Why did you go with a 5th wheel?

[MookieKat]

We are a first time RV buyer and are weighing some of the options. We started our quest for an RV thinking that we would buy a TT, but now we are open to 5th wheels, as they have been suggested to us by the TT forum. We would like to have more info about TTs vs 5th wheels.

Why did you go with a 5th wheel? And what was your progression?

Pros and cons to each would be very nice. Thank you!

[azdryheat]

Because I already had the truck.

[B-A-T]

It came down between a Class A and a 5th Wheel.

With the style of traveling that we do, we wanted more room once we parked and needed a vehicle to tour around. If we had gone with a Class A or C, then we would have had to tow a car behind us. So the 5th Wheel just made sense.

Having a pickup is so much more versatile.

[thomasmnile]

Here's my story but with a twist. Like you, our plan was to be out for extended trips......... a lot. In such a scenario, I think a fifth wheel is the way to go for two reasons, living space and storage. But, as life has a habit of doing, things change, and we weren't using the fifth wheel in the way we envisioned. Use was more "vacation" like. In the five years we owned it, I came to fully appreciate both the work to maintain it and the attendant expense (I owned a boat, thought I would have known better). Our TV was more than capable of towing the fifth wheel (axle capacity and gross weight), but I was never really comfortable with that 12000 lb. plus beast following me down the road, plus the height when going off the beaten path (trees) and navigating campgrounds (more trees).

Long story short, we traded down to an ultra light TT, which has turned out to be better suited to our usage. Make no mistake, I really miss some of the fifth wheel's amenities, but the TT has worked out fine for us, and is less of a burden on our TV. Like was posted above, seriously think and consider how you plan to use an RV and you'll arrive at the type that best suits you and your travel plans.

PS: The maintenance requirement remains with the TT, but now I have one slide to worry about instead of three, a whole lot less caulking, and I can buy a set of tires for the TT for about what one tire cost me on the fifth wheel.

[MookieKat]

Tin Pusher wrote:
Well, the OP has probably heard enough, but why should I let that stop me?

The DW and I rented pop-ups once a year for maybe 10 years, to go to a once-a-year deal. Didn't want to own at the time. So, later...

We decided we wanted to get a camper of our own, use it more often. We wanted to take the 'Doo with us. I initally was resistant to double towing so, we thought of a MH, but how to launch / recover without breaking camp?

How bout a toy hauler, pull the 'Doo up in the back? No, who wants a trailer that smells like boat?

After looking at the options and the tow laws, it looked like a FW was the way to go, yeah, I ended double towing, but it works out fine. I like the ease of hitching, the crosswind stabiity, the space and the storage.

Probably the biggest drawback is I can't haul too much in the truck bed, especially as anything on the lighter side will just blow out unless it's nailed down. How do I know this:)

Overall, I think I would have been much less happy with any other setup.

MookieKat, think a bunch about what you really plan to do most of the time and what you need will become apparent.

I can never hear too much!! Love hearing all of your stories and progressions! So keep them coming! 🙂

[MookieKat]

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

MookieKat wrote:
We are a first time RV buyer and are weighing some of the options. We started our quest for an RV thinking that we would buy a TT, but now we are open to 5th wheels, as they have been suggested to us by the TT forum. We would like to have more info about TTs vs 5th wheels.

Why did you go with a 5th wheel? And what was your progression?

Pros and cons to each would be very nice. Thank you!

Progression:
Class B "camper van.
Small (new in 1971) Class A. (gas)
24' TT. - TVs were Chev 350 (gas) vans.
30' Class A (gas).
24' TT. - TV 1T Ferd (diesel)
11' slide in camper (same veh)
Mtn cabin - no RVs for a few years.
20' TT. - TV Ferd (gas) van
34' 5th. - TV 1T Dodge (diesel)

Pros & Cons - depends on what *YOU* want to do when you get "there".
Fish at a lake or river? - Take your boat along?
Ride off-road M/Cs or ATVs, or "serious" 4-wheeler (jeep)?
Just kick back with a few brewskis?
Kids? - Big kids or little kids? - Budget for the RV? (etc.)

TT - 5th - MH ??
Obviously, (unless you double tow) you can't take your ski boat or off-road vehicle behind a TT or a 5th.
You can put a couple of M/Cs in the bed of a pickup towing a TT....but not towing a 5th.
You have it "covered" with a MH.
Of course, you still may be towing one of your toys - - or maybe just a "toad" for transportation.

Care and feeding:
MH = drive-line to take care of.
Obviously, not so with trailers. - Oil changes are a snap!.:W
How much time will you use it (whatever "it" is)?
Can you store either on your property? MH may be easier.

Never had a 5th until 2006.
Major diff bet 5th & TT:
Compared to towing TTs (with sway control), towing a 5th is like night and day!
No sway, no problem when semis blow past you.
Easy to forget it's back there.

Last consideration for choices (if you want to take smaller toys along) - would be a 5th toy hauler.
(IMO - toy hauler TTs *not* a good choice)

Bottom line: - MH - TT - 5th?
You will most likely be towing *something*!

Whatever works best for *YOU*..

~

Thank you for the details! We are 59 and 63...no toys to haul, no kids to haul, just the two of us wanting to visit the National parks. No other activities than to sight-see, hike, and take photos.

[MookieKat]

FordDiesel250 wrote:
We didn't want the hassle of taking our trailer with us while exploring or going to the grocery store ect. We discussed it a great length and we agreed it was best to have a trailer/fiver where we could set it up at a site and then unhook from it and then have the freedom to go and do things without having to unhook, hitch up and leave and then come back and hook up and level ect. Does this make sense or does it seem to ramble?

Makes perfect sense!

[Tin_Pusher]

Well, the OP has probably heard enough, but why should I let that stop me?

