5th wheels....heck of a following

Lantley wrote:
I have a Class A now and was wondering about this very issue. How much more work is it to set up a 5th wheel? Is leveling a chore? Is a 5th wheel still cheaper if you have to buy a new truck to tow it? One distinct advantage I see is if you get a small enough 5th wheel(28 ft or less) that can be towed with a SRW truck you can always use it for a second vehicle.

Setting up a 5th wheel is more work than a class A.
Just hitching and unhitching is more work.
Class A offers push button convenience a 5th wheel requires a bit more interaction than just pushing a button.
In and out of the truck to back up/pull forward etc. when hitching. Raise gate lower gate, There is just more to do.

Now you can level your 5er with a push of a button just like your MH and I can hook and unhook as fast as you can do your toad. I have had both and the only advantage to a MH now is wife using bathroom with out stopping but at my age now I need to stop and walk a little.
Upside for 5er is more usable space, two recliners instead of two sofas and no strained neck looking sideways from the sofa to the tv.
I loved my MH until I got the 5er. Never will go back to MH now.
I tow a 37ft with my F250 single rear wheel. Lots of miles and no problems.

Lantley wrote:
I have a Class A now and was wondering about this very issue. How much more work is it to set up a 5th wheel? Is leveling a chore? Is a 5th wheel still cheaper if you have to buy a new truck to tow it? One distinct advantage I see is if you get a small enough 5th wheel(28 ft or less) that can be towed with a SRW truck you can always use it for a second vehicle.

Setting up a 5th wheel is more work than a class A.
Just hitching and unhitching is more work.
Class A offers push button convenience a 5th wheel requires a bit more interaction than just pushing a button.
In and out of the truck to back up/pull forward etc. when hitching. Raise gate lower gate, There is just more to do.

You forgot to factor in the time and effort to disconnect and connect the toad behind your Class A.

I have a Class A now and was wondering about this very issue. How much more work is it to set up a 5th wheel? Is leveling a chore? Is a 5th wheel still cheaper if you have to buy a new truck to tow it? One distinct advantage I see is if you get a small enough 5th wheel(28 ft or less) that can be towed with a SRW truck you can always use it for a second vehicle.

Setting up a 5th wheel is more work than a class A.
Just hitching and unhitching is more work.
Class A offers push button convenience a 5th wheel requires a bit more interaction than just pushing a button.
In and out of the truck to back up/pull forward etc. when hitching. Raise gate lower gate, There is just more to do.

I know nothing is perfect but diesel MH's seem to have a lot of expenses to keep them working. Many winters of happy hours at our site and hearing from others makes us happy to have what we have. Many good reasons for a MH if that is what others want. chevman

the leveling off is as simple as it was for us with a bumper pull except unhooking and hooking up to the truck is easier, for me anyway. Leveling like said, side to side, then unhook and front to back, then stabilizers down. the level on the front that i can see from the cab is great. saves alot of in and out and up and down. Like anything else, you get used to it quickly. just have to remember when not really level from front to back, adjustment on the landing gear before you unhook is important. you will see and figure it out. Long run, i believe the cost for maintenance is the key for me so i am 99% sure we will stay with the fifth wheel.

colliehauler wrote:

ACZL wrote:
Anyone notice how there seems to be a lot more posts under the 5th wheel section of RV compared to the other types? Just seems to me more questions/topics about them. Plus, from my blind eye observation, appear to be gaining in popularity.

For 2017 sells from ( RV travel ) numbers.
TT- 274,294
5th- 78,046
Class A- 14,250
Class B- 3974
Class C- 27,530

Guess, more/ess I was alluding to was it seems there is more chatter in the 5er section than the others. I would agree that overall, TT/bumper pulls far outsell the rest, but 5ers seem to be gaining a lot more popularity.

ACZL wrote:
Anyone notice how there seems to be a lot more posts under the 5th wheel section of RV compared to the other types? Just seems to me more questions/topics about them. Plus, from my blind eye observation, appear to be gaining in popularity.

For 2017 sells from ( RV travel ) numbers.
TT- 274,294
5th- 78,046
Class A- 14,250
Class B- 3974
Class C- 27,530

Leveling side to side is normally done by driving up on some kind of platform so the wheels and tires take most of the weight. Some people use boards, some use plastic lego like blocks, some dig a hole on the high side, some just push a button, and some don't worry about it. If it is level enough to sleep in the it is probably level enough for all other purposes. :)

Regarding the hitch, I don't know many people who disconnect the hitch from the truck bed. Most just leave the hitch in the bed and carry it around.

To disconnect the trailer, You chock the tires on the trailer (both sides!), put down front jacks and raise trailer until pin is the correct height to pull out, pull lever on the hitch, make sure your trailer is at the right height and the tailgate is down (unless you have a V notch tailgate) and then pull the truck out from under the trailer.

After you pull the truck out, then is the time to level front to back using the front jack legs. When you get the trailer level front to back, then put down your corner stabilizers and finish hooking up everything. :)

The above is almost the exact same procedure as with a travel trailer with the exception of the hitch part. When done, you are ready to camp! :B
Barney

I only use the stabilizing jacks for front-to-back leveling. The builders specifically recommend against using the stabilizers to level the trailer side-to-side.

As far as disconnecting, I disconnect the trailer electrics from the truck plug, raise the trailer to remove some weight from the hitch, make sure the trailer is chocked, pull the handle to release the hitch, and pull forward. Takes a couple minutes, but I have a B&W hitch so it's pretty easy to hitch and unhitch.

fj12ryder wrote:

Gjac wrote:

Lantley wrote:

jffnkrn wrote:
Jay 58,
just curious as to what made you decide on going 5th wheel as we had been contemplating going motor home? If you care to share

While I consider a 5th wheel to be more work and less convenient than a motorhome. A 5th wheel provides equal amounts of space to a class A and cost a lot less. A 5th wheels gives you more bang for the buck.
The downside is 5'er is not as user friendly as a motorhome.

I have a Class A now and was wondering about this very issue. How much more work is it to set up a 5th wheel? Is leveling a chore? Is a 5th wheel still cheaper if you have to buy a new truck to tow it? One distinct advantage I see is if you get a small enough 5th wheel(28 ft or less) that can be towed with a SRW truck you can always use it for a second vehicle.

Well, it seems like most Class A motorhomes are towing a car to drive around when parked, so you're looking at two vehicles anyway...much of the time anyway.

As far as leveling, it's definitely not going to be as quick as a 6-point or 4 point leveling system. But it doesn't really take that long. I pull into the spot I'm going park, if not level side-to-sied, then I put down a block or two, then pull on to them and chock the wheels. Drop the front stabilizers, unhook the truck and level front-to-back. Hooking up power, water, and sewer is basically the same.

If you have to level side to side do you just use the rear scissor jacks or do front jacks(stabilizers) need adjusting also? What is involved with disconnecting the hitch from the truck bed?