WDH compared to 5th Wheel

[NDcamper15]

The wife and I are looking at buying our first camper. We've found a few floorplans in our price range, some TT's and some 5ers. I'm aware that each has their pros and cons. I actually really like the thought of keeping my truck bed available for camping gear so the TT is appealing. What I'm wondering though, does a WDH make it that much easier to control a TT or is the 5th wheel just unbeatable as far as stability is concerned? I've read a ton of reviews saying the 5th wheel is the best blah blah blah and I guess I'm really just looking for some 100% honest opinions.

TIA

[Hannibal]

bfast54 wrote:

Hannibal wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
I've not driven a truck-5er combination, but I do know I've driven several tow vehicles with trailers. If the truck is too small for the trailer, towing is a nightmare. With the right truck-trailer-hitch combination, towing is sweet. I think 99.99% of travel trailer towing problems is because of too much trailer for the truck. Whereas, a 5er is more forgiving with the same truck.

I do know, my current rig combination (with the integrated brake controller) is a very sweet ride! We've done several long trips now (over a thousand miles one way) with this set up, and did not have any problems, sway, scarry moments, nothing. Truck and trailer acted as one unit. No problems.

(However, i-65 through Montgomery Alabama has us down to 35 mph. BUT everyone else was running about the same speed.) That was the only place I felt I had a trailer attached.

You post and sig pic reminded me of a conversation with a commercial RV delivery driver 15~ years ago. While browsing the TT's and 5th wheels, in came a new 32~34' TT towed by a well worn Chevy 3500 dually. ////////// TT to our F150 without the bars and it towed fine. We're thinking about going back to a TT of 25-30' and I'd like to do so without the need for a WDH and sway control.

Does anything about your observation scream "Grapes and Oranges"?????

3500 Dually-----F150.....???????





For original poster I have towed many many trailers throughout the years-- and personally I prefer the convenience and safety of the fifth well .

I've towed many many trailers delivering them and most of them were travel trailers.
On the LONG TRAILERS... I used weight distribution hitch.

One time I towed an entry level, aluminum sided Keystone, with axles close together...from Our yard in Goshen....to College Station Pa.

It was the most White knuckle trip I ever did!!!!!!!!
It swayed, caused my dually to feel like it was going to fishtail-----I changed hitch height, link hight.etc....Nothing helped.

So, the type,height,length has a huge effect.
The wide track...space axles (passport type).. tow best in my experience.

You're right. Tow grapes with grapes and oranges with oranges. I wouldn't suggest towing a 32' TT with an F150 on the ball only. We towed our small TT without WD and it worked well. The RV delivery driver did well towing the bigger ones with his 3500 dually. U-Haul says no to WDH's. Use the proper tow vehicle for a properly distributed trailer. Interesting about the Keystone. The Jayco 27RLS has it's axles set farther back on the trailer. I'm thinking this would be a good thing.

[bfast54]

Hannibal wrote:

DutchmenSport wrote:
I've not driven a truck-5er combination, but I do know I've driven several tow vehicles with trailers. If the truck is too small for the trailer, towing is a nightmare. With the right truck-trailer-hitch combination, towing is sweet. I think 99.99% of travel trailer towing problems is because of too much trailer for the truck. Whereas, a 5er is more forgiving with the same truck.

I do know, my current rig combination (with the integrated brake controller) is a very sweet ride! We've done several long trips now (over a thousand miles one way) with this set up, and did not have any problems, sway, scarry moments, nothing. Truck and trailer acted as one unit. No problems.

(However, i-65 through Montgomery Alabama has us down to 35 mph. BUT everyone else was running about the same speed.) That was the only place I felt I had a trailer attached.

You post and sig pic reminded me of a conversation with a commercial RV delivery driver 15~ years ago. While browsing the TT's and 5th wheels, in came a new 32~34' TT towed by a well worn Chevy 3500 dually. ////////// TT to our F150 without the bars and it towed fine. We're thinking about going back to a TT of 25-30' and I'd like to do so without the need for a WDH and sway control.

Does anything about your observation scream "Grapes and Oranges"?????

