Like my bumper pull, it's about the same size as the coachmen you are looking at. Nice to have the bedspace for toys. I do use WD hitch with sway control, when the trailers get this long sway can be a issue and is for me.

 

I do use WD hitch with sway control. A TT has very large frontal and side profiles that will cause a lot of problems in windy conditions or when being passed by a semi. Tongue weight on my trailer is between 1200-1500 pounds. Adding W/D hitch will make the tow much more comfortable quieting down the "porpoising" or bouncing you can get highways.

Ultimately your call, but I wouldn't travel without it. Spend some time on RV.NET in the towing section to get an idea of what others have experienced. It may change your mind.

 

TT's are great. I went through two of them. I now have a fifth wheel though.

It just depends on how you travel really. I miss my bed space but I love the extra room in the camper that the fiver gives. We tend to use ours a lot and in the summer we will spend three-five weeks in it. Extended stays are the norm and two kids plus dog makes most TT campers a little tight. In the last couple of years though, they have begun using more slide outs on tt's and that helps a lot.

As far as towing, a TT is much less stable than any cargo trailer of similar length. High center of gravity is the main issue. Weight placement is also an issue, it's usually a challenge to get the tongue weight right and minimize weight behind the axles. Sway as a result of wind gusts is the main issue.

I really like those coachmen units. Nice choice.

 

I figured the Ride Rite air bags would more than compensate for rearend sag and counteract porpoising of the trailer, no?

I also thought the 'built in' sway control our trucks have would do enough not to need anything else, but again I could be wrong.


So, what's the best way to figure out? Go hookup and drive on the hwy, see what happens??

 

Honestly I would just get it.The highway is not the place to find out you need w/d and sway control.I would say no if the camper was 12 ft and 4000 lbs but its not.Like stated above rv.net is a great resource for this question.Im positive after you read up on there you will consider buying both.

 

Andrew. You said it, if they will let you hook to it and go for a reasonable pull. You will know.

 

With my 7.3 I was towing a 34 ft 9k travel trailer without w/d and sway control for a buddy.Only had to go five miles.Jumped on the highway and a semi went by me doing 80 and the camper swayed so bad I saw the side view of the entire 34 ft in my mirrors.Nearly was killed.Ended up five feet off the highway by the time I got it back under control.Scary as hell.Even with the built in sway control our trucks have I wouldnt chance it.Jmo.

 

Andrew we are friends so I'm telling you my honest opinion.
1. TT v. 5th wheel is personal preference. Your lift is an issue...we've talked about that. It is the very reason my truck doesn't go any higher. Find a floor plan you like in a TT and don't think about it anymore. If you find one that is larger enough to accommodate the family and the family is happy, that's all that really matters in my opinion. The big thing with 5th wheels is normally stability, more space and maneuverability. You may find that you buy the TT and never want more and love it. You may also find that you want more next time and change the way your 2014 is set-up...it could happen, just saying. You could also buy one and your family just doesn't get into it and you dump the camper after a season or two.

2. Smooth laminated sides is a must in my book. They look better for longer and are easier to clean. I think they are easier to sell as well (should the family decide that camping isn't for them...don't laugh, I've seen it happen). This is personal preference of course, but we both like to keep our trucks clean, I think you would regret not buying a smooth sided camper.

3. Your truck will pull anything out there. I know the guidelines and recommendations. I also know what my untuned plain old 6.7 will tow and I have towed a lot more than my fifth wheel before and the truck can take it. You are correct the air bags will account for the vertical load on the truck. So adding a WD hitch isn't because the truck needs it to pull the trailer. I most definitely recommend it because it will help pull the trailer that much better. Anyone that has used a WD hitch know the benefits you feel while pulling...in almost all cases the largest benefit that will start out with is control. It's not that the trailer will not have control without one, but that there will be more of it with the WD hitch. The WD hitch locks the trailer to the truck in multiple points putting less strain on just the single points that would be coupled without them. Less wear on the trailer and the truck in the long run. I can also tell you from experience that that one time you are not paying quite as much attention put yourself in a not so uncomfortable position, you pass a semi and the wind gust up at just the wrong time, or some moron doesn't something totally unpredictable, the WD hitch is something that you will not ever question again. You have precious cargo, Dad.

 

Having owned both, (currently have a 5th wheel) I would not hesitate to have a TT again. But I would say you WILL want a weight distribution hitch and sway bar. I switched to a 5th wheel because everyone told me how much better they pull. I'm not convinced yet and I'm still trying to re-learn how to back the damn thing.

 

You have friends?

The biggest issue I have had with my 5er is getting enough clearance between the truck bed and bottom of the 5er. If you are planning to camp in an area with rough terrain this will become an issue. To get the camper level while hitched to your truck you will want to shorten the pin box and 5th wheel hitch as much as possible, this puts the bottom of the 5er and the top of the truck bed closer together. What I see a lot of guys do that have lifted trucks is change the axle position on the 5er from overslung to underslung, this will lift the 5er 6-8" and fix the leveling and clearance problems but I would not recommend doing that. I would go with a TT and a WD hitch.

 

funny

I used to have a friend, but he got launched

Gavin

 

Yup, that's me with the paper bag!

 

We pull a 30' TT and wouldn't want to do it without a WD hitch, I have an Equal-I-zer hitch and its great. I have never experience any noticeable sway but without WD you will feel about of bounce as the TT goes over road imperfections as the tongue weight gets heavier and lighter over bumps.

 

As others have mentioned it is a safety issue, and in the grand scheme of things is pretty cheap to add. Might add a few hundred to a $20K purchase for the bars, and antisway device. the one good thing a W/D hitch does is just that, redistributes weight of the trailer back on to the front axle of the truck. That is something airbags cannot do. Unloading the front axle by hundreds of pounds can cause drivability issues, and in extreme cases, loss of steering in less than perfect situations.

While on the topic of anti-sway, on a 30' trailer, don't be fooled into adding a friction sway control like this. I had one, these big trailers have just too much leverage for them. Go with one of several options, I happen to use the Reese dual cam sway control that integrates into the spring bars like this.

There are other brands that work similarly and just as well.

Dave

 

I have similar trailer which I have up for sale cuz it's to small for a family three and a big dog lol otherwise when out hunting and fishing when it's just me and the dog it's quite cozy, the 6.7 tows like its not there can tow up donner pass at 80 mph .