Regret going TT over a 5th?
I have read on the fifth wheel forum that many there have gone from the bumper pull to the 5th wheel and wish they would have done it sooner and will never go back. I am wondering if there are any tha...
Forum Discussion
We went to a 5W about 4 years ago. Over the years we had done tent to pop-up to TT and never considered a 5W until we had the truck for it. When our TT got totaled in a hailstorm, that was when we bought the 5W. We are in our 40s so the steps aren't a problem at this point and the extra space is exactly what we like for the children and larger dog phase of our life we are in now. I like having my bedroom "upstairs" and away from the noise that is frequently going on in the living area. Also, I am up very early, so I like getting up and going "downstairs" to the kitchen and living area while my husband and son sleep in and I don't wake them up if I make coffee, watch a movie or whatever in the morning.
My husband says towing the 5th wheel is very different and much easier than towing the TT. We bought basically the same length but (had 29.5 BHS with TT, now have 28.5BHS with FW). My husband says driving the FW is hardly noticeable whereas the bumper pull he had to concentrate more it seems. He says it's easier to turn corners and get into gas stations, etc. Also, when you are parked at the campground, because you can park your truck up underneath a little bit, you take up less length and fit in spots a little better. You also have a sort of "car port" that you can put bikes, chairs, grill underneath if there is a rainstorm or something. Not a big deal, but nice. Headroom is a huge difference when you enter the 5W compared to TT, but you also need a step stool to reach the upper cabinets in a 5W for the same reason.
You do lose truck bed space. We use a gooseneck since our Ford Truck has that disappearing hitch ball in the bed of the truck, so that's nice that we don't have to have the big 5W hitch in the truck. Hitching up seems very easy and my husband always does it alone, although it's probably just as easy or easier with a backup camera on a bumper pull.
That's all I can think of at the moment. We are considering toy hauler next because we can store stuff in the "garage" and our son who is a tall teenager can have a bigger "bedroom" than what is in a bunk room. (we don't need 3 or 4 bunks and don't want one of those floor plans). But we do want a 5th wheel toy hauler. We may never actually make that move, but that's what we'd be interested in if the right deal came along.
FWIW,
Karin
My husband says towing the 5th wheel is very different and much easier than towing the TT. We bought basically the same length but (had 29.5 BHS with TT, now have 28.5BHS with FW). My husband says driving the FW is hardly noticeable whereas the bumper pull he had to concentrate more it seems. He says it's easier to turn corners and get into gas stations, etc. Also, when you are parked at the campground, because you can park your truck up underneath a little bit, you take up less length and fit in spots a little better. You also have a sort of "car port" that you can put bikes, chairs, grill underneath if there is a rainstorm or something. Not a big deal, but nice. Headroom is a huge difference when you enter the 5W compared to TT, but you also need a step stool to reach the upper cabinets in a 5W for the same reason.
You do lose truck bed space. We use a gooseneck since our Ford Truck has that disappearing hitch ball in the bed of the truck, so that's nice that we don't have to have the big 5W hitch in the truck. Hitching up seems very easy and my husband always does it alone, although it's probably just as easy or easier with a backup camera on a bumper pull.
That's all I can think of at the moment. We are considering toy hauler next because we can store stuff in the "garage" and our son who is a tall teenager can have a bigger "bedroom" than what is in a bunk room. (we don't need 3 or 4 bunks and don't want one of those floor plans). But we do want a 5th wheel toy hauler. We may never actually make that move, but that's what we'd be interested in if the right deal came along.
FWIW,
Karin
