Fifth wheels vs. tag behinds

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This may not be the perfect forum or even web page for this question but here goes. Looking to acquire a 30'+/- camper (preferably one with toy hauling capabilities). My 99 2500 has the camper package (assist springs - I assume) I've heard some of you talk as to how well fivers trail. But if the trailer is less than 10-12k and not 35' long would I benefit much in towing ability in going to a 5th wheel. The reason I ask is I already have a cap over the bed and I'd hate to futz with taking my cap off every time I want to hook up the camper. Any suggestions?

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99 Silver Quad Cab 2500 S/B Glasstite Cap, American Racing Atlas Rims(BFG 285/75/16) BD Low Stall TC, 275 injectors & BD computer, BD pressure Loc & BD valve body, Bullydog 4" exhaust. Westin brush bars, Bushwacker fender flares

 

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Yep, the fivers really do trail a whole lot better. Depending on how good your weight distribution is the fiver will likely give you a better ride too. You already know the downside: loosing use of the truck bed while towing. But then again -- not having a cap on the truck makes it easier to haul stuff when you don't have the trailer. Boils down to a personal preference thing and how much you'll be towing.

If you tend to run fast and hard with the trailer (I do) then the fiver is a really good idea for stability. If you take it easy and don't mind monitoring the mirrors closely so you can tag the trailer brakes when the semis go by then a trailer is not a problem. I also really like being able to jack knife the fiver into and out of tight spots.

 

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Craig
It is like Mark said! I towed a tag trailer for 15 years and everyone told me if I ever towed a 5er I would never go back, and that is definately true. The last tag trailer was 31+ feet and 10000 lbs, with a 1000 lb tongue weight,it would get scary at times, like tractor trailers passing you on a curve at 70 miles an hour or in cross winds. Smaller trailers were no problem though.
Larry

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Ram Rod
'01 3500 white quad cab sport 4x4 ETH DEE SLT+ 4:10s posi Pac brake tow/camper pkg.
35' holiday rambler 5th wheel

 

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I put 41K on my rig this year alone (she is one year old this month). 31K of that was towing. I haul tag alongs and fifth wheelers from manufactures to dealerships part time and my own fifth wheeler and 27' boat make up the rest of the towing. These units are from all manufactures, (at least a large cross section) are all sizes and all lengths and I for the life of me cannot figure out why there are still so many people still going with the tag alongs. Mark and Larry have said it very well. I would like to point out one other thing, the ease of hooking and unhooking from a 5th Wheeler is great (If the war department is along she don't even have to help, fewer battles ). Good luck though, whatever you decide.

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Y2K RAM 2500 4X4 QC LWB Patriot Blue 5-Speed 3. 54 LS rear end, Trlr. Tow & Camper Packages, Westin Nerfs, Isspro Boost & Pyro gauges in a dual Pillar mount and DC Mud Flaps. Stock, ALMOST (so there is no mis-understanding, ALMOST refers to my Westin Nerfs & Isspro Gauges).

[This message has been edited by ldg (edited 12-04-2000). ]

 

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If you still want the rear of the truck enclosed Craig, another option might be to go to a roll top cover so you can do the 5th wheel. The roll top will give you security while solo. #ad


You can do short tool boxes under the roll top. I'm heading that way with mine. I'm looking forward to a bit better mileage with the roll top. #ad
The roll top will keep the 5th wheel hitch out of the weather.

I'm one of those that have hauled many tag alongs & won't go back. No more white knuckles. #ad
I've probably experienced about every bad condition & none relate to the 5th wheel.

Also, if you pick the right 5th wheel, you'll get a ton of storage accessable from outside doors. That alone may offset your storage while towing concerns. That storage area in some is huge! Best of luck.


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Money Sink - 96, 5 speed, HX40-16, TST #11/280 slid 3/4 way, 300 HP Injectors, Scourge BD Governor kit.
4" CATless turn down straight out back.
ISSPRO Pillar, Delvac 1 & Amsiol, RE-0880, Mag-Hytec, 3:54, 235s on Alcoas, Rancho 9000's, Valentine One.

 

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I have never towed a fifth wheel so I cannot comment on them. I have been pulling a 24' tag along for years and have never had a problem with wind or trucks passing. I pull fast so not many trucks pass me, usually the other way around. I usually tow at 65MPH when on the freeway.
I want the rear of the truck for "stuff" and would miss the space there. My wife says she doesn't want to climb stairs to get to the bed.
I think the choice is up to the individual.


