight by using the Andersen Ultimate hitch. It’s a mere 40lbs and easily one handed by most. We have been very happy with it, and their customer service has been excellent. It worked well with the TrailAir pin box but have been told it works even better with the new MorRyde pin box which I believe the 2019 models have. Will let you know later in the week as I am changing out my pin box.

I will jump in here, as I am one of the few that use my 2015 SRW to pull my "16" 38RL...
I am 210# OVER on payload of the truck... I am under my rear axle and tire ratings..
Here are my scaled weights-
12,680 on the axles
3,260 on the pin
15,940 is my loaded for camping weight

As I have said many times... For ME.. I am the weekend warrior, I am fine with my situation... IF I start to tow longer distances, or longer periods I will get a DRW.. But for now, I love my truck, it sits level with 35psi in the air bags and no sway or tail wagging the dog effects...

A minor correction in your estimate, if you're talking about added the Onan 5500 it's close to 300 pounds.
And another note about those brochure weights, I doubt if there is a RW that rolls out of the plant that weighs what the brochure lists.
Our brochure weight was 14K, yet our MB left the factory at just under 16K, thus the reason everyone tells you to FORGET that brochure numbers.

It was a dark time in my life when I first got the Redwood 🙂

I really did try to get my SRW to work. After I got my first scare or two at the CAT scales and got a dually, things brightened up a bit! Again, I did not like the dually, but there was a lot of comfort knowing that I didn't have to worry about it much anymore. I could fill with water to capacity, load what I wanted, and it was OK to take a few cases of water in the back of the truck, or some extra camping gear. Truth is, 3 years later when I CAT scaled with our 2014 F350 DRW, we were actually pushing up against the payload numbers for that truck as well. Not that we were getting close to tire capacity, but we were sneaking up on the true payload numbers on that dually.

I'm another that had a SRW, and someone in Nebraska got a very nice 9 month old SRW F350

Forget totally the brochure weights of any kind. They're magic numbers that none of us have ever figured out. In my case, I was under (not by much) GCWR and was also under (not by much) my 11,500 truck GVWR

But ~ and this was the decider ~ when actually weighed on a CAT Scale, I was OVER on rear axle ratings and even more important, rear tire capacity ratings, by almost 900 lbs. The next day I started looking for a Dually. Last thing I wanted was to blow a drive tire on the truck.

Best move I ever made. Mine is a F350 Dually with the Max Tow Package. If I had it to do over, I would very seriously consider either a Ram 5500 or a Freightliner Sportchassis.