fiver v/s TT

i went from a 36 foot diesel pusher to a diesel pickup ( with snugtop canopy ) towing a conventional travel trailer .
my beaver mh was 13 ? feet high .
the california desert winds liked to move that baby sideways on occasion .
i went to a 9200# gvw diesel PU towing a 7200 # (axle ) gvw trailer that is 10 feet high .
with approx 1000 pounds on the tongue that particular setup is extremely good in high winds or the 2 lane US highways that we have nearby in the mighty Cascade Mountain Range .

While there are clearly many pros & cons for each, what always strikes me is how many people you see posting about how they went from a TT to a 5er, and now they won't go back. You rarely (if ever) see posts to the opposite (people who go from a 5er to a TT and won't go back).

While there are some pretty sweet setups with TT hitches, there seem to be more sweet setups with 5ers.

And to be fair, I'm one of those who's had many configurations, and the 5er is my personal preference for larger, heavier trailers. My 38' 5er Toy Hauler tows far better (at approx. 17K lbs) than the 28' TT Toy Hauler I used to have (at approx 10K lbs), both behind the same dually.

The bottom line, they both have pluses and minuses, pick what works for you and use the right equipment to do the job. You can take the massive amounts of postulating with a grain of salt.

blt2ski wrote:
ALong with in the REAL world, a TT will use more fuel hands down than a 5W, as the actual airflow up and over the truck/trailer is better with a 5W! The couple of folks that deliver rv trailers have stated that the BEST mpg is a smooth fiberglass walled non bedroom slide 5w. Airstreams are also pretty good. Next worst is an aluminum sided equal 5w, THen the front bedroom slide 5w's, then a smooth TT, than an aluminum sided TT. The TT's are typically lighter than a 5w as mentioned of a given size!

So with this, while one can argue weights need to be taken into consideration as to how well a rig will tow, design and aerodynamics ALSO needs to be taken into consideration!

With that, I have never understood the "I do not know the trailer is back there" statements. You have to, it is looking you in the rear view mirror. You put 10K lbs of trailer behind your truck, IT WILL know it is back there, as acceleration, braking in general will be slower! I do not care how big of an HP/torque motor you have, you will know it is back there!

My IHC dumptruck with a 188" wb knows it has a 12K trailer behind it! Granted a pintle hitch, that is a foot or so closer to the RA than my pickups, I know it is back there! The truck weighs 12K with over 20K of suspension!

The how well a trailer tows, will depend upon multiple items!

As to which is better......well, as pointed out, both bed and bumper style hitches have issues! I'd like some of you spouting about bed mounted 5ws try to use a dump bed of some sort to pull such a creatcher! not happening. Now a bumper pull will work.

Marty

Marty - you're right about knowing the TT is back there when braking and accelerating - even with a Hensley Arrow. It is better with a fifth wheel. Plus DH is glad to not have to mess with backing that stinger into the Hensley Arrow. As safe and secure a ride as we had, that was the one down point of a trip. He says hands down better hooking up a fifth wheel.

Cummins12V98 wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Fact is. With today's hitches. TT tow as well as a 5er. So that's a wash. But there are other things to consider. Like a 5er with the same overall length will have more room, But you do lose your truck bed. A 5er does have lots more storage in it, or under it. A TT is flat, So there are no stairs inside, and less stairs to get it as well.
A 5er will usually cost more, and weigh more. It really just comes down to what you want. It's all about personal choice

Are you going from personal experience stating a TT and 5er tow the same?

I would completely disagree. I have towed several of each, there is no comparison.

We personally towed a TT with a Hensley Arrow and now a Fifth Wheel with a Hensley BD3 TrailerSaver - we haven't noticed any difference.

Because you have a DUALLY!

Ooops - should've noted that when we had the TT and the Hensley Arrow we had a SRW F250 V10. Same TV when we first bought the fifth wheel, just got the DRW August of 2011.

Trees are more menacing with a 5er vs a TT. Those low hanging branches make me nervous. I have terrible visions of a roof tear.

I like our 5er better than our TT. We were able to buy a longer 5er, but we are the same towing length as our old TT. Approx 3' sit over the bed of our truck. Love the interior height of the 5er. If you get a 5er and live or camp in high temps you will need a 2nd A/c. Even with a 15K A/c.

Every TT I have towed I FELT it back there just driving along. With my current setup I really don't FEEL the 5er back there, not even with braking because the MaxBrake allows the truck and RV Disk brakes to work as one. I am not counting severe weather conditions, even then the truck and RV are not affected much at all.

ALong with in the REAL world, a TT will use more fuel hands down than a 5W, as the actual airflow up and over the truck/trailer is better with a 5W! The couple of folks that deliver rv trailers have stated that the BEST mpg is a smooth fiberglass walled non bedroom slide 5w. Airstreams are also pretty good. Next worst is an aluminum sided equal 5w, THen the front bedroom slide 5w's, then a smooth TT, than an aluminum sided TT. The TT's are typically lighter than a 5w as mentioned of a given size!

So with this, while one can argue weights need to be taken into consideration as to how well a rig will tow, design and aerodynamics ALSO needs to be taken into consideration!

With that, I have never understood the "I do not know the trailer is back there" statements. You have to, it is looking you in the rear view mirror. You put 10K lbs of trailer behind your truck, IT WILL know it is back there, as acceleration, braking in general will be slower! I do not care how big of an HP/torque motor you have, you will know it is back there!

My IHC dumptruck with a 188" wb knows it has a 12K trailer behind it! Granted a pintle hitch, that is a foot or so closer to the RA than my pickups, I know it is back there! The truck weighs 12K with over 20K of suspension!

The how well a trailer tows, will depend upon multiple items!

As to which is better......well, as pointed out, both bed and bumper style hitches have issues! I'd like some of you spouting about bed mounted 5ws try to use a dump bed of some sort to pull such a creatcher! not happening. Now a bumper pull will work.

Marty

the fifth wheel is a superior design , but .........
using the exact same dually towing a travel trailer with equivalent room works out to be the same towing experience .
why ?
because the travel trailer has a much lower profile and is not as affected by the wind as much.
because the travel trailer is lighter per lineal foot than the fifth wheel .
because the travel trailer has a fancy hitch mechanism that mitigates sway and transfers weight to the front pickup wheels.
because the dually will allow an extremely heavy payload transferred to the pickup itself and the travel trailer can be loaded very tongue heavy to eliminate sway .
the total package is actually lighter with the travel trailer than the 5th .
that is actually what happens in the real world.

BarneyS wrote:
I have always towed with a 3/4 ton truck. Are you saying that you based your statement on rigs that were not towed by adequate tow vehicles? If so, then your statement that I am disputing is without merit.
Barney

Yes, it takes a truck with stronger sidewall tires and weight compared to the TT to tow properly.

The design of a TT and 5er in the way they are hitched is completely different. With a TT the pivot point being so far behind the rear axle any movement of the TV or TT is felt.

I Don't feel my 18K+ 5er behind my dually except for climbing hills. Even with a Dually towing a 12K trailer with weight distribution and sway bars the trailer was felt but never felt unsafe.