Cost factor made me choose TT over 5th at first due to not knowing if I was actually going to use the thing. After a couple years of consistent camping, i chose to make the switch to 5th wheel switch, and boy I love it.
Great video. When making this choice there are some other things people need to think of. The smaller your rig the more places you can go and vice/versa. You lose most of your bed with a fifth wheel - but the RV usually has more storage. Fewer steps into a TT. The bigger the truck the less stressful your towing will be no matter which way you go.
You were more helpful than the chumps at this RV spot near me they didn’t want nothing to do with me because I wasn’t buying the camper from them THANKS AGAIN FOR THE KNOWLEDGE
I’m a huge fan of your channel. I really appreciate all your information and how you simplify it for your viewers. We are looking into getting our 1st rv. My husband has lots of experience towing trailers including goosenecks. I however know nothing...... but I’m learning thanks to RU-vid and specifically your videos! I usually am the one doing the research on buying stuff and getting the good deals so hopefully we will have a nice truck and 5th wheel soon!
I went straight for the 42 ft 5er. I have towed plenty of box trailers and utility trailers. I still get nervous about the prospect of towing a massive 5er, but once I make that first turn out of my parking spot and can easily watch were the trailer axles are, I get complete confidence with it. Backing the trailer and hitching is quite different. The tail swing behavior of a bumper hitch is different from a pivot point over the axle. There is no substitute for the flexible pivot range of a 5er.
Great video JD. I’ve had many different travel trailers, tow vehicles, and various styles of sway control including the Hensley Arrow. In the end, after trying many different configurations to get a comfortable tow, I went with a 5th wheel. I believe your opinion to be correct - a 5th wheel will always tow better. Having more truck than trailer is just smart. I’ve seen many 1/2 ton trucks with some pretty big trailers, way outside their payload. Anyway, great video!
My first diesel was a single rear wheel 1 ton dodge .I traded it in 2017 for a 8 foot box dodge dually and have never regretted it. I pull a 33 foot jayco designer.
Just bought a 5th Wheel...towed a travel trailer for years with my 2005 Dodge 3500 Diesel long bed 4X4 (I LOVE my truck!!!)...and MAN...5th wheel towing is MUCH nicer. As far as towability and TONS of research...rule of thumb...MOST 5th wheels require at LEAST a 1 Ton where even large travel trailers can easily be towed by a 3/4 ton.
I have been pulling trailers for nearly 40 years. I can attest to the fact a gooseneck/5th wheel is always more stable than any type of bumper pull. On a bumper pull any movement left or right by the front of the trailer always encourages the front of the tow vehicle to move the opposite direction! And if the trailer happens to have too much weight toward the rear, it gets even worse! Why one often sees the "tail wagging the dog"! I use 1 ton pickups with as high a GVW as I can get! Even so, I will not pull any bumper pull that weighs over 10,000 lbs.!
You’re so right about the sway in a TT, even with a WDH. I drive like a grandma, daylight hours only. I prefer an unmodified truck but also prefer the space of a 5th wheel. Lol. Life is a comprise ☺️
Having owned several trailers, I agree with what you said, even though I never had a fifth wheel. I have had some white-knuckle moments where I reached down and gently pushed on the trailer brakes to help stop swaying. Our solution was to go to a diesel pusher with a towed, but that's my preference.
We just subscribed to your channel and are so glad we found your videos. This is great information to understand and know about! Thank you for delivering a clear & understandable message.
Hey JD great video. But I saw something today that proves that not enough RV newbees watch your channel. I saw a '19 Winnebago 5th wheel (in excess of 30') waiting to get hitched to a '19 F150 (5.5 ft bed no less) I stalled around but never got to see them hook it. I would have liked to see you "Shaking your head"
Very important information that needs to be addressed constantly, Its important for me and I can tell its important for you too get the word out. So many factors involved making it difficult for people to understand but its working, I've learned so much from your channel and commenting with others, some people mistake my comments when I challenge them to their opinions on a tow vehicle, but I'm just making them think about the whole situation at hand. Thanks again
great video when i purchased my travel trailer from a big retailer they didn't ask me about the hitch nor did I ask.. they gave me the cheapest weight distribution hitch they carried .. after a while i purchased the equalizer 4 point sway controller / weight distribution hitch the difference was night and day ... lesson learned ask questions and don't cheap out on your hitch spend the extra money and get a good one .. why spend 30K + for a trailer and skimp on the hitch
If you have towed a long bumper pull TT, then you will be pleasantly surprised with towing a fifth wheel. What many don't realize is that while a fifth wheel trailer is much bigger/longer, the overall length (OAL) of the truck+5th wheel can be very similar to that of a truck+travel trailer if the TT is a long one. I had a Hideout 30' bumper pull TT whose distance from the rear of the truck to the midpoint of the axles is almost identical to the 42' toy hauler we are looking at.
