Toy hauler pull or 5th

[JRG]

My freind has a 2500 4x4 short bed.



Should he get a pull behind or a 5th wheel and why... go!

 

[Casey Balvert]

I would suspect that a toy hauler could get rear heavy. A fiver will tow far easier but will probably cost more to aquire.



Casey

 

[2ndgen2500]

5rs are better towing vehicles in my opinion, but if he is close to where he is going, then save the money and bumper tow.

 

[DPelletier]

5ers tow better and make for a shorter overall length, but they cost more and you lose your p/u box.

With a 5er, he'll probably need a fancy sliding hitch with that short box and he'll need to consider bed to 5er clearance on a 4x4.



Dave

 

[JRG]

So it seems easier to go with a pull. How about safty? He has been told that a 5er is safer, but what about all that trailer up in the air (cross winds, ect). Can't be good for mpg either.



Thanks,



JRG

 

[Fireman]

I've had both. For safety, and stability a 5th wheel is the way to go. Tag alongs require careful loading to balance the trailer. It is critical for safety and stability. When you load 800# or more behind the trailer axles it lightens the tounge weight, if you don't load up the frount of the trailer to balance it the trailer will wag the truck all over the road. It can be loaded properly, but it requires some thought and effort. Don't get me wrong a 5th w requires proper loading and balance too, but are safer and more stable even if you get a little careless with your loading. If you are planning on pulling it a considerable distance the 5th w willbe a joy to tow.

JAPO
Fireman

 

[Fireman]

I forgot about the height issue. My pull behind was pretty tall. The 5th w is only a foot to 16" taller. They both have a large frontal area. The 5th w is rock steady when passing big rigs and in cross winds. The pull behind was not. One more thing about size. We wanted a slide, but all of the 5th wheels we looked at that had slides were over10,000# UVW. One dealer refused to sell us one because we only had a 2500. (If you can believe that !)
She said that they wouldn't sell a trailer over 10,000# to anyone that didn't have at least a 3500 DRW truck. She said that almost without exception they all came back unhappy. I'm glad I listened, a friend of mine didn't and he used his 3 or 4 times, then sold it. It was an expensive lesson.

Fireman

PS If your friend decides on a 5th w, I have a nice one.

 

[EricBu12]

Hey another thing to consider, I have the Desert Fox TT Toyhauler and I use a hensley Hitch for the hook up. It has a anti sway controll that makes it handle as good as a 5th wheel. I have a 800# ATV that goes in the back and I have no trouble at all. The Desert fox makes the Axles a little bit further back to accomidate the rear weight. Consiquently, the tongue weight is more. The hensley is rated for 12K ans 1200# tongue.



<img src=https://www.turbodieselregister.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=6291&width=2/src img>



<img src=https://www.turbodieselregister.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=5775&width=2/src img>



www.hensleymfg.com



Here is how the Hensley is hitched up to my truck. I had to do a 8" raise to make the trailer level when towing. Also with the heavier hitch weight I had to go to a class 5 reciever 2" opening just to be safe. Got the hitch at www.truckxpressions.com





<img src=https://www.turbodieselregister.com/user_gallery/sizeimage.php?&photoid=6292&width=2/src img>

 

[y-knot]

Trust me, TRUST ME... . go with the fifth wheel. I have pulled many car haulers, we have had dragsters, sand cars, pre-runners, ATVs, ect. The towing ease of a fiver or goose-neck is well worth the extra money. I had for some time a 32' tag enclosed car hauler (yes it had a lounge in the front), and on the road it pulled straight and true, it was also a tri-axle and well made. But with it's length, it was a bear to maneuver. Tag or bumper tow trailers only allow about 30 degrees of difference between truck and trailer. That can make for some very interesting times, the fuel stops must be very carefully timed and placed. Also often, recreational areas are small, and tight. Not what you want with a tag trailer. On the road, they are also more stable, and much more forgiving. I am not sure what kind you have in mine, but most large toy haulers are very heavy, especially after they are loaded. You will be limited to 10,000 lbs of 1,000lbs tongue weight with a bumper pull. There are several good toy haulers on the market, most all are fifth wheelers.

