5th Wheel vs. Bumper Pull??? Which to get???

[Ryan]

For being able to do rough, off-road camping back in the mountains in tight areas, which do you guys prefer? It seems that the shortest 5th wheel Toyhaulers are around 30', so we would either get one of them or a bumper pull around 26' in length. Which would you guys go with and why?

[Ryan]

For being able to do rough, off-road camping back in the mountains in tight areas, which do you guys prefer? It seems that the shortest 5th wheel Toyhaulers are around 30', so we would either get one of them or a bumper pull around 26' in length. Which would you guys go with and why?

[56Nomad]

The trailer will better serve you in tight areas.
However, now that we have pulled the 33' 5th wheel
I'd never go back to a bumper pull trailer.

[Ryan]

So you like 5th wheels better but think a bumper pull would be better for getting into tight places?????

[56Nomad]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Ryan:
So you like 5th wheels better but think a bumper pull would be better for getting into tight places????? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yup...... The pull trailer follows the tow vehicle. The 5th wheel does not allow a small
turning radius. The photo above shows how I
could not make the turn at the end of a camp loop without having to cut tree branches

[WWFan]

Ryan:

I second Howie's comments on having a 5th- soooooo much better towing, and you don't need all the gadgetry to improve the tow like a TT....

Now that said, I do also have to add that I've run into issues offroad with the clearance between the trailer and the bed of the truck- you have to learn hw to hit off-camber ruts and multi-angle roads. I learned this the hard way with my first TH- a 37' SLC3705 that I was using to haul my DJ equipment to a wedding site- I didn't pay any attention to the road I was backing up into and it was WAY OFF camber between the truck and the trailer, and I put a 6" dent in the bed of my new truck (at the time- a F250). Fortunately, insurance paid for it- I even saved them some money and found a new bed for $700 (with tailgate).

Anyway, if you're careful, you'll be fine- it's just one of those things you learn to deal with- just like how to turn around and so forth. If you've got a friend who has a 5vr setup, see if they'll let you "try it out" one day- nuttin' like some 'sperience'!

Good luck!