Why a 5th wheel over a tow trailer?

Hi chuck,
Sadly, while Alpenlites were great trailers they were not light. On fact they were quite heavy. Dry weight numbers only serve to give a false sense of security. In real life you Dodge, while it might be a good truck it only has a 8800 GVWR as I remember. Meaning in the real world you have a cargo carrying capacity around 1300 pounds which indicates a fifth wheel around 8000 down the road weight. Yes, your choices are, a 25 foot TT of a really small fifth wheel. Anything more will likely kill your tranny real soon.

First, considering I am a TT owner and not a 5er owner, why I prefer a TT over a 5er: 1) bed of my truck -- I like my construction shell with the ladder racks to haul our canoe. 2) less steps .. all on 1 floor. (there's more, but these are the 2 major factors for keeping a TT over a 5er, although I have enough truck to haul a good sized 5er if I wanted. I prefer by choice a TT.

Now, ADVANTAGES of a 5er (and this coming from a TT owner)...

1. Basement Space in the 5er for storage.

2. Longer trailer with a shorter wheel base, as several feet of the trailer tow over the bed of the truck. Over all length is shorter than the same length of TT.

3. Usually taller, unless you find a very low-profile 5er. Makes for the possibility of taller bunks, more storage cabinets, and more interior space.

4. People who have had both a TT and 5er say a 5er tows better than a TT, but I think with the correct TT and tow vehicle combination with the correct hitch and weight distribution system with sway, a TT can tow very comfortable (mine does). But still, 5er owners still say they tow better. I guess I won't know until I actually tow one someday.

5. For some reason, there is this "image" that 5ers are a step-up from a TT. I've noticed over and over that folks use the expression, "I've UPGRADED from a TT to a 5er." or "I'm thinking of UPGRADING from a TT to a 5er." All I know is, 5er's cost more (overall) than a TT of the same length. If you think a 5er is an "upgrade" over a TT, then so be it... it's an "upgrade" over a TT.

6. The basic design of a 5er, from the frame to the roof, is different than a standard TT. Perhaps because of the complexity of the design to make a 5er work and work well, this makes for a stronger trailer over a standard one level travel trailer. This may also factor in for a higher price tag for the same length of TT vs 5er. (also, this frame design can also be it's weakness too if it's not built right.)

7. Folks who get 5er's simply like the floor plan, they like split level living. 5er Toy Haulers ARE simply awesome.... especially when they have a loft over the garage area.

I think these are the "BIG" "pluses" for a 5er in my opinion. I have a list of "minuses" for a 5er over a TT, but to bring those up, well ... i think the OP already has a list going.

Stability stability stability!!!! Yes they are harder to back. More storage and more choices for upgraded models.

As Dutchmansport said "I upgraded from a TT to a 5er". Lol.
We have owned both. We had two TT's before the 5er.

The first major difference we noticed was the ride quality in our TV was considerably improved.
We weren't feeling every bump.

The Stability of the rig overall felt better. There was no more "sucking" in when a big rig was passing.

We like the way the rig backs up we feel it's actually easier now.

The head room inside is amazing, along with so many more floor plans.

Lots of storage which can easily lead to over packing. Thankfully we don't take a lot of stuff with us.

We do miss the full use of our bed but we have leaned how to deal with that.

Chuck .. wrote:
Want are the big advantages of the 5th wheel compared to a tow trailer?
I would like to be able to use my bed of my truck to haul things. My brother in-law says he can back up a tow trailer much easier than a 5th wheel and the trailers track with no problem. He has worked for a construction company and has used many tow units and likes tow trailers and owns a 27 footer.

Here is want I have below but, I still wished I could pull more safety, like a used 30 foot Dream Suit 5th wheel or a Alpenlite unit that weights around 11,500 dry weight.

I have a 1999 Dodge diesel 2500, Long bed, auto trans, cub cab, 2 wheel drive. The owner manual on page 148 says that this truck can tow maximum trailer weight of 10,200 with 3.54 axle ratio and 12,000 lbs maximum trailer with 4.10 axle ratio. The GCWR is 16,000.

Most everyone on this forum and others said I can only haul a trailer around 9,000 lbs. "Dry Weight" safety and do not max out my truck! I plan on being safe.

First off, when looking at FWs, it's not what you can TOW, it's what you can CARRY; i.e. PAYLOAD on the truck. Yes, the other weights are important, but not all that critical, compared to the payload numbers. Now, as to why I went with a FW:

1) Stability. FWs are just inherently more stable than TTs. I've towed bumper pull trailers of all kinds, then, when we got a GN, I hated having to use a regular hitch trailer. Yes, you can set up a TT to tow well, but it takes a lot of tweaking and more set up than does a FW.