On our last trailer, we wanted several options that were not offered on the "toy hauler". First off, I wanted the main emphasis to be on the trailers ability to haul, and to haul a variety of vehicles. We wanted many of the options that were more in-line with the traditional race trailer, but with the ability to be comfortable. So we chose to go with a custom built Goose-neck from Haulmark. Started with their EDGE series, and made it so we could haul our 3 quads and Ford pre-run desert truck, this was not possible with a toy hauler. About ten foot of "garage" space is all you can expect from them. We then designed the lay-out around what we needed. Also while I was at it, I had them make the front kick-up higher to accommodate the 3500's higher height, so now the trailer tows level. Everything seemed to work out just fine. We 16 foot of tire rack for all the paddle tires, wheel well cabinets, double work benches with overheads, wardrobe,two beds, TV,refrigerators, ac,heat, DVD,GPS,satellite, ect.

I am not real sure what you have to haul, but maybe you can get a few fresh ideals? Our main concern was on the hauler first, accommodations second, you needs might be different. I just wanted some extra room for what ever the next project brings. Good luck on your purchase, and stay away from the tag units.



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[OTRPU]

I guess maybe I don't understand the question. Why is everybody saying 5er if the guy needs to haul toys? No question the 5er tows better, but haven't seen many 5er's you can load ATV's or snowmobiles or bikes or whatever in. I have seen guys replace the pickup or truck bed with a flat bed and load the Harley crossways on it. Even helped a guy load one at one of the shindigs I went to awhile back. Let me tell you that was fun, and yes, he dumped it off the ramp. I agree, the toyhaulers are usually heavier on the tongue, they usually have a camper up front, larger area in the rear is for haulin toys. Think the decision is based on what you want the thing to do. Been about a month of Sunday's since I've been on, been running my butt off trying to get my brandy new 24 V Cummins outta Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Finally made it, 96 F350 PSD is sitting out front with that engine and a 96 12V Cummins loaded in the pickup bed. Had a chance to Load a 28 foot tag toyhauler out of Oregon for a backhaul. . . started after it, changed my mind. Ford's squatting alittle already, and the trannies telling me it would be fool hardy of me to hook a heavy tag on behind. Decided discression is the better part of valor. Get the dam engine back to Indiana so I can get OTRPU back on the road. Getting sick and tired of sleeping in a pickup seat I tell you. Been to all four corners of the states last 30 days waiting on a load to Alberta. 18 hours to go, if it don't break afore I get there the Ram should be on the road before the end of the month. God I need my road truck back.



Cheers,

Steve J

 

[jimnance]

Because Toys can be heavy. IMHO, a TT is more sensitive to loading. A light tongue weight in a TT seems much less stable than a comparably loaded fiver. Also, Fifth Wheel toy haulers are set up with a pretty heavy tongue weight because you can. It pays off when you load. Much more flexibilty on where you put stuff.



I think fifth wheels are the way to go. Mine pulls so nicely I almost forget it is there. I could never say that with a TT. They always seemed a lot more squirelly.

 

[EricBu12]

The northwood Desert Fox 38' is a new model 5th wheel toyhauler. Has a separating wall from the garage



Alfa has a 5th wheel toyhauler about 35' or so... .



I think Thor has a 5th as well... .

 

[Mingoglia]

I have a Weekend Warrior toy hauler and it's extremely heavy in the front... this makes up for the 5000+ lbs of carrying capacity it has in the back over the axle. My trailer has a tongue weight of about 1700lbs (I have a tongue weight scale). Part of this weight is due to the golf cart batteries, extra A/C directly over the front bedroom, genset, and the front bedroom... oh yeah, and the 126gal of water capacity.



