"Light" type fifth wheels versus "regular"???

I had a lite unit and it was well built. Fully laminated walls, roof and floor so wall strength was sufficient that studs every 16" was not needed. But cargo capacity was limited along with floor plans, otherwise we would have stayed with that brand. Another issue can be limited number of electrical outlets/switches on exterior walls on any unit (lite or normal) using laminated construction.

In reality, regardless of lite or normal, there are well engineered and assembled brands and plenty of the opposite as well. Any can have quality issues from time to time and with the limited number of component suppliers, all brands can experience component problems like Dometic and Norcold refer reliability issues causing RV fires.

If I were looking for a lite unit today, Forest River Flagstaff and Rockwood twins would certainly be on my short list to check out.

I concluded that our Lite has the same quality and construction as a larger, heavier FW but in a smaller package. I don't know about less insulation but it does a great job staying comfortable.

Our Flagstaff dry wt 6637 max cargo 2149.....26.3 ft.......plenty of insulation.....100 + w heat index 125 on rocks no shade a/c comes on and shuts off some during heat of day....temp very cool.....15000 ......14 degrees with ice ......single digit index.....two 1500 w set on low kept it in upper 60s..on low they put out about 900 w each......polar package kept everything from freezing.....when wind got up I turned on drop cord light in basement near water inlets.....and also left front 12v light on in front bay......good luck with whatever you choose.....TV is 2500hd crew 8 ft bed...Gas long wheel base

Bottom line is that you are going to get what you pay for. The light weights are light because of their construction from the ground up, starting with smaller, lighter wheels, through the less robust frame & on through materials ontop of that frame.

I guess the lightweight is fine for the weekend warrior who goes out to the local CG every weekend so the trailer does not get the road wear & tear of a long distance/long time/fulltime traveler. Don't expect an inexpensive lightweight trailer to stand up to tens of thousands of miles each year of that kind of use.

In recent years many mfg. have added light fivers to its line ups. In most cases these are to accommodate the 1500 series tv. We are one of these and have elected to move up to a 2500 tv and upgrade a "normal or Full Profile" model for our retirement traveling.
Here are some of our observations:
Light weight:
-walls are thinner and afford less insulation. Not that we want to do winter camping but rather to keep the unit cool during the hot weather
-Some model's do not have standard (regular interval) studded walls. The framing is around windows/doors and spars. One to 1 1/2" studs vs. 2.0". You can easily see this by looking at the wall thickness in the basement/cargo area.
-With studs being spars it does not allow for much wall mounted cabinetry leaving much of the cabinets at floor level.
-Many will not have the bedroom pull out... or the full nose master closet.
-In our case we have had the front awning brace pulled out of the wall due to a storm burst...on inspection we noticed that the rear arm was anchored in the door frame stud but the front arm was only anchored in the rv's exterior wall/skin. Eeeeer! :M
-All 5er's general have high profile characteristic (especially the 4 step entry models)... a lighter unit will be more subject to cross wind action. We have taken to keeping some water in our holding tank adding to some low gravity weight... but this adds to cargo weight.

I cannot comment on the integrity or longevity as we have only had our 1500 series since 2010 which was a perfect match for our Dodge Mega Cab 1500... but as mentioned above we are moving to a 2500 and a full profile model.
Hope this helps.
GPG

We like some of the "lights" because of the floor plans that are available between 29 and 34 feet. Concerned over the available "cargo" weight on some of them but I mostly want to know if the "lights" hold up. As you can see by my signature, I tend to keep what I buy a long time and want it to last. I bought the 2002 2500 HD new as well as the 2004 Antigua new (kept in my shop and still looks like new..). I like quality but don't want to spend a fortune to get it either...

From what I've seen the lighter it gets the cheaper it looks. Maybe not all brands but that seems to be the case in the ones I've walked thru.

I think you will quickly discover the term "light" is a relative term. It means what the manufacturer says for their product. Generally speaking though to conserve weight on some models manufacturers will skimp on tank capacities, frame, tire, and wheel capacities. Not to mention lighter weight materials used in construction. With your truck, while it is not the latest and greatest. It is still capable of hauling a fifth wheel in the range of 10-11000 pounds GVWR very comfortably. What type of RVing do you prefer? Dry camping? Then you will want large tanks. Full hookups? Then smaller tanks in place of larger floor space might be a better choice. You and only you can decide what is best for you.

. I don't want to overwork it by pushing its limits

Think that pretty much summed it up.

Why do you like the `light' versions?