2) Storage and space. Almost any FW will have a lot more storage and interior per foot of length. Yes, you do lose the truck bed, but in my case, I never really carried all that much in the bed. Some ice chests and tools is about it. Often, I put the ice chests in my FW kitchen anyway, so that's not all that big a deal. Interior space is also more than a comparable TT.

3) Length. A FW "tows shorter" than the same length TT due to the way it hitches. Yes, it will track inside what a TT does, but that's an easy tradeoff to compensate for.

Lyle

I've been in 40 mph gusty crosswinds with my 5th wheel. Try that with your bumper pulls without having to change your undies. Seen photos of lots of flipped TT's due to wind. And I'm 41 feet long - got any bumper-pulls that long? And they've got 'em longer. How about the DRV toy hauler that maxes at 24,000 GVWR. Try that with a bumper pull. Shoot, I can't touch that with my dually. Seems the 5th wheel is the much bigger and beefier big brother to the bumper pull TT.

I have several construction worker friends who have pulled both and have gone back to pull-trailers. I have had both and now a pull-trailer. We are all in the minority. Why? I'm not sure. 40 mph winds? Just went through them two weeks ago with no problems at all--through the biggest storm TX has seen in years. I can pull into any service station with pumps any direction, get my diesel and am on my way. With the fiver, no way could I get into those silly pumps that head into the store. Sure fivers have more storage--but I have as much or more with the bed of the truck. Fiver had nice high ceilings which made it feel bigger. But I always had to be looking up and worrying about getting under branches, trees, and whatever. I guess it is really up to you: my wife would take the fiver any day because of the high ceilings and "feel". I'll take the pull-trailer cause I can back it up easier, get into tighter spaces, don't have to worry about the height of the rig. With the Andersen hitch I can hook up and be on the road within two minutes of any fiver.

Chuck .. wrote:
Want are the big advantages of the 5th wheel compared to a tow trailer?
.............
Here is want I have below but, I still wished I could pull more safety, like a used 30 foot Dream Suit 5th wheel or a Alpenlite unit that weights around 11,500 dry weight.

I have a 1999 Dodge diesel 2500, Long bed, auto trans, cub cab, 2 wheel drive. The owner manual on page 148 says that this truck can tow maximum trailer weight of 10,200 with 3.54 axle ratio and 12,000 lbs maximum trailer with 4.10 axle ratio. The GCWR is 16,000.

Most everyone on this forum and others said I can only haul a trailer around 9,000 lbs. "Dry Weight" safety and do not max out my truck! I plan on being safe.

Well a couple questions on the TV 99 2500 Ram.

What is your gear ratio?

Is the 5.9 chipped at all?

Is the Transmission Stock?

I pull/carry a 2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS with our 2001 2500 Camper Special Ram, we do it, but not a recommendation as you will well over GVWR! While with 2 WD, you gain a bit of payload over us.

Specs on the 5er.
Dry weight 9,820#
GVWR 12,360#
current towed weight about 11,000#

TV
GVWR 8,800#
GFAWR 5,200
GRAWR 6,084

Loaded TV
GFAW 4,500#
GRAW 5,500

GVW 10,000#

5er axles 9,500#

GCVW 19,500#

We run a small 50 hp and about 130 lb.ft. chip, and a 5 speed manual with a Double Disk clutch.
I do feel that I could pull/carry the full GVWR of the 5er!

I have had both and would never go back to a bumper pull.
Pulls way smoother, more storage space, shorter footprint and ease of hooking up. As far a backing is concerned, the fiver is so much easier to backup for us, which leads to less stress at the campsites.

Lastly, when we go into a TT now, claustifobia ensues.

Had TTs before first 5th.

For towing "pleasure" - the 5th is night and day over a TT.

Never have/had any difficulty getting access to/for (diesel) fuel for my p/up w/ 5th in tow.

And - yeah - had all the towing "tricks" for the TTs - although
never a Hensley.

Main negative of the 5th - you lose the use of the bed in your pickup, and of course you could tow a TT with a suburban (etc.) instead of a pickup if you have a bunch of rugrats.

Also - for folks with back or knee probs, the TT is all one level.

Only regrets with the 5th is/was not buying a toy hauler.

Would/could I go back to a TT?

Having had 2 TTs, 2 MHs, slide-in campers, etc. - going back to a TT would be a maybe - but a DP MH would probably come out ahead for *part-time* use.

*Full time* = fifth wheel.

OP - you must decide what works best for......*YOU*...:W

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