5th wheel or bumper pull

I agree with most of the above statements but there are other conditions to think of. First I have always had a TT and most of those on the last several year have been 38+ feet long.
I disagree about pulling in the sense that I have been in sever weather where 5ers are stopped yet I had no concerns other than slowing for the conditions. (we have turtled across the desert with semis do to the high winds without a problem).
I agree the TT is long but still we normally look for semi stops and fill up. There are plenty of those and the independents are cheaper then some gas.
stations.
Also I have never liked the steps in a 5er or living in the hottest place and of course being trapped in the event of a fire.
I also agree that we have 3 slides and have a large living area. 4' shower and current unit is available with any size frig.

The biggest thing here is this , if you travel ,as we do a lot, you can do well with a TT. If you are a novice and just a weekender then maybe a 5er is easier to learn. We travel no less than 9000 miles a year just cruising around the US to see family and going to Florida but that's us we are retired and required to travel........... LOL

Hi MLWalton...We pull a 12K 32' fifth wheel with our 2019 F350 6.2L that has 4.30 gearing. I don't know what it would be like with 3.73's but our set-up does a great job. She has a bit of a drinking problem (about 8mpg vs the 11 I got with the old 7.3L) but reliability and being stranded is no longer at the top of my mind now on trips....which unfortunately had become reality with my last truck.

Disclaimer: Long winded here... my summary is the last paragraph if you want to skip the details:

I've been a TT owner and user all my life, except for the last year. We have our first 5er. I'm towing with the same truck as my last TT and now 5er.

Length:

Last TT was 35.5 feet long (tip to tip). This 5er is 41 feet long, tip to tip.

My overall length with the TT was 58.5 feet. My overall length with the 5er is 59.5 feet. (5er wins. 5 feet longer, overall length 1 foot longer)

Stability:

Stability, towing? Same truck is a 1 ton dualy. I used a 4-point Equal-i-zer weight distribution hitch system for the TT. My 5th wheel hitch is a no frills, simple hitch. Results, I experience no difference. However:

The TT receiver hitch had some slack in it where the pin went through. This slight slack in the pin hole would cause the hitch to move forward or backward when starting from a stopped position or moving to a stopped position. There was always a slight "bang" going on.

The 5er seems to make some clunking sounds every now and then too. Results (wash out, they are equal).

Wind? No difference. I have experienced the 5er being pushed hard by the wind, exactly the same for the TT. Never experienced sway with either one.

Breaks? The 5er has much stronger brakes. I can lock them up on demand and almost get whiplash. TT never locked up fully, but could feel the pull. However, my truck has the integrated brake controller which makes the trailer work seamless with the truck. It worked excellent with both trailers. In a real white knuckle panic stop, the TT responded perfect. (Wash out- both equal).

Hitching?
After years and years of TT hitching, the Equal-i-zer system was by far the easiest. Switching to a 5er was a hard-knocks experience. My first obstetrical was figuring how how to reach inside the bed of the truck to reach the coupler handle, and the break away cable. With dual wheels and a bed that sits high and being short, it's impossible to reach inside from the ground. A 4 foot step ladder solved that. But it took time to figure it out.

In my case, hitching was easier with the TT. Although I've adjusted to the 5er, I think the TT was easier. (TT wins hitching up).

Backing up:
I had a bad learning curve with the 5er. TT was easier. But, I'm getting better after a year with the 5er. With a longer tow vehicle and a longer wheel based 5er trailer, the backing response is definitely slower at first, and then the response is faster. It just takes time to learn the difference. But, I've eventually been able to back into every campsite we've been to. (Backing -- wash - equal, just different).

One thing I wasn't prepared for with the 5er was the distance between the truck bed rails and the bottom of the 5er overhang. I have about 6-7 inches clearance, but I also never realized how the side-to-side movement of the camper to the truck can be. The underside of the 5er had contact with the truck bed rail (once) and cracked the fiberglass. I was able to repair it myself, as it was a surface crack, but still, it made me keenly aware, I never had this problem with a TT.

In this case ... TT wins by a land slide. The TT can tilt side to side all it want's and never make contact with the truck.

Space?
I always said I'd never give up the construction workers shell on the back of my pick-up truck. It had panel doors on both sides and 2 full length (8 foot long) shelves, for a total of 32 feet of shelf... off the floor bed of the truck. With the shell and those shelves, it afforded a LOT of storage for a LOT of stuff, keeping everything dry. In addition, I had ladder racks on the top for transporting a canoe.

