Do I want a 5th wheel?

Quit over thinking everything!
Seriously, fifth wheels tow so much better with so much less hassles. But, sadly you probably wont be very happy with the fiver choices considering your truck. Good news though your truck could be worth far more than ever. Good 7.3 are in high demand. Bad news, your truck has a very low load rating, and weights quite a bit. Remember, a fifth wheel is going to drop around 20% of its loaded ready to go weight directly on the rear axle. In addition you have to add the hitch weight of between 150 and 250 pounds.

You'll love a Fifth Wheel. I'm 60 years old and have had 2 knees replaced. Steps are not a problem

Mfan wrote:
I'm 60 years old and have had 2 knees replaced. Steps are not a problem

I don't think the OP is talking about (stair) steps.

Transition from a TT to a 5th wheel is easy.... just takes a little practice.

A 7.3 F250 would handle most 30' fifth wheels just fine. My dad uses one to pull his Nash and I think it has a 6100 lb RAWR - stay under that and your tire ratings and you're good to go. I don't think you'd exceed those numbers with a 30' fifth wheel.

As far as whether to get one or not, go for it. They tow far nicer than travel trailers and offer a shorter overall package because about 4' of the trailer overlaps the truck. That size fifth wheel would be very comfortable for a couple. An Andersen Ultimate hitch would cut down on the hitch weight and is very easy to add and remove from the truck - the rail mount version only weighs about 35 lbs.

Budget in an air ride hitch or air suspension pin box up front. I was in your exact position two years ago and found out that a good ride with a shorter 5er is not necessarily a given. I ended up pleased with what I have but I took some unnecessary steps to get there.

I recently (this Fall) did the same thing. I went from about a 30 foot travel trailer to a 41 foot 5th wheel.

The good, so far, is the big 5th wheel pulls much better than my travel trailer. By that, I mean smoother and with less "push" from big rigs passing by. It also backs much easier! That's something that surprised me. I like the extra room and I love my outdoor kitchen and the storage in the basement.

The bad, so far, I have to get used to it tracking to the inside on turns. That shouldn't take long. I also may have bought too long to camp in some of the places we used to go. That remains to be seen. It is also much taller so I have to watch for tree limbs I never worried about before.

All told, I love the 5th wheel and doubt I would ever go back to a travel trailer, although I have been considering keeping the old travel trailer just to visit those places where my new 5th wheel won't fit.

It also depends on what type of camping you do. Go to resorts? Get the 5th wheel. Go to State and National Parks? Stay with the under 24 ft. TT.

Your willingness to research weights etc is a great start. We did popup/TT and on our 2nd 5th wheel. Sure theres a small learning curve with hitching and towing but I am pleased with the performance and handling. I found the challenge was finding a short trailer as its very little cost difference going LONG. Plan some rv shows this winter and start your laundry list of what you want in a rig and enjoy the process.

Daryll

The transition is fairly easy finding the right trailer the first time is a bit harder.also depends on if your going to be boondocking or staying in parks with full hookups if your dry camping you will be packing more stuff like a generator or two , solar panels and water in your tanks which will add waight for your truck to handle . Are you going to out full time or a few weeks at a time? It not all about how long the fifth wheel trailer is .