5th wheel advice needed

Question

Hello everyone! Long time lurker, finally joined!

I have a 2003 Dodge Ram Cummins Diesel 2500 short bed quad cab. We currently tow a 29' Jayco Jayflight bunkhouse (about 7000 lbs dry, 8k +/- loaded for camping). We are getting more interested in boondocking and are thinking about getting a 5th wheel. I want a similar floorplan and overall length, but I think the additional maneuverability of a 5th wheel and having much of the length over the bed of the truck will help me get to more remote spots. Am I correct about this?

The extended "butt" length of my trailer is a particular concern, with both the swing and exit angles involved. Most 5th wheels of a similar length have the axles further back in relationship to the rear of the trailer, helping with these two factors.

I am looking at a 29' 5er that weighs about 8k dry with a dry hitch weight of 1745. Is this doable with a 2500? We are a family of 5 plus a dog - the kids are young and will unlikely exceed 150lbs combined before we upgrade tow vehicles. I know I will need a slider hitch due to the short bed (unfortunately I sold the one that came with the truck. I'm a bit concerned about that pin weight, although the overall weight looks plenty doable.

Thanks for any tips! Also any recommendations for 5th wheels with 3-4 bunks?

donn0128 · Answer

Barely at best. What is your trucks scaled ready to camp weight minus the trailer?
With a short bed truck you will want a slider hitch (350 pounds) so there goes part of your available pay load. Subtract for every pound in the truck above a 1/4 tank of fuel and one 150 pound driver from your advertised payload. Now your down to maybe 1000 pounds of payload before you exceed the GVWR number as posted on the drivers door post.
Still think your truck will handle it OK?
Your big bugaboo is payload and pin weight. A fivers pin weight can generally be around 20% of it's ready to travel weight. Since you don't have that number at hand, use 20% of the trailers GVWR as your pin weight estimate. You may never load to the trailers GVWR, on the other hand you will guaranteed NEVER see the trailers dry weight in your lifetime.

romore · Answer

We have a similar truck and are looking to upgrade the fiver. Our maximum gvwr limit is 10,000 lbs which means a 27-28' with no slide, a bit shorter if slide equipped. As was mentioned, 20% hitch weight puts us right on the limit for a 2500. We also do not want to upgrade our licenses to allow for a heavier trailer.
As far as slider hitches go, you may or may not need one. If the front corners of the trailer are cut away for additional clearance a fixed hitch will be fine. Our old trailer does not have this feature and yes we have experienced the very expensive consequences.

happykayakers · Answer

Kach wrote:... but I think the additional maneuverability of a 5th wheel and having much of the length over the bed of the truck will help me get to more remote spots.  Am I correct about this?  The extended "butt" length of my trailer is a particular concern, with both the swing and exit angles involved.  Most 5th wheels of a similar length have the axles further back in relationship to the rear of the trailer, helping with these two factors.I wouldn't count on better maneuverability with a 5er. When going forward the trailer tires will track inside your truck tires so you'll need to swing wider. When backing, a 5er takes somewhat longer to respond. Depending on the model, you may have less butt swing but it's certainly still something you need to watch out for. Also, you'll be much taller so you have to watch out for more tree limbs in those remote spots. Just a few thoughts.

kach · Answer

Thanks everyone for the replies! I kind of already came to the conclusion that the trailer would be too much. I wasn't prepared to see a pin weight quite that high - I had expected to be only a couple hundred or so pounds more than the travel trailer.

I agree on the maneuverability, but I'm thinking in terms of how much trailer is behind the the tailgate of my truck!

Any suggestions on a lighter 5th wheel bunkhouse to consider? I'm pretty happy with the current rig, but playing around with ideas. A 4-5 ft shorter trailer would make a pretty big difference in the types of places we're looking at going. 33' overall right now starting at the hitch ball, so even a same-sized 5th wheel would help quite a bit potentially!

mtofell1 · Answer

If 4-5 feet is going make or break it I don't think you'll know before you get there that the shorter setup would make it. Also, having towed both and of the lengths you're looking at, when going to remote places you're just as likely to get stuck by the 5th hitting your bed rails as you are due to length.

Honestly, I'd take my chances with a TT anyday over a 5th given the sharp changes in level you're likely to encounter. I had better than average clearance with my 5th (around 7" I think) and it was a close call pulling into my driveway with a mild slope. I can't imagine trying to haul it out boondocking on bumpy/uneven roads.

It's an interesting topic and I'm curious to hear what other say but I think overall a TT is much more capable than a 5th on rough/uneven roads.

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