Your offtrack isn't as bad as a tractor trailer since the wheels of the 5er are closer to the middle. You probably won't find it significantly different than your travel trailer on turning other than about 2 to 3 feet inside of the TT track, perhaps a little more since your 5er is 10 feet longer than your old trailer. The rear end of the trailer swings out less than a travel trailer because of the inside offtrack and the rear takes longer to swing out because of the hitch point being in the bed of the truck. Should be no problem coming out. Just give yourself a wider turn if you are going right (cut into the oncoming lane before cranking it around). Going left is obviously no issue as you have to go across the oncoming lane of traffic. Take it slow the first couple times and you will probably have no problems.

 

If I'm reading your description right, your approach is similar to mine. I have a 38 foot trailer that I have always plan my exit with. Here's a pic of my street and how I back into my driveway. Notice the arrow pointing to the car parked in the culdesac. That is where I pull the nose of the truck and then back the trailer up the driveway and next to the garage. When that car is there, it's a little trickier but I can do it. Like said before, I have to worry more about where the nose of the truck is going as it swings around a bunch. Pulling out I drive down the right side of my driveway and swing as wide as I can into the street. The triple axle just barely stays in the driveway if I do it right.

This is just an example of a large trailer in a fairly tight space. It's easy to do.

 

thanks.. really the gate that ticks me off.. but sounds like I won't have much trouble.. slow, wait and swing wide.

and it looks like if I pull into the neighbors drive, I could line it up to back in too.

Sam

 

Yeah, if the neighbor's driveway is available, you'll have zero trouble. It's fun getting used to it as long as no one is looking. When you pick up the trailer, take it somewhere you can practice all the backing & turning maneuvers. If you spend a good hour and repeat, repeat, repeat until you're good at it, you'll be fine. Then after you have worn out the crappy tires with all the backing & jack-knifing, you can go replace them with some decent rubber.

 

thanks.. they will have GY G614's before I pull out of the dealer.

 

Definitely some great info in here!
I have a swing gate only 12 ft wide with only so much street real estate to maneuver on due to large tree branches hanging down on opposite side of the street from the below pic. This google image is when I had my previous (smaller) fiver and learned exactly where to position the trailer axles before I start backing in and when to turn the wheel. However, my current fiver is much larger and has proven quite challenging to back into my backyard lot. Big cedars on the left and two large lilac trees on the right. Even once I get part of it in the angle is going too far to the left or right and I have limited space to pull straight forward to straighten out. Truck faces to the left side of the gate as I back in.

More than once when I get it all in I then realize I'm too damn close to the cedars which blocks the doorside slide-out .

I use those Cobra radios and give one to my wife and position her right where I want the rear left wheel to start tracking in. I crank the wheel all the way over and once she sees the left rear about on que she hollers and then I just start to follow the trailer in. As you all know fivers have that delay in getting them to turn or the angle you want it to be going but once it does you need to quickly correct.

The first time pulling out with my current fiver to go right the rear lower left side clipped the fence post and sheered off the turn signal. Thought I was out far enough before turning the wheel. Oh well lesson learned and only $5 to fix.

My backyard has proven the most challenging campground and has given neighbors some amusing entertainment. Still haven't gotten it down to a repeatable back-in procedure but I'm getting better. I think part of my problem is I haven't figured out how far forward I need to go before I start backing in and my wife is of no help on that matter except for screaming stop you're going to hit the fence post. I'm sure this would be a walk in the park for some of you veterans

If I get the ambition I'd like to make that gate 16 ft wide and be done with backing in hassles.

 

duplicate somehow

 

just an update. the tow went great. only have two closet sliding doors that don't want to stay on their tracks on the rough roads we encountered.

the turn into the drive turned out to be a non-event. Local friend came over and we got as far away from the drive as possible on the opposite side of the street, and turned just before hitting the neighbors brick mailbox.

the dually tires were just on the drive pavement and the trailer tires stayed on the driveway pavement too!.. (orange is dually, yellow is trailer tires)

now, there was a small incident 1/4 mile from home, a low tree and it caught the edge of the roof with 3 quarter sized rips in the rubber roof.. grrrrrrrrr

course it is raining cats & dogs today (5inches so far, tonight is supposed to be heaviest!), so we have water inside.. boo.

got tarps over it, will get some eternabond tomorrow.. rain stops on sunday they say!..

truck was trouble til we hooked up the trailer.. rough, and had the shudder that others have talked about on concrete roads.

aired the truck tires to max, and with the trailer no more bounce! still notice a recurring almost tire shudder every minute or so. feels like front tire, hit a small bump, shudder, then nice.

got 15.8 mpg on the way up not towing (1450 miles), and
9.5 on the way back (1268 miles)
oh, on the scales
faw = 5240
raw = 6660
trailer = 10600
22500 total.

 

Overall a good report. More time towing and you will be an expert.

 

thanks.

and I had a few times where we needed to back up. and I didn't have any trouble. course, none of them were tight quarters.

 

picture of the set up...without the tarp ?

 

Let the Ins co fix the roof and get it done soon, then go down the street and
cut the limbs that did the damage.
Doug

 

Brings to mind something else. Get up on top and measure from the highest point..the ac unit to the ground.

I m 13'6" from top to bottom...so you need to know your height for those low bridges.

 

Yeah, I was out by Harper today on the other side of Fredericksburg, on a small property on the Perdenales where it meets the Klein branch, and man it was wet and the river was actually flowing for real. Clearly a flood or two had flashed through the area, with tall weeds in the higher river bed left bent over. Here's hoping lakes in the area (Medina!) come up from their low points...

 

Sam, Click this link Dicor Patchit Kit - Dicor 402PR - Roof Maintenance & Repair - Camping World. This stuff works great to fix rubber roof tears. I caught some trees years ago and patches are still holding tight. Costs way less than your insurance deductible. Mike