Tow behind vs 5th wheel
#17
#18
#19
Very true. But that hitch is heavy. And my truck is not low. But you are right. You can leave it hanging on your camper and pull out from. Under it.
#20
#22
#23
Hi Guys!
My wife and went out yesterday to look at some used travel trailers. We found a nice 28' used one. Anyways after looking at the used travel trailers, we then looked at some used 5th wheels of same length and kind of like them better.
My question is amusing we would buy one or the other at 28ft, what are the pro's and con's vs the travel trailer and 5th wheel?
My truck will be a 2012 or newer F-250 4X4 Crew cab short bed set up with tow package with a 6.2L under the hood with the 6 speed auto trans.
I have towed lots of trailers before but not a 5th wheel. I'm thinking the 5th wheel would tow easier but with more expense (5th wheel hitch) to set the truck up for it. Your input is much appreciated!
My wife and went out yesterday to look at some used travel trailers. We found a nice 28' used one. Anyways after looking at the used travel trailers, we then looked at some used 5th wheels of same length and kind of like them better.
My question is amusing we would buy one or the other at 28ft, what are the pro's and con's vs the travel trailer and 5th wheel?
My truck will be a 2012 or newer F-250 4X4 Crew cab short bed set up with tow package with a 6.2L under the hood with the 6 speed auto trans.
I have towed lots of trailers before but not a 5th wheel. I'm thinking the 5th wheel would tow easier but with more expense (5th wheel hitch) to set the truck up for it. Your input is much appreciated!
I have two travel trailers, one fifth wheel, and two boats. My truck, the same style you want, is 20 feet long bumper to bumper. The larger TT is 28 feet long overall, the fifth wheel is 28 feet long, and the larger boat is 30 feet long overall.
As far as driving down the road or highway, I don't see any difference between any of them. They roll along behind the truck exactly the same way. I have never experienced sway with any of them and passing tractor trailers have little to no effect.
They all turn the same. If you don't turn wide on a right turn, they will all take out the sign post on the corner.
Backing may be a little different, but not by enough to base a purchase on.
Articulation - articulation? Yes. If you leave the beaten path, you are going to encounter uneven surfaces. You may not even be on an actual road. At those times when the truck pitches left and the trailer pitches right, the bumper pull is going to allow a greater angular difference between the truck and trailer. The fifth wheel is very likely to make contact with the bed of the truck damaging both.
If you are one of those that never leaves the pavement, then this is pretty much a non-issue.
Hitching up - I have the tow package and the camper prep package and air bags. I've replaced the OEM class IV hitch with a Curt class V 2" hitch. This means that I don't have to mess with weight distribution on any of my rigs. However, be aware that the 2012 F250 squats excessively under light load. Ford issued a TSB on this explaining how to correct it at the customer's expense. Parts alone total up over $2000.00. I went with air bags for a fraction of that.
Fivers almost always provide more storage space than TTs while TTs have a lower profile (cross winds and bridges).
Otherwise it comes down to personal preference. If you like the fiver better, then get the fiver, otherwise you'll spend all your camping time wishing you had.
#24
Steve,
Sliding sheets of plywood or sheetrock in on top of the rails isn't too bad, as long as you're sliding them in one at a time.
Try sliding a 1400 lb gunsafe into the bed of your truck with those rails and get back to me. Or a ton of seed on a pallet (or 2 pallets). Or better yet, haul 2 tons of gravel, dirt or sand, and then go ahead and put that hitch back in. Fun times, digging all that crap out of the rails. I don't miss my above bed rails. At. All.
#25
Just a matter of preference and price. I have a sheet of cheap 1/2 plywood I throw in. Haven't done sand. Have done dirt and gravel. Haven't done it often. Threw a tarp down when I did. How heavy is that bad boy again?
I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from doing anything. Just offering a different thought.
Steve
I'm not trying to dissuade anyone from doing anything. Just offering a different thought.
Steve
#26
As far as cutting the corner when pulling a trailer, a bumper-pull trailer does NOT track into the corner, and over the curb AS MUCH as either a fifth-wheel or a gooseneck trailer if both types of trailers have their axles the same distance behind the hitch-point.
A bumper-pull trailer is following a point further back on the tow-vehicle, and if you look at the tire tracks, (easy to do on wet/snowy/dirt roads) you will see the trailer tires of a bumper-pull are much closer to the tow vehicle rear tire tracks, than a similar fifth-wheel/gooseneck. Drivers with a fifth-wheel/gooseneck can compensate for this by driving further into the intersection before turning, but sometimes there is oncoming traffic, or other obstacles to limit this. On a tighter curve on the highway, drivers will crowd the centerline/lane divider more, to keep the trailer tires from getting onto the shoulder of the road, or into the lane next to them.
A bumper-pull trailer is following a point further back on the tow-vehicle, and if you look at the tire tracks, (easy to do on wet/snowy/dirt roads) you will see the trailer tires of a bumper-pull are much closer to the tow vehicle rear tire tracks, than a similar fifth-wheel/gooseneck. Drivers with a fifth-wheel/gooseneck can compensate for this by driving further into the intersection before turning, but sometimes there is oncoming traffic, or other obstacles to limit this. On a tighter curve on the highway, drivers will crowd the centerline/lane divider more, to keep the trailer tires from getting onto the shoulder of the road, or into the lane next to them.
#27
My 2 cents-For your first trailer go used as you will most likely find things you like and dislike and can upgrade. Plus the cost savings can be a lot. We went with the tag as we take our Weber, bikes etc that I keep in the truck bed plus having a truck cap I was not going to take it on and off every time we go camping. My truck is also my daily driver. Our current Jayco 32 is our second camper. After visiting a few dealers we decided on this camper. Went to one more smaller local dealer and found the same camper, one year old that was traded for about 1/3 less than the new.
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