5th wheel questions

[daydreamer08]

Hi-

Did you have experience driving trucks/towing before you purchased your 5th wheel?
What was the hardest thing about learning how to tow?

Are you solo (not counting the furry friends)?
Would you do it the same way if you had the chance for a do-over?

Any other advice?

I own a fifth wheel and am strongly leaning towards getting the appropriate truck and hitting the road. My significant other is no longer in the picture (he was the one that had the truck).


Thanks,
Lori

[Azusateach]

There are a few gals who pull a 5th wheel. One used to be a long-haul truck driver, so it wasn't a big stretch for her to tow. Another gal, Longdogs (Colleen) has a 5th wheel, so hopefully she'll weigh in. And Sheila has one as well.

Wish I could offer words of wisdom for you, but I've only pulled travel trailers & am now in a Class A. Hang tight & someone will chime in.

Laura

[daydreamer08]

Thanks Laura. I will be patient.

[snowball]

Hi
I am solo now but didn't start out that way.. DH wanted a tt I said if I am living in it full time it will be a 5th wheel...
perhaps not in those words but that was the jest of it..he did come to say he liked the 5th wheel and agreed with me
but I think he always wanted the tt....one thing I understand and still understand is that they are easier to tow than
a tt...that said my idea but refused to learn how to drive the pickup towing...the main reason was I truly felt over whelmed
with that big honking thing behind us..it's a 36 ft...and my husband used body language when I drove so didn't enjoy being the
driver of anything with Larry as a passenger...now I wish I had taken the opportunity to learn..before my husband passed away
we had a friend bring the 5th wheel up to SLC park it we thought he still had years left but knew that we wouldn't be back down
to AZ..so we parked it in full time area in KOA he passed away a few months later...I took a look at the finances and realized that
if I was to continue living there something had to go such as food or gas or...so had one of my dd's friends husband drive the 5th wheel up
to Idaho and parked it in my dd's parking lot (it is huge) so there I was for the summer and the knowledge that something had to change
so I talked to my brother (his dd has to go to SLC monthly I think for medical aid) and made arrangements that when he went to SLC in Oct
they would come and he would teach me to drive the truck towing the 5th wheel (he has one) he took it to the edge of town asked when I wanted
to start decided I should then after all they couldn't ride with me all the way to AZ..so I drove from there to SLC a distance of about 300 miles give or take..and then I was on my own (when I left SLC) freeway traffic you name it and all the issues that someone who didn't know what to do had...but I made it the next 600+ miles...you can do it if I can anyone can...but make sure you are in the right tow truck....we had a 2500 Ram my husband had assured
me that it was big enough...I think he was right to a point but think it was border line...when it gave up a series of transmission going out I think partly
me and partly those I ended up having do the mechanic work...now I have a 3500 duelly I feel that it has a lot more ump to it and am not as
fearful when towing after the first half day... so if you choose to keep the 5th wheel make sure the truck is good for it..and get someone to teach you
how to tow it...I still don't back up
would I do it again in getting a 5th wheel yes...I love the space do I need it probably not but for me it's good until I need to get ready to leave then
well a small something would be good we thought we had insurance on it that would pay off the 5er if he passed away but found out that we didn't and now is a case of owe more than it's worth but in 4 years it will be paid for ....then we shall see...
I am sure that you will do what you feel is best
oh and I stay in places long times
sheila

[MelissaD]

Hi Lori,

I've driven semi's since 1995 and lived out of my truck running long haul for several years before buying my camper. I've pulled trailers from 28' to 57', singles and doubles, dry and refrigerated and even tried a tanker once. Heaviest I ever scaled out at was around 85,000#. Driven all 48 contiguous states. So that is my background.

As for what's right for you it depends on how you want to use it. Since you have the 5th wheel lets start there. If you are going to tow a trailer this is the most stable way hands down. You have the weight up over the rear axle where it belongs so you can control it. The thing to remember when looking for a truck is CARGO CAPACITY. Since 20-25% of the trailers loaded weight is carried in the bed of the truck (on the 5th wheel hitch) it's all about cargo capacity and you will run out of cargo capacity BEFORE you run out of towing capacity on most pickup trucks. This is what gets most people into trouble. 5th wheels also tend to tow a little better when they tend to be "nose heavy". My "pin weight" or hitch weight runs around 22% on my 5th wheel or 2,600#. My 2004 F350 dually has a 3,500# cargo capacity. Anyways I can run numbers for you if you want in a private message. 5th wheels are also easier to hook up vs a travel trailer. Since I travel with a handicapped partner and a grandchild the 5th wheel meets our needs. We also tend to go and stay for a week or so before moving on. These days due to my health, my 5er sits on a seasonal site.

