Which to buy?

[hopefulrver]

  For  all long time  rvers,  which do you prefer?  TT or a 5th wheel?

 

[grashley]

Welcome to the Forum!  You will get many honest opinions here.

This is really a tough question.  The best answer is    It all depends.

FW are generally easier to tow and are more stable because the pin sits over the rear axle.  TT are usually easier to back up because they respond quicker to steering input.

The really big difference depends on your tow vehicle.  A 10,000# TT will require a 80# WD hitch and have a tongue weight of about 1,000#.  You will need 1080# of payload capacity ABOVE THE WEIGHT OF PASSENGERS AND CARGO.  Many ? ton trucks can handle this job.

A 10,000# FW will require a 200# (or more) hitch and have a pin weight of about 2,000#.  You need 2,200# of extra payload capacity for this FW.  Virtually no ? ton truck can handle this FW.

 

[RVRAC]

FW tend to be more expensive than TT.  However, you have more space in most cases. 
Another consideration is steps. FW has steps inside, TT don't.

 

[Oldelevatorman]

Many 1/2 ton trucks can handle a 10,000# TT. On what planet would that be on, maybe 1 or 2 of them possibly!

 

[Prior member]

Travel trailer for me.

My reason: the bed of the truck with a cap on it gives plenty of storage for our two bikes, and a bunch of gear and we can put our two kayaks and our canoe on the cap roof.

We are on our third one and each one has been bigger then the last one.

Jack L

 

[Olustee bus]

Many 1/2 ton trucks can handle a 10,000# TT. On what planet would that be on, maybe 1 or 2 of them possibly!

I am pretty sure he meant they were NOT able to tow a 5th wheel.

 

[grashley]

Yes, I meant that a ? ton truck CAN NOT handle a FW.

Yes, i meant many ? ton trucks CAN handle a 10,000# TT.  With a 1500# payload for many ? ton trucks, they can handle 1000# tongue wt + 80# WD hitch + 300# passengers + 100# misc cargo.

Caution:  Payloads and family needs vary!

 

[Oldelevatorman]

Yes, I meant that a ? ton truck CAN NOT handle a FW.

Yes, i meant many ? ton trucks CAN handle a 10,000# TT.  With a 1500# payload for many ? ton trucks, they can handle 1000# tongue wt + 80# WD hitch + 300# passengers + 100# misc cargo.

Caution:  Payloads and family needs vary!

I have 1450 payload on my truck after weighing it (sticker said 1796). The tongue weight is 1,050, limit is 1150 on a class 3 hitch and my trailer weighs 8200 loaded and the bed is empty so I'm saying it's still a no to a 10,000TT imo!

 

[Farmer Ken]

I'm not a long-timer, nor am I an expert.  But I'll share my thoughts as I made the same choice you are working on.

First, I have a lot of experience pulling bumper-pull trailers, so a TT is not an issue for me because of towability.  Fifth wheels can be quite a bit easier to tow and maneuver because the pivot point is right over your truck's rear axle.  And they usually offer an interior space bonus because of the front overhang, and with more interior space comes more storage!  There is also less of an issue with the distribution of the weight in a 5th wheel since the weight is centered between two support points (truck axle and trailer axle(s)) where as the center of gravity on a TT is back nearer the trailer axles.

Because of the need for headroom in a 5er, the front can get pretty tall which could lead to clearance problems with low-hanging tree branches, old bridges, carports, etc.  And the 5er will have steps inside which can be a little problematic for old knees (like mine) or on party nights.  As mentioned in another post, you would also lose the storage in the truck bed.  And 5th wheel trailers are heavier.

With a weight distribution hitch and a little bit of intelligence loading the trailer, the TT should also tow just fine.  An anti-sway device on the hitch will help a lot. There are weight distribution hitches out there that don't require an engineer to hook up and unhook, so they're not a problem to use.

I'm going fulltime solo, so my trailer needs are modest.  I wanted a "smaller" trailer to allow boondocking while having enough room inside to live.  The way I see it, i use about 9 square feet to live in (unless I'm laying down, at which time it jumps to about 20 sq ft) so the overall size of the trailer is for me based more upon the features and rooms than the absolute size of those rooms.

