Traveling in a 5th wheel while driving.

[smcrea]

We are at a crossroads as to going for the 5th wheel or a motorhome. This is after having a TT for 4 years.

My wife has a bad back and suffers terribly when sitting for hours in the tow vehicle. Being able to simply lie down is a HUGE benefit to her.

I know that some folks will say DON'T Do it etc etc.. but the fact is that if my wife was able to take a lie down in the 5th while on the move then it would be a decision maker for us.

It looks like most of the modern 5th's have shocks etc and seem to be as sturdy as any motor home. Also I believe that it's also legal in most states.

Is anyone on the forum doing this?

Thanks for the feedback!

[camping24]

Hi, I have seen a few mh that are toy haulers as well. Very expensive but if it works for what you need.......Maybe this is something you can look into.

[richfaa]

With the bedroom over the hitch the ride is not all that bad. We have done it in the past but do not make a habit of it. With the Mor Ryde IS the ride is comparatively smooth. In both of our 5th wheels the only place you could ride was in the bedroom as with the slides in the rest of the camper was mostly in assessable. I would still do it but the truck seat folds back and is comfortable for a nap. Try it and see what you think.

[Too_Young_to_Re]

I like cats.

[fj12ryder]

HEY! What's wrong with loving cats?! 🙂

[fly-boy]

These naysayers are the sort of people who drive 55 mph in the fast lane. They don't want to risk a ticket- which I understand. What I don't understand is why they feel compelled to try and slow everyone else down.

I bet a lot of these naysayers are the sort of guys who have lap dogs and love cats.

[thomasmnile]

Geez, OP asks for thought about the comfort of his wife riding in the fifth wheel and gets a temperance lecture.........

Is a motor home really any safer in a wreck? Ask singer Gloria Estefan. Her motor coach got rear ended 10 or so years ago and she suffered a broken back when the impact knocked her out of bed.

I'll let the OP and his wife weigh the risks/benefits of what he's contemplating, will have no impact in my life whatsoever.

[joebedford]

JRS & B wrote:
In a fiver you are more like on a teeter totter. It doesn't matter if you are in the front end of the teeter totter or the back. The trailer has to be allowed to rise and fall independent of the truck, and so will you rise and fall.

That would only be true if there was no suspension in your trailer. Teeter-totters have fixed pivot points. A bed in the front of a 5er will move up and down the same as the bed of the truck (unless you have an air hitch / pin). The back end of the 5er could (and probably does) bounce all over the place.

[Joe_Rochelle]

I would claim that it's not a real wise idea no matter how you figure it. Driving is fairly dangerous in the best of cases. Being in a trailer just makes it worse. In the trailer, the furniture isn't anchored to the floor, there are no seat belts, and the furniture isn't oriented appropriately. This means that in a hard stop, let alone a crash, an occupant of the trailer (who would have no way of anticipating this) is likely to become a missile themselves, at the very least fall over. I don't know about you, but I don't bounce so well these days. Add to that, the many things that can happen to a trailer and I personally don't think it would be worth it. You might consider a class A where the couches are mounted and have seat belts. That would at least be safer.

joe

[KATOOM]

Not sure what to say about all the "damage to the trailer" talk..... I know someone who rear-ended another truck on the highway while towing their 30(ish) foot 5th wheel. Not completely sure how fast they were going but the truck faced considerable front-end damage and bent frame, and it was hard enough to break the 5th wheel hitch. Trailer had some damage on the back of it as well as they were also rear-ended during the accident by the vehicle behind them. Truck was fixed and trailer was sold to someone who fixed it. As unfortunate as any accident can be, this particular situation didn't seem to end up like the picture most here are painting. :h

[JIMNLIN]

Riding in a trailer out on the highways IMO ain't real smart.

Ranks up there with riding in the back of a pickup truck at highway speed.

Or riding a motorcycle on the highways without a helmet.


Sure when I was young and dumb I did those things however after getting older and seeing actual first hand the tragic results I come to the conclusion it wasn't worth the chance.

Someone says; "If it is legal in certain states it must be legal for a reason."

I would suggest "if its illegal in some states it must be illegal for a reason".

Years ago I worked (sideline business) in the mobilehome/RV industry for area dealers estimating and salvaging blown over house trailers and RV trailers that had over turned on the highways.
Every bottle/canned goods/microwave/fridge/oven/dishes/etc/etc becomes a mindless missile. They do some terrific damage to whatever they hit.

I let the kids ride in my truck campers and the 5th wheel trailers in the front bedrooms up top inside the campground with 5-10 mph speeds. But not out on the highways.

[qtla9111]

Lots of coulds and probablies. Any solid statistics on the number of fifth wheels on the road and how many end up in fatal accidents? How many people have been killed riding in a fifth wheel versus a motorhome? I've seen some accidents where it didn't matter if there were seatbelts, airbags or roll cages.

We live in a world of over security, where people spend all their time worrying about whether something is safe. Does it have belts, does it have a warning, does it have a whistle or a bell, does it meet some silly standard set by a company and lobbyists who want to make a buck. I truly don't see how people make it through the day sometimes.

When its time its time. If it is legal in certain states it must be legal for a reason. If some ride well, and they have a way to communicate, go for it. Life is too short to worry about it. All this talk makes me want to try it.

[thomasmnile]

smcrea wrote:
We are at a crossroads as to going for the 5th wheel or a motorhome. This is after having a TT for 4 years.

My wife has a bad back and suffers terribly when sitting for hours in the tow vehicle. Being able to simply lie down is a HUGE benefit to her.

I know that some folks will say DON'T Do it etc etc.. but the fact is that if my wife was able to take a lie down in the 5th while on the move then it would be a decision maker for us.

It looks like most of the modern 5th's have shocks etc and seem to be as sturdy as any motor home. Also I believe that it's also legal in most states.

Is anyone on the forum doing this?
Thanks for the feedback!

Even with shock absorbers, I suspect the ride, especially on some of the nation's finer roads, may not be all that comfortable. Our fifth wheel's factory leaf spring suspension and axles were replaced by the original owner with the MorRyde IS suspension system. It smoothed the ride considerably, but we have encountered some stretches of road where the trailer really looked like it was taking a beating (what we could see in the mirrors)even with the IS suspension. I too have a long history of back problems (wound up with a 3 level lumbar fusion). Your best travel strategy for your wife may be to simply keep your travel days as short as possible and work in rest stops say every 90 minutes to 2 hours. I have found that helpful to me.

You don't mention what TV you have or will have. Maybe finding and installing some good aftermarket seats would help as well?

[Cummins12V98]

fj12ryder wrote:
Airplanes don't look too good after a crash either.

Good point!

[fj12ryder]

Airplanes don't look too good after a crash either.