Recommendations for small 5th wheel

mcrosa wrote:
I will be retiring soon and want to go wandering with the wife. Am looking at 5th wheels but want something under 30 feet ideally 20 to 25ft. Any suggestions? I have been looking but all I seem to find are very large. Thanks in advance for your help.

Mike C

We're on the same quest. So far have looked at the Jayco HT line, Rockwood Light, and Open Range Light. VERY hard to find something under thirty. (Hint - for Jayco, add 4' to the name to get the approx. length, so 26.5RLS = 30 1/2 ft, etc.) The named length is roughly what will actually be sticking out behind your truck when towing.

We found the few 26-28 footers were just too small. 30 ft. seems to work really well for two people for longer trips (1 mo. plus). Going bigger than 30-34 and you have more challenges finding campsites in state/national parks. Sometimes even 30 is a bit big-ish.
If you are going to stay under the 34 ft mark, generally a truck with a payload of about 3,000 should be more than enough. That's the big number to worry about, not "how much can it pull". Don't be fooled by "Half Ton Towable". We have a Ford 1/2 ton with all the tricked out towing and payload options - and it is extremely hard to find fifths that have a pin weight light enough. The newest F-150's give more margin, but you are probably better serviced looking in the F-250 class (or equivalent in other brands).

fly-swatter wrote:
We love our 8524 Flagstaff, it's by no means a high end unit but more than ample for our 40-45 nights a year. Overall length is 26'9"

Is that the actual measurement from tip to tail? As Flagstaff says that it's 28'2"

Is there a partition between bath and bedroom?

Clear view of the TV?

What is the pin weight and unloaded weight from your sticker?

I am looking at that model. Thanks

Some great choices, thanks. Keep them coming. Now to do the research. I do not have a tow vehicle, yet.

I have been reading the posts for a while now, but in fact I have not been trailer camping in a long time but I never quite got rid of the yearning to travel. Used to have a 22' trailer which I used to haul but then settled it permanently in the Florida Keys.

There was a camground called Calusa Cove on the bay side of the keys and we would put it right on the point. We would have million dollar views of the sunset. It was grand.

Still have fond memories of that trailer.

Anyway thanks for the info and as I said keep it coming.

Mike

https://youtu.be/2yMar0FlFaI

We have and love the Jayco HT 27.5 RLTS It extends 27.5 feet behind the ford f250 that tows it and weighs 9600 fully loaded. Remember for every day you spend in your RV, it will shrink bt one foot.

We have the 2010 Laredo 245RLS - after a year or so we were wishing we got the next model/size bigger, which would have included a coat closet, pantry cupboard, and a bedroom slide. But, we make it work.

If you like Retro...Riverside RV has a 27 foot 5th wheel 526RL.

Njmurvin wrote:
Our Arctic Fox 27-5L is short (28') but not light. It grosses over 12K lbs and the newer wide-body models are even heavier.

Just to be clear, there are three versions of the 27-5L

Current 27-5L's are longer (1 foot) and wider (6 inches). They also have the bedroom slide on the drivers side.

Yours has that slide on the other side

The even older version didn't have a bedroom slide.

IdaD wrote:
My folks have a 25' Nash. There was an Arctic Fox version of it too - 24-5N or something like that. It's older, though - 1999 or 2000 I think. It's been a good trailer for them and they're the original owners. I don't think Northwood makes anything much under 30' these days. You might still check it out, though, as they have a great reputation and 30' is pretty reasonable to pull around.

I had one also, the last year they made them model was 2012.
They used to make a 19, 21, 23, 25 and 26 foot models also

Hi.. We have a 2013. 29 foot Heartland 5th wheel .. Unit has enough room for my wife and I... Jim2007

We love our 8524 Flagstaff, it's by no means a high end unit but more than ample for our 40-45 nights a year. Overall length is 26'9"