I wanted as large a bathroom as is feasible.  Queen size bed is sufficient.  I wanted a kitchen with real counter space, since I like to cook and need to spread out.  I wanted a dining table and chairs that were moveable, rather than a built-in bench and table since I don't need that space to convert to sleeping space.  I wanted a comfortable couch for lounging and watching tv.  I wanted storage room in the truck, since I plan to install a gasoline transfer tank for the generator and an extra water tank.  And I wanted as much space in the living area as I could get.

Armed with my wish list, I started looking at floorplans on the internet.  I looked at new and used, and read through some of the product reviews and owner comments from various forums.  Then I went to a local trusted dealer and looked at actual units.  To be fair to myself, I looked at both TT's and 5ers.

I wasn't seeing THE FLOORPLAN in any of the used ones, but there was one new one that satisfied every one of my criteria - and that's what I bought.

In short, look at what you need inside.  Look at where you're going to be going with the camper.  Find floorplans that suit and decide based upon how well a trailer meets your list of needs.

Above all, don't rush the decision and as much as possible don't settle for something that doesn't quite meet your needs.  Remember, choosing your trailer is part of the journey.  Enjoy the process!

 

[hopefulrver]

Thanks. Right now my top picks are northwood and Lance ,K-Z , JAYCOAND ALSO CONSIDERING RETRO STYLE FROM, Riverside ,  ESPECILLY THE NEW 5ER

 

[scottydl]

Yes, i meant many ? ton trucks CAN handle a 10,000# TT.  With a 1500# payload for many ? ton trucks, they can handle 1000# tongue wt + 80# WD hitch + 300# passengers + 100# misc cargo.

A 1/2 ton may be able to handle the tongue weight of a 10,000# trailer, but most of them will fall below that towing capacity.  Even with newer model trucks are hit the 11,000#+ towing range, you've got to consider that a trailer that heavy is going to be over 30 feet in length.  That size box (i.e. giant sail on a windy day) is going to be a chore for most 1/2 ton trucks, that might have the drivetrain for the task but could lack the heavier-duty suspension, cooling, brakes, tires, etc. that make the towing experience less harrowing.  We've read about this with new Ford Ecoboost owners, who assume their truck will tow fine based on GCVWR numbers and then get a white-knuckled experience later on when actually towing.

  For  all long time  rvers,  which do you prefer?  TT or a 5th wheel?

I would think the #1 consideration would be... how do you plan to use the trailer?  Fulltiming, part-timing / snowbirding, weekend/vacationing, how many people/animals in the rig, etc. may all provide different wants & needs for an RV.  There are dozens of makes and hundreds of models to choose from (and don't forget to consider gently used RV's which can save you a TON of money) so you ought to shop for one based on your budget, floorplan desires, and condition.

TT vs. 5er falls into the "floorplan desires" category, so give us some more info on your planned usage and we can probably help out more.

 

[Motraveler]

I would agree with all of the above as to making a decision. I would highly recommend spending the $100 or so to purchase a copy of the RV Consumer book which will give you ratings on all of the manufacturers as to quality and use. This is what I used and found it to be an invaluable resource. For example, since I was interested in full timing and wanted a TT so I could use the bed of my truck I looked up the ratings and they were #1 New Horizons, #2 Excel/Peterson, #3 Northwoods. I looked at many others as well, but my budget wouldn't let me get the NH so I ended up with the Excel, which I am very happy with. I really liked the Northwoods, however, they would not install a generator in it and there really was not a place for it with their design. You really need to hone in on what you want to do with the TT and then go forward. If possible, I would recommend getting the Trailer first and then getting the heaviest duty truck that you can afford to tow it with. This will be safer and give you some room to move up if you want to get something a little heavier later. This is what I am doing right now, I am going to get a NH soon!

 

[hopefulrver]

  Thanks to everybody that put their nickel in. Really liked the Northwoods and the Lances. My wife don't want to pay that much, so the K-Z Connect line is at the top my list. I  like the retro trailers, not sure if I could live with all that wood and vinyl.

 

[grassy]

  Thanks to everybody that put their nickel in. Really liked the Northwoods and the Lances. My wife don't want to pay that much, so the K-Z Connect line is at the top my list. I  like the retro trailers, not sure if I could live with all that wood and vinyl.

Why buy a new one ?  If it is 2 or 3 years old, the major depreciation is gone and if it has been kept well, than all the bugs have been worked out of it..let someone else bear the brunt of the expense....and if it doesn't work out,,then you have less invested.

I have found that most of used northwoods are in excellent condition..