Try Before you Buy

Sometimes you just gotta have enough fortitude to take a chance on your conviction. If you think that is what you want to do, just take the chance...buy what you want...and figure out how to enjoy it. Don't expect someone else to hold your hand to try their truck/trailer out, and then go buy someone elses rig.

No offense....If that is too much for you to risk, then you are not ready or committed.

If you buy and don't like it...then you sell it. And your loss is the rent that you would have paid.

Have to agree with B.O. Plenty...liability would be a big concern with renting a truck and 5er to a novice. There is a "skill set" required to handling that combination that isn't necessary for the Class Cs that you see being rented. U-Haul rents good sized panel trucks to anybody and those small Class Cs are no harder to handle. A renter might hop a curb, but, for the most part if the hole is big enough to drive through they are good to go and backing up is not a lot more complicated.

As for buying a 5er and not liking it? You've got a TT...why get a 5er? You want more room? You want more storage? You want even more comfort? Then you get a 5th wheel. You get more of everything in an effectively shorter package. No tongue space and some of the trailer's length is in the bed of the truck. A little learning curve on backing, but, if you are fairly good with a TT of some length, a 5er is easy enough to get the hang of.

If you don't want more space, more comfort, easier tow, then you must be satisfied with your TT...don't get a 5er just to keep up with the "Joneses", but, if you have a valid reason for being dissatisfied with a TT, then getting a 5er is the next step if you want to keep towing an RV. We wanted more space, more storage and more comfort, but, I didn't want to tow a 30'+ travel trailer and still not have enough space. We got a 5er and have zero regrets, just smiles. If you go with a 5er, you must get an adequate truck to pull it with. I've only met a couple of people that ever bought a 5th wheel and regretted it; one didn't have enough truck and the other wished he gone whole hog for a DP.

ceaser 22000 wrote:
I wasn't sure where to post this but does anyone have any ideas on basically renting a fifthwheel & truck to see how we like the set up,
I live in S.E. Michigan and tried to google it but did not see anything for my area.

DW and I think we would like to upgrade to a Fifthwheel but I sure wouldn't want to spend all that money and find out that it isn't for us. Right now we have just a half ton truck and and a 28ft TT or has anyone that has upgraded from a TT regretted going to a larger fifthwheel.

Here in AZ, there are a =lot= of private parties renting everything from pop-ups to the biggest Class A motorhomes, but almost no fifth wheels. I've never seen a TV/FW combo for rent, and I look almost weekly, just to see what's out there. If you came out here, I'd probably rent you mine, as it's worth more wadded up than what I could sell it for. ;-) I've yet to see a "regular" pickup with a FW hitch for rent by =any= company, and that's the weak link, as I'm sure you could find a number of private parties to rent just the FW. One of the attractions to renting TTs is that you =can= pull a pretty fair-sized TT with a 1/2 ton whereas all but the smallest FWs require a 250/2500, or larger, TV.

Lyle

Keep looking, you may find a place close to you that rents fifth wheels and trucks. There is a place in my town that rents trucks and fifth wheels. I'm in Canada so that may make a difference. There is a selection of four different floor plans at this place to pick from up to 31 feet long. They come with a Dodge Ram truck. Since its done here maybe you could get lucky and find one reasonably close to you to check out. Perhaps look up across the border.
Here is the link to the one near me.

http://www.candan.com/

We’d had motor homes before we bought our first fiver. With a MH you can test drive them before you buy one. We knew at the time we wanted to RV, just not sure about a trailer. I told the dealer before we would buy one we wanted to test drive. o At the time we didn’t have a truck, we were waiting to match the truck to the trailer. The service manager took me out for over an hour let me drive, gave me some instructions on how to back up plus how to hook an unhook the trailer. The guy was good and based on that we bought our first fiver in 2007, now on our second one.

ceaser 22000 wrote:
I wasn't sure where to post this but does anyone have any ideas on basically renting a fifthwheel & truck to see how we like the set up,
I live in S.E. Michigan and tried to google it but did not see anything for my area.

DW and I think we would like to upgrade to a Fifthwheel but I sure wouldn't want to spend all that money and find out that it isn't for us. Right now we have just a half ton truck and and a 28ft TT or has anyone that has upgraded from a TT regretted going to a larger fifthwheel.

Fine a friend or relative(they may know you well enough to pass on this option)with a setup and see if he will take you out to an out of the way location and let you have some time behind the wheel! Then try a little freeway towing and parking lot maneuvering and backing up.
A Sunday would be a good time to do this.

Chris

No regrets going from a 31'OAL TT to a 28' OAL 5'er. Same exact sqft according to brochure specs. But the floor plan allows for better living. More room in the bedroom, less in the living rm kitchen area. But for two people it's just fine.
As far as the steps go, we have 3 steps going in and 3 steps going up to the bedroom. FWIW our last TT also had 3 steps to get in. So that's a wash. I really doubt you will find anyone that regrets it. Sure over time when people get older those extra steps may be a hindrance. There's a reason you see more people full timing in MH and 5'ers. Better floor plans, higher ceilings and larger bedrooms. You get more sqft in a 5'er for the same OAL. A 5'er is actually shorter when hooked up than a comparably OAL TT. Towing is better. Hitching is easier, maybe not all that faster, but no spring bars or hitch head to take off every time you park. I leave my 5th hitch in the truck all the time unless I need the bed for hauling bigger stuff. No safety chains to deal with. No sway control to work out. More storage in the 5'er which means less stuff to go in the truck, which means less stuff that needs to be packed and unpacked.

As far as renting a fiver combo, that may be a tough one to do. I know they rent trailers around here, but have never seen a 5'er for rent. Most people don't have a 5th hitch just sitting in there truck for no reason. Most trucks have a receiver which allows a WD head to be fitted easily.

I would think that there may be larger RV dealers around that would allow you to take a truck & 5th wheel for a test drive. Most larger RV dealers have their own trucks for hauling 5th wheels around. When we went to a larger 5th wheel our dealer willingly allowed me to take one for a test drive over several miles. I did use my own truck though. I think if you went to a 5th wheel from what you have you won't be disappointed providing you buy enough truck for the job.
Good luck.

tomkaren13 wrote:

B.O. Plenty wrote:
Can't imagine anyone would do this. Too much liability and risk of damage from an inexperienced operator. Maybe you have a friend with one and you could ride along or possibly drive it. I've never regretted going from a TT to a fiver and don't know anyone who has..

B.O.

We regetted buying a fifth. Have a 2002 GMC 1500 and bought a 24.5 fith. Even with it being a small fifth it was to much to tow with our truck. Went back to a TT.

5th wheels require enough truck, that is for sure.
I pull an 33' 11,000+ (12,300# GVWR) with my 01 Ram 2500 Camper Special. I have no issues pulling or with stability. Just pulled home from the coast Sunday in high winds and driving rain no issues.
Biggest complaint I have seen is many don't like the number of steps. Most 5ers sit higher than TT's, more steps to get in then the steps up to the upper level.
Towing is a dream, no sway, solid and stable by design.

I should have stated in my first post we plan to upgrade the truck to a medium duty truck as well that is why I didn't want a huge cash out lay and find out that we didn't like towing the fifthwheel.