We don't camp anymore but when we did we had a tt and used the equaliser hitch. It worked great. We only camped a few times in the summer and i needed my pickup bed so no way was i going to have a 5th wheel
With a Standard Trailer, you can put a cover over the back of your truck and use that for the stinky stuff, like your inflatable boat and gasoline for your small outboard motor, far away from your Clothes, Furniture, Bedsheets and stuff you don't want the smell of Gas on. Oh, and... if you don't have a Pickup Truck, don't get a Fifth Wheel! LOL
I really like my imagine 2800bh. My tow vehicle is a 2018 Ford F-250. My hitch is Hensley Arrow. I have no trouble towing as it sits my wife can tow without white knuckle driving. Got to love Super Duty.
I think most people go for travel trailers first cause their tow vehicle wasn't purchase with hitch weight in mind. Probably needed the truck for a different reason to begin with.
Hate my 5th wheel!! I miss my truck bed. I miss not worrying about bed rails. It is nice not having to think as much about weight being properly distributed being a toy box 5th. but currently I'm looking to trade back to a bumper pull. Just my two cents.
You may want to look at a gooseneck hitch and an Anderson ultimate 5th wheel hitch. I can install mine in about 5 minutes and removing it is even faster and it only weighs around 35 pounds so it’s really easy to get the bed of your truck back.
@@Denbar137 I've had the Anderson for a few years. It's good but it still takes up a huge amount of bed space. A different issue I had was the stock tall truck grabbed the release puller and put a nice scratch in my truck.( I was so not happy, my fault for pulling down hill and tight knowing the handle was closer on the new truck than the older truck that also had shorter bed sides.)
Good well thought out video Hopefully in other places than the Pacific Northwest were I am The trailer dealership are not selling trailers to people who don’t have a truck to to it I was at out bi yearly rv show here the dealership actually were saying if you need a new truck get the trailer first then go purchase a truck to match the trailer I live in my trailer and don’t travel yet Wife has two years to go By then I’ll need a new truck too Mine now is a 1/2. Ton with 200,000 miles on it so not a long term tow unit
Great video. This was exactly what I was looking for. One thing that would have been nice to address is the weight difference and what that buys you. Better build quality in a heavier fifth wheel vs lighter travel trailer that has hollow core doors, is missing soft touch latches, doesn't have a residential refrigerator, smaller cook top, smaller shower and shorter overall height that limits undercarriage storage? Also, do fifth wheels have upgraded axles and brakes and a heavier frame that makes them safer to tow and last longer because they are built stiffer and heavier? I have never been in a fifth wheel or modern camp trailer, but I have seen quite a few videos and there are obvious differences. Maybe make a future video that compares the living experience in them with similar size fifth wheel vs camp trailer? Thanks in advance!
Thanks for this video. Great explanations. On a side note, I’m surprised that you’re OK with the tire noise on the Toyo tires you’re running. That would drive me nuts.
I'll never spend the money for a class A, so towing is my lot. If I have to tow, 5th wheel is the way to go for many reasons. With one caveat. I do all-wheel RV weighing as my day job. Individual scales under each tire, per axle. This gives a detailed picture of the weight distribution and scale weights. A lot of trucks pulling 5th wheels aren't up to the job. I've weighed F-450s with overloaded rear axles. Its like when your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you order too much food. Don't get too much trailer, or you'll end up in a ditch somewhere.
As being human..I want it now...lol..but I think I made the right decision. I traded up..I owned a 2016 f150 4x4..3.5 ecoboost ( paid for) and the head mechanic at the trailer sales said it would pull the 23 foot cougar fifth wheel no problem. BUT what he DID NOT SAY was my LOAD CAPACITY not TOWING CAPACITY... MY LOAD CAPACITY ( which trailer sales people never look at) would be almost maxed with the hitch and ball weight for that truck. I am glad I researched this to the hilt. I and my truck would have been in serious trouble and stressed to the max. So we traded up to a f250 super duty diesel and beefing the suspension with air bags. We do not want to haul anything longer than this 23 foot fifth wheel and by the way it is gorgeous inside. We have a 15000 km trip planned for 3 months starting in June 2022. I am 60 and my wife 57..I chose a younger woman...lol..oh I forgot to say Thank You for your video..it was very informative!
At the end of this video you flash a picture of a new GM pick up attached to a Fuzion 5'er. It shows the relationship of the running boards to the bed step. Come on most of us old guys need to grab a handle to step up on the running boards to get in. What kind of mutant can get his leg up high enough to use the bed step? I've seen a lot of F250's around lately that have the running board go all the way to the rear tire. I think that's a better solution. The GM bed step is too high for most to use.
