headroom in a 5th vs. standard TT

[lil red cummins]

my wife and i have been looking at buying our first travel trailer for about 2 years. my concern is about the headroom in a 5th style. most 5ths i have looked at have the bedroom over the hitch. (i haven't been in one recently). it doesn't appear that the roof height goes up as much as the floor height. what i want to know is, are there any 5th styles that you can stand up straight in (i'm 5'10"), over the hitch area?



the reason i ask this is, we found a really nice 1996 29' glendale conventional ball hitch trailer that has no miles on it and has a beautiful layout with excellent headroom throughout. it's the right size and well within the weight capacity of my truck, which has the factory class 4 hitch.



i realize most people prefer 5ths or goosenecks for ride, control, overall length and other issues, but headroom is more important to me. we won't be using it more than 4 weeks a year and maybe an occassional weekend.



so, is this trailer the best i will find in headroom, or is there something out there in a 5th style i should look at?



any words of wisdom will be greatly appreciated.



thanks

jim

 

[Slow Six]

You are asking a question to which there is no single clearcut answer. Yes, there are lots of fivers out there with 6 ft. or more headroom in the bedroom. I have one. The only thing with these is that you have a tall unit and you need to be aware of overhead clearances, etc. These taller rigs also catch more wind. I have had several travel trailers and enjoyed them all. My last one was a 32 ft. Prowler Regal GXL. It towed well. but with that length I had to be careful to not hang the back end up when on uneven terrain ( like coming out of a service station when there is a slope down to the street, loading or off loading ferries), in fact I installed wheels on the back of the frame. I now have a 33 ft. fiver which I like pulling much better, although it is more of a pull. As you said, the fivers are nicer to tow. I know this is not much help, but after having both kinds of trailers my opinion (for what its worth) is after about 22-24 ft. I would prefer a fifth wheel. Most importantly, enjoy and use whatever you buy.

 

[Sarge]

That's very true. I have an Americana 30' fiver, and it's about 6'4" in the bedroom. However, the profile is about 12' tall. It's a trade off for sure, but I really like having the extra room, and pulling is a lot better than the TT was. Sarge

 

[RMcCulloch]

what i want to know is, are there any 5th styles that you can stand up straight in (i'm 5'10"), over the hitch area?

Yeah, lots of them.

i realize most people prefer 5ths or goosenecks for ride, control, overall length and other issues, but headroom is more important to me. we won't be using it more than 4 weeks a year and maybe an occassional weekend.



so, is this trailer the best i will find in headroom, or is there something out there in a 5th style i should look at?

Try looking at some of the Front Living Room models: Montana 3655/3685, Terry/Fleetwood AX6, and others.



I've got 8' of headroom in the bedroom and well over 6' headroom in the living room (over the hitch).

 

[gonzo2]

If you like the Gendale and it is a good deal, then maybe you can take it for a tow and see what you think. For casual use, ball trailers aren't all that bad!

You just have to have everything set up correctly, plus you get the truck bed to carry around all sorts of stuff you don't need.



Quality used trailers aren't all that easy to come by.

 

[Pug59]

We just ordered our new TT and it was all about the floor plan. We had to be comfortable in it. Fiance' looked at the "eye candy" which I call decorations. I was over and under the rig with one of the TT mechanics. It was a floor plan we both liked, decorations she liked and quality I liked. We will opt for the fiver next time but a TT was more practical for us while we still have a few kids running around. There is no correect answer like the other said. It is all in what you are comfortable towing. I am finding out that a TT has more "setup" with a WD hitch and how you load the trailer. But once I get it right, I hope it is easy!



Good luck... .

 

[lil red cummins]

wow, what great information.



it is good to know there are fivers with adequate headroom. i will have to look at the front living area models. i wasn't aware they had that layout. as usual there is a wealth of knowledge at the TDR. now i have some good information to go on. i may ask the owner of the glendale to see if she would let me test pull it and see how it feels and turns. good to know there are more options before making the final decision



thanks guys!

jim

 

[SHobbs]

I am on my 2nd 5er. Last was a Terry my current is a Cardinal. Both had plenty of head room in the bedroom, I am 6ft tall and have never had a problem. I have pulled both 5er's and TT's and I definitely prefer the fifth wheel over bumper pull. There is less sway and cross winds don't have much effect on them at all. I think the height in my bedroom is around 77 in. Ultimately it is your decision and your money, shop around and get the trailer that best suits your needs. My . 02 go for a fifth wheel.

 

[klenger]

I'm 6'-2" and the bedroom in my Fox (see sig) has a ceiling height of around 5-10" or so. The floorspace aound the bed is so limited that you would not want to spend any more time standing in the bedroom that is necessary to get in/out of bed or into the cabinets for clothes, so the slight bending necessary when in the bedroom is a total non-ssue for me. On the other hand, the headroom in the rest of the camper is way better than a TT.

 

[rweis]

I've got an ALFA Ideal. We chose the Ideal based on how easy it was to make the bed, the support from ALFA, quality of the construction, overall function of all the systems (it has basement A/C). We plan to full time it with this one.



I have pulled both TT and 5er and I agree about more than about 30' the 5er wins.



BUT



You have to like what you get, else it is a real drag.



LISTEN to your own feelings about what ever you are looking at. Salesmen will sell you ANYTHING to make the sale.



Bob Weis

 

[cwsoules]

My 29' 5er has standing headroom in the bathroom, but does require me to lean over slightly at the foot of the bed and more so toward the head of the bed. Yet it is very comfortable and not a problem. I'm 6' tall. Our rig is 11'6" tall.