Fifth Wheel or No Fifth Wheel

[vavs]

To start off I would like to say thanks to all for the much needed help.
I am looking at buying a Fifth Wheel Camper, but am not sure if I will be able to install a hitch with my truck. I have a 2006 F350 long bed. This is where it starts to get tricky. I trial and compete my dogs and have a kennel in the back of the truck. We travel quite a bit with them so giving it up is not an option. Trying to figure out if I would have enough room for the hitch. Not too good at explaining myself so have took some pictures to help out.

Dog box takes up pretty much wheel wells forward.


19 inches of space from end of box to the middle of the wheel well. (box could be moved 3 inches forward)


Dog box stands 8 1/2 inches above the truck rails.


Do you think that the camper would still hit the side of the box when turning sharp? I know its hard to say not knowing what exact trailer. Think that I will at least go with a slider to be safe. Is this possible? What do you think?

[chuckster57]

The "king pin" of the fifth wheel hitch is normaly 1" forward of the rear axle. I have seen king pin box extenders up to 10". You might consider a "goose neck" set up where the "ball is in the bed and the "hitch" is straight up like standing an axle on end, and pivots that way. It looks lie your main problem is going to be backing up and turning. There are "sliding" hitches made for short bed trucks. You may have to invest in a "high end" hitch that mounts "under the bed. I know about making decisions based on "loved ones" we bought our truck with a dog and cat in mind.

[psdfanplus]

Food for Thought:

If you have a dog box (kennel) in the truck you may want to consider a goose neck type trailer i.e. stock/horse trailer with living quarters. This type of trailer does not have the overhang of a 5th wheel.

[FloridaEd]

From the photo, it appears to me that the rails for the 5th wheel hitch will not fit because the dog kennel extends too far back. It appears to me that the gooseneck is the only hitch that will fit in the truck.

You'll need to have a shop that installs hitches... or an RV shop, measure to know for sure. You don't even want to consider moving the 5'ver hitch farther back in the bed of the truck.

Florida Ed

[OMCUSNR]

Hmmm.

What do you want in a floor plan? There are other considerations here than just 5er, or not. Fifth wheels do pull nice, but there are allot of really nice Travel Trailers out there too.

Head room in the bedroom, Kitchen front / rear / med, bathroom size, kids (need a bunkhouse?), length (where you going to park it?)? All sorts of things to consider. I know guys really like the 5er, but I really like TT's for the one floor layouts, and the fact I can tow "more" trailer with a "smaller" truck. Pin weights being the limiter.

With the setup you've shown us, and if its just you & the Mrs, I'd look for a 26 to 28' TT with a single slide. With that & a good load equalizing hitch, you should have no sway problems. If you need more room & go with a longer 30'er or such, pony up the $3k for a Hensley Arrow hitch, & you'll not have any sway problems at all.

Another couple of things I'd recommend. 1) Buy it used. About 3 to 5 years. You'll get a MUCH better deal. The previous owner will have shaken the bugs out, repaired what needed it, added a doohickie or two that you might not have thought of, and taken the enormous hit on depreciation right off the new trailer lot. Look for a good clean used unit from a reputable dealer or a previous owner. Some trailers only get used once or twice & then something happens & the owner can't hold onto it.

2) Add ons - an electric tongue jack, shock absorbers, and a good 3 stage electrical converter to maintain the battery. Solar panels if it looks like you'll dry camp frequently.

Good luck in your search!

OMC

[SmokeyWren]

There's more than one way to skin a cat.

Instead of trying to find a fifth-wheel RV trailer and hitch that would work with the kennel in the bed, I'd plan on moving the kennel from the pickup to the camper when dragging the trailer. With a bit of planning and an extra pair of hands, that should be fairly easy.

Then you'll have numerous choices of toy-hauler fifth-wheel RV trailers, fifth-wheel or gooseneck horse trailers with living quarters (LQ), and fifth-wheel or gooseneck race(car) trailers with LQ.

Don't brush off the horse or race trailers. A nicely-optioned Bloomberg horse trailer can cost over $100,000. Same for a fancied-up race trailer. But they can also be ordered anywhere from bare bones up to those luxury models, with everything in between. Sorta like fifth-wheel RVs.

With a toy hauler, horse or race trailer, mount the kennel in the "garage" or animal part of the trailer when dragging the trailer. Then you won't have more than the usual worry about clearance between the front of the camper and the top of the bed or the back of the cab of the tow vehicle.

But if you really want to go for a fifth-wheel RV without moving the kennel from the bed to the camper, then your next stop is a good trailer hitch installer. Ask them if they can install a good "slider" fifth-wheel hitch in your bed with the kennel still in the bed. If they can, then the top dog is the PullRite SuperGlide automatic slider fifth-wheel hitch. PullRite has a SAFER, STRONGER, BETTER designed hitch for you

Or if you don't want to spend that much money, then look at the Reese and Drawtite manual slider hitches.
Draw-Tite Select Series 16K 5th Wheel Hitch with Round Tube Slider 40119

Yes, the slider hitches are made for shorty beds. But with the kennel in the bed, you in effect have a shorty bed. Without the slider hitch you won't be able to turn corners without the overhang of the trailer banging into the kennel.

[Cowcop]

Smokeywren has spoken wisely, so consider looking at other options.
That being said, I have almost the identical setup as you, but everything above the bed rail unbuttons when towing my 5vr. Tools etc. can ride in the trailer storage area.
ONLY ONCE did I forget this method and it cost $500 to repair my error!
PS - dogs are happy....wife too!!

[vavs]

Thanks for all the help!!! I will look at having a installer take a look and see what he thinks. As for taking it in and out it might be an option but that thing is heavy and dont think that my wife and I would be able to do it. If the pullrite will work with the kennel then thats what I will have to do. If not might have to look in a pull behind. There a some really nice ones out there. Thanks again guys.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by vavs

If the pullrite will work with the kennel then thats what I will have to do. If not might have to look in a pull behind. There a some really nice ones out there.

Yep. But a word of caution. If you get a tag trailer, the biggest worry is sway. Sway is a killer. But there is a fix. With a Hensley Arrow or Pullrite hitch, you will have no sway. They tow as good as a 5er. But like the Pullrite SuperGlide 5er hitch, the Hensley Arrow and PullRite tag trailer hitches are not cheap. Around $3,000. So when pricing tag trailers, add about $3,000 to the price to get the good hitch included.

Hensley Arrow - Trailer Towing Safety

PullRite has a SAFER, STRONGER, BETTER designed hitch for you

[dmd]

Best purchase I ever made for the TT was the Hensley. I took off
a dual-cam Reese hitch. No oscillating sway, but I got tired of trucks
trying to push me off the road with the Reese. Almost no push now, can
drive in side winds with no problem. Trucks are not a issue. Can drive
all day with one hand on the wheel, and no stress.

[DonWarkentin]

I have the Equalizer hitch with my 11,500 lb tag hitch toy hauler, and I have never had any problem with sway.

Equal-i-zer® Hitch - The “American Original” with 4-Point Sway Control™ and Weight Distribution