TT to a 5Th Wheel
For those of you that went from a TT to a 5th wheel, are you pleased with the change and why.
Forum Discussion
avvidclif1 wrote:
You have a very small basement at the rear, not near a large as most 5ers. That feature adds the dreaded "steps" which is why a lot of people claim they don't want a 5er. I'll pass. Unique setup, I'll give it that.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=340+flr+ou+tube&view=detail&mid=2E02AE55118C260AE6692E02AE55118C260AE669&FORM=VIRErhagfo wrote:
BarneyS wrote:
N-Trouble wrote:
IdaD wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
Even at 30' to 33' a 5er is a big advantage, FAR more stable, inherently more stable!! [COLOR=]With a TT even with a Hensley when the deification hits the rotary oscillator, the true pivot point is still 3' to 4' behind the rear axle! That will push the back one way and force the front the other way. I took too many engineering classes in school.
The step issue, I partly solved our issues by adding steps! Made each step smaller. added a step into the bedroom level and replace the three step entrance with a four step that all the risers are the same height.
Some of the TT guys swear up and down that the Hensley type hitches make their travel trailers tow the same as fifth wheels and those statements have never made sense to me. I guess I've never tried to understand the physics of it, but at the end of the day it seems to me that your physical attachment point is still 4' behind the rear axle and your travel trailer is still lighter on the tongue than a fifth wheel is on the pin. But I admit I've never used that kind of a hitch.
Those are TT guys that have never towed a 5er.
Not true! I have done both and the TT with the Hensley tows every bit as well as the 5er ever did.
Those that do not understand how this is possible might want to take a long look at, and study this thread. :)
Engineering classes notwithstanding, the true pivot point is never 3' to 4' behind the rear axle.
Barney
I stand by my earlier statement which is backed up by this statement in the Hensley WEB site diagram.
"The apparent pivot point between the tow vehicle and the trailer is where their center lines intersect. With the Hensley, this apparent pivot point is moved forward of the hitch. The apparent pivot point will start at a fixed distance in front of the hitch which is the same for every Hensley. The more you turn, the more the pivot point moves backward towards the trailer. Trailer sway is produced by small amounts of rotation, so the slightly moving pivot point probably doesn't matter at highway speeds."
As stated above if you need to make a sudden change in direction the apparent pivot moves closer to the trailer ball. Yes the Hensley is a great hitch, but when a sudden turn is made the true pivot point becomes apparent!!
I also believe the Hensley is many times missed prescribed as a fix to a bad sway issue! You should not not use a Hensley to fix a trailer that wants to sway! If a TT is loaded correctly, correct tongue weight, and level or slightly nose down. Then at that point the Hensley will eliminate the little push pull of a passed or passing semi.
Have you ever used one? I have and yes I did because my TT was a wanderer. Not sway, just wiggle and was probably too much for the truck. Although I did use an EQ 4pt sway WDH for the majority of the time I towed it and never had any issues. I was looking for a WD that offered more stability. What's wrong with that? I bought a used one and sold it for $50.00 less than I paid for it.
I agree it can be a band aide for some, but for others its insurance against sway ever starting.avvidclif1 wrote:
What am I doing on the 5th wheel forum?
Notice most of the Pro TT are using a TT. That's fine but what are they doing in a 5th wheel group??? Defending their choice???
I will never own another TT after going to a 5th wheel.
Well I currently own both. I am well aware of the benefits/disadvantages of both.
If I go to a RV parking lot/campground I take the 5th wheel. If I go to the bush/woods I take the small TT.
On my seasonal site I have a large TT that is on one level with high ceilings. This bemoth stays put year around.
It's simply about choice, and how you use it, and budget, there is no right/wrong answer.
It's about the outdoors, not what equipment you use.- You have a very small basement at the rear, not near a large as most 5ers. That feature adds the dreaded "steps" which is why a lot of people claim they don't want a 5er. I'll pass. Unique setup, I'll give it that.
rhagfo wrote:
dfm wrote:
Our TT has the same storage as a 5er,The same high ceilings in the living area and I still have the full use of my truck bed. The hitch weight is heavy for a TT but I have absolutely No sway issues.
I will never go to a 5er as long as I have this unit.
No basement!
36' and you loose 3' to the tongue, that and 36'+ 22'+ for TV and your are 58' long on the road.
Tall ceilings, tall enough to have a ceiling fan??