Good evening, i have a 2007 F350, yes 6.0, but well loved and bullet proofed. I have been putting a 32-foot bummer putting equalizer hitch for many years. I have never pulled a 5th wheel, i am about to buy a 14k 5th wheel. Looking at the reese 16k slide tube hitch. So, 2 questions: Is that a hitch you would recommend , and main question is, is it a big adjustment to learn the basics of a 5th wheel, like backing up, hooking up, etc. I can't find a video on things to know as you transition from bummer pull to 5th wheel. Thanks for anything advice you may have. I have watched your channel for years!
Hi im not sure if you have a video on fifth wheel hitches or not but if you do any chance you ca let me know i have a 2016 Silverado 3500hd crew cab short box and need a slider hitch but not sure what type id need. Im looking at a keystone hideout 308bhds Thanks for your help
Regardless of type of trailer and salesperson bullchit……….take a quick stroll around the trailer, count the number of wheels on the ground. Now you know how many wheels your tow vehicle needs to have. I know, a lot of folks pull big trailer with single rear wheel trucks, which isd fine………..until “THAT DAY” comes along. In other words……..do NOT bring a knife to a gunfight!
It sounds like you maybe on board with a heavy half ton towing the micro winnebago shown at 2:17 .....? Less than 6000lbs dry and pin weight right at 1000 lbs...... and only 7 foot wide and 11'3" tall.....no storage space though and not for full timers but great at the lake for a weekend
Till this day, when it comes to trying to figure out the towing capability from a trailer on a hitch to a 5th wheel on the bed of the truck, I have issues. I have a 2022 F250 that can trailer tow up to 21K pounds with a pin weight up to 2,100 pounds. But I want to buy and tow a fifth wheel (reason why I got the F250), that has a pin weight of 2,904 pounds, and the GVWR of the 5th wheel is 16,800 pounds. 13,920 dry. Ford specs shows 5th wheel towing at 15,700 pounds. So I assume as long as I don't exceed or come close to the 15.700 I should be ok, but how do I determine the pin weight, since the trailer pin weight says 2,100 pounds has nothing to do with the pin weight of the 5th wheel/bed of the truck, there's where I start getting confused. Dealer says, yeah no problem you can tow the 395DS with the F250, but I feel otherwise. Is there a weight distribution for 5th wheels like there is for a trailer?
Having driven a Mack and a KW for a long time hauling loads any where from 45 to 85 feet long I want a 5 er. I don’t think a TT would be right for me. But then you never know. Let’s wait and see what truck I get first.
I own a 2500 Ram and my last truck was a 3500 Ram. I tow a 39’ toy hauler and my 2500 pulls just as good as the 3500. I know the GVW are different but what else is different?
Could you do a video on weights that you would recommend on the mid-size trucks, recently bought a 2016 Colorado 2.8L Diesel and was planning to buy a travel trailer soon to do travel nursing.
Question my issues about either getting a 5er or tt is I can not find a right answer on my truck towing capacity. It’s a 2007 Silverado l classic cc sb 6.6 lbz duramax 4wd. I’ve heard 9800 lbs to 12600 lbs .. I’ve read many forums where people say they have 5ers but I wanna make sure what I can do with my truck .. any help?? Just bout a p3 brake controller for it too :)
You stated that there are very few fifth wheels that are half ton towable and around 6-7k in weight, but that seems to be any fifth wheel that is ~32ft and shorter which to me there is quite a few on market... or am I misinterpreting that?
"Settling" for travel trailers? There are obviously a lot of factors at play here, and for many, a travel trailer lines up perfectly with how they want to camp. And with quite less expense. I could have a 1 ton dually and a 42' 5th wheel. Do I want it? Not particularly. My 34' travel trailer gets me out and camping in any and every way I ever intended to.
With the money you save buying a TT vs. 5er you can easily afford a Hensley Hitch system. A 5er is much more expensive and heavier as compared to a TT of equal length that you can tow with a 1/2 ton truck, where as with a 5er requires a 3/4 ton which is much more expensive than the 1/2 truck, you will save thousands of dollars so paying a couple thousand dollars for the Hensley Hitch system will turn out to be bargain.
Great info as always. I am in the market for a toy hauler for a golf cart. Currently tow an Imagine XLS 22MLE with my 2021 Ram 2500, 6.4 Hemi, 4.10 rear end on 18 inch stock wheels/tires, payload cap. #3100. Yeah, tows that really easy...LOL. What would be the largest 5er recommended? As you can tell, I am a believer in oversizing the tow vehicle.
