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Old 02-09-2017, 07:33 AM   #1
KFM
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5th Wheel Versus TT

We had to postpone our ordering of a TT due to changes in our current plans. With that said, we are now thinking that we may want to look at 5th Wheel as an option. We plan to buy a Ford F250 diesel to tow. It is just me and my wife and, at this point, we will be traveling July and August only. Can anyone share their experience and opinion on choosing either 5th Wheel or TT based on what I have shared. Thanks in advance for replies. Have a great day!
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Old 02-09-2017, 07:46 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KFM View Post
We had to postpone our ordering of a TT due to changes in our current plans. With that said, we are now thinking that we may want to look at 5th Wheel as an option. We plan to buy a Ford F250 diesel to tow. It is just me and my wife and, at this point, we will be traveling July and August only. Can anyone share their experience and opinion on choosing either 5th Wheel or TT based on what I have shared. Thanks in advance for replies. Have a great day!

Just a few quick thoughts:
  • If you need your pickup bed for storage you might want to go to a TT since the fiver will use up most of you bed. Personally we like a bed topper with the capability of locking up stuff, so we went with a TT before we ended up with the Class A.
  • Fiver's tend to be better made, and offer more amenities than TT's.
  • Fiver's tend to be taller, so if stored indoors, you need to consider overhead door clearance.
  • Fivers can be put in to tighter spots due to their ability to "jack knife".
  • Fivers offer more living space for the TOTAL length of rig since part of the living space hangs over the tow vehicle bed.
Not recommending one over the other, just stating options.

Oh, and I just noticed that this is your first post! Welcome to the Forum!
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Old 02-09-2017, 07:53 AM   #3
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Welcome to the forum.

X2; on the above points with one more point in my very humble opinion. A 5er will tow better than a TT. You will read a lot of complaints on how a TT will wag the truck as the vehicle pass a semi-truck or in high cross winds.
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Old 02-09-2017, 08:05 AM   #4
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KFM, I think that Hit The Rhod, nailed it on a couple of issues but missed on some. There are some "really" good TT's out there, but are very heavy and I "heavily" suggest a dually for tow stability. Though some of the best (IMHO) TT manufacturers have gone under over the last 10 years. 5ers, by there hitch point, are more stable, because the tongue weight is slightly forward of rear axle centerline. 5ers are also a little easier to connect, as you can see the hitch. All of your "better" 5ers have much more storage than does a TT. Meaning, the truck bed is not as ( unless you need a large or tall item in bed) important. You have "more" options on quality 5ers than TT's. Which means, a little easier to find one that meets your exact needs.
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Old 02-09-2017, 08:07 AM   #5
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The good points for 5th wheels have been noted. The biggest disadvantage is that if you get a big 5th wheel, your F250 will be too light a truck. It'll pull it but can't remain in specs with the pin weight. That makes your ''run around'' vehicle when camping a dually. BTDT, one reason we got a MH.
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Old 02-09-2017, 08:12 AM   #6
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Again,,, welcome to IRV2 KFM,,,, Several good points made by Hit The Rhod,,, I've been a trucker (for what its worth ) off and on for 37+ years,,, and I LOVE the way our 2500 pulls And handles our 5vr... Bumpy/wavey roads,, cross winds,,, etc... There are pluses minuses to TT's, 5vr's,, class A's,,, etc... For us I was ready for a new vehicle, (2500 Silverado), WE were ready to get more room from our smaller class A ... So far We Are Happy Campers !!! Quite a bit of storage under the front of the 5vr compared to TT,,, But like said you lose (most) of the bed of the truck.... Again,, height might be a concern with a 5vr... We have a 12' door in the garage so that was important as I wanted it inside when not used... Our present 5vr,, (see sig) clears by about 4" ... We are good... Love the room,, (slides),, ALTHOUGH I am presently building better portable steps for our older Great Dane... You got questions,,, just ask,,, Many good people here willing to help !!!!
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Old 02-09-2017, 08:20 AM   #7
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KFM,
In addition to all of the above, if you're serious about a 5th wheel, you may want to hold off buying your tow vehicle until you find the rig you want. As others said, you may end up not having enough truck. We outgrew our previous trucks twice.
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Old 02-09-2017, 09:01 AM   #8
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KFM,
In addition to all of the above, if you're serious about a 5th wheel, you may want to hold off buying your tow vehicle until you find the rig you want. As others said, you may end up not having enough truck. We outgrew our previous trucks twice.
Very true,,,, If you want a 40 foot plus 5vr,,, OR a very heavy one,,, you may want to look at a dually... Our 5vr measures 31'4" actuall,,, 3 slides,, we are way under weight for a 3/4 ton . As said many times here in this forum,,, look at "Gross Weight" of the trailer,, not DRY weight...., That will get you the right truck... Our "gross weight" of the 5vr is only 10,000lbs,,, our truck will handle much more... Makes everything easy driving.... Monkey
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Old 02-09-2017, 11:29 AM   #9
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Welcome to the Forum! Generally speaking as you go up the food chain starting with pop up campers and ending with million dollar 45 foot class A's the quality of the rig rises and the amenities with each gets longer. Though I own a class A, I believe this is true with the comparison of a TT to a 5er. At a recent RV show my wife and I attended the two RV's we liked the most was a class B+ motor home on the Mercedes chassis with pop outs, and a beautiful 30 foot 5er from I believe Jayco. Other than Outback (Keystone-Thor) it seemed to us the quality, workmanship and materials left a lot to be desired in most if not all the TT. We were impressed with several other 5er's of all sizes but thought wow you get a lot of camper in the 30 footers, more so than our 35 foot class A. Good Luck with your shopping and keep us tuned in to your opinions and what you decide.
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Old 02-10-2017, 05:23 AM   #10
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Good points on sway and towing comfort with a TT. We towed with a Ford F-350 and had the Hensley Arrow hitch. Absolutely NO sway with that hitch, but I've seen TT without similar hitches that scared the daylights out of me sashaying down the road in front of me!
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Old 02-10-2017, 10:59 AM   #11
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That's a big investment for only using it a couple times a year. Why not wait until you can use a RV more?
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Old 02-13-2017, 04:39 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KFM View Post
We had to postpone our ordering of a TT due to changes in our current plans. With that said, we are now thinking that we may want to look at 5th Wheel as an option. We plan to buy a Ford F250 diesel to tow. It is just me and my wife and, at this point, we will be traveling July and August only. Can anyone share their experience and opinion on choosing either 5th Wheel or TT based on what I have shared. Thanks in advance for replies. Have a great day!
I've done them all and I started by saying I will never own a MH, but now I do and really enjoy it.
My TT was only about 25' and towed by ay a Dakota, plenty of power but MPG's were around 6mpg. I went to a Ram 3500 QC SB TCD, oh yeah because I had the bigger truck the DW wanted a bigger TT or 5th Wheel. So we got a 5th Wheel, awesome. Way more room and a lot heavier and MPG's went to 10mpg's.
Well a few years down the road and getting older and tired of DW having to stop and go to the bathroom decided to get a MH. Big plus except now I needed a TOAD(didn't get a DP due to cost) Had to get rid of the truck and get something less than 5klbs to tow behind the gasser Class A.

