Pulling A Fifth Wheel vs. Bumper Pull
I've been researching travel trailers and I'm not sure yet whether I want a fifth wheel or a bumper pull trailer. I've read more than once that a fifth wheel is easier to handle/more stable on the ro...
Forum Discussion
rhagfo wrote:
While the Hensley is a great design and works well, it has its limits, once the angle between the TV and trailer gets past a certain point the virtual pivot point starts moving back quickly. Weigh a fiver that point never moves.
I posted a link on where to find information on how the Hensley works in an earlier post. You should check that out to learn how they work. The effective pivot point change is fixed by the geometry and it only changes if the tow vehicle or trailer dimensions change.
The heavier weight on the 5th wheel is not all down low as you state, the center of mass is significantly higher than the TT and more importantly the connection to the truck is significantly higher. That is just the weight, not including the much higher wind loads on the 5th wheel I was describing. If you pay enough money extra on a tougher truck, as you must to handle the 5th wheel extra weight, it compensates some but it's still working harder to maintain stability.
