Bumper Pull vs 5th Wheel

[rayford118]

Getting closer to getting the Cyclone and got another question for the experts. Currently pulling a 32' Jayco that is probably closer to 35' including tounge im sure. What would be the equivalent for a 5th wheel as far as length. What I mean is, with a few feet of the 5th wheel hanging over the bed, how much longer a 5th wheel can you have and still have the similar turning ranger as the 35' bumper pull. Trying to see how much harder it will be to get in and out of places with this longer trailer but i figure it may not be as bad as im fearing since a good bit of the extra length will get over the bed instead of extending in the rear. Am I thinking right?

[rayford118]

64thunderbolt wrote:
you can negotiate a smaller gate with a 5er. I have proven it. Turning radius is shorter.

yes indeed. was very surprised how much extra room i had pulling in. a lot easier than with the BP even though the TH is 10' longer!

[64thunderbolt]

you can negotiate a smaller gate with a 5er. I have proven it. Turning radius is shorter.

[rayford118]

the reason for my initial question was to see if i would have any issues getting my new TH through my gates into the yard. wanted to make sure i was wide enough because the road is at a weird angle to my yard. but got the camper injust fine with plenty of room to spare. also the 5er pulls much better than the BP did. on interstate en route to the dealer the semis would still push me around the road some when they would pass. on the ride home with the cyclone there were no such issues. plus alot quicker to hookup and go with the new camper!

[ReneeG]

1L243 wrote:
. . . but I can say I watched a guy backing a Fiver in the same spot I had backed my Rig in a few days earlier before I moved and he had a heck of a time and I just backed right in.

This is just based on experience and not whether it's a TT or FW.

[Doughboy12]

1L243 wrote:
My Bumper Pull is 36'6" including tongue. I kid you not it's long but I like having a canopy on the back of my truck to haul extra cargo.

Can't say which one tows better because I have no Fiver experience, but I can say I watched a guy backing a Fiver in the same spot I had backed my Rig in a few days earlier before I moved and he had a heck of a time and I just backed right in.

Says more about the driver than the fiver...

[1L243]

My Bumper Pull is 36'6" including tongue. I kid you not it's long but I like having a canopy on the back of my truck to haul extra cargo.

Can't say which one tows better because I have no Fiver experience, but I can say I watched a guy backing a Fiver in the same spot I had backed my Rig in a few days earlier before I moved and he had a heck of a time and I just backed right in.

[glazier]

I have owned both and most of your decision will be personal preference. I personally like a fifth wheel better, I am now shopping for a toyhauler my truck can handle, tough to find. I wouldn't worry so much about how it hooks to the truck, I would buy based on floor plan.

[64thunderbolt]

I have a LB and my pin is 4" in frt of axle center line. Rides great and the wgt is dist evenly.

[dsrace]

if your looking at a short box ready fw ( where the fw pin sticks out in front of the upper deck) then add 3.5' to your current length and if you buy long box required fw then add 5' to current length. this should get you close to your current overall length of tv and tt combined. btw the fw tows sooooo much better than a tt, I've had both and wouldn't go back to a tt personally. I have a long box dually and my 295 wp's fw pin sticks out past the upper deck which imo is short box ready. I can turn 90* to the fw with the truck, haven't found a spot I can't get in yet but not looking for one either lol.

[64thunderbolt]

my mistake don't know how to delete

[64thunderbolt]

oops

[69_Avion]

Everything else being equal, a fifth wheel should tow better. Having said that, I would never trade my 34' silver Avion for a fifth wheel because I don't want to give up the truck bed. I take at least one quad with me and I don't want to pull two trailers. The Avion pulls so nice that usually I don't even know that it is back there except for pulling long hills. I have pulled that trailer across the country several times and I have never had a sway issue or any ill handling characteristics. I use a quality WDH but I don't use the sway bars. I've never had the need for them.
Which one is best? There is no "correct" answer. It all depends on what the user wants.

I recently put my Avion C-11 on a trailer made to take a quad so that I could put one quad in the back of the truck and the other on the trailer. It is kind of a red neck toy hauler, but I can take it back off road quite a way without getting hung up on a rough road. My 34' Avion would never get anywhere near as far back as I want to go. That is why I no longer use it.

[64thunderbolt]

How long have you pulled the 5er? It takes a little while to adjust to it. I would be all over everything with a tongue pull.

[skybry]

We're switching back to a TT. The 5th wheel has been too much forward reverse to get into spots. We camp in forest service campgrounds and state parks which can be very tight. The 5ver cuts the corners to much and when you get into that corner too far, (trees along the apex) backing out becomes a real chore since the pivot point is over the axle. For me, it seems like a lot more tow vehicle maneuvering with the 5ver to get the trailer where I want it.