Well, with the 5er, the shell was given away to someone else. I did get a cover for the truck bed to hide the 5er hitch and keep it out of the elements. I have since found alternative locations for everything I use to carry in the truck, which was all for camping anyway. We quit carrying the canoe about 4 years ago. We're getting to old to man-handle it any more. So, really, no need for those ladder racks. So, after finding new places in the 5er to store everything, getting the cover for the truck...

(Storage Space --- wash out -- same, equal).

Now I could ramble on for another 15 pages about all the interior differences, but really, each floor plan of every camper, of every model has it's own unique attributes. You either love it or you don't. No comparisons there.

Thanks for enduring my "thesis" ... but to summarize ... both are equal if the tow vehicle is a one-ton dualy and the TT is using a weight distribution system with built in sway control. If you are using a lesser tow vehicle, you may experience some very noticeable differences.

Lwiddis wrote:
Is your F250’s payload up to 2,000 pounds of 5er pin weight plus hitch, people and stuff in the cab? Or 1,100 pounds of TT tongue weight, the hitch and people and stuff in the truck? Champagne on a beer budget?

Yeah, it is....

I would pick the travel trailer. You will have the bed to haul stuff. I use mine to store the bikes ( 4 each), fire wood, chairs, etc. This makes loading and unloading easier and better for me. Plus I have my truck tool box, my spare tire and mastts in there as well. Something to cvonsider......

Thank you all for taking the time to respond. Living in NW TN we would do long weekends traveling anywhere from 2 hours from home to over to East Tn. I do see us taking one long vacation a year to see some sites on our bucket list: Up state NY, Grand Canyon, Florida, Yellowstone just to name a few.

We went with a TT so we could haul 4 kayaks on a ladder rack, and 4 bikes in the bed. I didn't want to mess with trying to hang all that on a 5th wheel or put any of it inside.

MLWalton wrote:
Hey, new guy here. I have a 2019 F-250 6.2L 3:73 and debating on getting a 5th wheel or bumper pull TT. The 5th wheel I'm looking at has a dry weight of 10k and is 35 feet in length where as the bumper pull is 39 feet in length and it's dry weight is 8300#. Please give me some opinions on why you would chose one over the other. Thank you all in advance for helping the new guy.

After reading the posts there is some sound advice posted here. Things like:

azdryheat wrote:
For starters forget the dry weight figures. The gross weight (GVWR) is the the number that matters. Will your truck with the 6.2L handle fully loaded trailers? I like the 5th wheel for it's stability in crosswinds but I don't like the steps to the bedroom but I do like that 5th wheels are easier to maneuver and backup.

Lwiddis wrote:
Is your F250’s payload up to 2,000 pounds of 5er pin weight plus hitch, people and stuff in the cab? Or 1,100 pounds of TT tongue weight, the hitch and people and stuff in the truck? Champagne on a beer budget?

cavie wrote:
GVW is listed on your driver door post. That is where you start. Now add up EVERYTHING that will be in the truck and trailer. ALL people, dogs kids, and don't forget the wife. ADD everything you walked thru the door of the trailer. Fill up the storage tanks. Fresh, Black and gray with water. All this can be done on paper. Now compare that to the truck GVW and see what you got. Not only do you pull it but you have to stop it.

You can not use the Dry weight to calculate, who buys an RV then tow's it around empty? You have to use a real figure, and it's best to use GVWR of trailer to get a good idea, you may never load to GVW (you will be shocked how fast you add up to that number), but at least you know you are using a good figure to calculate.
Take the GVWR of the trailer and use 15-20% of that number to get pin weight. Some use 15%, I use 20% because again it allows for some cushion. NEVER operate at MAX capacity, always give room I like to use 80%. In other words if you have a tow rating of 17,000lbs, multiply 80% of that and stay under that weight for trailer weight. Example: 80% of 17,000lbs is 13,600, so get a trailer at or under that 13,600lbs, providing the pin weight is under the payload capacity of the tow vehicle.

Yes the truck will do it, but remember, just because you are doing it does not mean you are doing it right, or safe.

Remember, tow rating is an important number and you need to know it, but it's the least important. Payload Capacity, GVWR, GCWR, Axle Rating and Tire rating are far more important, and IF you stay under those numbers, chances are you will never exceed tow rating anyhow.

Just my .02 that I learned the hard way.

I don't think there is a vast difference in towing between the two. BUT I have used the same hitch for 24 years. It has a slide sway bar and 1200# torsion bars.
The difference in anchor points is almost the same with the torsion bars moving a good percentage of the load point forward. As for wind, you deal with it. A quartering wind is the worst and it hitting any trailer on a 45 degree is nasty especially if it is gusty. Bottom line make your choice for your world, I prefer a TT, don't like stairs or being trapped in a nest with the door below.
Lastly IF you use your trailer you will learn what you can and can't do.