🚐 What’s Better: a Travel Trailer or a Fifth Wheel RV? 🛻
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 ก.ย. 2024
- We’re on the hunt for our perfect RV and taking YOU along with us! In this episode, we’ll walk through the pros and cons of both travel trailers and fifth wheels, helping you figure out which RV might be best for your adventures. Whether you’re thinking about getting an RV or already own one, there’s something for everyone. 🎯
💬 Already own an RV? Drop us some tips in the comments-we’ve got a few questions you might help answer! 👍
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Gonna be a long comment, but I want to answer some of your questions since we have full-timed in both a travel trailer and a 5th wheel.
Which is easier to hook and unhook? - The 5th wheel is going to be easier. Especially if you have sway bars on your travel trailer weight distribution hitch. On our 5th wheel we upgraded to a GEN-Y gooseneck hitch instead of a standard 5th wheel and king pin hitch. This allows us to get our truck bed back quickly and easily when we're not hitched up.
Which is easier to back up? Again the 5th wheel takes this one. With the pivot point right over the rear axle the trailer reacts a bit slower so it's easier to keep it under control when backing.
National Parks and rig size - While we never did a National Park in our travel trailer, we have done a couple in our 5th wheel (a 35' Brinkley). It is going to be easier in the travel trailer due to height. While length can also be an issue, you're looking at under 35' rigs and you can get that length into a National Park. The height becomes an issue because of foliage. We have to really be careful to not drag tree branches over the roof of our rig when in National Park campgrounds. This is because the roads a narrower, and the trees are not trimmed back like in many commercial parks. So in the National Park world, the travel trailer wins out.
Ease of towing - The 5th wheel is hands down a more comfortable towing experience. There is virtually no sway with a 5th wheel like you have in a travel trailer.
One quick comment on towing. If you're looking in the 30'+ range for a travel trailer you're gonna want a 3/4 ton or larger truck. We started out pulling our 30' Imagine travel trailer with a RAM 1500 half ton and it just wasn't an enjoyable experience. We upgraded to a 3/4 ton and that was way more stable and enjoyable. Also with a travel trailer I would suggest looking into an Andersen weight distribution hitch. It's so much easier to hook and unhook than your traditional WDH with big sway bars. We did the Andersen hitch with our Imagine trailer and 3/4 ton Chevy and LOVED IT!!!
Okay, that was a long post but I think I answered your questions. If you have others feel free to fire away with them!
Thank you 😊 I love that you are coming at this with experience from both rigs. That makes your advice stand out! I’m going back to these comments down the road.
Spot on.
Started with a travel trailer and recently upgraded to a 5th wheel. We love it and hubby says it pulls so much better. So much easier to hook up and unhook.
Get it inspected by a certified independent rv inspector. New or used
We bought our first fifth wheel and we love it.😊
Good to know!
We have that fifth wheel and took it 4200 miles on our maiden trip and never felt any sway from wind or traffic. No problem with bridges, but did use big truck gas stations
We started out in a TT. With in 4 months we changed up to a 5th wheel. We have a Grand Design Reflection. I prefer the 5th wheel for storage, space and kitchen area. With a extended truck bed we still have room for stuff in truck. Have fun shopping ! It can get overwhelming!
Better off with 1st one. Less of headache, yes get it inspected too
Thank you- always looking to minimize headaches 😁
I'm 64 and solo female. I have a 30' travel trailer. I don't have a lot of issues driving with sway. I set everything up by myself. I'm still stressed over backing up. I try to always get a pull thru site. I do get staff at campsites help me back up. Other campers are also happy to help.
I have a gray wolf 23mk it’s just over 5000 lbs dry and just over 7500 gvwr it’s makes it great for towing with my Ram 1500 5.7 hemi. But that’s not the only reason we bought it. The sofa faces the TV (not a neck wrecker) the bedroom is separated from the living area by the bathroom (my wife likes to stay up late and watch TV and with the separation the TV doesn’t bother me. But that’s why we bought what we did. I suggest looking at a bunch of TH-cam videos about floor plans and decide what you want to look at then go see them all before deciding.
We’ve had a 5th wheel the last 4 years and multiple trips across the US including Alaska, we are moving to a SuperC.
Thanks 😊 haven’t see a super C yet!
On our first camper we bought a TT. Since owning it for 4 years now we are going up to a 5th wheel next. We started out with a 40’ tour bus, you get lots of looks camping in a bus.