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Stan
93 2WD extended cab, Banks Power Pack, K&N Air Filter, PW Injectors,Auto w/4. 10 rear with limited slip, US Gear Exhaust Brake, 31/2" Exhaust, 5K air bags, Boost/Pyro/Tach Gauges, Green/Silver, new 40-20-40 bucket seats, 149K

 

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We have a 30' 5th wheel and travel and camp with friends that have a 33' tag along. There are pros and cons to each. I am 6'2" and a 5th wheel almost always has more head room. A 5th wheel will weigh more and cost more than a tag along of the same size. A 30' 5th wheel has slightly more living space than a 30' tag along. Long tag along has more tendency to drag the rear end. A little better fuel mileage with the tag along. I pull with the ISB Cummins. My friend uses Ford V10. We are pretty equal except at fuel stops. I get about 13MPG. He gets about 9 MPG. Of course my Cummins was a $4500 option. Bottom line: We love our 5th and they love their tag along. Both are Sunnybrooks by the way.

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Northport,AL. 1999 2500 quad cab, driftwood, 5 speed ISB. Boost and Pyro gauges. Line-x.
Amateur extra W4XH

 

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Craig, I have seen at least one manufacturer that markets a hitch for bumper pulls that still "hitches" at the bumper (and packs the weight at thaty point), but pivots at the rear axle and rolls along a semi-circular "raceway" under the rear bumper. Suppose to eliminate some of the tail-wagging-the-dog syndrome. Myself, I have a 5th wheel and love it.

 

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Here is a link to the Pullrite site that BZIN/UL alluded to.
http://www.pullrite.com/principle.html

Shelby

 

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If you are a little #ad
check out www.irv2.com might just be what the dr. ordered #ad

 

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I have a 32 foot tag along at 9400lb GVWR. I have Reese dual anti sway cams. I have never pulled a fifth wheel. But what I can say is that with the ETH and the dually I hardly notice the trailer is there. Even my wife says it pulls like a 'dream'.

Dennis

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2001. 5 3500 4X4 Quad Cab, ETH, Dark Garnet Red.

 

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5er all the way!!! There is no comparison.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=249994&a=1857908



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99,2500,qc,SLT,black,4wd,35Klb gooseneck hitch, K&N airfilter, 265/75/16 BFG ATko's

 

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Craig,

Since you are soliciting opinions, here's mine. We are getting rid of our fifth wheel and getting a tag-along (called a travel trailer in the industry) for most of the reasons that have been mentioned here. One more reason to favor travel trailers that has not been mentioned is that when you get to your destination and unhitch, you have a normal truck without a big, space-robbing hitch in the bed.

The biggest advantage to the fifth wheel is the fact that the hitch pivots at the rear axle and thus side loads on the trailer affect the truck much less (virtually not at all). Fifth wheel trailers also have large hitch weights, indicating an inherently stable trailer (more below). The advantage to the travel trailer for me is that I don't have to remove the cap from the back of the truck, nor give up all that carrying capacity.

If you load the travel trailer properly, with the center of gravity well ahead of the trailer axles, you will notice two things. First, you will have a large hitch weight, indicating the forward CG. Second, your trailer will be inherently stable while towing. That is, it will not tend to sway from side to side excessively. Some trailers are easier to load properly than others. I depends on water and waste tank location, cabinet location, etc.

I have not towed our new travel trailer much yet — so far just one trip from Georgia to Indiana — but I don't expect any problems. If I find that ours is difficult to load properly, with sufficient hitch weight, we will invest in the Pulliam Pull- Rite hitch rather than switch back to a fifth wheel trailer. The Pull-Rite pivots just behind the truck's rear axle and helps prevent the sway problems that you can get with an unstable travel trailer. If you call them (Pulliam Enterprises at 800- 443-2307), they will send you a video explaining their hitch.

I want to be able to hook up the trailer on a whim and take off for a weekend or so without making a major operation out of it. With the cap on the truck, that was impossible with the fifth wheel trailer. Not only did we have to remove and store the cap, but we also had to install the fifth wheel hitch. I never left the hitch installed with the cap on the truck; it took up too much bed space. I'm looking forward to the convenience of the new travel trailer.

Loren

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2000 Quad Cab, 4x4, short bed, six-speed: U. S. Gear exhaust brake, MileMarker Select Drive viscous coupling, Velvet-Ride spring shackles, Painless Wiring circuit box, Optima yellow-top batteries, Super-Glide 5th wheel hitch, Reese folding ball gooseneck hitch, Drawtite front hitch receiver, Tekonsha Sentinel brake controller, Westin nerf bars, Clarion sound system
1995 Standard Cab, 4x4, long bed, automatic: Firestone Ride-Rite air springs, torque converter lock-up switch, 4" cat-back exhaust, Reese 20K 5th wheel hitch, Reese gooseneck hitch, Hayes Micro Control trailer brake controller, 100 gallon bed-mounted fuel tank with 12 volt electric pump & fill nozzle, Swiss Cap fiberglass cap

 

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The 4wd Rams sit so high that you have to flip the trailer axles on a lot of 5th wheels for clearance to the bedrails. This raises the center of gravity of the trailer--not good.
I tow an Airstream. The combination of its shape and the Henschen independent, torsion bar, dampened suspension make it tow very nicely, although it is a tag-along.

