I am going to purchase an RV. It is between 31 and 34 feet long and weights in right at 7-8 thousand pounds, depending on one of several models I am looking at. The one that I am most interested in comes with the EXACT same floor plan and features both in 5th wheel and conventional bumper hitch. For whatever reason I can buy the bumper hitch model, which by the way, the salesman said are the most purchased type, for about 4800 LESS than the 5th wheel model and I am telling you the only difference is the hitch. I plan to tow with a SRW 1997 F-350 7.3 automatic. Of course this truck will handle the weight of this RV with ease. The dealer tells me he will install all appropriate sway bars and equipment to make the bumper hitch model tow real well. Now from hauling cattle around for years with the truck I know that a goose-neck/5th wheel makes for a real easy tow, but is there any reason I should not save the 4800 bucks and tow this thing with the regular hitch. Any thoughts would be appreciated. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img]
I tow a 31' travel trailer which weighs around 8,000 lbs. I use a Reese Dual Cam which has the sway control built into the weight distribution. No issues for me with this set up. I think the big difference is the 5th wheels usually have more outside storage, and the tag leaves the bed of the truck open.
It sounds like you've answered your own question and I concur with your summary. The 5th does tow a little nicer and has the basement storage area, but the conventional trailer frees up the truck bed ( especially nice if you have an ATV)and $4800 dollars buys a lot of camping fun! -- P.S. I'd be surprised if either unit didn't weigh closer to 9,000lb. Perry.
I AGREE I HAVE towed both, and a fifth tows better but not 4800 bucks worth. and also in the event you have an issue with your truck, and a friend could move or tow the bumper trailer if needed. my next one will probably be a bumper pull, its just easier for me, and i could use the space in my truck bed, after all thats why i have a truck and not a wagon.
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Is your weight correct? I have a hard time accepting a 34' trailer only weighs 8K. My folks 31' alumilight (sp) grosses over 10K. The 5th they just bought is 33' and grosses 14K.
Eithor way the truck will do it. Bumper pulls only get hard when backing into tight places, and get swayie (Is that a word?) when OTR trucks pass you.
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Well you get another 3-1/2 foot of trailer with a 5th. All trailers are measured from the pin to end of coach. On a tag trailer you have the 3-1/2ft tongue to consider in the length that's not liveable space, so a 30ft 5th wheel is 3-1/2ft longer than a 30ft tag trailer.
A 5th/GN hitching just pulls better, period.
I've always liked tag trailers for my past uses and they always pulled well without WD/sway bars but I've always used custom made hitching and I load the trailer correct. The past couple years I've switched to 5th/GN's as my needs have changed and I just like this set-up better.
I can see 8k for a alumimum skined trailer but not for fiberglass skined trailer. Any way for two people plan on about adding 2500lbs on gross weight if your full timing and 1500lbs if not.
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Get the bumper pull, as noted above you then retain full use of the bed for other cargo etc. You can keep all the large, heavy, dirty, etc. stuff out of the camper. I pull a 2200 pound equipment trailer (pintel hitch) with 3+ tons of hay so 8200+ Lbs total weight, across the Cascade passes with no problem. You will NEED to keep plenty of weight on the hitch and the brakes well adjusted or things can get interesting [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img].
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You don't say if your truck is a short be or long bed. If short, you will probably need to spend some bucks to get a sliding fiver hitch. I mention this only because you could also spend this same money on a TT hitch setup to improve the handling. We have a 34' TT with a Hensley hitch and it pulls just as good as a 5er. This setup is pricey and probably overkill but my point is that you may also spend a good chunk of money setting up your truck with the fifth wheel hitch.
You say the floor plans are identical but there are going to be some subtle differences... Whatever is in the front of the trailer is going to be up steps in the 5er. How is the headroom up there? If there is plenty of headroom, the outside profile of the trailer is going to be MUCH higher the the TT equivalent which can mean clearance problems and more box to pull through the air (mile/gal considerations).
As others have mentioned, with the TT you keep the use of the truck bed too. 5er's certainly have their advantages too: typically more storage space, some have room for (or even come with) generators, shorter overall rig for the same living area, among others.
Hope this helps.
(Oh, and our 34 footer is also around 8000... EMPTY! Once we put all our camping gear in it we will approach the max trailer weight of nearly 10k.)
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I had a 31' Travel Trailer and I just chaged to a 32' 5th wheeler. I have pulled my travel trailer from Oklahoma to Florida, then up to South Dakota & back to Oklahoma. What I have noticed is that when pulling the TT (I had the weight distributuion hitch & sway bars installed) it would sway when I would get passed by the big rigs. The 5th wheeler seems to tow alot better - no sway, easier to back into tighter places & my overall length is shorted than before since I don't have that 10' gap between the cab and the leading edge of the trailer. I do have more storage in the fifth wheeler than I did in my TT. Which makes up for the loss of space in the truck bed - but I don't have an ATV.
With my short bed I did have to dump 2K on a superglide hitch. It works great and I am definitley glad I bought it but it was an additional expense. As always - I guess it depends on your situation & needs. For long distance hauling I would go with the 5th wheeler - hands down....my 2 cents
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For whatever reason I can buy the bumper hitch model, ..., for about 4800 LESS than the 5th wheel model and I am telling you the only difference is the hitch.
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Get out your calculator.
The "good" hitch for a 5er towed by a long-bed pickup will cost less than $1,000 installed. The "best" hitch for a TT is the Hensley Arrow, that will set you back about $3,000 installed. So apply the difference in hitch cost and the TT is only 2,800 less than the 5er. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/warmsmile.gif[/img]
And no, I don't believe the only difference is the hitch. Does the TT have a basement to match the basement storage area in the 5er? No, of course not. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]
Towing 'cross country, the TT with the Hensley Arrow hitch will tow just as good - with no sway - as the 5er with a Reese 16k 4-way-tilt Classic hitch. There is some difference in turning and backing, but you can get used to whichever one you buy.
The Hensley Arrow hitch is more difficult to hook up than the Reese 5er hitch, but not enough difference to make it a deal breaker.
I would NOT buy a TT unless I could have the Hensley Arrow hitch to go with it. www.nosway.com
For a 5er towed by a longbed pickup, the simple Reese 16k Classic hitch is all you need. For a shorty pickup, you need at least a "slider" hitch, and preferably the Pulliam PullRite SuperGlide hitch. But the SuperGlide is going to cost you almost as much as the Hensley Arrow. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img] http://www.pullrite.com/superglide.htm
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I tow a 31' TT. I have a regular reciever hitch with wieght distribution bars. I do not have sway control on mine & I haven't needed it. It tows stable even when being passed by a semi. I wouldn't hesitate to tow mine anywhere. It just depends on what you want.
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You don't need a 3K Hensley!!!!
I pull a similar size and weight trialer and the Reece dual cam does a fine job!!! Not worth 5K difference for the fver!!
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Gees I must be doing something wrong. I tow a 30 ft fifth wheel with a short bed (always have) and everything is kool. It has worked on a 3/4 GM and the now 3/4 psd short bed extended cab [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]
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