So now that the kids are getting older, they want to bring friends camping with them. Since we only have 6 seat belts in the truck, that just limits us to two guests, and It's gonna be croweded that way!

So since you can legally have peeps in the trailer towing a 5th wheel, I'm thinking of upgrading to one. I'm pretty happy with my TAG trailer, cause I can drop the EQ bars off and get that thing anywhere! We were up in Big Bear one time, and my friend with his 5th smashed his trailer into his truck bed on some steep off-road trails we found. So other than that, what are the drawbacks in doing this upgrade??


Thanks in advace for the help!

well first off what truck ya got?

There was a thread on here somewhere about riding in the 5th wheel going down the road. The general theame was 'dont do it' , its not smooth at all.

May or may not be a drawback, but I think it's nice to have the extra 6'-8' of cargo space in the bed when towing a Tag. You lose that w/ the 5th. Legal or not, I don't know how comfortable I would be w/ peeps in the trailer while I was driving. You probably already know this, but I think you need some sort of communication between the tow rig and trailer also. Good luck w/ you decision.

F350 Crew Cab with a 7.3 auto trans (rebuild with a billet converter). It's already wired and set-up for a 5th. Guy that owned it before me had one. Air bags installed, forged wheels, and 3800lb rated tires on it. Chiped, intake and exhaust installed. 8" lift, quad shocks on each corner. Gear venders overdrive and 4:56's front and rear. It's rated for a 15k 5th wheel trailer and 20k GCVWR. I'm close to that with my FS26, so it can't be too big of a 5th. 5 quads willl have to go in it.

strapped the rail in the 5th wheel put the kids in the rail buckled up. true story

Not to be a butthead, but I wont be the one back there!! Don't tell the wife though, she will prolly be back there with the kids.




Yeah, that is a major draw back. Gonna limit how much firewood i can take. I always drive pretty safe, but I'll have to drive even safer knowing my whole world is back there in the trailer.

I would think the walk abouts would work ok for this?

As a child, most my trips were riding in a 5th wheel while my parents were in the truck. A bit uncomfortable at times but it was a hell of a lot better then sitting in the back seat of an extended cab Dodge. I was deciding between a tag and 5th wheel when I first started looking and everybody told me to go with a 5th wheel and that is what I did. Now I think it was the best idea. I see tag trailers swaying constantly in the wind and that can get hairy really quick. Although the 5th wheel goes down the road like a freight train, at least its a sturdy freight train.

Edit to add: I don't know if its just my set up but I can't put anything in the bed of my truck going down the road. I used to put firewood in the bed and it must have created a vacuum or something cause it sucked everything right out. wood, blocks, you name it it was gone.

Andy

The first drawback I would list is the same as traveling in a MH, which I used to do until I got my 5ver, and that is, if you ever lay that rig on it's side it will break apart like a house made of toothpicks. Second is, you lose the bed space to haul another toy, a small quad or bike/s can be hauled on a hitch on the back of the 5ver but you get my drift. I can't really think of any others. I love my rig (2004 Ragen 35), the headroom inside is unreal, the generator being so far away and tucked way down at the front of the rig makes it almost unhearable from the inside, sway is non-existent, but you have to swing the turns WAY wide or you nail the curbs. I wouldn't mind going to a tag TH, but losing that headroom will suck big time for me since I'm 6'2", not to mention, it seems like there are way more deals on 5ths than there are on big tag TH's, trying to find a 34' tag in good shapethat is less than $30K is hard, yet 35-40 5ver's litter the landscape at $25-30K, I got mine for $19K a year ago, it's not loaded, but everything works.

I've had both and I prefer a 5vr. Yes, you lose the back half of your bed but I have a long bed which still allows room for gas cans, wood and other goodies. The fifth wheel is much easier to hook up to the truck and tows WAY better. A properly set up hitch will not allow the trailer to smack the bed rails or cab. Just my.02

And with the wife and kids in the trailer, that sure would limit the "potty" stops!!! There are a lot of plus's to it.

Nice!

If I didnt have a MoHo and was gonna do the trailer gig It would be a 5er

And you can control the radio again

your truck is comfy you can fit 6 no problem!

Absolutely!!!


Shelvis, don't you have some dishes to do or sumphin???

i love my 5er, although it doesnt tow very smoothly (it chucks badly) the room inside is what so bitchin about a 5er. having a nice big azz bedroom up front and not loose the cargo room rules! the loss of bedspace is kind of a drag, but the hitching/unhitching of a 5er sure beats the TAG in every way. wind resistance while towing is HUGE on a 5er, the TAG has that beat in every way. on your truck joe, id wonder if you might have to lower it to 6in to be able to safely tow a 5er, even with the axles flipped on the trailer itll probably be way close to the bed rails. not to mention, a 5er is already way taller than a TAG, with flipped axles its almost rediculous.

Good info. Thanks bro! What bed space did you loose???

Don't do it. I mean get the 5vr but don't ride people in it. There have been quite a few trailers that have been hit from behind or side swiped and if people had been in they could have been hurt bad. With that said the only requirement I know of is hands free communications between the tow veh and the 5vr.


