Longtime lurker, first time poster. So my wife and I have been looking for some time and have finally come upon a TT we really like. All the information on this board has been invaluable regarding tow ratings and such. However, my father-in-law, who has been camping for forever and currently has a 5er, is begging us not to get a TT because it's so much harder to tow than a 5er. The TT is a bit bigger than I would like for our first venture, however I wanted to ask the community if a TT is really as bad as my father-in-law is making it out to be? I currently have a half ton Silverado so a 5er is most likely going to require a new truck. However, if the TT is going to be a bear to tow, it's definitely worth considering. I guess what I'm looking for are opinions on what to expect when towing a TT with an Equalizer hitch. All opinions are welcome.
TT vs. 5er Towing
- Thread starter ia2189
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Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
A bear to tow? No, not if properly set up with a good quality weight distributing hitch on an adequately sized tow vehicle. A fifth wheel set-up, on the other hand, is inherently stable and far less sensitive to those words I used, i.e."properly", "good" and "adequately". And a fifth wheel is just about sway proof too, even in cross winds.
In in fairness, I have to say that a TT backs up easier than a fifth wheel. The same geometry that makes a fifth wheel handle so well in the forward direction works against it in the rearward direction. You can learn to back either one, but a TT is the more easily maneuverable when backing.
So, while a fifth wheel would be my first choice, I would not reject a TT that I really liked.
And if you really want the TT to tow as solidly and reliably as a fifth wheel, get a Hensley Arrow hitch. The price may shock you, but it is the gold standard for towing a TT.
In in fairness, I have to say that a TT backs up easier than a fifth wheel. The same geometry that makes a fifth wheel handle so well in the forward direction works against it in the rearward direction. You can learn to back either one, but a TT is the more easily maneuverable when backing.
So, while a fifth wheel would be my first choice, I would not reject a TT that I really liked.
And if you really want the TT to tow as solidly and reliably as a fifth wheel, get a Hensley Arrow hitch. The price may shock you, but it is the gold standard for towing a TT.
papahog
Well-known member
I am a trailer guy. I like having the bed of my tow vehicle for gear etc. I traveled 30,000 miles in the last year and never had problems with towing the trailer. Good hitch, sway bar and weight distribution set up is the key.
Coast to coast, mountains and the great plains and the cities were not a problem. I am new to TT also. My trailer is a 2008 27' and it was great towing. My tow vehicle is a 2006 F150 that I bought new when I bought my TT. If I had it to do over it would be a TT and a F350 but my little truck is doing just fine.
Coast to coast, mountains and the great plains and the cities were not a problem. I am new to TT also. My trailer is a 2008 27' and it was great towing. My tow vehicle is a 2006 F150 that I bought new when I bought my TT. If I had it to do over it would be a TT and a F350 but my little truck is doing just fine.
Ron
Moderator Emeritus
Based on our experience when we had a 26 ft gooseneck stock trailer we found the Gooseneck to be much easier to handle forward or backing up than any draw trailer. Again personal preference and impressions. However if we were to ever get a trailer it would be a 5ver and a draw trailer would never even be considered.
Carl L
Moderator Emeritus
A TT with a properly set up hitch with good antisway system is a stable and safe tow. Equalizer is a good hitch system as is the Reese Dual Cam system. The Hensley is the gold standard as Gary says. A good system will cost $500-$800, the Hensley about $3K, but can be amortized over many trailers and a lot of years. My Reese is about 20 years old and has been on three trailers. (Fiver hitches are not free either.)
TTs more closely track the turns of the tow vehicle. Fivers tend to cut inside, necessitating wider turns.Their weight distribution hitches distribute their hitch weight between the front and rear axles of the lessening the load imposed on rear axles by the pin of a 5er -- a consideration with 150s. Their frontal profile is lower, an advantage in wind resistance and overhead clearances. Their floor plan is flat and they ride closer to the ground. They can be pulled with an SUV, a van, and a pickup with its bed clear of hitch gear.
In short, you pays your money you takes your choice.
Sean Woodruff
Member
The fifth wheel is more stable due to the location of the pivot point. Your father-in-law is correct that a fifth wheel is more stable than a TT hitched with a conventional hitch. However, you don't have to set it up with a conventional hitch.
As others have mentioned here, and I have to disagree it is STILL the gold standard due to an upgrade designed by the same man being on the market, the orange hitch will give you stability. The hitch I now manufacture designed by the same man, the ProPride 3P, and the Pull-Rite hitch will also give you excellent stability. These three hitches change the effective pivot point of the TT and make towing a TT every bit as stable as a fifth wheel.
In my over 11 years working with the stability problem inherent in TTs I have come to believe that if you are going to use a conventional hitch, with the pivot point located between the TV and TT, the the Equalizer is an excellent choice. As others have said, keep in mind that it must be set up properly and all the other factors in the system need to be considered and balanced. Those factors being TV suspension, TV wheel base, TV tires, TT weights, TT tires, TT loading, and most importantly SPEED.
As others have mentioned here, and I have to disagree it is STILL the gold standard due to an upgrade designed by the same man being on the market, the orange hitch will give you stability. The hitch I now manufacture designed by the same man, the ProPride 3P, and the Pull-Rite hitch will also give you excellent stability. These three hitches change the effective pivot point of the TT and make towing a TT every bit as stable as a fifth wheel.
In my over 11 years working with the stability problem inherent in TTs I have come to believe that if you are going to use a conventional hitch, with the pivot point located between the TV and TT, the the Equalizer is an excellent choice. As others have said, keep in mind that it must be set up properly and all the other factors in the system need to be considered and balanced. Those factors being TV suspension, TV wheel base, TV tires, TT weights, TT tires, TT loading, and most importantly SPEED.
rbell
Well-known member
I've had both Equalizer & a 5th wheel. The Equalizer was used mostly with an Expedition and a 28' TT. It had absolutely no sway, even with that short of a wheel base. I only had a couple trips with it on the F-150, no problems. The 5th wheel is better in wind and with trucks passing though.
All the comments about the handling are correct, but a 5th wheel isn't that hard to get used to. Don't let a TT scare you though, hitch setup is the big secret.
All the comments about the handling are correct, but a 5th wheel isn't that hard to get used to. Don't let a TT scare you though, hitch setup is the big secret.
F
Frizlefrak
Guest
Those of us who live in areas prone to high winds love fifth wheels....for good reason. Stability in cross winds. But there are also a couple of other reasons that I prefer a fiver over a TT.
1. Easier to hitch up when it's time to hit the road. Much easier. First time, every time.
2. Ability to use smaller camp sites by backing the pickup under the front portion of the fiver....where as a TT of the same length would leave the nose of my pickup out in the street. Also takes up less room to store it at home.
Again, a TT set up correctly will behave nicely, so it's all really a matter of preference.
1. Easier to hitch up when it's time to hit the road. Much easier. First time, every time.
2. Ability to use smaller camp sites by backing the pickup under the front portion of the fiver....where as a TT of the same length would leave the nose of my pickup out in the street. Also takes up less room to store it at home.
Again, a TT set up correctly will behave nicely, so it's all really a matter of preference.
