Community Forums

Greytraveler · 10-30-2015, 12:52 PM

We have up to this point had 3 fifth wheels and I really want to use the bed of the truck with a shell so am seriously considering a Travel Trailer. My concern is towing a 30 foot TT and what that might be like when coming to sharp turns. How well will it track compared to a fifth?

As we travel I see plenty of TT and some really long ones. A 38 foot at Fort Worden which, if you have been there, know has a difficult 90 degree turn into narrow entrance. Beats me how he made it but he did.

We can tow roughly 12,550 if I read the specs correctly and some of the TT in the range we are considering weigh maybe half.

1bigmess · 10-30-2015, 01:11 PM

Go here first to find the true towing capacity of your truck:
RV Tow Check | Towing Guide Eliminator

powderman · 10-30-2015, 01:38 PM

Because aTT pivots at the back bumper, it tracks almost the same as the tow vehicle where as the pivot point on the fiver is close to the rear axle it tracks inside of the tow vehicle. So the trailer will make through places difficult for a fiver. Now stability is a whole different matter.

450Donn · 10-30-2015, 02:02 PM

With the proper hitch it will tow OK. Nothing as good as a fiver, but OK. Remember that a 30 foot TT will end up around 35 feet behind the truck. While a 30 foot fiver ends up around 25 feet behind the truck.

schrederman · 10-30-2015, 02:58 PM

I've towed both and a TT these days tows fine, especially if you are careful to set the hitch up right... assuming that you buy a good hitch.

bailer6334 · 10-30-2015, 08:34 PM

In the past I towed a 29ft 5er & a 31ft 5er. After a 3 year LOA from RVing I now have a 23ft TT and I tow it with a Dodge Durango 5.7L Hemi. I also have a Equalizer 4 point weight distribution hitch and they track with no problems at all. My dodge weighs in a little over 5300lbs and the TT GVWR is 5023lbs. On I-40 with semi trailers passing me no problems at all. I know you are looking at a longer TT, but as long as you match the TT with a adequate TV and a good WDH you should not have any problems with it towing the TT or it tracking with the TV.

chaps2018 · 10-30-2015, 09:10 PM

With a 35' TT and a Ram3500 drw 8 ' box we have been on one tight right angle turn in 5 yrs (goose creek state park in South Texas). Had to get dw out to keep an eye on things (mainly trees lining the road) while I shimmied through the turn. Otherwise my strategy is to take the turns wide and you'll be good

dagmandt · 10-31-2015, 07:39 AM

35' shouldn't be a problem getting anywhere. The place where you may have issues is the camp site and whether it can accommodate your trailer and tow vehicle. Our trailer is 30' and we have to choose carefully, with a 35' more so of course. Towing our trailer into Fort Worden wasn't even a bit of a challenge. Getting in the entrance is easy as can be so don't worry about that. With 35' of trailer there are usually spots you can fit in at most campgrounds but we scout as much as we can to prevent us from having to park the truck somewhere other than our spot.

Greytraveler · 10-31-2015, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1bigmess

Go here first to find the true towing capacity of your truck:
RV Tow Check | Towing Guide Eliminator

Thanks all for the replies. Will need to dig out the owners manual to double check ratings or is the info inside the door. Will need to look. Given what I have seen being towed by trucks similar to ours my bet is many are over their limits.

The calculator mentioned above is worth while so thanks for that.

Trailers I have been looking at range from 28 to 31 including the hitch.

Greytraveler · 11-01-2015, 08:50 AM

Using the tow Towing Guide produced some interesting results. Will need to double check but it seems I was near my max with the fifth we are selling. My bet there are others towing fifths that are way over given what I have seen as we travel.

The other interesting result is that it appears one can tow a heavier TT vs. a fifth. My impression is the pin weight comes into play so, for example, a 8,000 TT is within range whereas a 6,000 fifth is at the max.

I am no longer considering a fifth given what I have learned from iRV2. I have also decided one of the Outdoors products is at the top of my list. There are three dealers within a reasonable distance which makes checking them out easier than traveling long distances.

Timber Ridge and Wind River have floor plans that look good and watching their build video on their web site is interesting.

Thanks for the info, it helped a lot.

GT

Greytraveler · 11-01-2015, 07:32 PM

A weight distribution hitch with sway control is a must but the question is, which one. In a few brief searches I see plenty of opinions and not a few negatives as well. Reese is an old name but so is Draw Tite and Eaz-Lift. Prices vary a lot. Round bars vs. trunnion. Argh. The tongue weight in the trailers we are looking at vary between 700 and 800, maybe a tad more.

The question is, any I should avoid?

Highway 4x4 · 11-01-2015, 07:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greytraveler

Using the tow Towing Guide produced some interesting results. Will need to double check but it seems I was near my max with the fifth we are selling. My bet there are others towing fifths that are way over given what I have seen as we travel.

The other interesting result is that it appears one can tow a heavier TT vs. a fifth. My impression is the pin weight comes into play so, for example, a 8,000 TT is within range whereas a 6,000 fifth is at the max.

I am no longer considering a fifth given what I have learned from iRV2. I have also decided one of the Outdoors products is at the top of my list. There are three dealers within a reasonable distance which makes checking them out easier than traveling long distances.

Timber Ridge and Wind River have floor plans that look good and watching their build video on their web site is interesting.

Thanks for the info, it helped a lot.

GT

Now you can go over on the OutdoorsRV owners forum for more info and questions. The Wind River line is one they have improved quite a bit in the last two years. It is a really nice unit. You will have no problem towing a 31 ft TT.

bttravel · 11-02-2015, 07:59 PM

Be sure and take a look at the Anderson Hitch. Just went with one for our new Sprinter at 35'-11" and 8100 lbs dry. It is easy to hookup, clean (no grease), very quiet and is a WD and sway control by design. I love it. Check out here.
Andersen 'No-Sway' Weight Distribution Hitch

SAFox · 11-04-2015, 06:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greytraveler

We have up to this point had 3 fifth wheels and I really want to use the bed of the truck with a shell so am seriously considering a Travel Trailer. My concern is towing a 30 foot TT and what that might be like when coming to sharp turns. How well will it track compared to a fifth?

As we travel I see plenty of TT and some really long ones. A 38 foot at Fort Worden which, if you have been there, know has a difficult 90 degree turn into narrow entrance. Beats me how he made it but he did.

We can tow roughly 12,550 if I read the specs correctly and some of the TT in the range we are considering weigh maybe half.

We went from a 40 ft. MH to a 34 ft TT (Arctic Fox 32A). To make it tow like a 5th wheel, you can get a ProPride hitch. It's a bit PRICY!! but is really easy to hitch up and you get not sway. The Arctic Fox is a very well made 4 seasons TT. the 32A has a GVWR of 10,400 and a dry weight of 8,323 resulting in 2,077 net carrying capacity. Northwood and Outdoor RV are sister companies.