If I was solo and moved often I would want to be in a class C probably on a F450 chassis. I'd like the idea of just pulling in, setting the brakes and walking back to the bathroom or bed. Most trailers are not very functional unless setup. There is something to be said for just being able to wander. When I lived in my truck I missed having a bathroom and a kitchen. I did have a port-a-potty but I missed having a shower. The sleeper is about 6' by 8.5' or about 9' from windshield to the back wall. Not much room but it was home. You really don't need much room once you get ride of all the junk cluttering your life.

My point is if you just want to get out and see things you don't want to spend a bunch of time hooking and unhooking things. So you need to figure out if you are a go somewhere, set up and explore type person or a wanderlust type person. If you want to go set up for week or two somewhere and explore in you pickup, the 5er is the right RV for you. If you want to just drive and see where the road takes you each day? The 5er is probably not going to be the right fit.

Hope that helps.

[chalet05]

Lori, go for it! I wrote a long response last evening (which I deleted) before I read your introduction where you stated it's the 5er or nothing. If you hit the road and find you enjoy it, it's okay down the road to change your mind about your RV. Most of us have had more than one.

I'm solo now after the death of my husband and have been on the road for over 9 years. I had never towed, but I did know how to do everything outside. I waited 4 years to start out on my own, bought a 30 foot 5er. Now have a pickup camper with a slide out - certainly not for everyone, but it works well for me.

The worst was backing up. I did have a concern about tight, right turns, but my brother helped me with that - wasn't really a big deal except in my head.

Happy truck shopping!

[MelissaD]

Don't forget to watch the overpasses. The 5er is tall. When I started driving truck I had to start to learn to read the signs that gave clearance warnings. I basically stick to approved truck routes. Since my trailer is around 13'3"ish tall due to the front AC unit and trucks are 13'6" tall I figure if the truck fits I'll fit just fine. You can pick up a trucker's atlas at any truck stop. I look for last years atlas and save a few bucks as the information does not change that fast.

Swing wide and watch your overhead.

Good luck

[longdog2]

I have a 31' Jayco Eagle and pull it with an F250 Diesel. It is 13' tall which is very important to remember. We bought it before I retired because DH wanted the extra space, full length queen bed, etc.....hilarious since he doesn't like to travel anymore. I am the one who does all the RV traveling. It is very easy to tow, I really don't notice it at all. My F250 handles it really well pulling as well as stopping which is actually more important. I don't fell the wind or big trucks passing when towing like the Class As and Cs do. The 5vr is very stable. Of course, if the wind was really strong, I would get off the road.When we bought it, I made sure that it was all usable whether the slides are out or not. That makes it a lot nicer when traveling. It isn't hard to hook up and it doesn't take long for me to set up or tear down at a campsite. A word to the wise, 50 amp cords are heavy but manageable and provide lots of power for all appliances and A/C. Pull-throughs are nice but I can back it in whenever I need to do that too. If I am just overnighting, I often don't unhook if it's level or just unlock and raise the front if I need to do that. I leave the 5vr hitch in the truck all the time as it is very heavy to lift and I have a lock for the king pin on the 5vr so no one else can hook up to it. I'm not full-time but I could easily live in my 5th wheel. It is very comfortable and has lots of storage. Watch your weight....that is important with any RV. I tow about 60 mph both for safety and gas mileage (10-13 mpg depending upon terrain).

I have been RVing since I was a kid. I've owned and driven or towed everything except a Class B. They each have their positives and negatives depending on what you personally need and want in an RV at a particular time. Don't let anyone else decide for you based on what they like. I can honestly say that I have loved each RV while I had it and it worked for me. I can't say that I have ever had a bad experience or been afraid while RVing solo either but I favor the "paying attention to where I park" rather than the "need to be able to jump in the driver's seat and run" philosophy. I think more bad things happen in apartments and stix and brix than while RVing. I like national, state, and county parks but I also like nice RV parks as long as they have a reasonable amount of space. Most people are friendly when you are RVing and just avoid the ones that aren't. Hope you enjoy whichever type of RV you settle on, have some extra money set-aside for those inevitable repairs, and get out there whenever possible.