Now I'm Really Confused

Just my opinion, 5th wheels tow a lot better without investing a lot of extra in hitch and sway bar set up. They give you a lot more storage room. Now, the way you are going to use the Rv and finding a floor plan you like should be the deciding factor in what you eventually decide on. One other thing buy a trailer that you can safely tow with the vehicle you have. A salesman is there to SELL trailers and your truck can tow anything on he has on his lot. Hope this helps.

Ohh boy, that question is not an easy one to answer. Everyone will have a different opinion on which is better and why. In the end it will come down to what best suits your needs.

My .02 is that if you are looking at larger trailers, a 5th wheel might be the way to go. When trailers get heavy, 5th wheels tend to tow better because of how they place all the weight directly over the rear axle instead of hanging off the back of the truck. They also tend to have a lot more exterior and interior storage than a typical travel trailer.

The downside is that 5th wheels are typically more expensive than a TT of similar length. You probably wont find a 30 foot mid-level 5th wheel starting at $25k like some TTs.

This is really only a small fraction of the pros and cons of the TT vs. 5th wheel debate.

There's positives and negatives to each....

Plus for a 5ver:

Generally no worry of sway due to the hitch pivot location.
Usually a little easier to maneuver vs a comparable length tt.
Others will chime in also on possibly other positives....

Negatives:
Sometimes the ride isn't as smooth when towing. At least my buddy who has a 5ver, towing with a '13 Ram Mega Cab, seems to get a fair amount of chucking.... His first 5ver, so maybe there is something he could do??? Setup is pretty darn level.
Bed space, or lack of it!!! 5ver hitch takes a fair amount of room. This is definitely one reason my buddy isn't sure he would buy another 5ver.
Truck resale value possibly.... Someone may see the 5ver hitch or at least the holes in the bed and figure the truck was worked hard, even if well within the ratings of the truck.
Possibly payload, again!!! But since you have the gas motor it helps vs the diesel which eats more payload. The pin weight should be roughly 20-25% (I think is what is suggested) of the loaded trailer weight. Plus the weight of the 5ver hitch. So a 10k oh 5ver could have 2000-2500lbs pin weight, plus the 5ver hitch, plus the family weight, plus the small items you may have fit in the truck bed.

I am sure more experienced 5ver owners will chime in! But hope this helps a little as I am still learning about them!!!

What did you look at today?

And how is the new truck???? Lol

Total length of truck and equivalent length trailer will be shorter with a 5th wheel than a TT. People frequently state a 5er is more stable towing than a TT. But a properly set of TT tows fine also.

Don't assume, or believe a salesman, that you can tow a large 5er just because you have a 3/4 ton. You must look at the payload rating of the truck and the pin weight of the trailer to make sure you will not be overloaded. Just today I saw a very new Ram 2500 towing a 3 axle toy hauler. Rear of truck was sagging probably 6" or more and front was pointed at the sky. But he was towing it. Probably just like a salesman said he could.

Anyone know anything about Sportek RV? looked at one of those, really has a lot of stuff included, the outside kitchen had grill, cooktop,microwave,tv, fridge,dvd player etc...pretty cool set up, plus had stadium seats in LR, wife is still pushing me to do the freedom express

Not familiar with the Sportek. If the outside grill is like what came with our (dealer ordered as we bought off the lot) Jayco it is not the best grill for the price they charge. I haven't even used it as we already had a grill.

But we love having the outdoor fridge!!!! It eliminated a cooler for us. We keep the water, our pop, and the kids drinks in the outdoor fridge, and the adult "drinks" in a cooler.

the only issue with a fifth wheel for me is our pu is used more like a big old station wagon and has a weather tight fibreglass cap.

no bicycles or bbqs in or hanging on the tt, we also have a 12v fridge in the bed of the truck, great for shopping trips on hot days

the only issue with a fifth wheel for me is our pu is used more like a big old station wagon and has a weather tight fibreglass cap.

no bicycles or bbqs in or hanging on the tt, we also have a 12v fridge in the bed of the truck, great for shopping trips on hot days

Fifth wheel costs more, so the salesman gets a bigger commission. Which one would you try to sell to a customer if you where the salesman?

Secondly, size for size, you can tow a bigger TT than 5th wheel with any given truck.

nickthehunter wrote:
Fifth wheel costs more, so the salesman gets a bigger commission. Which one would you try to sell to a customer if you where the salesman?

Secondly, size for size, you can tow a bigger TT than 5th wheel with any given truck.

Good points....just to add some weight difference with the hitch loads for both.
A new gen 3/4 ton truck have a 6000-6500 RAWR that will carry all the hitch weight.
I have no idea what weight trailer your looking at but a 12k GVWR TT may have around 1200-1500 lb hitch weight.

A 12k GVWR 5th wheel can have around 2400-2600 lbs of hitch weight which is close to the max hitch weight a 3/4 ton truck can carry without adding larger capacity tires/wheels and rear spring pack.
By the time you add a heavy 5th wheel hitch and other gear in the bed the truck may have a 3000 lb load which is close to the trucks max rear axle/tire/wheel load numbers.