5th Wheel or Tow Along?

[sbattle76]

Ok, so I'll be buying a camper soon. However, I really don't know what the advantages are of having a 5th wheel vice a tow along. I've never had too much of a problem with a tow along camper, but I've never towed a 5th. Is there any advantages in towing a 5th? Personally I thought I would stay away from the 5th's since they seem to be over priced, but if they advantages to have I would definitely consider. Can someone with 5th experience give some advantages? When I purchase a camper it will be at least 30Ft to accommodate my family of 5.



I currently have 2012 Ram 2500 6. 7L HO 4X4 crew cab short bed.

 

[mwilson]

Ok, so I'll be buying a camper soon. However, I really don't know what the advantages are of having a 5th wheel vice a tow along. I've never had too much of a problem with a tow along camper, but I've never towed a 5th. Is there any advantages in towing a 5th? Personally I thought I would stay away from the 5th's since they seem to be over priced, but if they advantages to have I would definitely consider. Can someone with 5th experience give some advantages? When I purchase a camper it will be at least 30Ft to accommodate my family of 5.



I currently have 2012 Ram 2500 6. 7L HO 4X4 crew cab short bed.

In my opinion the fifth wheels tow and behave far better than a tag along. My 33' fifth wheel pulls so nice it is easy to forget that you are towing anything at all. Weight is directly

over your rear axle like a semi, when the weight is out on the end of the frame you feel every little thing that the trailer does.

I had a 33' Prowler tow behind when the kids were small and that was hands down the WORST thing that I ever pulled. You simply could not get it to tow properly. If you piled your firewood in on the kitchen floor it helped but still was simply wretched to tow.





Also a decent fifth wheel will have a ton of belly storage which is great.



Mike.

 

[BILLUA]

I second Mikes comments. When we went to look at toy haulers, the salesman asked what type of trailer we wanted, bumper pull or 5th wheel.

I said doesn't matter to me, show me both types. Well, it didn't take more than a couple of trailers to like the layout of 5th wheel trailers much more.

The comments above about the towing advantages of a 5th wheel are spot on.

The caveat is if you anticipate wanting to haul larger items in your bed while towing, it of course requires a bumper pull.

 

[leaky gasket]

Another advantage for a fifth wheel trailer is that your overall towing length for the same size trailer is shorter.

 

[dresslered]

... and turning radius is smaller for the 5th.

Tow alongs are always cheaper though.

 

[PBJ2500CTD]

All of the previous statements are valid. We have had a variety of tents, trailers and motorhomes over the years. We finally settled on our 25 foot (26' 11" to be exact) travel trailer w/o slides now that the boys have long left the nest. It meets our current travel needs. I have a canopy that stays on the truck - especially when we travel, making it easier to account for all the "rocks and jellies" the sweetie acquires on of our journeys. (Learned my lovely wife is a lot like Lucy in The Long, Long Trailer) However, since you state you require a larger unit to accomodate the needs of your family, the best choice would definitely be a 5th wheel for the safety and comfort of all.

 

[Grizzly]

If your trailer is 20' or less, a bumper pull is OK. If it's more than 20', better consider a 5er.

Also in a collision, very few 5th wheels come loose from the tow vehicle, where most bumper pulls will come loose.

Whatever brand you decide on, check them out on the RV Consumer Group. It will cost you $100 plus for the guide, but if you're spending thousands of $, it's well worth it.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Nothing worse than the tail wagging the dog feeling you can get with a TT. I bet statistics would prove there are more accidents with a TT because of losing controll than a 5er. If you like to feel stressed out at the end of a trip get the TT!



5er's are really nice to tow. With a single rear wheel truck you will feel a bit of movement when a semi passes but with a dually you really feel nothing.



The basememt storage in our Mobile Suites is amazing.

 

[EricBu12]

I had a TT toy hauler and had no storage room. The 3/4 ton truck you have I would get no more than a 29' with a slide out... 5th wheels are much more stable when hauling. . storage room and all. One thing I would recommend is getting a super 5th hitch. This is where the hitch sits on rails above your bed and connected by pins to brackets bolted to the frame. This allows you to take the hitch out and only have 4 holes in the bed with no metal rails. Whatever trailer you get, as soon as you get it, if the tires are cheapo. Get rid of them and get 16"rims and tires. Have much less headaches in the long run.

 

[VZarich]

I have towed a great many trailers over the years: travel, boat, utility, commercial, from very short and light up to the legal limit with doubles, and triples. There really is no comparison between pulling a tow behind, or a fifth wheel. There are two different points worth discussion. The weight being distributed right above the rear axle on a fifth wheel really gives your truck a dramatic advantage over a bumper pull in regards to the leverage the truck has over the trailer. The simple physics involved with regards to the position of the pivot point being over your rear axle rather than 5 feet further back are huge. On a fifth wheel the trailer has little leverage on your front wheels due to it's pivot position. On a tow behind he trailer has 5 feet worth of leverage multiplied by the weight of the trailer on the front wheels of the vehicle.
Dramatic difference. Add to this the fact that on a fifth wheel the trailer is not unweighting the tow vehicles front tires at any time but adding additional weight to the rear tires for added traction. The conventional tow behind is always either unweighting the tow vehicles front or rear tires depending on tow vehicle and trailer configuration. With this we have not even touched on the additional stress added to either the truck or trailer frames with the addition of weight distribution systems. When it comes to practical physics the fifth wheel trailer is the clear winner.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

I have towed a great many trailers over the years: travel, boat, utility, commercial, from very short and light up to the legal limit with doubles, and triples. There really is no comparison between pulling a tow behind, or a fifth wheel. There are two different points worth discussion. The weight being distributed right above the rear axle on a fifth wheel really gives your truck a dramatic advantage over a bumper pull in regards to the leverage the truck has over the trailer. The simple physics involved with regards to the position of the pivot point being over your rear axle rather than 5 feet further back are huge. On a fifth wheel the trailer has little leverage on your front wheels due to it's pivot position. On a tow behind he trailer has 5 feet worth of leverage multiplied by the weight of the trailer on the front wheels of the vehicle.