Because of the large tongue weight, this trailer isn't affected by the loading of the trailer... I've loaded it every way you can think of. With a heavy golf cart in the back, full of water, no water, 2 ATV's in the front side by side, one behind the other, golf cart in the front, 2 quads in the back side by side, you name it. At least with my trailer, the massive tongue weight built in makes up for it.



Now you need a truck that can handle this tongue weight. I have recently purchased a Reese Titan and the matching Titan weight distribution hitch. I'm also going to look at using a goose neck ball as the standard chrome 2 5/16 ball tends to get chewed up after awhile... the much higher rated gooseneck balls seem to be the ticket with this weight.



Now my biggest reason for getting a tag-a-long rather than a 5th wheel... . yes, I have the choice having a dually... I primarily use my trailer in the sand dunes. It is my experience (traveling with large numbers of rigs over the years) that a tag-a-long tends to get stuck less in the sand... I imagine this is because the 5th wheel trailers have soooo much weight over the kingpin... especially with 5th wheel toyhaulers. Furthermore, it sometimes becomes necessary to unhook when you dig your truck in. My friend last year stuck his '02 F250 so far in the sand his rear bumper was under the sand and you could swear his front end was up in the air (I would be nervous as heck in this situation only having a couple of inches of clearance between my bedrail and the overhang of the 5th wheel). This was the one and only time I couldn't get someone out of the sand with my dually (in my defense I was on the wear indicators of the stock LTX M/S in the sand!) In this situation, I would of hated to try to unhook a 5th wheel and attempt to connect again with the trailer off level and the truck waaaaay off level. With his tag-a-long, we unhooked, I hooked my Dodge up to the trailer and hooked a friends Chevy (ouch!) to my tow hooks and was able to get the trailer unstuck... Pulled out by a darn Chevy. But he had 38" tires aired down to 10PSI so I don't feel bad.



In conclusion, I've had 5th towed many 5th wheels when I was younger... my parents always had one as long as I can remember. We also had a tag-a-long once and it pulled like crap compared to the 5th wheel... so I know where everyone is coming from... . but, I will probably never own a 5th wheel toy hauler as long as I'm going to the sand dunes... . now a gooseneck. That's a different story and in my opinion would be the best of both worlds in the sand.

 

[lindseyr]

I debated this very subject for quite some time and for me the TT came out on top. The 5er would have been pushing the weight limits of the truck and I wasn't really into that. What we got is an All American Sport 28FB. If the trailer was fully loaded and the truck was fully loaded we would be close to the GCWR of 20,000 lbs. Also I didn't want to tie up the bed with the hitch in case one of the Harleys breaks. This way I can get the truck and go pick up the bike without worrying about a hitch in the middle of the bed. As for sway so far after one trip of approximately 2500 miles it didn't really seem to be a problem except in high wind conditions and getting passed by trucks where it is more of a push. I don't think I ever felt sway. I did make sure all the tires (truck and trailer) were fully inflated and we used an Equalizer hitch. It was my first trip pulling any thing close to this big ( over 50 ft long when hooked up) but it went rather well. I would make certain to get fuel often so as to keep your options open for easy in and easy out fuel stops. Learned this on the first 1200 miles after one in downtown Charlottesville VA and another the next day in downtown West Palm Beach FL at 5:00 PM rush hour.



Rick

 

[NVR FNSH]

Get a 5th wheel. Tows better, more room, better manueverability and people don't ask to borrow it



My '00 Patio Hauler 351FP 36ft 5th wheel is for sale. It has an ~10ft garage with side entry door and entry door to the living area and a living room slide out. It has two 18" wide X 8ft long moving ramps instead of a wall/ramp like others. The back doors are like an Excursion - botton doors swing out and the top swings up. Have your friend e-mail at -- email address removed -- if he'd like to talk specifics. I'm willing to work with a buyer on delivery.



