We have a 2011 24' Passport that now has about 40k miles...only 6 more States left to camp in. But now looking @ a new rig. Heavy travel days are over. Something less than 30'? Maybe a Fifth Whl but don't know. Anyone out there that has pulled both? What's downside? Thinking of the pain of the hitch 'cause I want to keep the bed of the truck clear when not towing. What's upside? Mostly interested how Fiver handles, stability, backup, hitch-up, unhitch, turn radius, etc. Will pick brand & model ourselves, not looking for endorsements.

FW downside... loss of space in bed when towing, taller, may cause height issue in older parks, extra steps, may need bigger truck.The upside... FWs are easy to hook/unhook, very steady towing, are roomy with more storage space.You can get a hitch that is removeable, leaving a clean bed when not towing.Jerry

pexford wrote:We have a 2011 24' Passport that now has about 40k miles...only 6 more States left to camp in. But now looking @ a new rig. Heavy travel days are over. Something less than 30'? Maybe a Fifth Whl but don't know. Anyone out there that has pulled both? What's downside? Thinking of the pain of the hitch 'cause I want to keep the bed of the truck clear when not towing. What's upside? Mostly interested how Fiver handles, stability, backup, hitch-up, unhitch, turn radius, etc. Will pick brand & model ourselves, not looking for endorsements.Lots of responses to this question here. Search is your friend.From my POV, I did =not= want a TT and did want a clean bed. Since we also have a gooseneck trailer, the B&W Turnover Ball and FW Companion were a natural for me. Not the only option around and, with the newer trucks now having factory GN and FW hitch prep, you don't necessarily need the Turnover Ball base to have a clean bed when not towing. The Andersen Ultimate hitch is also getting decent reviews and is much lighter. Down side is that it's less adjustable, from what I can see.I've towed enough trailers that I knew I did not want a TT, from the get-go, so only looked at FWs. They tow much better, with less tweaking, right off the bat. They do have their own learning curve, especially with backing, so you do have to be aware of this. They also turn further inside a curve than a TT because of the hitch location; just have to learn to swing wider when making a turn. Since I already had experience towing our GN, it was and easy change for me. Other pros are, 1) much more storage in a FW than a comparable-sized TT; 2) more interior room in a shorter footprint, since the front 5-6' of a FW is over the bed of the truck; 3) in most cases, a FW is much easier to hitch/unhitch than a TT; 4) can turn shorter than a TT, if necessary.Downsides are: 1) steps inside (a lot of people don't like this); 2) you lose most of your truck bed; 3) FWs are usually a lot taller than a TT so overhead clearances are something you have to pay attention to; 3) trucks are payload-limited to the size FW they can tow whereas a smaller truck might safely tow a larger TT, with a proper hitch.Just a few things off the top of my head...Lyle

I've towed both in several different sizes and weight. To be honest I don't really see a difference when towing or parking. Now that you can get TT & 5th wheels with auto levelers (and tongue jack on TT) hitching and leveling is a lot less strain on the back.After you tow a brand new or new to you trailer/5'er a couple of times you become accustomed to it.

Have a longbed truck.........Fully enclosed self contained 4K gen in front of bed and an aux low profile behind hitch.Still room for other stuff.Lots of room if just hitch in bedAs for hitch........we FTd so hitch stayed in truck. Now it hangs from 5th wheel king pin until needed (just rails in bed)IF...IF I was doing it now----probably go with a turn over and have clean bed. MAYBE???FW....stable tow but tracks different then TT (tracks inside when turning)Both easy to back up.....just different pivot point so different maneuvering. FW slower to react to steering input but then quicker response when it reactsFW to me..much easier hitch/unhitching. I can SEE king pin and place it right into hitch w/o eyes/helpFW....more storageTT.......less stepsTT.......shorter heightTT.......more TT can be towed vs FW if truck payload is limited FW vs TT..........floorplan and personal choice BOTH work very well

Fifth wheels tow far better. There are other pros and cons to consider too but that's the biggie to me.

Fifth Whl vs Trvl Tralr | Good Sam Community

smokeylew
Explorer
Nov 06, 2016
Thanks for the reply Jerry. Nice to have this forum available. Always get quick responses and good info.
IdaD
Explorer
Nov 06, 2016
I'd start without anything and stay that way if you like it. The two reasons for bags or timbrens is to fix sag or to improve the loaded ride. The former is objective and unlikely to be an issue on a new 3500, but the ladder is subjective and depends on personal preference.

Congress on the truck - huge upgrade over your light duty Ram.
CabinetmakerII
Explorer
Nov 06, 2016
Dayle1 wrote:
I find that driver fatigue is less with a fiver. It isn't just due to a more stable rig with less sway, although that is a big reason. While WD and sway control do their job, I still feel the TTs influence on the tow vehicle at every bump/dip etc and it wears on the driver over hundreds of miles. OTOH if a fiver setup has severe chucking, that also increases driver fatigue, but most of my fivers have not had this issue.

We have had both TT and now 5th Wheel. When we first bought the 5er, I almost reneged on the deal due to the "Chucking" with this 43' Toyhauler. It took an "Airborne" kingpin and Armstrong Airbags on the truck (F-450) to get the chucking under control. I had never heard of chucking until I bought a 5th wheel. As others have stated, pulling a 5er is easier with the exception of the "Cheating" while making turns and slow reacting while backing.
Reilly_the_rver
Explorer
Nov 07, 2016
Honestly, I've towed both and a fifth wheel any day. That are much safer with distibuted weight, they have more space and are maneuvered easier. The downside is they are huge and take up bed space, but yo can put bikes and stuff under the hitch, they are heavier in some cases. A travel trailer is putting all the weight on the trailer and a bit on the truck-not as safe. You will need a truck for pulling anyways, so I would say your not losing much and go ahead with a 5er
jalichty
Explorer
Nov 07, 2016
Unless you are getting a really big, heavy FW, you won't need air bags. Also, FWs don't need weight distribution since the hitch generally rides over, or close to, the rear axle.Is your Ram a dual or single rear wheel, that does change the load capabilities and somewhat the towing performance.
mr__ed
Explorer
Nov 07, 2016
I fulltimed in a fiver for a number of years, but had to give it up due to a sudden health crisis. The fiver towed beautifully, and I used a short bed 1 ton diesel, single rear wheels without a problem. There is still some concern with a short bed truck when making a very sharp turning maneuver but there are special hitches that address that possibility. I got by with a standard hitch by just being careful when making tight turns.
A big plus factor with a fiver, as others mentioned, is extra room, not only inside, but for storage as well.

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