Idk if your a slow driver or drivers around you are just flying or your towing while doing the video idk....but every drivers view you give us on videos cars are just blowing by you all day😂... just something i noticed lol
BP Conversions down near Houston makes a gooseneck adaptor for a bumper pull conversion. It’s supposed to be bolt on. Any insight on this type of “hitch”?
Great info, thanks JD. Can you do a video about how it is driving a dually down the road?? I'll need one for the 5th wheel we want, but, is it easy to stay centered, dually's are so wide???
We have a 4500 pound smaller TT and have a new F350 on the way. Would you recommend using the weight dist bars still? I am assuming that there will be nowhere enough tongue weight to justify it with a 1 ton truck and such a light TT, but I want your thoughts, BTBRV.
I have a 2008 kz 325 (approx 12000lbs) that I’m towing with a 2018 Chevy 2500 (not a dually) duramax The axles of the trailer have already been flipped and I am having a problem getting the proper clearance from the bed rails. ( have approx 3-4 in). This makes it extremely difficult to navigate bumpy campgrounds without the trailer hitting the bed rails. I have a gooseneck setup with a Reese fifth wheel adapter. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
I have a 2016 2500hd diesel...looking at getting my first 5th wheel and wanted to know what you think is about max pin weight for this truck. The 5th wheel I’m looking at has 2100# hitch weight and is 14k gross.
Jose, exactly. I can say with most certainty that a 3/4 ton will NOT be enough for a 5th wheel except for the very smallest of 5th wheels...remember, a truck's cargo weight not only includes the PIN weight, but the weight of the passengers, fuel, gear, etc. that your TRUCK is carrying.
@@markk171 i was talking more like we all know about 10% of the total travel trailers weight is tongue weight. On a 5th wheel it's more like 20% and even a 10k lb 5th wheel you are at the limit of a 3/4 ton payload wise.... At least on my F250 that's the case. Travel trailers are easier to have under control with tow and payload nunbers.
True, I have a Ram 2500 with the 6.4 Liter Hemi. My payload is 3150 pounds. People and cargo in the cab of my truck are about 700 pounds, Not having a diesel motor adds a few hundred pounds of payload. I still won’t pull a 5th Wheel more than 10,000 pounds GVWR.
Hey off topic, but I was wondering what would be the best " weight and size wise" my 2012 ram 2500 diesel with 373 gear ratio. Fifth wheel toy hauler. I have a. 30ft toy hauler travel,trailer now but I would like a fifth wheel.
So what happened to your Ranch Hand sponsor? I just had the RH front bumper and 15k wench put on my F-350 SD dually, along with the air lift bags you recommended. Getting ready to full-time next spring. Anyway, thanks for the professionalism shown in ALL your video's...GREAT presentations!
I switched to Road Armor because they support many of the Veterans and First Responder organizations I do. Both companies make great products, but Road Armor better aligns with me.
Just want to thank you for mentioning the ProPride/Hensley sway elimination hitches. Many people disregard these because, as you say, they cost so much when compared solely to the cost of a more conventional weight distribution trailer hitch like a Curt or Reese. But when I compare the price of the trailer hitch and travel trailer combined to that of the fifth wheel hitch and comparable fifth wheel, the price of the ProPride sway elimination hitch is not that large of a factor in the overall purchase in my mind.
Whoever told you this is totally incorrect. On most trucks a short bed is shorter between the cab and the axles. Also, extending the wheelbase is what helps reduce sway. A longer wheelbase and heavier truck is more effective against sway.
Ram trucks are the same way as mentioned by BTBRV, the distance from axle to hitch is the same, its the axle to back of cab that is shorter or longer. The longer wheelbase truck will be more stable however when towing a "bumper pull".
If you love your truck and you have a 1/2 ton and you live the look of Airstream travel trailers... There’s your answer. I just don’t like the look of 5th wheels, and I drive a 5.5’ bed Tundra, so...
Want some input. We are looking at a used 35' fuzion toy hauler double axle, pin weight is 2200 lbs., dry weight is 11000 lbs. Our Ford F250 v10 srw short bed has a payload of 3000 lbs, and maximum gross 5th wheel rating of 15000 lbs. Would this trailer be too much for my truck?
That's very close. Going to be alot of weight on your suspension and you'll notice some stability issues in high cross winds. Also, MPGs are going to hurt.
@@BigTruckBigRV thanks for the reply. Mpgs already hurt with our 25 foot toy hauler travel trailer.. Avg 7-9 mpg. Can it get much worse? I'm leaning towards air bags to compensate for the pin weight. I believe we would still get a better towing experience with a heavier 5th wheel. Our current toy hauler trailer is very busy behind us, even with weight distribution and dual friction sway. What are your thoughts?
