Bumper pull vs. 5th wheel

I went from many years of travel trailers and different sizes to this year a 5er. My previous TT was 32'/8800lbs and towed ok most of the time, the new 5er though is so much better.
IM not going to tell you how It tows so well you forget about it because that is BS! I know it is there now it is just a couple feet behind the cab of the truck, but I am getting used to that. It is easier to hook up and being a toy haler I have plenty of room to bring whatever I want, My truck is a long bed so I have plenty of room for firewood. Fuel mileage, improved about .5mpg, maybe my driving attitude has changed now that I see 38' of trailer behind me.

In the end I am very happy with the move to the 5th wheel, but also loved out previous trailer....but I am in no rush to go back to a tt.

I've towed both and a 5er does tow better. My travel trailer pulls perfectly fine 99% of the time but there are occasional situations where it gets to feeling strange. The last time was behind a car hauler, felt horrible. Got past him and all was well. The only issue on a 4600 mile trip. On that trip I had the fuel pump go out on my Suburban 25 miles from home and was using my fathers 2500HD with a Duramax (2006 LBZ). He tows a Cougar 5er that weighs quite a bit more than my 7500 lb loaded travel trailer. Using his truck I got about 1 mpg worse than him overall. I was traveling slightly faster than he normally does, but one day I tried driving 63 mph like he says he does and the fuel economy was no different for me than 65-67. I averaged around 10.5 for the 4600 mile trip, much better than the 7.5 I would have gotten with the 8.1L in my Suburban.

I would miss the storage for bikes with a 5er, with my parents and just 2 bikes, they use a bike rack on the back of the 5er. I have 5 bikes to bring along and they go nicely in the back of the Suburban and would in a truck too of course. You could put them in the trailer (been there done that, don't like it) or on a bike rack on a 5er hitch as well. Makes carrying Kayaks more difficult as well, 4 go nicely on the Suburban, not so easy over the front of the truck if you have a 5er. If the storage differences meet your needs, a 5er is nicer to tow and has more interior space for the same truck and RV total hitched length.

A 5th wheel is usually heavier than a comparable size TT. I have towed TTs and 5th wheels and a TT with the proper truck and a properly set up Equalizer hitch you should not have any issues. I never had problems backing a TT and feel a 5th wheel turns a bit slower when backing, which can be a good thing if you have any distance to back up. If you need a large toy hauler then the 5th wheel maybe the way to go.

jon16 wrote:
I'm really surprised to hear that the 5th wheel won't really make a difference on mpg. That's good to hear.

I have the tow prep package in my truck too. I'd prefer to not use a 5th wheel hitch in my bed, b/c of moving it out by myself.

Has anyone used the Anderson ultimate hitch? I looked into goosneck adapters, but I'm not crazy about those due to the stress it most likely adds to the 5th wheel frame.

Yes I run the Andersen Ultimate hitch and have no complaints. Great hitch that is easy to install and has a very smooth ride. Good call to stay away from the GN conversions.

N-Trouble wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:
You want more bang for the buck you buy a TT. You want to pull a bigger RV with the same vehicle, you buy a TT. Other than that they are both the same; an RV, they just hitch up differently.

Such misguided/poor advice...

Oh please enlighten me. What is misguided or poor advice?

OP - when you are talking "mpg" they are all bad. All Of Them!! When someone says they are getting better mpg with a 5er vs. a TT (dubious claim), they are talking 9.6 mpg vs. 9.5 mpg. You don't buy and RV for the gas mileage.

Your BEST mpgs per a fellow that pulls RV trailers for a living. Will be the airstream and mid sized 5w withOUT a front bedroom slide. The Glendale Titanium 5W is another that gets better than ave mpgs. Travel trailers with aluminum sides are generally speaking the worst. He always gets better mpgs with the 200-500 lb heavier same models with the smooth fiberglass sidewall vs an aluminum sided one.

Issue some of us have like myself with 5W's, I use my truck as a contractor, pulling multiple trailers that are bumper pulls if you will. I have to also take off a lumber/ladder/pipe rack off the truck to install a 5W hitch, ea time I want to pull a 5W trailer. Not happening!

I also get way more use of the bed, along with I can haul easier a canoe, kayaks, small topable boat if need be too. Or some haul golf carts, off road bikes/quads etc in the bed with out having to go to a rear garage style trailer...

At the end, there is in reality, no true right or wrong RV trailer. Only the one that YOU, most important, SPOUSE likes, if spouse does not like it, your screwed no matter all the other positives.......

Get the one that works for you! I was very happy pulling my TT with souse and 4 kids in a mid 20' TT thru snow and ice, sleet, sun etc over 12 years and 120K miles, not to mention most useage was December to April as a ski hut. Yep, hauled to local area dang near EVERY weekend! Don't let a bit of that winter white stuff scare ye too much either!

I'm really surprised to hear that the 5th wheel won't really make a difference on mpg. That's good to hear.

I have the tow prep package in my truck too. I'd prefer to not use a 5th wheel hitch in my bed, b/c of moving it out by myself.

Has anyone used the Anderson ultimate hitch? I looked into goosneck adapters, but I'm not crazy about those due to the stress it most likely adds to the 5th wheel frame.

jon16 wrote:

Hey hey now. I've been gone all weekend, and busy with my biz. I've got a 2015 ram 2500 6.4 w/ 3.73's. I've been looking at a smaller toy hauler, and smaller TT toy haulers. I was just interested in everyone opinion. I'm still undecided, as I'm guessing the 5th wheel will have much more wind resistance. I don't want to dread pulling it to FL from OH in the winter. Trying to look at all options and make a smart move!

Yes more wind resistance than what you are towing now but not more than a bumper pull. Since 5ers sit closer to the truck they act like a single mass cutting through the air. With a bumper pull they act like two separate masses. My 5er is 4Klb heavier than my previous bumper pull TH but I get roughly the same mileage. Don't let a 5er scare you, just stick to the smaller ones and you'll have no regrets

jon16 wrote:

Hey hey now. I've been gone all weekend, and busy with my biz. I've got a 2015 ram 2500 6.4 w/ 3.73's. I've been looking at a smaller toy hauler, and smaller TT toy haulers. I was just interested in everyone opinion. I'm still undecided, as I'm guessing the 5th wheel will have much more wind resistance. I don't want to dread pulling it to FL from OH in the winter. Trying to look at all options and make a smart move!

Glad you are still with us!

From previous reports the consensus is the 5er will pull easier of similar weight. No personal experience tho!

But I can tell you without a doubt towing a 5er is a dream compared to the TT.

jon16 wrote:

Hey hey now. I've been gone all weekend, and busy with my biz. I've got a 2015 ram 2500 6.4 w/ 3.73's. I've been looking at a smaller toy hauler, and smaller TT toy haulers. I was just interested in everyone opinion. I'm still undecided, as I'm guessing the 5th wheel will have much more wind resistance. I don't want to dread pulling it to FL from OH in the winter. Trying to look at all options and make a smart move!

Many that have moved from a TT to a 5er that is heaver than the TT have reported better fuel mileage towing. Not huge gains, but noticeable.