5th Wheel vs Travel Trailer Towing/Backing Difference

Dooable. As you already know the 5er is slower to react but in tight spaces you can get the angle needed with a series of short forwards & backs with the truck without really moving the trailer.

Buy another house:B

In my personal experience I much prefer to back up a travel trailer with a bumper hitch. Since the hitch is so far behind the rear axle the trailer responds to movement of the front end of the truck much quicker. Since the 5th wheel hitch is just in front of the rear axle movement of the hitch is much slower when the front end turns. So until the rear axle moves significantly nothing really happens. I have told others that I can back an equipment trailer through the eye of a needle, that I need a 10' door for a Travel Trailer and the Wide Open Range for a 5th wheel. I have never quite gotten comfortable backing a 5th wheel. Maybe I just haven't done it often enough yet .

I made this jump not too long ago ... The 5er takes a bit more truck movement to start turning, but once it does, it turns Right Freaking Now :)

I agree with other posts here is it just takes a bit of acclimation. I towed with bumper pulls style trailers for years, so the 5er was really foreign at first. Now I don't really think about it much.

The difference is in the pivot point, being fastened to the very rear of truck, vrs being hooked over the axle. It will take a little getting used to!

It takes more movement of the truck, to get the FW to go where needed. The truck FW combo will be shorter, so that will help in tighter spaces.

I like to move ahead and back a little more to get parked, rather than twist the axles hard on FW, or TT. Just eaisier on the rig.

If you can get the 35' TT back there, you can get the FW there too. The easy hookup, and tow handling of the FW, will be worth any extra trouble to get it parked.

Jerry

With a shorter overall connected length, and pivot point closer to the cab, you should be able to maneuver easier once you get a feel for the rig.

I have had both. They both can go in the same spots but they do react a little different. Go to a empty parking lot and you will be as good with a fiver as with a TT in short order. Good luck.

The biggest difference is how fast a fifth wheel will turn on you. I have learned that once the trailer starts to move you need to start straightening the steering wheel other wise the trailer will jack knife in a heart beat. Once you learn I don't think it is any harder or easier, just different.