FIrst Excperience Towing 5th compared to TT

[rowekmr]

I have been towing my travel trailer for 8 years and other small trailers a little longer. I am really accustomed to hitching and unhitching by myself and travelling long distances with it. After towing a 5th wheel I am really impressed with the simpler and more robust hitching process (that you can see from cab) and the stability is like night and day. Not that I ever had my TT dangerously swaying down the highway but it never tracked as solid as the few 5th wheels I have towed. One thing I happily miss is hooking up WD and sway bars and that loud creaking noise from the WD when driving through a quiet campground while turning.

[starcraft69]

RedJeep wrote:

starcraft69 wrote:
I just towed our new 5th wheel for the first time yesterday!!!!!! It was a first for me, and I loved it. I went from a truck camper and a boat to the 5th wheel. It was super easy to hitch up and tow. With in a few mile I was already speeding I am going to have to remember to slow down. I love how easy it is.

So no more boat? Was giving up the boat worth going to the FW?

I will be keeping the camper for the few trips that we do with the boat. Most of my fishing is day trip fishing. I still may be able to tow boat with 5th wheel. It is worth it the wife and I are starting to take much bigger trips 9-14 days and soon 1- 1 1/2 month. We are not just weekending it as much.

[RedJeep]

starcraft69 wrote:
I just towed our new 5th wheel for the first time yesterday!!!!!! It was a first for me, and I loved it. I went from a truck camper and a boat to the 5th wheel. It was super easy to hitch up and tow. With in a few mile I was already speeding I am going to have to remember to slow down. I love how easy it is.

So no more boat? Was giving up the boat worth going to the FW?

[Goostoff]

Everybody forgot part 4..... "Ok I dropped my fifth wheel."

[laknox]

starcraft69 wrote:
I just towed our new 5th wheel for the first time yesterday!!!!!! It was a first for me, and I loved it. I went from a truck camper and a boat to the 5th wheel. It was super easy to hitch up and tow. With in a few mile I was already speeding I am going to have to remember to slow down. I love how easy it is.

😄

I know what you mean. You =will= get a reminder to slow down every time you fill up after driving too fast, though. :B Seriously, though, if you have ST tires on your FW, they are almost certainly speed-limited to 65 mph, so that will help, some, if you stick to that. I pick up 1-1.5 mpg by dropping to 60...

Lyle

[starcraft69]

I just towed our new 5th wheel for the first time yesterday!!!!!! It was a first for me, and I loved it. I went from a truck camper and a boat to the 5th wheel. It was super easy to hitch up and tow. With in a few mile I was already speeding I am going to have to remember to slow down. I love how easy it is.

[laknox]

Me Again wrote:

rode2nowhere wrote:
ok what can I tow with a 2004 gmc duramax as far as a 5th wheel goes?

2500, 3500 SRW or 3500 DRW?

If it is a 2500 with 9200 GVWR PIN weight is the issue. What size tires?

CHRIS

2wd?
4wd?
Long box?
Std. box?
Rear end ratio?
Transmission?
Crew cab?
Ext. cab?
Std. cab?
Tow package?

Lyle

[Me_Again]

rode2nowhere wrote:
ok what can I tow with a 2004 gmc duramax as far as a 5th wheel goes?

2500, 3500 SRW or 3500 DRW?

If it is a 2500 with 9200 GVWR PIN weight is the issue. What size tires?

CHRIS

[rode2nowhere]

ok what can I tow with a 2004 gmc duramax as far as a 5th wheel goes?

[rowekmr]

I would offer take your time, pause and to get out to look (or have 2nd set of eyes) and don't be afraid to pull forward to adjust your trailer angle. In my case the 5th wheels don't respond as fast to turning angles as my TT did.

I pull many different sizes (job) so I don't have the luxury of getting used to how any particular trailer handles like my own TT but by following the above I haven't had any real issues yet from 25'-38' except one time.