I have an Imagine 2970 rl and we use a Hensley Hitch that yields Zero sway. We also like to take a golf cart in the bed of the truck so we are sold on the TT. The Hensley Hitch was the game changer for us.
I understand your concern with the height on bridges but don't forget tree branches and the canopy at the gas stations. If you have a diesel truck then you can use truck stops for fuel and they are alot easier to get in and out of than gas stations. We have a Grand Design travel trailer and love it.
Thanks 😊 good to remember
Ps
Get one that faces your side. Yes one you are looking at is looking at your neighbors. You will most likely keep the window blinds down if not. Look at the Jaco 27RL we have pulled it all over this country.
Thank you 😊
5 th wheel pulls so much better. Travel trailers for long hauls on the internet state will have alot of sway. Hope ya'll have a great experience. We love traveling in ours!
TH-cam will be your best friend 😆
Thanks 👍
If you get the right hitch set up a travel trailer is very stable
Do we get to vote?? LOL. I went through the same questions that you are. I finally found that I needed the storage space, and since we would live in it full-time, I needed a 5th wheel. Then it grew and grew, I have big dogs and three cats, so I ended up deciding on a toy hauler. From there, I went to what brand had the best quality and customer support. That was Alliance or Brinkley. After looking at both three times! We selected a Brinkley G3950. The ONLY downside I found was finding State camping spots for something this long. As far as bridges, They are almost ALL made for Semi-trucks, and our trailer is lower than that. We went from a Super C to this. As far as hooking up, the only thing is dropping it off the truck, and that still takes just a few minutes, The sewer and electrical hook are all the same. I hope this has helped you. Try this on for size, and let me know what you think. LOL. th-cam.com/video/coqNb8HMfLA/w-d-xo.html
Nice video. Whatever you decide on, be sure you get a big enough truck. The travel trailer you were looking at will probably push you over the payload of most, if not all, half ton trucks. You’ll need at least a 3/4 ton truck, if not a 1 ton truck. At this point you might as well consider a fifth wheel. No matter what, watch your weights. We have several videos related to weights and towing if you’re interested. Good luck!
~ Two Traveling Teachers
Thank you! We are subscribers- we’ll need to check out your episodes
Agree with Tommy in this post. And actually I would suggest just bite the bullet and but a 1 ton. That way if you ever decide to upgrade to a bigger trailer you have the truck for it. We didn't follow that advice and went from a 3/4 to a 1 ton in the span of a year, it was a costly mistake.
Thank you 😊
@ourrvsunsets thank you. It might come down to budget, but I appreciate avoiding to have to resell
I have had both and went back to a TT. Yes 5th wheel easier to hook up but not by much. A little more stable but decent hitches handle sway. But backing I like TTs more. More responsive. Yes you can do 360s in a parking lot with a 5th wheel but in campground parking I vote for TT. And now I have a truck bed back and getting a camper shell to secure everything and keep it out of the rain. We do state parks and forest service campgrounds so 5th wheel height was a problem. For those types of campgrounds I like TTs better. All depends on the type of camping and campgrounds you want to stay at. Good luck.
I have this exact same model Grand Design imagine travel trailer it is awesome nothing has broken yet or a bent or gotten messed up throughout my travels
Good to know ☺️
Now is a great time to by used. Prices are way down for trailers bought during covid. I saw a 43' Alpine 2021 for $68k which included a new roof. We've had both bumper pull and fifth wheels. We much prefer the fifth wheel. You can get a rack to put on the back hitch of your fifth wheel for your water toys :)
I traded in my 35’ luxury 5er for a small couples travel trailer. With a 5er you have to take truck routes my 5er was 13’6” tall my travel is 10’ tall. I also paid a lot more for storage than the travel trailer and yes going to national parks the small the tv the better.
Look at an ORV Rv
If you decide on a travel trailer get a Hensley hitch, it eliminates trailer sway.
No matter what you decide you will need a 3/4ton truck at the minimum.
Avoid any trailers that use shwintek slide out systems.
I not sure i would trust a 5th wheel because of frame flex issues. A travel trailer with a good weight distribution with sway control system is a good solid pulling experience when set up correctly. Like you already know pros and cons to both. We where faced with the same decision on what now is our 3 one. The way we camp and the toys we take i needed my truck bed.
