Fifth Whl vs Trvl Tralr

[pexford]

We have a 2011 24' Passport that now has about 40k miles...only 6 more States left to camp in. But now looking @ a new rig. Heavy travel days are over. Something less than 30'? Maybe a Fifth Whl but don't know. Anyone out there that has pulled both? What's downside? Thinking of the pain of the hitch 'cause I want to keep the bed of the truck clear when not towing. What's upside? Mostly interested how Fiver handles, stability, backup, hitch-up, unhitch, turn radius, etc. Will pick brand & model ourselves, not looking for endorsements.

[mr__ed]

I fulltimed in a fiver for a number of years, but had to give it up due to a sudden health crisis. The fiver towed beautifully, and I used a short bed 1 ton diesel, single rear wheels without a problem. There is still some concern with a short bed truck when making a very sharp turning maneuver but there are special hitches that address that possibility. I got by with a standard hitch by just being careful when making tight turns.
A big plus factor with a fiver, as others mentioned, is extra room, not only inside, but for storage as well.

[jalichty]

Unless you are getting a really big, heavy FW, you won't need air bags. Also, FWs don't need weight distribution since the hitch generally rides over, or close to, the rear axle.Is your Ram a dual or single rear wheel, that does change the load capabilities and somewhat the towing performance.

[Reilly_the_rver]

Honestly, I've towed both and a fifth wheel any day. That are much safer with distibuted weight, they have more space and are maneuvered easier. The downside is they are huge and take up bed space, but yo can put bikes and stuff under the hitch, they are heavier in some cases. A travel trailer is putting all the weight on the trailer and a bit on the truck-not as safe. You will need a truck for pulling anyways, so I would say your not losing much and go ahead with a 5er

[CabinetmakerII]

Dayle1 wrote:
I find that driver fatigue is less with a fiver. It isn't just due to a more stable rig with less sway, although that is a big reason. While WD and sway control do their job, I still feel the TTs influence on the tow vehicle at every bump/dip etc and it wears on the driver over hundreds of miles. OTOH if a fiver setup has severe chucking, that also increases driver fatigue, but most of my fivers have not had this issue.

We have had both TT and now 5th Wheel. When we first bought the 5er, I almost reneged on the deal due to the "Chucking" with this 43' Toyhauler. It took an "Airborne" kingpin and Armstrong Airbags on the truck (F-450) to get the chucking under control. I had never heard of chucking until I bought a 5th wheel. As others have stated, pulling a 5er is easier with the exception of the "Cheating" while making turns and slow reacting while backing.

[IdaD]

I'd start without anything and stay that way if you like it. The two reasons for bags or timbrens is to fix sag or to improve the loaded ride. The former is objective and unlikely to be an issue on a new 3500, but the ladder is subjective and depends on personal preference.

Congress on the truck - huge upgrade over your light duty Ram.

[smokeylew]

Thanks for the reply Jerry. Nice to have this forum available. Always get quick responses and good info.

[MFL]

smokeylew wrote:
I have a 25' TT and been pulling it with a 1500 Ram for 4 years. The trailer's tongue weight is 1,000 pounds and it's been a borderline white knuckle ride the whole time.

Purchased a Ram 3500 long bed and now am considering a 5W. How do you compensate for weight distribution with a 5W? Are air bags usually needed for this? Everything mentioned in this post is confirming my desire to go with a 5W.

To get more replies, you may be better off starting your own thread.

To answer your question, with a late model 3500 truck, you would not need suspension enhancement, unless you bought a large FW, with enough pin wt to be approaching your RAWR.

Since your pin weight will be over rear axle, very little weight will be taken off front axle. No real WD is needed, but at some point, you may need to level truck.

Jerry

[smokeylew]

I have a 25' TT and been pulling it with a 1500 Ram for 4 years. The trailer's tongue weight is 1,000 pounds and it's been a borderline white knuckle ride the whole time.

Purchased a Ram 3500 long bed and now am considering a 5W. How do you compensate for weight distribution with a 5W? Are air bags usually needed for this? Everything mentioned in this post is confirming my desire to go with a 5W.

[pexford]

Thank you all for your inputs! About what I've heard. Will pay attention to the step thing as we're not young! Thanks again. Peter

[IdaD]

CampbellDaycruiser wrote:
I am a newbie fifth wheel owner from CA where trucks and trailers are restricted to 55mph and most trucks seem to run at 59/60 mph. Is it the same in Oregon? We are planning on a trip there in a couple of months to see just how gloomy it is in the rainy season in case we decide to retire there. I generally like to get in the right lane and roll along with the majority of the big rigs although I do seem to get passed by a lot of RVs! It would be nice to be able to add a few mph to my moving average w/o worrying about getting a ticket........!

I towed in and out of California this summer. Initially I stuck to the 55 limit but as I got passed by trailer after trailer I eventually worked up to 65. Then on the way out when we were headed home and trying to cover lots of miles I went 70 on I15 until we hit Nevada and bumped up to 72. No ticket in CA but I imagine that was largely luck. It was a calculated risk to try to save some time on the long drive home with the kids sleeping.

No issues with stability or anything else with the fiver at those speeds, even through a side wind. Being able to comfortably cover lots of miles is a big benefit to a fifth wheel.

[CampbellDaycrui]

I am a newbie fifth wheel owner from CA where trucks and trailers are restricted to 55mph and most trucks seem to run at 59/60 mph. Is it the same in Oregon? We are planning on a trip there in a couple of months to see just how gloomy it is in the rainy season in case we decide to retire there. I generally like to get in the right lane and roll along with the majority of the big rigs although I do seem to get passed by a lot of RVs! It would be nice to be able to add a few mph to my moving average w/o worrying about getting a ticket........!

[goducks10]

Dayle1 wrote:
I find that driver fatigue is less with a fiver. It isn't just due to a more stable rig with less sway, although that is a big reason. While WD and sway control do their job, I still feel the TTs influence on the tow vehicle at every bump/dip etc and it wears on the driver over hundreds of miles. OTOH if a fiver setup has severe chucking, that also increases driver fatigue, but most of my fivers have not had this issue.

Agree. Using the same truck towing both previous TT and current 5th wheel, I often find myself wanting to run 70+mph. I don't but the comfort level is higher with the 5th wheel so most of the time I don't feel it back there except for the occasional chucking from bad roads.
In Oregon semis are limited to 55mph although they mostly run 59-60mph. I have no concerns about passing one doing 65mph even when I'm in a corner while out on the interstate.

[northmeck0255]

We like our fiver, but the next rig will be an Airstream. Too many steps for my knees.

[Dayle1]

I find that driver fatigue is less with a fiver. It isn't just due to a more stable rig with less sway, although that is a big reason. While WD and sway control do their job, I still feel the TTs influence on the tow vehicle at every bump/dip etc and it wears on the driver over hundreds of miles. OTOH if a fiver setup has severe chucking, that also increases driver fatigue, but most of my fivers have not had this issue.