5er or TT for use with my older Tow vehicle?
Well, we decided to go truck and trailer instead of a MH. We also decided to purchase the truck and trailer for cash instead of financing. Which brings me to my questions.... The truck has 59K ori...
Forum Discussion
At most the 5th wheel will put a load on the rear axle and its tires of 2500 lbs. and that works out to 1700 lbs. for the truck on each wheel and 1250 lbs. for the trailer of 2950 per tire. All the E range tires can handle that load so no need to go with a DRW truck. In fact more than 80% of the people towing 5th wheel travel trailers (excluding horse and commercial trailers) on the highway have SRW trucks.
For trailer weights under 13,000 lbs. a conventional ball hitch can be used. At 10,000 lbs. you will not have a problem. You will want a weight distributing hitch on many trucks (not the 2011 and later GM 2500/3500 trucks though for example) and you will want a trailer brake controller and trailer with electric brakes. Surge brakes are legal but I would opt for electric on a travel trailer.
The 5th-wheel trailer provides a tighter turning radius and is easier to maneuver. The downsides are that the rear of the truck is lost for carrying gear and the front of the trailer is another 4-5 feet off the ground so you have a lot more air drag when towing and a lot more steps to contend with both in getting in and out of the trailer and even a step up for the sleeping area.
For recreation my preference would be a travel trailer and a crew cap or extended cab pickup with a fiberglass cap on the rear. With this rig I can haul canoes or kayaks or a small boat on the cap roof, or haul bicycles and fishing gear and anything else inside the shell where it is protected from the weather and thieves. With a pet or two I would put them in the back of the truck where dirt and sand can be easily hosed out.
Lots of people are hauling a motorcycle or two or one or more ATV's in the open bed of their pickup and hauling a travel trailer behind the truck.
One aspect of the truck you get that is very important is the gears used. 4.10 gears provide 25% more towing capacity than 3.73 gears and provide faster acceleration for merging with traffic or passing a slow semi on a grade and better engine braking on downhill sections of roads. Most trucks have higher gears that do not work nearly as well for towing and are also likely to hurt and not help fuel economy as the engine is working harder and is more often outside of its peak power RPMs with the tow load.
For trailer weights under 13,000 lbs. a conventional ball hitch can be used. At 10,000 lbs. you will not have a problem. You will want a weight distributing hitch on many trucks (not the 2011 and later GM 2500/3500 trucks though for example) and you will want a trailer brake controller and trailer with electric brakes. Surge brakes are legal but I would opt for electric on a travel trailer.
The 5th-wheel trailer provides a tighter turning radius and is easier to maneuver. The downsides are that the rear of the truck is lost for carrying gear and the front of the trailer is another 4-5 feet off the ground so you have a lot more air drag when towing and a lot more steps to contend with both in getting in and out of the trailer and even a step up for the sleeping area.
For recreation my preference would be a travel trailer and a crew cap or extended cab pickup with a fiberglass cap on the rear. With this rig I can haul canoes or kayaks or a small boat on the cap roof, or haul bicycles and fishing gear and anything else inside the shell where it is protected from the weather and thieves. With a pet or two I would put them in the back of the truck where dirt and sand can be easily hosed out.
Lots of people are hauling a motorcycle or two or one or more ATV's in the open bed of their pickup and hauling a travel trailer behind the truck.
One aspect of the truck you get that is very important is the gears used. 4.10 gears provide 25% more towing capacity than 3.73 gears and provide faster acceleration for merging with traffic or passing a slow semi on a grade and better engine braking on downhill sections of roads. Most trucks have higher gears that do not work nearly as well for towing and are also likely to hurt and not help fuel economy as the engine is working harder and is more often outside of its peak power RPMs with the tow load.
