Trailer, or 5th?

I have a 30? foot TT because I wanted a Suburban to pull it. If I had my druthers I would prefer a 5er for more living/storage space; but I don't.

We debated the two and went with the tt. We have a cap on the truck that locks. We added a sliding bed so we could easily reach the stuff in front. We would never switch it for a 5er. We have no problem with sway and hooking up is easy with a back up camera. We carry a lot of stuff in our truck bed such as generator, compressor, tools, because we might need them when we are off road - we feel they are more secure with us than back at a campground or remote boondocking spot. And, if worse came to worse, we could always sleep in the bed of the truck (we are prepared for that, too). I think it all really depends on how one uses their truck when not hooked up to whatever it is towing.

I'm also currently in the process of the big "switch-over" from a travel trailer to a 5'er. Just got the new tow vehicle, which will pull about ANY 5'er that we'd be looking at, and installed a front hitch mount on it. Both Yakima and Thule make a front hitch "Y" post that will hold the front bar for our kayak rack. The back bar will mount on the cab, where the front cab bar would normally be placed. This will allow us to carry our three 'yaks, and tow a 5'er.

I just went from a TT to a 5th.
Pros for the 5'er: lots more storage, high ceilings, easier to hitch only because you can see the hitch, auto leveling is a must,
Cons for 5'er: beware of height issues and tree limbs,hitch is in the bed, must use a pick up. More clearance issues to consider, bed height can be an issue.
Fivers are more expensive. Built in genset are available

In the end a fiver is a bit more convenient. It is fully self contained. Truck storage is not as critical. 5'er is a bit easier to deal with overall.

We debated the same thing 4 years ago. After much debate we decided to go with the 5th wheel.
Four main reasons were.
1. Very stable in high winds.
2. Easy to hook and unhook.
3. High ceilings give a very roomy feel.
4. Lots of basement storage.
I think the deciding factor for us was a friend that owned both said the 5th wheel felt much more stable. The dealer also said if we don't stay in one place too long the 5th wheel would be easier to hookup and go. We have done many long trips where we only stay 2 or 3 days in one place. The 5th wheel just seemed to work better for us.
Good luck.

If you still have the truck in your profile, you can go either way. Best wishes on whatever you choose.

I thought this out myself as a total newbie over the last 6 months. Wife & I travel 2 months a year. My criteria was I needed to take our motorcycles, and be able to take days in a 'regular' vehicle when riding the scooters wasn't going to work for us. I ended up with what you see in the signature, and trip #1, actually the shake down is days away... The only thing I would have really liked was a SRW pick up, which would have been marginal for my toy hauler. If I were in your situation I would be all over a 3/4 ton crew cab and one of the many 5th wheel trailers there are to choose from. The 5er is very comfortable, and you can store a lot inside the cab or make provisions in the bed for containment. So far, I have only come up with a gas can (for the RV genny) that will live in the truck bed..

Artum Snowbird wrote:
We are experienced TC and motorhome people, and debating both forms in our minds.

On the one hand, fifth wheels have great storage, and the truck stays empty...but...

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.

In any case.. I have seen both hook ups in operation, and never paid much attention..

Considering that we want to have our stuff secure, but then again we want to be able to take an inflatable kayak too.. which way do we choose our next rig?

thanks for your opinion..

Mike

Here is some information that may be helpful, from the FAQ section of this forum: Link

have had all 3.
we now own a 24 ft trailer. the 5th was only 22 ft and we had to climb over each other in bed. we like the trailer because now we are older and bed is on floor. i have all the storage i need, and i carry two kayaks on top of cab. i also have a camper shell, and i just lock it.
it is possible if i had the money to buy a new 3/4 truck, i might be tempted to get a 5th wheel. our main camping grounds have limited length limits so we cant go to long. if length is not an issue i do like 5th, but they do weigh more.
good luck and have fun.

We just sold our 19' travel trailer and purchased a 30' 5th wheel. We've only taken it on a few weekend trips, but here's what we enjoy so far:
- 5th wheel is easily hitched and unhitched without assistance
- drive is very stable. A little bounce over big bumps, but zero sway
- lots of storage. You're correct, you'll still need to unload your truck for security, and you can put more than you think in the bed w/ a 5th wheel, especially a long bed.
- Sway bars and stabilizers are a thing of the past.
- 5th wheel seems to do better in strong winds.
- You could consider a toy hauler for your kayak.
- One other possible advantage of a 5th wheel is that you can park some gear under its neck when it's in place