The advantage of a MH is the DW can get up go to the restroom without you having to pull over somewhere and letting her get into the TT or 5th wheel to use it. She can also get up and get you something to drink or eat while going down the road. It's also quicker to setup a MH than a TT or 5th wheel and if its raining really hard you can level and put out the slides without getting out and wait to hook up shore power by running the generator.
Look at them all and then weigh the differences. If you already plan on getting a pickup because you need on then make sure you get one that will handle the TT or 5th wheel you plan on getting or you could be making a $60k mistake.
Don't let the Stealer tell you it can haul anything without issue because they will. You have to take into consideration the pickups bed weight because the 5th wheel will be putting weight in the bed, somewhere between 1500lbs and 3klbs of tongue weight. That weight takes away from your passenger weight(how many people can ride with you).
Good hunting.
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Old 02-13-2017, 05:53 AM   #13
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This is by "no means" a slam on motorhomes, only a confession of my paranoia . We have lots of personal stuff, some a little pricey, in our rig. The most likely item to fail in a highway driven vehicle, is something in the drivetrain! If my truck fails, it's in the shop and I'm in my camper in a rv park (with my personal belongings). If my motorhome quits on me,I'm in a motel, while much of my stuff in in a shop. I cannot monitor my belongings. Again that's my personal issue! memtb
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Old 02-13-2017, 06:20 AM   #14
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Items not mentioned...#1. with the 5er you can see the hitch and the pin while trying to hook up. #2. while towing a 5er the weight is over the wheels...great stability! #3. with the 5er you pay more on toll roads because of the height! What is that all about? #4. mentioned, bumper pulls seam, at least for the RV shows to be a little bit more cost effective builds. But they are more affordable to buy. #5. I think a bumper pull will be EZ'er to sell vs a 5er.
good luck on your decision
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