3500 Dually-----F150.....???????





For original poster I have towed many many trailers throughout the years-- and personally I prefer the convenience and safety of the fifth well .

I've towed many many trailers delivering them and most of them were travel trailers.
On the LONG TRAILERS... I used weight distribution hitch.

One time I towed an entry level, aluminum sided Keystone, with axles close together...from Our yard in Goshen....to College Station Pa.

It was the most White knuckle trip I ever did!!!!!!!!
It swayed, caused my dually to feel like it was going to fishtail-----I changed hitch height, link hight.etc....Nothing helped.

So, the type,height,length has a huge effect.
The wide track...space axles (passport type).. tow best in my experience.

[Hannibal]

DutchmenSport wrote:
I've not driven a truck-5er combination, but I do know I've driven several tow vehicles with trailers. If the truck is too small for the trailer, towing is a nightmare. With the right truck-trailer-hitch combination, towing is sweet. I think 99.99% of travel trailer towing problems is because of too much trailer for the truck. Whereas, a 5er is more forgiving with the same truck.

I do know, my current rig combination (with the integrated brake controller) is a very sweet ride! We've done several long trips now (over a thousand miles one way) with this set up, and did not have any problems, sway, scarry moments, nothing. Truck and trailer acted as one unit. No problems.

(However, i-65 through Montgomery Alabama has us down to 35 mph. BUT everyone else was running about the same speed.) That was the only place I felt I had a trailer attached.

You post and sig pic reminded me of a conversation with a commercial RV delivery driver 15~ years ago. While browsing the TT's and 5th wheels, in came a new 32~34' TT towed by a well worn Chevy 3500 dually. I walked around the truck and there sat the coupler on the ball with no WD bars or sway control. I asked the driver about it as we've seen WD hitches used for even small TT's towed by HD pickups. He said he never uses those and hasn't had any problems. So home we went and I hitched up our then 4400 lb weighed 19' tandem axle TT to our F150 without the bars and it towed fine. We're thinking about going back to a TT of 25-30' and I'd like to do so without the need for a WDH and sway control.

[Allworth]

It is!

[GaryWT]

Have never had a fifth wheel but I tow a 35 foot trailer with a F350 crew cab. Trailer weight loaded is 8,000. Tows like a dream. Have an equil i zer hitch and no issues at all. Can'y compare it but can't imagine a fifth wheel could be much better but maybe it is.

[handye9]

NDcamper15 wrote:
Sorry for the lack of info guys. We're looking at around a 35 foot TT about 8k pounds dry weight. There are a few different ones we're looking at so its hard to give an exact tongue weight. TV will be a ram 2500 with the 6.4 hemi so weight shouldn't really be an issue.

Minimum tongue weight is 10 percent. Average is about 12 - 13 percent of loaded trailer weight. Toy haulers are higher to offset weight in the garage area.

Average trailer load (dishes, pots and pans, flatware, camping chairs, BBQ, bedding, groceries, tools, fishing gear, and water, etc) is 800 to 1000 lbs.

5th wheel pin weight averages 20 - 25% of loaded trailer weight. That is why folks have mentioned possible payload issues with 2500 series trucks.

Tongue / pin weights will vary during every trip. Different things may get loaded in different areas. Water and groceries get used up, and holding tanks get filled. Depending on location, in relation to the axles, holding tanks can have a significant impact on tongue / pin weights. My fresh tank is behind the axles, and it's affect on my tongue weight is + / - 175 lbs. Tongue weight goes up as water level goes down.

I selected TT over 5er because of truck bed usage and what to do with the hitch when it's not in use. My WD hitch fits in a storage compartment on the TT, and I don't need help putting it in there.

[fla-gypsy]

I tow a 32' TT weighing in near 10k with a Reese Dual Cam set up that I would not hesitate to tow anywhere. When done right there is no advantage to a 5th wheel IMO. My next TT will exceed 35' and I am not concerned that I can do it right also. Some folks just lack the skill needed to figure it out and do what everyone else does.

