Help and advice please

We went around the country for a year in a 22ft. trailer and could get into almost any campground. With our current 28ft. there have been some spots we could not get into. Some folks never get the hang of backing a 5ver, whereas backing a trailer for many is easier. Comment above about moving bottom of steering wheel in direction you want back of trailer to go while backing is right on.

Everyone's different, so it's tough to generalize. But if you are set on getting used to it, probably you'd be acclimated by the time you have towed and camped with it for a week or two.

A 5th wheel will let you have the same space in a shorter package that will handle more securely and be more maneuverable. Just a thought.

You have a good truck for pulling that TT. As long as the WDH is set up correctly and the TT is loaded for enough tongue weight, the TT should have good towing manners. One does not need a 5th to have good towing manners but dialing in the set up is a bit more critical on a TT.

That looks like a good TT floor plan for a family and should provide plenty of space for all. My TT is point to bumper 30.5ft and I find I would not want any larger. That is a personal preference. When visiting RV parks, there are certain spots longer trailers will not fit into, 30 ft. is a good length to fit most spots.

I have been towing my TT into more and more remote areas and find I wish it was actually smaller. I now have interest in a TC but would like to keep our TT for family vacations too. What it really comes down to is your personal needs/wants and where you see yourself using your RV.

I think I remember you made a custom overhead bunk for your daughter ?

After owning both types, its a personal choice dictated by your style, needs and family size .
You will miss having the tc with you all the time if you left the camper on the truck all the time. You might be able to offset that by towing with a van.

Having the trailer offers more room, an easier bed to get into, a shorter climb in/out of the camper/TT and lots more storage.
The size of the battery trays sometimes only allows smaller batteries. If you boondock, you might need to alter the battery tray.

Towing has to made level. The weight has to be distributed equal over both axles on a trailer. Make sure your hitch head set up is done correctly. There are adjustments with setting up the hitch properly. Have enough tongue weight to limit sway and do not place too much weight on the TT rear axle, make it equal. This all affects the tow, axle stress and trailer tire wear.

Backing up a trailer is no harder than putting a camper under a truck...practice it . While backing up .... Place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel , if you want the rear of the trailer to go right , make your hand go to the right. Its also easier to back in on the drivers side, you will lose your mirror view on the passenger side. A spotter with a handheld 2 way radio will help .
Im pretty good on backing one into tight places and I have seen people back TT's into places where you would think they would never fit.
If you pick the right TT floor plan , you could get a 1500 truck with no mods or special equipment to do the job.
With a TT you have options. You could plan to lease a new truck every 3 yrs. and always be covered by a bumper to bumper warranty with no expense of modding it up.
You could also use a van to tow with. Passenger space for a family with storage. Some people have them for a porta potty option . The windows can be screened and fantastic fans added to ventilate ,( if you have a pet to leave in it while parked ). It could also be used as a solo camping unit if you like to go alone on fishing trips etc .

Good luck with your choice , research trailer tires.
Bob

We had the same questions so we rented a TT and took a 10 day trip to the Ozarks.

We rented the size TT we thought we wanted and learned a lot in a short period of time.

A bit expensive but we had the dealer do the dumping when we returned it.

In my opinion I would say a small fifth wheel or a small Class A, B or C would be a better choice for ease of travel and setup.

Good advice from WyoTraveler. Backing up towing a trailer is definitely a learning experience! More paraphernalia probably needed to boondock when you have a trailer, than when you have a TC: generator and/or solar panels, possibly flipping the axles for higher ground clearance, more tires to consider, etc.

Stairs will probably be shorter, anyway. :)

One thing you have to consider. TCs go just about anywhere. Larger RVs do not go everywhere. Once you are over that hurdle and know that your RVing will change depending on size doubt you will have problems. Any RV has a learning period.