The DW and I rented pop-ups once a year for maybe 10 years, to go to a once-a-year deal. Didn't want to own at the time. So, later...

We decided we wanted to get a camper of our own, use it more often. We wanted to take the 'Doo with us. I initally was resistant to double towing so, we thought of a MH, but how to launch / recover without breaking camp?

How bout a toy hauler, pull the 'Doo up in the back? No, who wants a trailer that smells like boat?

After looking at the options and the tow laws, it looked like a FW was the way to go, yeah, I ended double towing, but it works out fine. I like the ease of hitching, the crosswind stabiity, the space and the storage.

Probably the biggest drawback is I can't haul too much in the truck bed, especially as anything on the lighter side will just blow out unless it's nailed down. How do I know this:)

Overall, I think I would have been much less happy with any other setup.

MookieKat, think a bunch about what you really plan to do most of the time and what you need will become apparent.

[ol_Bombero-JC]

MookieKat wrote:
We are a first time RV buyer and are weighing some of the options. We started our quest for an RV thinking that we would buy a TT, but now we are open to 5th wheels, as they have been suggested to us by the TT forum. We would like to have more info about TTs vs 5th wheels.

Why did you go with a 5th wheel? And what was your progression?

Pros and cons to each would be very nice. Thank you!

Progression:
Class B "camper van.
Small (new in 1971) Class A. (gas)
24' TT. - TVs were Chev 350 (gas) vans.
30' Class A (gas).
24' TT. - TV 1T Ferd (diesel)
11' slide in camper (same veh)
Mtn cabin - no RVs for a few years.
20' TT. - TV Ferd (gas) van
34' 5th. - TV 1T Dodge (diesel)

Pros & Cons - depends on what *YOU* want to do when you get "there".
Fish at a lake or river? - Take your boat along?
Ride off-road M/Cs or ATVs, or "serious" 4-wheeler (jeep)?
Just kick back with a few brewskis?
Kids? - Big kids or little kids? - Budget for the RV? (etc.)

TT - 5th - MH ??
Obviously, (unless you double tow) you can't take your ski boat or off-road vehicle behind a TT or a 5th.
You can put a couple of M/Cs in the bed of a pickup towing a TT....but not towing a 5th.
You have it "covered" with a MH.
Of course, you still may be towing one of your toys - - or maybe just a "toad" for transportation.

Care and feeding:
MH = drive-line to take care of.
Obviously, not so with trailers. - Oil changes are a snap!.:W
How much time will you use it (whatever "it" is)?
Can you store either on your property? MH may be easier.

Never had a 5th until 2006.
Major diff bet 5th & TT:
Compared to towing TTs (with sway control), towing a 5th is like night and day!
No sway, no problem when semis blow past you.
Easy to forget it's back there.

Last consideration for choices (if you want to take smaller toys along) - would be a 5th toy hauler.
(IMO - toy hauler TTs *not* a good choice)

Bottom line: - MH - TT - 5th?
You will most likely be towing *something*!

Whatever works best for *YOU*..

~

[elkhorn98]

We went to a fifth wheel from a truck camper and are now a family of 5. We got it over a tt primarily to be shorter to fit into state and usfs campgrounds but I dont think we are typical fw owners. But most 5th wheels are way too big for our camping style and its hard to find small 5th wheels. Towing is great and I literally forget it is bad there, but my truck is a big part of that too.

[mileshuff]

We bought a 5'er to gain far more outside storage (basement, front storage etc.), faster hitch, unhitch and better towability (no sway). We had looked at a TT with the exact same floorplan and options for several $1000 less but opted for the 5'er instead and for us it was worth the extra $'s spent.

[FordDiesel250]

We didn't want the hassle of taking our trailer with us while exploring or going to the grocery store ect. We discussed it a great length and we agreed it was best to have a trailer/fiver where we could set it up at a site and then unhook from it and then have the freedom to go and do things without having to unhook, hitch up and leave and then come back and hook up and level ect. Does this make sense or does it seem to ramble?

[2112]

MookieKat wrote:

2112 wrote:

Meanwhile, not ruling out another TT, we were looking at new TT's and FW's but not finding the right floor plan. We were being too picky and in no hurry. We walked into our current FW and said 'this is it!' Love the kitchen counter space and shower. This one is named "Countertop". The bedroom is horrible as far as getting around the bed and lack of storage but the rest of it outweighed this.

You sound just like me!! Counter top is top priority!! What did you buy? How old? Please do tell, as it could save us a lot of looking!! : )

Countertop is a 2013 KZ Durango 1500 2857, listed in my sig below.

[hone_eagle]

RV hauler aka HDT

[hone_eagle]

MookieKat wrote:

jerem0621 wrote:
My first was a TT. My second, even though I hate stairs will be a fiver.

Just go over to the TT forum and look at all the sway control threads. Better yet just search for one.

Fiver owners don't talk about sway control. Imagine that.

There is a reason why HDT are fivers. Inherit stability.

Thanks!

What is HDT?

HDT heavy duty truck

[SailingOn]

After tent camping, we had a Starcraft popup for years. When its canvas failed and the new cars were getting too small, we went back to tents.
When retirement meant lots more time to travel, we were looking for something we could air condition, with a shower you can stand up and turn around in and a bed that didn't become something else. We had a 2-seat roadster and a Camry.
Anything with a real bed and a roomy shower is to heavy to tow without a truck, so we have a truck. The right FW just showed up at a good price.
We tow the FW or a sailboat. The FW, about 4 tons, is slightly more aerodynamic than a brick. The sailboat, about half that, is as streamlined as hundreds of years of design can make it. Towing the boat, wind gusts and passing trucks blow us around some. Towing the FW, not at all.