TT vs 5wheel

[Wasy]

Hello and thanks in advance for your input. With a TT being measured from center of the coupler to the rear bumper for total length and a 5wheel measured from the center of king pin (which from all the new ones I’m looking at is about even with the front cap) to rear bumper for total length, a 34 foot 5wheel should have more useable inside space than a 34 foot TT ?

 

[Great Horned Owl]

Yes.

It will also have a lot more outside storage space.

Joel

 

[donn]

Yes and no. Fifth wheel will have more usable living space. The big thing is a fifth wheel will be much much easier to tow.

 

[Wasy]

Thanks guys, that reinforces my thoughts on the subject.

 

[Alontheway]

The 5th overlaps the truck bed and you lose half the height, so what you gain in feet by measuring to the end of the camper box, you lose in space height-wise, so no storage under the sleeping bed or above it as in a tt.

What you do gain is more space for the over-all length of vehicle and trailer since they do overlap and the 5th's body is closer to the truck than a tt would be. Where there might be 5 feet between the truck and the tt body, on a 5th there is negative 4 feet as there is overlap. On long rigs there is length limitations of the total for vehicle and trailer. Otherwise just shop for what works for you.
The 5th does tow easier, but everything else is worse. Try getting anyone else to tow your 5th in an emergency. About anyone can tow a trailer, but who will have a 5th hitch and what tow company ever has one?

 

[steveblonde]

The 5th overlaps the truck bed and you lose half the height, so what you gain in feet by measuring to the end of the camper box, you lose in space height-wise, so no storage under the sleeping bed or above it as in a tt.

What you do gain is more space for the over-all length of vehicle and trailer since they do overlap and the 5th's body is closer to the truck than a tt would be. Where there might be 5 feet between the truck and the tt body, on a 5th there is negative 4 feet as there is overlap. On long rigs there is length limitations of the total for vehicle and trailer. Otherwise just shop for what works for you.
The 5th does tow easier, but everything else is worse. Try getting anyone else to tow your 5th in an emergency. About anyone can tow a trailer, but who will have a 5th hitch and what tow company ever has one?

"PLEASE THINK BEFORE YOU ANSWER" Gee every fifth wheel I've owned has storage under the bed and a front cabinet for storage or a generator and i have storage over the bed , Every reputable tow company with anything over a 1 ton truck with have a fifth wheel hitch - how do think they can pull a lowboy with a wreck on it ? And my 5er is 47ft plus the truck

 

[Kirk]

With a TT being measured from center of the coupler to the rear bumper for total length and a 5wheel measured from the center of king pin (which from all the new ones I’m looking at is about even with the front cap) to rear bumper for total length,

If you are looking at manufacturer listed lengths, most now list the length as measured end to end on the inside of the living space. If you wish to know that actual length, you need to measure them yourself in just the way that you have stated.

There are 2 main advantages a travel trailer has over a fifth wheel, as far as I know. The first is that a travel trailer has a flat floor and no interior steps. For some people that can be a very important advantage. The second is that you can tow a travel trailer with a larger SUV or a truck that has a shell covering the truck bed.

There are clear advantages to a fifth wheel in that they are more maneuverable and give you more living space for the total length of the tow vehicle & trailer combination. Most of them have more storage than a travel trailer but that isn't always the case. For most people the fifth wheel is a better choice, but not for everyone.

 

[steveblonde]

"There are 2 main advantages a travel trailer has over a fifth wheel, as far as I know. The first is that a travel trailer has a flat floor and no interior steps. For some people that can be a very important advantage. "

You still need to climb steps to get into the trailer. I have 4 steps getting into the trailer at both doors
I have 3 steps going to the bedroom. Every rv has steps

 

[Alontheway]

steveblonde, I guess blonde's are that ditzy. Please think before posting and please do not be a jerk if you do.
Have you looked at your 5th wheeler? Ever notice how the front section is about half as tall as the rest? Ever wonder how much more storage you would have if it were as tall as the rest and not just a short section? So, you really do lose room at the front I guess.
Good for you having tow companies that can tow your 5th wheeler

