Hey, new guy here. I have a 2019 F-250 6.2L 3:73 and debating on getting a 5th wheel or bumper pull TT. The 5th wheel I'm looking at has a dry weight of 10k and is 35 feet in length where as the bumper pull is 39 feet in length and it's dry weight is 8300#. Please give me some opinions on why you would chose one over the other. Thank you all in advance for helping the new guy.

 

What is the GVWR of the trailer and the cargo capacity of your truck. You have the gas engine so you probably have enough cargo capacity for the 5th wheel.

 

The GVWR of the trailer is no more than 10K where as the 5th wheel is closer to 11,500 which according to ford fleet towing guide I would be close to max towing if I understand it correctly.

 

What is the cargo capacity of the truck? It will be on a sticker in the driver's door frame.

 

Cargo capacity is 3176lbs. My truck is a CC long bed 4x4.

 

You should be good with either trailer.

 

Depends on your intended use. Weekend warrior, TT. Multi day or long distance, 5er.

5th wheel all the way for us. During the summer we take a 7 week 5-8k mile trip visiting national parks and wife's family on the West coast. Granted every weekend i have 2 days or more off we'll go to local destinations an hr or 2 away and get the kids out of the house and wifi range to go hiking. With our family size we need storage, TTs don't have it. 5er cross country is quite stable in cross winds. At 13'5" i have to watch the overhead clearance signage on smaller roads that wouldn't be a concern with a TT. I probably loose an mpg or 2 being taller than a TT, but the stability on our long trips is an easy trade off. Especially thru Kansas, there's always a strong crosswind across that whole darn state.

The down part is the learning curve on backing a 5er. I could always put a bumper pull anything exactly where i wanted em 1st try, it's just easy with all that leverage length from the truck's rear axle to the ball. 1st time backing a 5er, hoo boy. Felt like a noob. The pivot point being 4" in front of the rear axle vs 6" behind the bumper was quite a change in thought process and physics. But once ya get the tricks to it down it's just as easy and don't have to worry about jack knifing nearly as easily as bumper pulls.

 

I have a 38' bumper pull toy hauler. Dry weight is around 10,500. I run a equalizer hitch and there has only been one close call with a microburst. A 39' bumper pull is LONNGGG. You have to plan your stops and stays for sure as they don't maneuver nearly as well. If it were me I would drive both trailers around before I made a decision. Ive never towed a 5'er so I have no way to compare the difference between the two but I know following my buddy in his 40' 5er he moves around more than I do so there are a lot of variables.

 

I have a 2017 F350 6.2L CCLB with 3.73 gears. My towing limit is 12,000 and my payload capacity as stated in the door jam is 4000lbs. The pin weight of a 5th wheel trailer is between 20 and 25% of the trailer. My trailer is 11000GVW (9000lbs empty and 2000 lbs load capacity). That would make the pin weight between 2200 and 2750. Add in the weight of the persons, tools, etc and I am fine. But yours would be close at 3176 payload and an 11500gvw of a 5th wheel trailer . But it would be possible. You would be close to max on towing also.

 

I had a 30’ bumper pull toy hauler before I got my 39’ 5th wheel. The 5th wheel tows much better and handles better. A drawback to 5th wheels is weight and pin weight, especially on toy haulers. One thing, when switching between the two, the 5th wheel backs up a little differently due to the pivot point being further forward, so it takes a little practice to nail it.

I’m happy with my upgrade. Much more space, nicer amenities, and improved towing/handling make well worth it.

 

Absolutely go fifth wheel over bumper pull. We had a 37’ bumper pull for years & upgraded to a 34’ fifth wheel in April. The fifth wheel pulls so much better, I had a Reese Strait Line for years had it dialed in for the trailer but still had sway. By design having the pin over the rear axles almost eliminates that, there may still be some sway in strong winds but it’s nothing like a bumper pull. Our fiver has a max gross weight of 10k & with 3.73’s I definitely know that it’s back there but if I take my time & keep it under 70mph I’m fine.

 

Another vote for fifth wheel. Much more stability as said above, Mine is 10500 loaded with tanks empty and pulls real nice under 65 mph with 3:73 rear.. Truck will be winding up in the rpm's in mountains but do fine. In my opinion you should'nt be going any faster anyways since most trailer tires are not rated above 65.

 

I've had many trailers over the years. I went with bumper pulls for one big reason....I need the pickup bed, which I have a cap on.

I carry "dirty stuff" in the bed, like firewood, gasoline, generator, gas grill, bikes, etc etc.

 

5iver for sure.. No doubt

 

I have the same truck and the ONLY reason I went with a bumper pull is that my truck spends 90% of it's time not towing and has a topper. The topper is handy when hauling things in inclement weather and I didn't want to take the topper off and put in a fifth wheel hitch 5 or 6 times a year...guess I'm just lazy