Trailer, or 5th?

bid_time wrote:
I can pull a lot bigger TT with my truck then I can a 5er. Plus it's not as high (which lessens wind drag) and I still have all of the back of the truck available if I happen to need it.

Most TT's are flat on the front. Most 5'ers (newer) are rounded. I went from a 5000lb TT to a 9000lb 5er and my mpg went up slightly.

Not sure why you can pull a bigger TT. I would think the TT's hitch limit would be lower than the trucks bed payload since the load is moved over the axle instead of at the bumper.

Put a fiberglass shell on the pickup and that will provide a secure place to store gear and you can add rain gutter adapters so that a Thule or Yakima roof rack can be mounted. I have this with my truck and transport two Hobie kayaks on the roof rack and two bicycles inside the bed of the truck. I could not begin to do this with a 5th wheel trailer.

I tried an inflatable boat and a Porta-bote and was thinking about inflatable kayaks but for our type of travel the Hobie kayaks are much better and more fun. We use Thule hullavators to lower the kayaks down to chest level and this makes it easier to manage their weight.

Everyone has different priorities. Backup cameras remove the difficult of hitching up a travel trailer so that is off the table. A 5th wheel will provide moore interior space for its length and past a certain weight a 5th wheel hookup is required.

With a travel trailer you have the full use of the bed of the truck and with a cap or shell it becomes a large easily accessed storage space and a roof rack opens up additional options. I prefer to have bicycles and fishing gear in the bed of the truck. I prefer to carry kayaks on the roof rack that is on the cap.

It is certainly possible to mount a bike rack on a trailer and haul around bikes that way. It is possible to get an inflatable boat or kayaks and inflate them each time you want to use them and deflate them before leaving a campground. We did the inflatables and it did not work for us and the way we like to travel. Our bicycles are too nice to have mounted on a bike rack where they can be stolen and damaged by the elements.

But these are two different usage profiles and you need to decide which is a better fit for you. I have found that the easier it is to do something the more often I will do it so spend what is needed to make it as easy as possible. If you don't care about hainvg large toys with you then a motorhome is the best RV and the people we know who have had 5th wheels have all migrated to motorhomes.

I can pull a lot bigger TT with my truck then I can a 5er. Plus it's not as high (which lessens wind drag) and I still have all of the back of the truck available if I happen to need it.

The couples that I know who recently got rid of their 5th wheel trailers, both went to motorhomes and part of the reason was to get away from the steps, both the entry steps and the steps up to the sleeping area

The comment about the backup camera was dead on. With the backup camera on the tailgate of my truck I can get within 2 inches of the trailer tongue in one pass. It makes the process a great deal easier.

With a TT and a cap for the truck you have the option of putting gear in the bed of the truck and this includes bikes and extra gear and your inflatable kayaks and with a roof rack on the camper shell you can carry standard kayaks or Canoes. In the west where ATV's are popular people will have one or two in the bed of the truck and naturally be pulling a TT.

Different people are going to have different priorities. Suggest also going to nearby campgrounds and talking to people who have both types and seeing how they have them setup for travel and what they like and dislike. Much more informative than going to dealer's lots.

Even with a 5th wheel the length is something to consider. I have spoken with people who love their huge 5th wheels and friends who went from a 28' to a 35' and regretted having done so as it was more limited for getting into public campgrounds.

Look towards the future if you intend to keep the unit a long time.

A 5th wheel has stairs inside. Are you gong to want to keep climbing them as you age or acquire disabilities?

Personally, as I am partially disabled, I want the flat floor of a TT.

Just one small detail to consider.

OP wrote:
On the other hand trailers allow canopies, and things that go into the back of the truck. But the drawback is when you take the truck to go shopping, you take the goods in the back too.

I don't understand this sentence - by "canopies", do you mean a bed cover or do you mean a shelter from the sun? I put stuff in my bed like chairs, bicycles, and the honey wagon. I leave all this stuff with the camper when we go off in the TV to shop or sight see. I also use a locking pin on my hitch receiver. I used to be more concerned about theft so I have a length of chain that I can use to secure this stuff when not there.

I personally found TT easier to back up. They turn when you expect them to.

But with my 5th, I could add a swivel wheel for the motorcycle.

Always pluses and minuses.

With my size truck, the 5er is not an option so we went with a large TT. The 5ers hard to beat if you have the rig to pull it.

I have a hard roll type locking tonneau cover on my truck and often carry a number of things, including a canopy, in the bed. When towing the 5er, I can pull the cover back to just in front of the hitch, lock it if I want, to hide things in the bed front. Anything at the back of the bed is under the 5er overhang and would be difficult for anyone to get to.
After unhooking, I pull the cover all the way back and lock it and the tailgate.