1st Time buyer needs advice: t.t. or 5th wheeler?

Lantley wrote:
The 2 biggest often not mentioned differences between TT and 5'er are ceiling height and storage.

The ceiling height of the 5'er gives it a more at home feeling vs. the low ceilings found in most TT's.

There is a lot more storage space in the basement of a 5'er vs. a TT.
5'ers generally have larger tank capacities as well.

Similar floorplans can be found in each,but a TT will not have the ceiling height or storage of a fiver.

That additional height can quickly become a disadvantage when towing around low branches,low wires etc.

There is no right or wrong, simply a matter of personal preference and caming style

Very important point.

Another is that we needed a flat floor - no steps inside the rig. We know four couples who have had to give up their 5er in the past year or so because of falls and knee surgery.

The wife and I got our trailer last fall, and are very, very happy. Though I still haven't learned where to duck to avoid banking my head into the slides while inside the trailer.

The truck bed with a topper is actually less than 1/2 useful because of the stuff which cannot be carried in smaller TT external storage areas which must now be carried in the truck bed.

What your Tow Vehicle is makes a BIG difference what you buy. Anything over 6000 pounds require a 3/4 ton or more!

bikendan wrote:

Chuck .. wrote:
Please give me your advice. Also is a Hensley tow hitch really worth the cost of $3,200.00 plus?

IMHO, a Hensley or ProPride are only worth it if you have a short wheelbase tow vehicle and a long trailer.
or money is no object and you like having the best, no matter the price.

After owning a Hensley, They are worth the money. I was a skeptic until I actually broke down and purchased one. They are expensive but they work better than the friction based hitches.
My 39' 11K GVW TT towed just as well as my current fiver using the Hensley hitch.
The Hensley will improve the towing performance of any vehicle.

The 2 biggest often not mentioned differences between TT and 5'er are ceiling height and storage.

The ceiling height of the 5'er gives it a more at home feeling vs. the low ceilings found in most TT's.

There is a lot more storage space in the basement of a 5'er vs. a TT.
5'ers generally have larger tank capacities as well.

Similar floorplans can be found in each,but a TT will not have the ceiling height or storage of a fiver.

That additional height can quickly become a disadvantage when towing around low branches,low wires etc.

There is no right or wrong, simply a matter of personal preference and caming style

Chuck .. wrote:
Please give me your advice. Also is a Hensley tow hitch really worth the cost of $3,200.00 plus?

IMHO, a Hensley or ProPride are only worth it if you have a short wheelbase tow vehicle and a long trailer.
or money is no object and you like having the best, no matter the price.

First off Thank you to all,

I had a 1992 Lance 24 ft 5th wheel for 14 years and would like to replace it. We are starting to think about a travel trail to be able to haul a couple of smaller motorcycles and possibly two kayaks on top of a canopy. Yes, maybe even a 5th wheel toy hauler.

With a budget of $20,000 to a high of $40,000, I am leaning to a good quality use trailer. Sometimes I think that I am worried sick of not finding a good quality unit! Maybe we need to save more in order to more up to to better quality. Just trying not to make a up mistake and buy a junker.

Please give me your advice. Also is a Hensley tow hitch really worth the cost of $3,200.00 plus?

Chuck in Oregon

Just wanted to add that we have also decided that our new to us 23' trailer is too small. We got it a year ago and will use it for one more season. We are now looking at 30' trailers with slideouts. Hope you have luck getting it right the first time!

My hubby and I have had the same trailer vs. fifth wheel debate and trailer won. He doesn't want to take the canopy off his truck and my knees can't handle a second set of steps every time I have to use the bathroom. Hubby also didn't want to give up the room in the truck bed.

Well, I did find this on the internet after some searching, if sleeping quarters are really the most important item:


Click here!

PDF sketch drawing of the unit - pretty cool trailer!

Here's another interesting configuration:

Click here.

I also found this. This is a very interesting lay-out:

Another Clicky! 3 bedroom 5er

Hope you enjoy these. One thing for sure, for what you're asking for, you'll need to think outside the box. Another thought, consider a horse trailer with the living quarters. The back end where the horses goes could be retrofitted into pretty cool bedroom space! Just a thought ... thinking outside the box!

first, not sure what RV would have 3 separate beds for 3 adults to sleep in. someone would have to sleep on a sofa bed and dinette.
there are some Class C's with two beds in the bedroom and then someone having to sleep on the sofa or dinette in the living area.
second, you need to post what you plan to tow with. some trucks that can tow the TT, wouldn't have the payload for a 5th wheel.

What are you going to be using to tow? Do you already have a truck? Whatever you decide to use, learn it's SAFE towing limits for your specific model, not just the general numbers published in the advertising.

You said you're going to have 3 adults travelling with you, and potentially more. As far as I know, you can only put a max of 6 people in a truck, and that will get to feeling mighty cramped on a long trip. A fifth wheel will limit you to using a truck to tow. Not necessarily bad if you already have the truck and use the truck for your everyday use as well.

With a travel trailer, you could use a full-size van to tow and people will have plenty of room to stretch out when on the road.

Overall, my advice is not to rush into anything and don't try to get any real helpful info from dealers (RV or truck/car). Salespeople, in my experience, are not usually very knowledgeable about these details. You'll get better answers from the members of this forum, so don't hesitate to ask away! :)

~Rick

ON EDIT: In response to your "easier to set up" comment and that you might be using it on your own, I'd recommend that you include Class C's and possibly some class A's in your search as well. There are C's that have twin beds in the back with the overhead bunk in front. When others travel with you you'll have the dinette & sofa for sleeping as well. Our Class A will easily sleep 7 and has seatbelts for 12 people. Not saying a motorhome is your best solution, but if you're looking at $50k fifth wheels, I think you should at least entertain the idea of a used Class C or Class A in that same price range.

You seem to be concerned about purchasing the wrong RV and having to trade up later. Take your time. We spent over 2 years researching for our "ideal RV", and we believe we have found it. Started looking at hybrids to tow behind the Odyssey minivan and ended up with a 36' motorhome TOWING the Odyssey. But in almost 10 years, we've yet to find a floorplan that we like better. And most of the thanks goes to the fine folks here who helped us make the right decision the first time. Good Luck.