5th wheel verses travel trailer
We haven't purchased an RV yet, but soon I hope. My question is: Can I carry more weight with a 5th wheel or a travel trailer. Does the location of the hitch change how much weight I can carry?
Forum Discussion
What do you mean by carry more weight?
- Cargo inside the trailer
- Able to tow a heavier trailer
I suspect you mean can I tow a heavier trailer...so going off that: It depends.
Looking at the official "tow rating" is usually only part of the story.
Often you can't utilize the full "tow rating" in real life. The weight of the trailer on the hitch can push the truck over the payload limit (or in some cases over the rear axle limit). Payload is anything in or added to the truck including people, gear, running boards, hitches and THE HITCH WEIGHT.
- With a travel trailer, you typically want 12-15% of the trailer weight on the hitch. So for a 10,000lb trailer, that's 1,200-1,500lb hitch weight. (keep in mind, this is fully loaded weights not empty hitch weight)
- With a 5th wheel, you want 20-25% on the hitch, so for the same weight trailer, it jumps up to 2,000-2,500lb hitch weight.
This is why 1/2ton tow-able 5th wheels are mostly a marketing myth. A family of 4 plus 200lb hitch, plus 200lb, firewood, etc...that can be a 1,000lb of payload before you hook up. Very few 1/2ton trucks have enough payload left to handle even a fairly small 5th wheel. So even though it's in the "tow rating" you will be over the max payload. Payload can still limit you with a travel trailer but it's usually less of a limitation for 1/2 ton trucks.
Now if you move up to heavier duty trucks...say a modern 1ton dually, the 5th wheel "tow rating" can actually be higher and assuming appropriately spec'd, it can handle the payload.
Keep in mind, just saying 1/2ton or 3/4 ton, 1 ton, etc...the payload and tow ratings can still vary quite a bit.
Also, it's possible for a high spec 1/2ton to be rated better than a low spec 3/4ton...but assuming you find ones with similar specs, the 3/4ton will generally tow better as it is less of a tail wagging the dog situation.
- Cargo inside the trailer
- Able to tow a heavier trailer
I suspect you mean can I tow a heavier trailer...so going off that: It depends.
Looking at the official "tow rating" is usually only part of the story.
Often you can't utilize the full "tow rating" in real life. The weight of the trailer on the hitch can push the truck over the payload limit (or in some cases over the rear axle limit). Payload is anything in or added to the truck including people, gear, running boards, hitches and THE HITCH WEIGHT.
- With a travel trailer, you typically want 12-15% of the trailer weight on the hitch. So for a 10,000lb trailer, that's 1,200-1,500lb hitch weight. (keep in mind, this is fully loaded weights not empty hitch weight)
- With a 5th wheel, you want 20-25% on the hitch, so for the same weight trailer, it jumps up to 2,000-2,500lb hitch weight.
This is why 1/2ton tow-able 5th wheels are mostly a marketing myth. A family of 4 plus 200lb hitch, plus 200lb, firewood, etc...that can be a 1,000lb of payload before you hook up. Very few 1/2ton trucks have enough payload left to handle even a fairly small 5th wheel. So even though it's in the "tow rating" you will be over the max payload. Payload can still limit you with a travel trailer but it's usually less of a limitation for 1/2 ton trucks.
Now if you move up to heavier duty trucks...say a modern 1ton dually, the 5th wheel "tow rating" can actually be higher and assuming appropriately spec'd, it can handle the payload.
Keep in mind, just saying 1/2ton or 3/4 ton, 1 ton, etc...the payload and tow ratings can still vary quite a bit.
Also, it's possible for a high spec 1/2ton to be rated better than a low spec 3/4ton...but assuming you find ones with similar specs, the 3/4ton will generally tow better as it is less of a tail wagging the dog situation.
