What tows better: TT vs. 5er?

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by Rednax

Set up a quality TT with a (Hensley Arrow or ProPride) hitch -- even with a pickup truck, like mine -- and one can run rings around any 5'er.

Yes, it's repetitive, but Rednax repeated the gist of what I posted way back on page 1 of this thread:

"But if you invest in a Hensley Arrow or ProPride hitch, the TT will tow just as good as any 5er."

Of course the expensive aerodynamic and low-slung Airstreams will tow better than a box, but even a boxy TT will tow as good as a similar design 5er if the TT hitch is a ProPride.

Not including the hitch, 5ers cost more than similar size and quality TTs. But as a general rule, a TT with a ProPride hitch will cost about the same as a similar size and quality 5er with a common 5er hitch such as a Reese 16k.

The big reason to tow a TT instead of a 5er is hitch weight. A 10,000 pound 5er will have a hitch weight of about 1,800 pounds, while a 10,000 pound TT will have a hitch weight closer to 1,200 pounds. That extra 600 pounds of hitch weight can mean the difference in towing the trailer with your current SRW pickup or having to trade up to a dually so you never exceed the GVWR off your tow vehicle.

[RustyJC]

Originally Posted by Rednax

(5'ers need to shut it down for crosswinds as low as 25-mph sustained.....)

Really?? I've towed 5th wheels for over 15 years and that's news to me. If that were the case, there would be very few days in West Texas that one could tow a 5th wheel.

Of course, I've always towed with duallies, so perhaps I'm spoiled by the inherent lateral stability of that tow vehicle.

Rusty

[TXiceman]

I have never had an issue with the wind an a 5er other than you have to mash the throttle a bit harder and watch the fuel gauge make a faster trip toward E. But I have always pulled a 5er with a dual rear wheel truck.

Now I have passed larger 5ers being toted with a single rear wheel truck and they were struggling with a cross or quartering wind.

Ken

[richardcoxid]

X2 for post #8 and 9. With a TT the TV/TT pivot point is about 5-6ft behind the rear axle, obviously a "good" WDH widd definately help.

A properly set up 5W will have 20-25% of the 5W weight on the hitch pin which is centerd above or a couple of inches ahead of the rear axle.

[lynn boyd]

I would never go back to a bumper pull. IMO.. a 5th wheel is better all around. simple hook/unhook, follows better, better use of size. It really was night and day for me. I would rather pull my 27' 5er than an old 17' bumper pull any day.
the wind sway. well, with a bumper pull you get just that..sway. even passing rigs on a 2way. with my 5th wheel I have never had any sway. I got into some serious cross winds in no.cal and nevada last year and with a 5th wheel you feel more of a "shift" side to side. (those with 5ths know what im talking about) the whole rig, truck and trailer move. but still feels much more stable than watching your bumperpull dissapearing from one side mirror to the other!!
my dad is a firm believer in a motorhome. but then you need a toad for running around. 5er is the way to roll.
again.. JMO

[Bobsbeatter]

Well, I sure started something with this thread, that's for sure. After wadding through all the repeated opinions, factual and anecdotal, I've come to a conclusion.
Towing quality, the absence of white knuckle experiences, has little to do with which configuration one is pulling.

It's all about how much the TV weighs relative to the trailer being pulled.

Even though none of you posted axle weights, posts like "we used to pull a TT with our Explorer and now that we have a 5th and an F450, I'll never go back."

Well, yeah. That's all the axle weight info I need.

[RustyJC]

Originally Posted by Bobsbeatter

After wading through all the repeated opinions, factual and anecdotal, I've come to a conclusion.
Towing quality, the absence of white knuckle experiences, has little to do with which configuration one is pulling.

It's all about how much the TV weighs relative to the trailer being pulled.

Really??!! That's the conclusion you've reached?? Interesting.

If you want to try it out, go out and hitch up to a little 2500 lb single axle pop-up with your bumper-pull receiver hitch. Load it tail-heavy and don't use any sway control. Now run it up to about 60-65 MPH and get back to me with how your conclusion stands up in the real world.

Rusty

[Muddypaws]

I've towed both with the same truck. The fiver is easier, more forgiving, easier to hitch and park....... I could go on but the bottom line is That I would not go back to a tag trailer willingly. Went to a motorhome and still miss my Montana.

25 MPH winds get laughed at around here. That comment set off my BS detector big time....... But the RV world seems to need fertilizer every so often. Especially this thread!

Cheers,
Muddypaws

[bobbin]

Old thread, but should updated for the new tech in the last 3 years. TT vs 5er nowadays is about lifestyle and what you want from your RV. Both have pros and cons. I have owned an Airstream and Kingstone 5er. Now, I am leaning to the AS again, for many reasons. 2 big reasons are the new couplers and the air bag hitches. The Shocker and Airride reduce the trailer jerking to near zero. The "McHitch" enables 1-person easy hookup, especially with an in-cab camera. The TT frees the truck box for lots of storage. The AS is much better made than any 5er, and the AS will hold its value way more than a 5er. A TT gives more access to more camp grounds. A large 5er can house a washer, but this is only good for trailer parks [ugly and cramped]. A TT can sway more easily than a 5er [5er's do in fact sway, and in fact are more easily to lose control when they do], BUT with the new Tuscon anti-sway tech, Tuscon can eliminate all TT sway. A 30ft AS is a large rig, but will not require a HD truck to pull it: unlike most 5er's. My AS saved me on fuel costs. pros and cons.