No a 5rt is NOT for all, and looking at the floor plan, a nice TT, but the stuff I store in my basement, either you place in the TV bed, or in the TT someplace! If in the TV bed one extra prep for a trip step.
Yes I have a ceiling fan. Ceilings in living area are 9 feet. I have a basement at rear of the trailer that is as large as most 5er's. Full pass through. as well as.4 x 20 pound propane tanks,2 x 6 volt batteries and the spare tire in the trunk at the very rear of the trailer.
Google a You tube video on a Highland Ridge 340 flr. It is like a bumper pull 5er as far as floorplan, but the basement is in the rear.- Thank you!!
N-Trouble wrote:
Simply incorrect on a 5er having more wind resistance. Yes a 5er is taller but the fact it sits much closer to the TV they both combine to act as a single mass passing through the air.
By this logic one could tow something with frontal surface area of the Empire State Building if it were "close to the TV". I'm respectfully calling BS. I've owned both of similar weights and hauled them with the same truck and the 5th gets worse MPG. And I'm not alone. This forum is full of people with similar experience.
I'll concede most of the 5th vs. TT things are personal preference and trade-offs but MPGs is not one of them. A TT sits lower with less wind drag. It's simple physics.
BTW.... who buys an RV for MPG and economy anyway? If I were concerned about saving fuel I'd be driving a Prius with a tent in the back :)dfm wrote:
Our TT has the same storage as a 5er,The same high ceilings in the living area and I still have the full use of my truck bed. The hitch weight is heavy for a TT but I have absolutely No sway issues.
I will never go to a 5er as long as I have this unit.
No basement!
36' and you loose 3' to the tongue, that and 36'+ 22'+ for TV and your are 58' long on the road.
Tall ceilings, tall enough to have a ceiling fan??
No a 5rt is NOT for all, and looking at the floor plan, a nice TT, but the stuff I store in my basement, either you place in the TV bed, or in the TT someplace! If in the TV bed one extra prep for a trip step.colliehauler wrote:
What sells the most TT or 5th wheel RV's?
Cost is the biggest factor, IMO. Both for the RV and the TV; overall, it's simply cheaper to own a TT.
LyleBarneyS wrote:
N-Trouble wrote:
IdaD wrote:
rhagfo wrote:
Even at 30' to 33' a 5er is a big advantage, FAR more stable, inherently more stable!! [COLOR=]With a TT even with a Hensley when the deification hits the rotary oscillator, the true pivot point is still 3' to 4' behind the rear axle! That will push the back one way and force the front the other way. I took too many engineering classes in school.
The step issue, I partly solved our issues by adding steps! Made each step smaller. added a step into the bedroom level and replace the three step entrance with a four step that all the risers are the same height.
Some of the TT guys swear up and down that the Hensley type hitches make their travel trailers tow the same as fifth wheels and those statements have never made sense to me. I guess I've never tried to understand the physics of it, but at the end of the day it seems to me that your physical attachment point is still 4' behind the rear axle and your travel trailer is still lighter on the tongue than a fifth wheel is on the pin. But I admit I've never used that kind of a hitch.
Those are TT guys that have never towed a 5er.
Not true! I have done both and the TT with the Hensley tows every bit as well as the 5er ever did.
Those that do not understand how this is possible might want to take a long look at, and study this thread. :)
Engineering classes notwithstanding, the true pivot point is never 3' to 4' behind the rear axle.
Barney
I stand by my earlier statement which is backed up by this statement in the Hensley WEB site diagram.
"The apparent pivot point between the tow vehicle and the trailer is where their center lines intersect. With the Hensley, this apparent pivot point is moved forward of the hitch. The apparent pivot point will start at a fixed distance in front of the hitch which is the same for every Hensley. The more you turn, the more the pivot point moves backward towards the trailer. Trailer sway is produced by small amounts of rotation, so the slightly moving pivot point probably doesn't matter at highway speeds."
As stated above if you need to make a sudden change in direction the apparent pivot moves closer to the trailer ball. Yes the Hensley is a great hitch, but when a sudden turn is made the true pivot point becomes apparent!!
I also believe the Hensley is many times missed prescribed as a fix to a bad sway issue! You should not not use a Hensley to fix a trailer that wants to sway! If a TT is loaded correctly, correct tongue weight, and level or slightly nose down. Then at that point the Hensley will eliminate the little push pull of a passed or passing semi.