Dramatic difference. Add to this the fact that on a fifth wheel the trailer is not unweighting the tow vehicles front tires at any time but adding additional weight to the rear tires for added traction. The conventional tow behind is always either unweighting the tow vehicles front or rear tires depending on tow vehicle and trailer configuration. With this we have not even touched on the additional stress added to either the truck or trailer frames with the addition of weight distribution systems. When it comes to practical physics the fifth wheel trailer is the clear winner.

This is a excellent summary of the reasons the 5er tow setup is inherently safer. After switching to a GN style hitch I will NEVER go back to a bumper tow hitch on a travel trailer. Please consider the added safety of towing with a 5er, it is afterall your most precious cargo that will be riding with you. .

 

[JJPage]

After owning both, and not being a fulltime RV'r, I would choose the bumper pull...



I currently have a 30ft 5th wheel toybox, it does pull like a dream. What I dislike, even with power mirrors the trailer disappears while backing(maybe just the crappy Dodge mirrors), you cannot look out your back window because all you see is the front of the fifth wheel, so consequently you physically get out to see where the heck your at. I drove semi otr for many years of my young adult life, so it is not lack of experience. As mentioned earlier, the truck box is made almost obsolete, and in my experience the TT is easier to level. If my toybox is not level with tire blocks before you set the stabilizer jacks, the rear ramp is not opening, and if you do manage to get it open, it is not closing because of wall flex. Now, not having owned a toybox TT, I would assume the same could be true.



Because I tow very little anymore, now that the children are gone, I would not own another 5th wheel, just my preference.

 

[HBarlow]

I agree with almost all of the comments regarding advantages of the fifthwheel configuration. Another one not mentioned is when parked with sliderooms out they offer twice the interior room of a conventional travel trailer.

Disadvantages: fifthwheels are larger, heavier, and cost more.

With a Ram 2500 short bed you can't tow much fifthwheel.

 

[Wingate]

I agree with almost all of the comments regarding advantages of the fifthwheel configuration. Another one not mentioned is when parked with sliderooms out they offer twice the interior room of a conventional travel trailer. .

Huh?? What do you mean Harvey??

OP, What do you plan on doing with your camper? Do you plan on full time RV'ing? Weekend Camping? Cross country trips??
I currently have a Jayco 298RES that I pull with my Dodge... . Pulls like a dream. I do not experience any of the tail wagging with mine, but I have seen it from others. Personally, I believe the tail wagging to be a product of an improperly setup truck/trailers and not being mindful of weight distribution.
When we started looking back about 2 years ago. . I quickly realized there are good ones, and there are not so good ones... . (Manufacturers and Dealers) definitely talk to people and do your homework.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

After owning both, and not being a fulltime RV'r, I would choose the bumper pull...



I currently have a 30ft 5th wheel toybox, it does pull like a dream. What I dislike, even with power mirrors the trailer disappears while backing(maybe just the crappy Dodge mirrors), you cannot look out your back window because all you see is the front of the fifth wheel, so consequently you physically get out to see where the heck your at. I drove semi otr for many years of my young adult life, so it is not lack of experience. As mentioned earlier, the truck box is made almost obsolete, and in my experience the TT is easier to level. If my toybox is not level with tire blocks before you set the stabilizer jacks, the rear ramp is not opening, and if you do manage to get it open, it is not closing because of wall flex. Now, not having owned a toybox TT, I would assume the same could be true.



Because I tow very little anymore, now that the children are gone, I would not own another 5th wheel, just my preference.

If your trailer is flexing that much is that more a question of the quality of the trailer build than the type of hitch??

 

[HBarlow]

Huh?? What do you mean Harvey?? ... ... ... ..... QUOTE]

I meant exactly what I wrote. A fifthwheel has twice the floor space and volume of a conventional travel trailer when parked and glide rooms expanded.

 

[Wingate]

hhmmm. . if they are both 30 ft. and both have a super slide on one side and a regular slide on the the other... . wouldnt interior space be the same?

 

[Bill Stockard]

hhmmm. . if they are both 30 ft. and both have a super slide on one side and a regular slide on the the other... . wouldnt interior space be the same?

Travel trailer length is normally measured from the hitch ball to the rear bumper which includes the hitch framework that is outside the usable interior space. Fifth wheels are measured from the hitch kingpin to the rear bumper, and depending on the hitch kingpin location, most fifth wheels are all usable interior space.



Bill

 

[NIsaacs]

When it comes to practical physics the fifth wheel trailer is the clear winner.

Good write up. I always wondered why the mobilehome industry has not moved in that direction. Since all the large single and double wides have the removable hitches, why they don't use goose necks or fifth wheel set ups. The totes do have the frame cut off to get as close to the rear axle as possible.



Nick

 

[LRutigliano]

Advantage:

- ease of hooking up. You back under the pin and you're done (and you can see the pin !!)... With a trailer, you have to back the ball up just right under the receiver, then you have to hook up the weight distributing arms, etc...

- Storage on a 5er is way better too.

- Family and friends stop asking to borrow pickup (sorry, I have that heavy hitch in the bed taking up all of the space, so its useless for you to borrow the truck... )



Disadvantage: lose alot of the bed storage. I use the front of the bed for bikes and area behind the hitch for the lovely blue (black/grey) water tank (for extended camping w/o full hookups... )