Hi,I am currently considering moving from a bumper pull trailer to a 5th wheel. One question I have though is about the ability to use the bed of the truck to carry things with a 5th wheel hooked up. I have always understood the fact that you will lose useable bed space as a function of the space the hitch takes up...but recently it occurred to me that I might not be able to put anything in the bed at all due to the fact that the trailer nose may hit is when making sharp maneuvers when parking or at a gas station, etc. When towing a 5th wheel can you use your bed space at all, or do you pretty much have to keep the bed empty to allow for the space needed when making sharp turns, etc.? What about if you get a long bed truck vs. a 6.5 foot bed truck? thanks Matt

I uave a long bed, i carry all sorts of stuff in the bed.

Water jugs, gas jugs, firewood, bikes, golf clubs. As long as it doesn't stick out past the top of the bed. Only caution is the area under the fiver overhang, this area is like a vacuum and anything light is sucked up.

My four wheel chocks and the six big blocks I use underneath all my landing gear legs. One more thing to remember. Especially when putting stuff in the back of the bed, be sure its not in the way that it could snag your 7-pin cord or even worse, your breakaway cable.:E

SB with manual slider and two boxes for golf clubs(V-Box) and other storage(tools, fuel can, generator and gas). Chris

Pretty much anything that will fit into the bed, yet remain at or below the bed rails!

Bed Use with 5th Wheel Trailer??? | Good Sam Community

4x4ord
Explorer III
Aug 26, 2017
bucky wrote:

The vacuum sucked off the tailgate protector yesterday, a camping rug disappeared

Hmmm. I wonder if I could convince the mother in law to ride back there.
Halmfamily
Explorer
Aug 26, 2017
We have an 8' bed with a B&W Companion and have a 96 gallon Aux fuel tank, carry firewood between that and the Companion. We also carry our portable grey tank behind the hitch, strapped down of course. Just watch out for light weight items getting sucked out going down the road.
wing_zealot
Explorer
Aug 26, 2017
bowler1 wrote:
... however, one more question is this-what about if it were a bike and I placed it sideways up against the back of the cab? It would stick up above the rails, but I would think it would be okay there...right???
Matt
No, it will not be ok, unless you plan on only going straight and not making any turns. Without a bike there plenty of people have taken out the back window of their truck and put a nice crease in it from turning. With a bike there it would take away a lot of the area the 5er uses when you make a turn, your ability to make a turn would be severely restricted.

Evrything must stay below the bedrails and you still have to watch out that you don't turn to sharp or you get a big whammo in your truck and 5er.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Aug 26, 2017
wing_zealot wrote:
bowler1 wrote:
... however, one more question is this-what about if it were a bike and I placed it sideways up against the back of the cab? It would stick up above the rails, but I would think it would be okay there...right???
Matt
No, it will not be ok, unless you plan on only going straight and not making any turns. Without a bike there plenty of people have taken out the back window of their truck and put a nice crease in it from turning. With a bike there it would take away a lot of the area the 5er uses when you make a turn, your ability to make a turn would be severely restricted.

Or do as I do and have a receiver built for the pin box and carry the bikes on a nice rack in front of the 5er.
memtb
Explorer
Aug 26, 2017
Bowler1, Many folks have a receiver hitch on the back of their 5er, for bikes. But... Can be used for many things, if the frame and received are of sufficient strenght. Some of us pull a boat or utility trailer behind the 5er....again if adequately strong and legal to "double" tow in your state.
wvcampers
Explorer
Aug 26, 2017
One of the advantages of a fifth wheel is the storage that the trailer has. There are so many things that are left in the storage area that had to be removed from the truck after every trip. Because the travel trailer had such small storage areas. I find the fifth wheel much easier for that reason. Seemed like I was always carrying chairs, grill, outside rugs and other things from the truck to storage after every trip with the travel trailer.
BB_TX
Nomad
Aug 26, 2017
bowler1 wrote:
..........one more question is this-what about if it were a bike and I placed it sideways up against the back of the cab? It would stick up above the rails, but I would think it would be okay there...right.....
Matt

One bike in a long bed would probably be ok. But not in a short bed.
Halmfamily
Explorer
Aug 26, 2017
bowler1 wrote:
Okay, thanks for the info. I was not sure if putting something in the bed would interfere with the trailer.

Makes sense that all would need to be below the bed rails; however, one more question is this-what about if it were a bike and I placed it sideways up against the back of the cab? It would stick up above the rails, but I would think it would be okay there...right???

thanks again for all your help!!!

Matt

If you have an 8' bed it shouldn't be an issue. My kayaks are mounted on the roof of our truck and hang over the bed about 2'. I can still make a 90° turn without even coming close to hitting the nose of the FW.
sayoung
Explorer
Aug 26, 2017
donn0128 wrote:
I uave a long bed, i carry all sorts of stuff in the bed.

We carry our Hobi inflatable kayak in front of the hitch & behind it our "porta-a-steps " & generator.
rhagfo
Explorer III
Aug 26, 2017
memtb wrote:
Bowler1, Many folks have a receiver hitch on the back of their 5er, for bikes. But... Can be used for many things, if the frame and received are of sufficient strenght. Some of us pull a boat or utility trailer behind the 5er....again if adequately strong and legal to "double" tow in your state.

I would avoid carrying bikes on the back of any trailer both 5th and TT. I have followed too many that I figured the bikes were going to fall off of very soon. With the pin box rack you can watch the bikes the entire smooth ride they get there. I have also seen several TT with a tongue mounted bike rack, that is above the propane tanks.
When in a level sight I can load and unload the bikes standing on the ground, at 66 years old and average build and strength not bad, if the nose is a bit high I just put the bikes in the truck bed and load from there.

wvcampers wrote:
One of the advantages of a fifth wheel is the storage that the trailer has. There are so many things that are left in the storage area that had to be removed from the truck after every trip. Because the travel trailer had such small storage areas. I find the fifth wheel much easier for that reason. Seemed like I was always carrying chairs, grill, outside rugs and other things from the truck to storage after every trip with the travel trailer.

While this is not true for some (working TV, tools in bed shell), this is certainly true for many, the two days to a week to "Get Ready" for a trip. With the 5er and basement we had it all in the 5er! Our best "Get Ready" time was 75 MINUTES! That was from walking out the door at work to pulling out of the storage yard with 5er in tow. This included about 4 miles from work to home, install hitch air up rear tires, load dog beds, throw the tote of perishable food from the home refer into the truck, and head over to the storage yard 2 miles away. This decision was made at about 8:00 am that morning, I didn't start the refer until at the yard, it was early October so at the end of the two hour drive to the park it was COLD!

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Bed Use with 5th Wheel Trailer???

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