 

[donn]

steveblonde, I guess blonde's are that ditzy. Please think before posting and please do not be a jerk if you do.
Have you looked at your 5th wheeler? Ever notice how the front section is about half as tall as the rest? Ever wonder how much more storage you would have if it were as tall as the rest and not just a short section? So, you really do lose room at the front I guess.
Good for you having tow companies that can tow your 5th wheeler

It's obvious you have not spent any time around a fifth wheel. On my 36 footer I had a full closet across the front, full stand up in the overhead,,which included bedroom, bathroom and closet that held the washer/dryer. Outside I had a front storage box that was 3 feet high, full width and about 3 feet deep. Access on the side was a 3 foot by 3 foot door on each side that opened up a 3 foot high by nearly 5 foot wide storage box that,was,full width of the trailer, in other words almost 8 feet. There is not a TT made that offers that much storage space, let alone most class C motor homes.
BYW there is no need to get nasty with your comments. This is NOT RV.net.

 

[Kirk]

Every rv has steps

On the outside, of course but have you never seen a folding ramp, or perhaps an RV wheelchair lift?

There is not a TT made that offers that much storage space,

While that may be true, it is also true that not every fifth wheel has as much storage as yours.

 

[steveblonde]

Every class A motorhome ive been in has a front side door with steep steps usually 5 or 6 with a narrow doorway every b or c has at least 2 steps every tt has 2 or 3 steps, point is ALL RVs have steps 3 steps in or 3 steps when your inside is really a mute point to get into them 5th wheels generally are taller which allows for a drop frame and a ton of under floor storage, the exception in a toy hauler which is built on an i beam box frame as its designed for more weight ( quad bikes atvs) and strenght as they often have an 800lb genny in the front cabinet. Because 5ers have a higher ceiling they usualy have more cabinets mounted high or at the least taller more spacious cabinets. I have been in the rv industry since my dad was the plant manager for Scamper Skipper trailers in the 70s and i have yet to see any tt with more storage than any 5er of equal size.
It would be just as simple to put a ramp inside as outside you would just need to find a floor plan


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[Rob&Deryl]

My 35’ 5th wheel has storage in the bedroom above the dresser, under the bed and a large closet in the nose. Down in the living room there is storage over the sofa bed & theater chairs. There is a large pantry in the kitchen & a linen closet in the bath. Oh, lots of drawers too - 22 I believe.
Outside there is the front bay (with no generator but a battery), an underneath pass through bay about 4’ wide and 3’ tall & 8’ deep.

I agree that the inside steps are not for everyone but for me the choice was easy. One downside is you need a heavier truck for a 5th wheel.

 

[Wasy]

Thanks guys for a great discussion. Thanks for all the knowledge and experience that was delivered.

 

[Memtb]

QUOTE: The 5th overlaps the truck bed and you lose half the height, so what you gain in feet by measuring to the end of the camper box, you lose in space height-wise, so no storage under the sleeping bed or above it as in a tt


Mostly correct pertaining to under-bed/above bed storage. It is dependent upon the height of the bedroom ceiling. Our bedroom ceiling height is 6’4” or 6’5” (can’t remember). We have both above bed cabinetry and beneath bed storage. We could have move beneath bed storage, but lose some due to hydraulics for bedroom slide!

We also have very large basement storage. Obviously, while not all units have the same size basement storage, ours has opposed doors measuring 36” high x 48” wide. The basement floor is flat, and the basement storage area has no plumbing or wiring limiting useable space!

Here’s a photo from the brochure! I’m certain it would require some pretty creative packing (envision a puzzle) to get all of this in there....but possible! Find that much storage in a tow behind!

Not too shaby in bedroom storage, either! Then there is the previously mentioned overhead cabinetry above bed, plus a sliding door closet full width across the nose of the 5th wheel!

Summary: A 5th wheel is the only option! memtb

 

[Krazeehorse33]

One plus for the TT is you can haul a motorcycle or golf cart in the bed of the truck if you wish while towing.

