Getting 5th wheeler next week

Headed West wrote:
I have a question. I too am picking up our new 5th wheel in a couple weeks. We are upgrading from a travel trailer. I have a crew cab standard bed and I am having a slider hitch installed. My question is when backing into camp sites or other areas do you always move the hitch to the rear position?

I've towed several FWs with Ford 6.75 bed trucks, and have never had a slider. Many slider owners have reported they never use the slide option, or have only used it once or twice.

Jerry

Monday we pick up our fifth-wheel.

I have a question. I too am picking up our new 5th wheel in a couple weeks. We are upgrading from a travel trailer. I have a crew cab standard bed and I am having a slider hitch installed. My question is when backing into camp sites or other areas do you always move the hitch to the rear position?

Blazing Zippers wrote:
Fifth wheels start to turn slowly when backing, then they really start to come around quickly--watch it when backing into a space.

DON'T forget the stairs down from the bedroom area in the dark!!

The increased storage areas will have you buying more "stuff."
Enjoy your new rig.

Yes, take your time, backup, stop and look, pull forward straighten up, backup again, stop and look, pull forward to straighten again if you need to, repeat process.

Add a motion light in this area. DH missed the steps once. After that we added a motion light and hasn't happened again.

Be careful of this last one - you still have to stay within your Cargo Carrying Capacity. How do I know? I'm the "weight police" at our house! You may have a lot of storage room in a FW, but that doesn't mean you can fill it all up.

Blazing Zippers wrote:
Fifth wheels start to turn slowly when backing, then they really start to come around quickly--watch it when backing into a space.
They do "off track" or swing to the inside when turning around a corner--more so then a TT that actually tracks better behind the TV.
DON'T forget the stairs down from the bedroom area in the dark!!
The trailer is TALLER then a TT.
The increased storage areas will have you buying more "stuff."
Enjoy your new rig.

"Don't forget the stairs" !!!!!!!! YEP!!!

Fifth wheels start to turn slowly when backing, then they really start to come around quickly--watch it when backing into a space.
They do "off track" or swing to the inside when turning around a corner--more so then a TT that actually tracks better behind the TV.
DON'T forget the stairs down from the bedroom area in the dark!!
The trailer is TALLER then a TT.
The increased storage areas will have you buying more "stuff."
Enjoy your new rig.

Also don't call it a 5th "wheeler"!!! (humour)

Take the "er" off and give it to the folks from Maine. They seem to have misplaced it.

Congratulations! Now you'll have to post some pics in the FW forum area!

We did it!
We are the proud owners of a Wildcat 327RE.
Picked it up yesterday!!! About 1 hours away, good pull home. A lot smoother ride than pulling our 35' travel trailer.
All advise was right on target!!!

Mark

I switched from a 35' TT to a 42' FW last year. Best advice I got was to go to an empty parking lot and set up some red cones. Make some turns without hitting the cones so you can get use to how FW tracks the TV. Then set up 2 cones to represent the opening of a campsite and practice backing in from both directions (driver side and passenger side). Practice, practice, practice. The FW will overall tow better than the TT.