I've towed it from Vancouver, WA to Santa Rosa, CA along Hwy 1 (my first time towing a 5th wheel) without any trouble. It pulls very easily. I just got back from Reno last night - 10 hours thanks to the weather. High winds and rain across Donner Summit wasn't a problem at all. Two weekends ago I pulled my friends Weekend Warrior FB2600 TT (tandem axle toybox) from Bakersfield, CA to Lucerne Valley, CA and got 1 MPG better than I get towing my 5th wheel.



Brian

 

[y-knot]

I could not nor would not by anything that was a bumper (tag) pull. And I think once you have used both, you would understand why I have such a preference. I too go to the dunes, and the only reason a fifth or goose neck might get stuck faster then a bumper pull is probably the fifth/goose neck weighed more. For sure they put much more weight on the rear of the truck. And anyone that takes there trailer into sand without 4 wheel drive, deserves to get stuck. You do as you please, I know tags are cheaper and this may play into your decision? But there is a very good reason why most all very large trailers are built fifth/goos neck. Good luck

 

[Mingoglia]

Yeah, but 4X4's get stuck in the sand too... if you're camping out by the road maybe not, but if you venture where the people are thinner the sand gets softer... and a tag is easier to unhook and rehook if you have to when the trailer/truck is at extreme angles... due to being stuck... I have a ton of experience with this... I'm one of the few people that only had fifth wheels and actually switched to a tag for the dunes for this very reason... I'm glad I did... Weekend Warrior is one of the best pulling tag-a-longs out there... and with the right equipment (loaded correctly), I wouldn't think twice about recommending a tag for this purpose.



Now with that being said, I'm considering getting a slide in with a slideout and pull an enclosed trailer for the dunes... . I'm mainly considering this because I'm thinking of getting another 5th wheel for everything but the dunes... I want the luxury of a nice trailer... maybe with triple slides... but this is a different story. I'm considering this setup because I'm spending more than 50% camping places other than the dunes and for this use I'm tired of the spartan WW interior...

 

[Elk]

5er is the only way to fly with a toyhauler, once you load up all the quads and water and gear they get very heavy. I tip the scales truck and all at 23500. I tow with a 3500 now but my old 97 2500 pulled the 5er just great also. Good luck toyhaulers are awsome.

 

[Mingoglia]

Yep, they're the only way to fly unless you're primary use for it includes traveling in very soft sand (I know, I've owned both... and I witness a lot more stuck fivers in the sand)... But yes, they get heavy... that's why I tow with a complete Reese Titan set up (hitch and weight distribution)... it's rated for the tongue weight... and pulls very well with a dually.

 

[y-knot]

I think anyone could get stuck, it's pretty easy to do. The key is not to get stuck, and I don't think it matters much tag , fifth, or goose neck. Maybe since the latter is heavier, they tend to be more at risk? But then you could get stuck pulling a 6 x 12 loaded with feathers, if you really tried, or was just stupid.

If you are at your destination, and you know you are going to go off-road in sand (or even soft grass,dirt) then you should stop and air down the trailer and truck tires. Even lowering the trailer down to 20psi helps greatly, and allows the tire to have a much wider foot print, that keeps it up on top of the sand. I am not sure how many on here venture out onto sand? But apparently there are a few, myself included that do. Another thing to consider is the number of axles, I have always ordered my trailers with three. The more you can spread-out the load the better it will be. Also there are some tires that are wider then most factory tires, this may help.

Bottom line is, how much weight do you have to haul? Tag along trailers are limited to the amount they can carry, typically it is 10,000lbs. That is not much after the weight of the empty trailer comes off. Also consider how much "Garage" space you need, most Toy haulers are limited to 6-8 feet, a few go to 10-12 feet. In all honesty this is not much room, a full size vehicle would not fit, and most toy haulers are full at two quads. You need to figure out what it is you want to take along. Get that needed space requirement, then look at your options. Do you want a trailer that the cargo shares the same space as the living area? Or do you want a separated garage/living area? Just answering those few questions will eliminate 75 % of all trailers.