Sometimes having the arm chair observers (park neighbors) can increase the anxiety. Talk about a show you should have seen me the first time I tried to hitch in the snow on a warmer day with many outside. In my rush and show off attitude (hey look at me) I didn't clear the snow off of my 5th wheel and lined up and reversed it and was dead on first time problem is the 5th wheel didn't lock. I pulled forward and back enough times they went it (probably got tired of watching me) and I got frustrated. I called the hitch installer who said they don't typically have failures with the 5th wheel and to check for ice. I didn't see any ice on the 5th wheel tried a few more times but in desperation (getting dark) I checked the trailer pin which had about 3/16 of compacted snow/ice right on the ridge of the pin. It was enough that it didn't allow the pin to set completely into the hitch so the jaws would lock. I took a wrench and lightly tapped it off then hitched up no problem! Learned an important lesson that day. LOL

beelbill wrote:
I am going to pick up my Jayco Eagle 5th wheel tomorrow. I also have towed lots of trailers but never a 5th wheel. I stayed away from them because they look like a semi. I am excited but also a little anxious about it. I don't know what a pinbox is or how to adjust it. I have to back it into the site where we will be keeping it. I bet it will be quite a show.

[beelbill]

I am going to pick up my Jayco Eagle 5th wheel tomorrow. I also have towed lots of trailers but never a 5th wheel. I stayed away from them because they look like a semi. I am excited but also a little anxious about it. I don't know what a pinbox is or how to adjust it. I have to back it into the site where we will be keeping it. I bet it will be quite a show.

[hkury00]

N-Trouble wrote:

hkury00 wrote:
We also just bought a FW. We used to pull an Aliner (a-frame popup)s. Our new to us FW is an Arctic Fox 24-5N, so the size difference is a little overwhelming at first but it has gotten better. On paved or at least graded roads I am pretty comfortable now. However on uneven ground, like bumpy roads, off road, dips, etc., I get nervous when I see the gap between the FW overhang and the truck bed closing to 2 inches or so. I will have to play around to get a feeling where the limits are. Now I know that a TT follows the truck better than a FW on uneven ground.
I would like to hear from people who take their "smallish" FWs over uneven surfaces where things can get tricky.

You need to adjust your hitch and/or pinbox so that you have a minimum of 5-6" of truck bed reail clearance when level. If you need more then add more

I actually have 7 inches between the truck bed rail and the FW overhang.

[N-Trouble]

hkury00 wrote:
We also just bought a FW. We used to pull an Aliner (a-frame popup)s. Our new to us FW is an Arctic Fox 24-5N, so the size difference is a little overwhelming at first but it has gotten better. On paved or at least graded roads I am pretty comfortable now. However on uneven ground, like bumpy roads, off road, dips, etc., I get nervous when I see the gap between the FW overhang and the truck bed closing to 2 inches or so. I will have to play around to get a feeling where the limits are. Now I know that a TT follows the truck better than a FW on uneven ground.
I would like to hear from people who take their "smallish" FWs over uneven surfaces where things can get tricky.

You need to adjust your hitch and/or pinbox so that you have a minimum of 5-6" of truck bed reail clearance when level. If you need more then add more

[hkury00]

We also just bought a FW. We used to pull an Aliner (a-frame popup)s. Our new to us FW is an Arctic Fox 24-5N, so the size difference is a little overwhelming at first but it has gotten better. On paved or at least graded roads I am pretty comfortable now. However on uneven ground, like bumpy roads, off road, dips, etc., I get nervous when I see the gap between the FW overhang and the truck bed closing to 2 inches or so. I will have to play around to get a feeling where the limits are. Now I know that a TT follows the truck better than a FW on uneven ground.
I would like to hear from people who take their "smallish" FWs over uneven surfaces where things can get tricky.

[N-Trouble]

Cummins12V98 wrote:

AlmostBoatless wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:
Made the switch last fall and will never go back to a TT. I have seen the light...

We will be hitching for the first time in a couple of weeks. Had a TT and now have a 32' 5er. Very nervous about backing up and learning this. Any advice appreciated!

Only thing you will miss about the TT is backing up! Just take your time with the 5er. It does not respond as quick as a TT.

True, but once it starts to turn you can really start to crank the TV and not worry about jackknifing like you can with a TT. That is assuming you have decent 5er cap to TV back window clearance.

The only other downside you may notice vs a TT is you'll need to make your turns a little wider as the 5er will track further inside than a TT. YOu also have to watch the height factor with the 5er being taller you'll hit more tress getting in/out of certain areas

Everything else is that much better with the 5er though.