 

[Memtb]

Morning Rich, where are ya spending the winter? We spent 6 days in Evanston (Christmas with family) during the Christmas blizzard of 2021 Just got home last night!

Wishing you and all rvforum members a Happy New Year! memtb

 

[Kirk]

You will find that most RV owners believe that whatever they prefer is the best RV but I have found that even though what I have may suit us best, that has little bearing on what will suit you and your spouse. I realize that there are experts who say that there is no advantage in steps for one RV over another, my wife who has the issue with steps will disagree. Be very careful not to put too much into the advice from any of us because you are the one who will live with your choices.

 

[Alontheway]

I guess not all 5th wheel trailers are the same. Go figure.
Some might be large and have full stand-up bedroom over the truck, and some you might have to crawl into the bed for lack of head space.
I think in all cases anyone can judge that for themselves as is obvious with one glance what you get.

For me it is a clear, no as I cannot go down the dirt roads with a 5th as it would tear the truck bed to pieces, and a 5th will not make the turns. 5th trailers turn much farther inside the corner than a trailer, some trailers might even follow exactly the truck path, or some might turn inside the path slightly, but a 5th grossly cuts the corner. That is me and no one else though.

 

[DutchmenSport]

I can only answer from my own experiences. I think, if figuring the true length of TT vs 5er, the 5er will have more livable space. Why? Because the TT A-frame (hitch) extends forward of the "box" (living are), sometimes 5 or 6 feet. At most, the king pin on a 5er extends only a foot, if not actually equal to the front of the living space.

About the upper living area. There are 3 different types of fifth wheels: High profile, Medium profile, and Low profile. The difference in these, is the height of the upper living area.

A high profile living area will have head clearance as much as 7 feet or more which allows for a LOT of storage, especially if the trailer frame is a drop frame. Sometimes, half the length of the trailer is basement area. You don't get that kind of storage in a travel trailer (although there are some being manufactured now that now have a basement the entire length of the camper.

About that front living space. Not all are the same either. Three different things can be going on in the front living space: You can have a front bedroom. And even some now have a front bath across the entire front of the upper living area. You can have a front living room, and you can have a front (full and very large) kitchen filling the entire upper area.

All three variations still afford larger pass-through space under the upper level than any travel trailer pass through with the bed in the front.

In addition, the space under the upper living area also has the front, very large cargo space directly under the over-hang. This is usually used for rough storage, fire wood, built in generators, the propane tanks, and battery banks. That space is huge and it's under the front upper living area.

Just for an FYI, I've owned 3 different travel trailers, plus a pop-up, and now a fifth wheel. I've towed bumper pull trailers all my life, and I grew up with a travel trailer my parents owned when I was kid. It was a 1963 Phoenix travel trailer and Dad towed it with a 1963 Pontiac Station Wagon. So, I've been around travel trailers all my life.

We purchased our first fifth wheel about 3 years ago. This was the first time ever I'd towed a fifth wheel. And to this day, I cannot tell or make a judgment call which one tows better. All my trailers towed and responded flawlessly for me, always.

Why? because I had the right truck with the right distribution hitch system. Even when I towed my first travel trailer (Dutchmen Sport Lite) at 24 feet long with a 1500 Chevy Suburban, it towed flawless because of the weight distribution system and the sway control I used.

When we purchased the fifth wheel, (same truck as I towed two previous trailers with), I actually liked the trailer tow better. The fifth wheel was a horrible learning experience for me. It's been over 3 years now, and now,.... it's no problem.

But, which tows better? Neither, and both. They are the same. If you have the right truck, with the right hitch system, with the right trailer, a bumper pull trailer tows just as well and just as nice, and just as stable as a fifth wheel. AND ... with a travel trailer, you do not EVER have to worry about the trailer making contact with the bed rails of the truck bed. This ACTUALLY makes towing a fifth wheel more challenging!

This are my thoughts, and my opinions based on my own experiences. You are entitled to your own opinion too.