 

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The issue of the hitch of a fifth wheeler in your P/U bed and taking up space can be a problem for some. The removal of the fifth wheel hitch as well as its installation also. But there is where the dis-advantages stop.

1. The length of a tag along includes the length of the hitch, in case a few out there may not know that. So you get about 2 1/2 to 3 foot less to start with in what sales and the numbers refer to as the same length, unless your salesman is the honest type and will tell this up front. (doubtful but possible)

2. I have flipped my axles on my personal 5er but I sure don't flip the axles on all of those I transport. This has to do mainly with the size of the 5er (ours is only 25'), the tires size of the unit and the adjustabiliy of your 5th hitch. I have never had a problem or damage hauling any of the 5ers I've transported but have to say that I would want some of the smaller units leveler if they were mine. The larger units are no problem because most of the quality units come with larger tires. If flipping the axles were a stability problem or problem causing (which I believe is more sales talk than anything, I have never found this to be a issue at all) how come the factories will do it before they ship the unit to you? If it was a safety issue no factory would put themselves in that type of a spot for a law suit.

3. If the pull alongs are not a problem pulling then why are so many of them off the road and on the lee side of the freeway or in Wal-Mart parking lots with the Class A's every time you get into 40+ mph winds or even less sometimes, out there in Nevada, NM, AZ, UT and the rest?

4. If there is not a problem pulling tag alongs how come they build and sale a very expensive hitch called the Pull-Rite to get a tag along to preform close to a fifth wheel. The fact Pull-Rite exsist and people buy them speaks for itself. I will say this, I am glad they do for those that for other reasons or just personal preferance want a tag along.

5. I have said this before but when it comes to hitching and unhitching, leveling and setup a 5er is defenately out there by itself. No hitch for the tag alongs can correct that issue.

Happy camping and trailering, whatever you call a home away from home.

 

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I have had 4 tag alongs and now have a 5er, and believe me, there is no comparison, Only wish I would have had a 5er long ago. the 5er hooks, unhooks and sets up much quicker than a tag along and pulls much much easier. It is pretty easy to remove and reinstall the hitch if need be. Yes, the only disadvantage I see is you do lose storage space in the back of your truck.

 

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I don't understand what everyone is talking about when they say they loose storeage space with a 5th wheel hitch, i have a reese hitch and i pull 4 pins take the hitch out and i have all the bed space of a pickup without hitch. If your refering to space when towing, with a good 5th wheel there is all kinds of storage under the liveing space and there is plenty of room in the pickup bed. I haul my tool box, extra diesel, chain saw, dog, and half a pickup bed of fire wood, when i get to my next camping spot i unhook and roll my tonue cover over the wood to keep it dry. Good luck with whatever you decide to buy and happy camping ( one of lifes greatest experiences ). Ron

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1999, 3500, 6x6, slt, auto, 3. 54, Qd cab, ISB cummins, towing 2001 26RKSS Tahoe 5th wheel, 1999 120hp 1800 bayliner.

 

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We have had both, wouldn't considera return to a tagalong! Advantages of a fiver?

1. Reduced overall length when towing.
2. MUCH better handling in cross winds.
3. MUCH tighter turning circle.
4. ALSO easier backing into tight spaces.
5. Can turn tighter angles without damage to trailer or towing vehicle.

Like others here, we have NO problem carrying items in the bed of our truck when towing our fiver, and DO have a combination fuel tank/toolbox in bed area of truck. When not towing, my fiver hitch removes, leaving only the rails in place - essentially the bed is clear for cargo...

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Early '91 250, 727 AT, 307 rear... Banks Stinger exhaust, intercooler... US Gear OD... MORE than a match for every new PS Ford encountered so far...

 

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Below is a link for company that makes slide rails for tool boxes & bed caps that might be of interest to some of you.
http://www.slidesystems.com/default.htm

Brian

 

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Well, the 5er guys have great points, but, i have a 31' silver streak tag along and have had no problems at all. with my cap on, i haul all sorts of gear in the bed and like being able to unhitch and keep the stuff in the bed, secure. sway bars are a must though. good luck.

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1999 ram 2500 hd reg cab 4x4 5 speed 3. 54 no bells or whistles 21mpg