[ScottG]

I think a lot of it depends on how much your going to be towing it.
We make mostly weekend trips within a few hundred miles and I like having the bed of the truck clear (we have a canopy) to haul what ever. This works best for us.
But if I were traveling around the country and pulling thousands of miles then I would go for the fiver.

[samsontdog]

I have owned and towed many 5th ws and TT in the last 55 years. The TT will tow as well as the 5th w if properly equipped. I tow a 34 ft TT at the present time as I prefer using the P/Up bed rather than using the space in the 5th w to carry bikes etc. I still have a 40 ft 5th w that I use as a rental. I have owned
7 or 8 5th ws and around 20 or so TT so I have a lot of experience towing both for thousands and thousands of miles. The DW and I are getting up in age now and with replaced hips etc the extra steps in the 5th w are out now. Might have to go back to the DP MH

[Sandia_Man]

You can experience poor towing characteristics from either if they are not properly hitched or truck is undersized. We tow a similar sized TT that scales a bit over 10K# with our 3/4 ton HD crewcab Silverado and enjoy a very comfortable ride while towing.

Dealer did a pretty good job installing our WD/SC hitch but after I did some minor tweaking we can tow at interstate speeds with virtually no sway even when passing diesel commercial trucks. Gets pretty windy in our neck of the woods and we rarely have any issues with towing comfort when going down the road.

For long heavy TTs such as what you are considering having a truck that is capable of handling that load is paramount to success. You can use a high-end hitch (Hensley/Propride) but they are not required if you have ample truck. Our Reese WD hitch with integrated SC works well for our current towing combination.

[NDcamper15]

So what I'm gathering from you experts is that if the TT is set up correctly with the TV there shouldn't be any problems. We don't plan on going cross country by any means but some trips to the Black Hills of SD and maybe some Montana mountains are in the future.

[the_bear_II]

We towed a 24ft TT for 16 years and then switched to a 38ft 5th wheel.

To be honest there really isn't much difference 90% of the time. As long as truck, hitch and TT/5th Wheel are properly setup the stability should be there.

Here's a couple of caveats based on the TT & 5th Wheel we towed:
Both trailers had "flipped" axles. I feel because both are higher off of the ground this allows side winds to have less effect. The distance between the bottom of the trailer and the road breaks the suction/pushing effect.

The trucks and hitches were purposely setup to tow each trailer. Better brakes, better cooling, heavier suspension and proper gearing all helped to provide maximum stability.

Once you have practiced towing a trailer it becomes second nature. Anytime I get a new vehicle or RV; one of the first things I do is to go to a large empty parking lot and practice. Panic stops, turns, backing, parallel parking, tight space parking, fast lane changes...etc. This way I know how the vehicle/RV will handle.

I agree having the bed of the truck is great. With the TT we had a cap (campershell) and it provided secure storage for large items. With the 5th wheel I am able to carry lots of stuff but it has to be no more than bed rail height and not something a thief would want. Typically I have a mobility scooter broke down into six parts, a 4ft folding table and two folding chairs, wood for fires and leveling, and misc. other camping needs. Plus I have a cross bed tool cabinet at the front of the bed. There is lots of room for stuff even with the 5th wheel hitch in the bed.

[DutchmenSport]

I've not driven a truck-5er combination, but I do know I've driven several tow vehicles with trailers. If the truck is too small for the trailer, towing is a nightmare. With the right truck-trailer-hitch combination, towing is sweet. I think 99.99% of travel trailer towing problems is because of too much trailer for the truck. Whereas, a 5er is more forgiving with the same truck.

I do know, my current rig combination (with the integrated brake controller) is a very sweet ride! We've done several long trips now (over a thousand miles one way) with this set up, and did not have any problems, sway, scarry moments, nothing. Truck and trailer acted as one unit. No problems.

(However, i-65 through Montgomery Alabama has us down to 35 mph. BUT everyone else was running about the same speed.) That was the only place I felt I had a trailer attached.

[marquette]

Is there a rule of thumb so to speak of when trailer length dictates a preference between TT or 5th? Say for example under 25 ft does the 5th wheel towing advantage still hold true or does the 5th wheel advantage start to come into play on longer trailers? This is assuming any TT would have a WDH and sway control.