5th wheel is definitely easier to connect and disconnect. You will need to buy sway bars for the travel trailer. 5th wheels are bigger and heavier so you will need a larger truck to tow it. Do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions before buying. Sit in the RV and imagine living in it.
Thanks for the tips!
I have a travel trailer now and my next one will be a travel trailer. with a travel trailer I can pull with my 1/2 ton, or my 3/4-ton truck and I do not have to look out for low tree limb in state parks
So we have had both so I'm speaking with a little knowledge.
If you are going to live in the rig then you need look at how much weight you can carry. We are GD owners with a 38" long TT & travel with friends who have a 38" 5th wheel.
It is not that hard to travel across this county as we have done 4 times. We have only ran into 1 8' tall bridge that our TT wouldn't go under. So bridges / under them are not a big deal...
As to swing with trailer, you get a good hitch with sway bars
I say get what you want the first time, you will always loose a lot of money if you decide to sell. I’m 75 yrs old and we’ve been trailering for 53yrs. . I do have a 2500 diesel truck I can pull anything with it. You need to think about how you are going to use it and how many weeks per year you can use it.. if you like national parks you need to think smaller the trailer I have now is 30 ft TT so I’m somewhat limited in state parks and national parks but I can usually manage. I would not want to be any longer…good luck…. I will follow to see what you get .
More means more money. And if you can afford more, go for more and get the 5th wheel. Your gonna be spending a lot of time inside and having the extra elbow room goes along way. Once again, more means more money. So your choice honestly ends up being your budget. 😉
Thank you, you are right. We may rank best choices and see what are funds are at purchase time.
@@ournexttrail You’re welcome! Have fun shopping for your camper.
To each their own. We went with a Brinkley fifth wheel. I know your shopping price and will say you get what you pay for. Do your due diligence and research. You keep saying you can’t resale a fifth wheel, I am not sure where you are getting that from? I do know that Grand Design may have that issue because of the frame failure issue, but other brands not so much. I will say from a towing and back perspective fifth wheel wins hands down. That being said travel trailers are the most popular selling RV. So at the end of the day it comes down to what you want. Either way you will need a 3/4 ton truck to safely tow whatever you buy. I hope you find your perfect RV and enjoy life.
If you get a 3/4 ton truck with a hitch, you shouldn't have a problem . If you use half ton truck for trailer get a propride hitch. No sway
Thanks for the advice
That travel trailer you were in will push a 1/2 ton truck around a lot you will want a 3/4 ton
There can be problems with a 5th wheel slide hitch , look into a 5th wheel ball hitch
If a 2500 will pull it, buy a 3500 4x4. Thats my best advice
Thank you 😊
What's better or what's best? Find something with a metal roof, sides and structure. Something built over ten - fifteen years ago. There isn't a trailer or fifth wheel built since that I'd give more than $5 for. Since so many companies were bought by absorption into monopolistic and manipulative financial groups there isn't a single one that can be counted on for anything resembling quality or reliability. The builders today fall into one of two groups - they're either junk by way of greed or by way of needing to be competitive with those that are. Until they fall into compliance laws the same as cars and trucks they won't change. Allowing them to continue to be 'self-policing' in regard to quality and safety they will never get any better.
Thank you 😊 we are planning on doing a video in the future on new vs used. Your perspective is very valuable!
have you considered the rockwood 2608bs with 2 slides. a lot of room in a well built camper under 30 feet.. at least look at and see what you think
Thank you 😊
I’m not sure what experience you have with towing. I’m not sure you should start with a fifth wheel. I think (and it’s just my opinion) a travel trailer with a stable bar system would be best.
We started with a 40’ class A, and now
we pull a fifth wheel. I also have experience in tractor trailer driving for several years. Absolutely do a little more research. As they say … the more you know…
Good luck.
IDK, I worry about mice … etc with an outdoor cook area. I
Could be wrong , but I don’t want an outside kitchen
Look at other brands besides grand design.
I have a fifth wheel on my second one had travel trailers ago , I like the fifth wheel over a travel trailer , I like the fifth wheel better myself I have a 35’ 2021 Montana legacy full body paint , I love having the backend storage that’s hard for me to give up, hitching is a lot easier and faster . You do have to worry sometimes about the height, I think fifth wheels pull better. While your looking make sure you check out revues Good luck in your search.
A fifth wheel is easier to back up
A class c you have to tow a car a travel trailer is easier
Please don't think cause it's a travel trailer you don't need a HD truck!
Sorry basement storage