Hi everyone well I have been looking at TT and 5th wheels.... can anyone tell me the difference in them ??? what makes one better the the other? ECT ???? TIA
We have had both. In general a travel trailer costs less, weighs less, and requires a smaller tow vehicle. In general a fiver has more living space and is much less susceptible to being blown around the highway by passing trucks and side winds. Travel trailers are usually no more than 30' long, and that includes the hitch. Fivers are often longer than that, and their total length is all living space, since the hitch is under the RV rather than in front of it. There are advantages to the smaller tow vehicle that smaller trailers require. When not towing, they give better fuel economy, are more maneuverable, usually have a more comfortable ride, and are easier to park. When we were towing a 35' fifth wheel, our sightseeing was done in the one ton, crew cab, long bed, dual rear wheel, diesel pickup truck. Not a lot of fun for driving in a lot of areas. Of course, the less expensive the RV, the less it costs to insure, but insurance on trailers is pretty cheap in either case. Hope that helps.
5th wheel, generally has more room both inside and outside. Storage outside. Sizes can range from 24' to 40'. You will need a truck to pull one. Depending on the size and weight will be the determining factor on size of the truck. 3/4 ton 1 ton or bigger. The hitch for the 5'ver is in the bed of the truck. The front of the trailer is actually in the truck bed. From my experience they tend to be easier to hook up, tow and back up. People with tt are going to jump on me about that last remark, but I did say in my experience. tt. They can be towed behind a car, van, suv or a truck. Again, it will depend on the size and weight of the trailer, what you tow it with. They have very little storage outside, just a few small hatches. There are no stairs in the tt, unlike the 5'ver where there are somethings up a couple of steps, bathroom, bedroom or the living room. Eveything on the tt is on the same floor. The bottom line here is to find something that suits your needs and or your pocket book. Find something you like as far as lay out and get into the camping community and enjoy. I hope myself and Denali or anyone else that jumps in has given you some helpful info. Good luck
QUOTE(Rvnewbie @ Jun 28 2010, 07:48 PM) [snapback]22742[/snapback] Hi everyone well I have been looking at TT and 5th wheels.... can anyone tell me the difference in them ??? what makes one better the the other? ECT ???? TIA I have a fifth wheel and don't think I'd be as comfortable pulling a tt at this point. The fifth wheel is very stable on the highway. I was hit with some hefty crosswinds just yesterday on the PA TPK and felt only a little sway. My fifth wheel is older ('99) than some of the tts I've seen recently which actually have MORE outside storage than I have - but mine in general I see a ton of storage on 5s.
I agree with most everything that has been said above. We currently have a 5'er, but pulled a travel trailer for a number of years previously. There is no question that the 5'er is less prone to sway than our old TT. Although others may disagree, I find the 5'er far more difficult to back than a TT.
I have TT and have to agree with there will be some sway with cross winds even with a equalizer 4 point sway control system. It is something you sort of get use to while driving in windy areas such as Wyoming. I agree with the more storage and living space comments. One thing I did not see mentioned is that the 5'ers are taller. I know of several 5'ers who have gone under overpasses/bridges that were too low. If you decide on a 5'er just keep in mind the heighth.
One thing I did not see mentioned is that the 5'ers are taller. I know of several 5'ers who have gone under overpasses/bridges that were too low. If you decide on a 5'er just keep in mind the heighth. [/quote Height is definitely a consideration with 5'ers. We have a very tall 5'er and can't get into a lot of campsites because of tree branches. And we have to be very, very careful about overpasses on secondary roads. Almost got ourselves in a tight squeeze in New Mexico. The posted overhead was about 6" higher than the 5'er BUT a recent flash flood had left a lot of dirt on the road. The choice was to try to make it or back up a long ways to turn around. Just squeezed through with about an inch clearance over the air conditioners. Whew! Just saw a guy pull into the campground yesterday with nothing but wires sticking out of the top of his 5'er. He said he had a major "oops" with a large tree branch and wasn't going to be having air conditioning for a while...
For us, the decision was very easy when we started about 12 years ago. If you were camping with kids and want a separate bedroom for them to sleep without relegating you to your room, our only option was a TT. Now, they are starting to build a bunkhouse style 5th wheel but the number of options is still greater for the TT style. The other big question was storage. Remember the 1st law of storage! Stuff always expands to exceed available storage space by 25%! More than you need is not enough.
QUOTE(Meyer Camping @ Sep 17 2010, 09:46 AM) [snapback]24140[/snapback] The other big question was storage. Remember the 1st law of storage! Stuff always expands to exceed available storage space by 25%! More than you need is not enough. No truer words... Loved the vast amounts of storage available in the new rig - figured it'd be years before I amassed enough stuff to fill the front pass through. By the second trip out, it was full. Nothing too big or heavy (though everything weighs something), but man did it fill that void fast! We do have a bunkhouse 5er. Seems to be gaining in popularity, seeing lots of them on I-95 these days between NJ and SC.
Some other points. TT allow you to have the bed of your tow vehicle for storage but they do have less onboard storage. 5ers have stairs inside usually going to bath/bed. If stairs are a problem like they are for my husband, this could be an issue. TT are generally cheaper but the living space issue is rapidly equalizing as TT are now coming with 3 or more slides. 5ers are more manuverable in tight spots. They are generally higher profile and may have issue with tree branches. 5ers can be hitched up with one person. Pretty much takes two with TT. Would highly recommed power tongue jack if you go with TT. Used a manual crank for 4 years and just got my power tongue jack. What the heck was I thinking manually cranking for 4 years! Best advice I can give, is do your research! It's a big decision and deserves a lot of consideration.
