Fifth wheel or travel trailer?

It is what you believe fits your family. We choose a TT. We like the size and the walk around bed and it fits our TV. I pray you are happy with whatever decision you make.

Yes.
Start used.
Start small.
Start cheap.
What is your intentions for use.
What do you have to pull it with?

I don't have an adequate TV for anything substantial. Currently a 2012 GMC Canyon 4x4 with 1080# payload capacity. It is my wife and I with a year-old baby boy. Have backpacked and tent camped (car camped) for years and the wife is wanting more creature comforts for her and the little guy. We like state parks, boondocking, national parks and BLM land. Will mostly be 3-season camping for 2-4 nights at a time.

I could maybe tow something like a Rockwood GeoPro with my current truck but otherwise I am looking to upgrade to a GM 2500 gasser.

Your current truck could work with a smaller RPod or similar. But living in Denver area you will not like the towing experience. Same for most any gas motored truck. If your buying used, look for a gently used diesel, and forget 2500 series instead get a 3500 SRW. Mpre towing capacity, better resale value all for the same money. Especially if your considering a future fifth wheel and dont want to upgrade tow vehicles again. A peoperly equipped 3500/350 can handle most fifth wheels up to around 32-33 feet. If, and I would suggest first a TT you start that way you can safely pull what you find. But, remember start used and start smaller. Towing can be a big learning curve. Same for the RV lifestyle.

5th wheel is absolutely not for you.
BLM, boondocking, nat forests etc.
Used to tent camping and upgrading for some creature comforts, not looking for a home on wheels. Short trips.
Smallish TT or pop up or truck camper seems more your style.

Depends how much room you're looking for. It's space and amenities vs how far off pavement or how narrow a forest road you can go down.

If you're looking to dump the camper on asphalt and hit the back country for day trips in the pickup then you could upsize the TT for more space.

Pros and cons to both, just like anything in life. A recent model GM 2500 gasser can pull pretty much any travel trailer you choose, larger fifth wheels will need a 350/3500 for best towing results, particularly when RVing in the mountains. Some of today's TTs have the same floorplan as their 5er counterparts simply on a single deck, although they still lack the exterior storage available on most fifth wheels.

It really boils down to personal tastes and what suits your RVing style best. We had a small, used fifth wheel as our first RV, our current rig which we purchased new we decided to go with a TT as that was best for our situation at the time. We are looking again for our next rig and both types are being considered, since we have had both we will weigh the advantages of each but my DW is indicating that she would prefer a TT.

Been RVing for decades and wanted a TT. Others want a fiver or Class A.
there's no single right answer - it depends on your needs.

we are on our third travel trailer and each one has been larger then the previous one.
We like the TT mainly since we then can have a camper top for the pickup truck which allows for us to carry our tandem canoe and our two kayaks on it's roof and all kinds of our yak packing gear, our two mountain bikes and luggage inside.
With a fifth wheel, we couldn't do that

Jack L

I moved to a travel trailer after 20 years of backpacking and car camping with tents. I finally wanted an actual bed, and a bathroom I didn't have to play the "what's living in here?" game with. That it includes a kitchen I can use without getting wet when a storm comes through is a huge bonus.

I chose, and have stuck with, a small travel trailer so I can still get into the secluded wooded sites I love.