Fifth wheel or a normal travel trailer

I throw in my suggestion for a 5th wheel for the overall space and storage. The better towing is a bonus.

poncho62 said:

It is really starting to bug me, how almost every discussion on here these days evolves into a "upgrade your truck" discussion. Not all of us feel the need to carry all of our worldly possessions or have a 40ft trailer. My 6000lb 24ft 5th wheel does me and the wife just fine....and the 1/2 ton has little trouble hauling it. I say little trouble, as it does struggle a tad on a big hill, but I am in no hurry either, so we just go with the flow. Rant over

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Well I WAS going to comment about the ealier post of capacity......
but I have to say, from my perspective anyway, it's not an upgrade your truck comment as much as it is a warning to watch capacity.
Years ago we had a mobile office of sorts on a gooseneck trailer.  Had some test equipment in it.  Wasn't overly large but it was heavy built with the heavy stuff in it.  My briliant managers bought an F-250 to tow it.  It was within the spec'd capacity but was a white knuckler for sure.  If my memory has it right, the trialer was just a hair over 10,000#.
So, my comment  is that you have it right...... a smaller 5th fits the bill.
I've seen a lot of 2500 trucks limping down the highway with gargantuan 5th rv's behind..... with the headights hunting for coons in the trees!  Everytime I think of that old gooseneck trailer!
I eventually got a 3500 dually to pull it and oh what a difference.

So my point is don't complain about folks saying to get the right tool for the job.  It's either that or get a different job if you don't have the right tool.  It's about your safety, as well as the safety of those around you on the road.

No such thing as a "normal" travel trailer, they all require an intervention once in a while.

:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

blw2 said:

So my point is don't complain about folks saying to get the right tool for the job.  It's either that or get a different job if you don't have the right tool.  It's about your safety, as well as the safety of those around you on the road.

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Exactly

A medium duty truck and a ginormous 40' triple axle fifth wheel isn't for everyone.  If you're towing a 24' trailer that grosses at 5000 lbs, you don't need a huge pickup.  All we're saying is match the truck to the job at hand.

Frizlefrak said:

Exactly

A medium duty truck and a ginormous 40' triple axle fifth wheel isn't for everyone.  If you're towing a 24' trailer that grosses at 5000 lbs, you don't need a huge pickup.  All we're saying is match the truck to the job at hand.

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A lot of people attempt to fit a large trailer like 30-35 foot long on a 1/2 ton truck. Even though the weights are fine it doesn't mean the truck and driver are up to the task of handling the pure length and height of the RV. Just because you can tow it in perfect conditions wait till you get weather changes or traffic conditions change are you going to be able to keep that beast behind you in the same lane with side winds or be able to stop it when traffic backs up quickly?

Like I love using as a example I can load my 7x12 utility trailer with nearly the same weight of my RV and tow it with my 1/2 ton Dodge Pickup no problem. But now try and two my RV with the its overall length and width nope... Not happening. It needs a 3/4 ton truck for sure to be safe. So as you can see just because big three state some big towing numbers doesn't mean its design for big trailer sizes.

Mopar1973Man said:

A lot of people attempt to fit a large trailer like 30-35 foot long on a 1/2 ton truck. Even though the weights are fine it doesn't mean the truck and driver are up to the task of handling the pure length and height of the RV. Just because you can tow it in perfect conditions wait till you get weather changes or traffic conditions change are you going to be able to keep that beast behind you in the same lane with side winds or be able to stop it when traffic backs up quickly?

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I saw a guy at one of our regular campgrounds earlier this year with a 35' TT being pulled by an F150.  The rear was starting to squat pretty good, and the WD bars had several links hanging....I'm imagining he had to use a long cheater bar to get them pulled up tight enough to put the pin in.  It had to be better than 10K lbs, and he was struggling with it even backing into his spot.  Was almost comical to watch.....and I bet it was a white knuckler in any kind of wind.

Another consideration is frontal area of the trailer.  When I first bought my TT, I had a Ford Ranger that had a tow capacity of 5,600 lb., quite a bit more than the trailer weight.  My first trip was to Colorado to meet my friend at his property near Cripple Creek.  It was white knuckles through many miles of western Kansas and eastern Colorado, where I confronted a strong head wind.  I had to keep it floored most of the time.  On top of that, my friend kept calling me to see where I was.  More white knuckles.  Turns out that my frontal area was way over the spec. for that truck.  It had the weight hauling capability, it just didn't have enough power to buck the wind.  By the time I had made it through the switchbacks going to our camping spot, the truck earned the nickname of The Little Ranger that Could. 

Within short order, I bought a F150, which handles the trailer with no problem at all.

I'll put my 2 cents in.  As you can see from my profile I have a '06 Chevy Duramax and a Montana Big Sky.  I have had no issues pulling or stopping and the handling  of the rig is no problem.  Came down a 10% grade yesterday  and had total control and no white knuckles.
I think your Ford will work very well with a lot of 5ers and there is no issues with equalizers etc.

Ok fellows .. We have a 38ft 5th wheel  just under 10000lbs keystone 2015 337 fls just bought it. We own  a 2011 ford f250 diesel turbo charged short bed with all the bells and whistles...  Bought a slider reese hitch for it. Im told we shouldn't have any problems pulling this 5th wheel.Getting ready to pick it up... Do any of you think we might have any problems towing this ?First time owners of a 5th wheel... Concerned wife Thanks

Ldytlc said:

Ok fellows .. We have a 38ft 5th wheel  just under 10000lbs keystone 2015 337 fls just bought it. We own  a 2011 ford f250 diesel turbo charged short bed with all the bells and whistles...  Bought a slider reese hitch for it. Im told we shouldn't have any problems pulling this 5th wheel.Getting ready to pick it up... Do any of you think we might have any problems towing this ?First time owners of a 5th wheel... Concerned wife Thanks

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You will not have any problem pulling your trailer with your F250 diesel.  My friend has the same model year F250 Power Stroke as yours and pulls the same Montana Mountaineer 5th wheel I pull.  See my pic in the avatar.  We both added airbags only to eliminate rear sag but the trucks would be fine without it.  The only time that I use my slider is when backing into my driveway since it take a little extra maneuvering.

  FYI my 5th wheel is a Montana 356TBF and 13,280 lbs dry.  I easily have more than 2,500 lbs of extra gear in it.

It's hard to beat a 5th wheel for the combination of room and floor plan.  I've owned a TT, a 5er, and a class A, and think the 5er is the most comfortable to live in for an extended period and offer the most bang for the buck when it comes to comfort and functionality.  They do present a head banging hazard, I took my lumps until I learned to duck, and they have more stairs, but those things translate to storage space that is missing from bumper pull trailers.

Frizlefrak said:

I've taken vent lids off on tree branches.....of course, my fault for leaving it open. 

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It was new to me until a couple years ago.  Oregon does have some  with height restrictions.  I don't recall specifically which one or ones, but I am thinking it may have been Wallowa State Park.