fiver v/s TT

I think i would start comparing floor plans everybody has a personal preference we enjoy our f'ver over the tt we had but most importantly was the floor plan. bathroom size ability to bath and kitchen without moving the slideeven take a nap when on the road

We went from a TT (Komfort 282TS - rear kitchen, full slide, recliners, 11K GVWR (w/cargo), 32 foot overall) to a FW (Heartland Bighorn, 3055RL, mid kitchen, 3 slides, 11.5K GVWR (w/cargo), 35.5 foot overall). Had a Hensley Arrow on the TT, so no sway, have a Hensley BD3 TrailerSaver on the fiver, so no bounce or jerking. The ceilings are high and because of the additional slides we have more of a residential feel inside. Lots of storage but we don't have it filled, so we are well under the max GVWR. We don't store a lot in the bed en route with the fiver but with the TT we did - generator, wood, dog crates. Dogs have moved inside to the back seat to the truck and generator is in the front bay. Storage in the TT was a long, low, bay, that was hard to reach into. With the fiver, you literally can crawl into it to get things out. I won't go into all the amenities we have because they're all different and with today's new TT models, the ceilings are highter, they come with fireplaces and flat screen TV's, king beds, porcelain toilets and sinks, solid surface countertops, etc. same as luxury fivers (ours) :)

Not too many 5ers you will pull with a 6.0L + you guzzle a lot of gas 6-9 mpg. As other have said make a list of your priorities to see witch one fits the bill, otherwise a 6 to 10k mistake.

We started with a non slider 28 foot TT loved it!
Nice roomy bedroom in the rear
Huge bathroom
Nice kitchen in front
Low to the ground
2 entry doors (one of our favorite features)
Limited storage (we used the truck with a camper shell for storage)
Spring bar hitch was a hassle and noisy

I would say our TT was a good trailer for sleeping and cooking.
Back when we had it we were younger and outside the trailer a lot more.
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We're on our second fifth wheel...
Truck and trailer seem integrated
Easier to hitch
More height inside
3 slides massive living area
Tighter turning radius for a longer trailer
Stable while underway
Much greater storage
Almost twice the weight of our TT
Harder to cool down with AC running

This coach is much more comfortable inside.
I would say you could spend a rainy day trapped and not go too crazy.

bradyk wrote:
Personal preference but we haul too much junk with us so like the TT idea. You can now get the same layouts as fw, 1, 2 , or 3 slideout models and big and heavy well into the 10-15k gvw range if you look. If you want higher end you can get brands like Excel in a style just like a nice fifth so no need to think that only fifth wheels have quality units any longer. Look around and you will find lots of floor plans and qualities available. If you go TT make sure as mentioned you also go quality hitch and you won't have to deal with sway issues.

X2 on all points.

Personal preference but we haul too much junk with us so like the TT idea. You can now get the same layouts as fw, 1, 2 , or 3 slideout models and big and heavy well into the 10-15k gvw range if you look. If you want higher end you can get brands like Excel in a style just like a nice fifth so no need to think that only fifth wheels have quality units any longer. Look around and you will find lots of floor plans and qualities available. If you go TT make sure as mentioned you also go quality hitch and you won't have to deal with sway issues.

unless the 5er is a toy hauler type, I want the bed of the pickup to carry "stuff".
bumpy

A TT is capped at a weight of 10k, a 5er isn't (though you might need a DL endorsement over 10k or a different class over 15k depending on where you're living). A fifth wheel hitch will rip out of the bed of the truck before it comes unhitched in a collision. Having the hitch over the rear wheels of the truck v. the rear of the truck makes driving, maneuvering, & backing easier, IMHO.

You don't see many TT with more than one slide out.

Biggest "con" is your payload but that depends on the SIZE of the trailer you're considering.

As noted above, there are pros and cons with both. With a properly set up TT you should not have any sway, so that's not a deal breaker either way. The 5ers have a few advantages including the bigger storage bays. They tow nice due to the wheels being set further back.

The "con" is that you generally need a bigger truck due to the much greater pin weight, and 5ers generally cost more. TTs are kind of more "bang for the buck" IMO, but I'd love to have a big 5er with a big 1 ton truck. Not in this year's budget though.