My 3.5 cents

Joe, you know what rig I have, and I probably know more about your truck before you owned it than you do, so if you have any questions you know where i am.

I wouldn't want my family riding in a fifth. Everyone I have seen wrecked was ugly.

I'm think'n it's no different than being in a motorhome if it gets in a wreck. Accidents can happen to anyone of us at anytime. It's always a concern in our sport, it's a dangerous past time where ever you are. I refuse to live my life in a bubble, but I will always be legal and safe!

"what bed space did you lose"


come on Joe its the bed space in your truck


nuka

great post since Im looking at picking up a t/h this year. Im going back and forth on either a tag or 5er. What is the new law in cal requirement on class c?
I have been meaning to go to chp and find out more info.

Buy my sisters 2009 wide light wlslc listed for sale.

i wouldnt say i lost a lot of bedspace since i dont have to use a slide hitch, but sure cant put anything taller than the bed rails back there. even then, there is the possibility itll get sucked/blown out from the wind blowing back there. i have a below the rail diamond plate toolbox in my truck to put stuff in so it wont get blown out

im stupid.....

K so, now that we know im stupid...

What's a slide hitch, and why do you have to use one??

(I have a long bed if that makes any difference).

well with your long bed you dont need it

you have a long bed? your golden, dont worry bout a slide hitch. only for those poor peeps with short bed trucks

Come on Joe you know that next to my sis and nef your my favorite tard

Cool. But thats another draw back havin that big ol hitch in there all the time aint it??

Gee thanks!!!


















I think.............

4 pins and the hitch comes right out. with a standard hitch, it weighs no where near what a slide setup does. i can install/remove my hitch by myself. a short guy like yourself with a tall (_|_) truck, maybe not so much......

The hitch can be removed,I take mine out all the time.It sounds like your reason for the fiver was so family can ride back there!My experience with that is my wife thought she would do that and lasted about thirty minutes she wanted out pretty rough back there.Fiver vs. Tag I'll go fiver all day long.My opinion.
Thanks,
TP

In 2009 the US Gov will start shipping retards away.
I started cryin as i thought of u.
B strong.
Wear ur helmet.

Click to view attachment

Hey Joe,

We have a 5vr and I must say that I hate it, I'm sooooo looking forward to the day that we upgrade to a motorhome. I will say that I would never, ever let my kids ride in the back, nor would I myself. I'm not sure what kind of toys you have, but we have a sandrail and both my kids have quads, after getting those in the 5th there is no more room for anyone, except in the front bedroom and that would be very cozy. Not to mention if you have gas in any of your vehicles, the fumes tend to build up with all the jostling, so it's not very safe for that aspect either. The other downside to the 5ver, is that it is a lot of work. You are always packing and unpacking. you've got to bolt up the beds, tables, pull up the carpet, pull in the toys, then tie them down and once you get there, you've got to pull everything out and get it all set up to live in for the weekend, then do it all again when you're ready to leave. So, if you ever pull into camp late at night and just want to cozy up in bed, not gonna happen...takes alot of work. Not to mention that since the toys go in the trailer, they often beat up the inside of the trailer, bring in the sand, and sometime spill oil or other things on the floor, so it's impossible to keep clean. We even had our sandrail take out one of the cabinets because the tie strap came loose. Plus another down side, which we found out when gas went up so high, was that you've always got to have the big truck to haul the thing. My husband had to lemon law his Chevy and with all the problems he had with his Ford, he's done with the big trucks, but because we have the 5th wheel, we've got to have something to tow it.

I'm sure I have a lot more complaints, but these were the first few off the top of my head...hope it helps

So your sayin i'll need to buy a cherry picker eh?? I guess that would work! hehe




uhhhh....thanks.

Thanks for the input Marci!

5er vs MH

I prefer a 5er.

Another plus is that once you drop camp you have vehicle to run errands/rescue stuck friends....

to me there's no question on the MH issue. i love being able to drop of the trailer, and jump in the truck to goof around. plus the maintence on a MH is out of this world $$$ wise. i'll always have a truck and a trailer.

We have relatives that pull their 5er full of family everywhere they go. Never a problem but it does sound scary.
I wanted a pull for our first TH, ended up with a 37 ft 5er. The truck feels very stable cruising down the road.
Although everytime I hook it up and look in the mirror I think "WTF I was I thinkin with this thing?"
If you venture to remote area's you may want to consider a trailer with tandem other than triple axles.
No regreats for us

I read your posts and know you would be safe but I think the MH has a better frame in the event of an impact or stronger sides if it gets run up on. I dont know as I dont have a MH but the walls on my WW would never stand up to any impact of any kind. Just be safe.

I have a 5er and I think it's the best setup for me. We're in Glamis right now, I'm on the computer while the rain comes own and Janet is in the front bedroom with the dogs watching SAT TV. Later on we'll watch a movie on the 102" projector screen. I do have to strap the rail and golf cart down when we leave, but you have to do that in any trailer.

They tow easier, have a lot more room and privacy, and come with a few more amenities. I've seen a few with 3 slides, an "L"shaped bar, wine fridge, multiple LCD TVs, etc. Check out the Fuzion, or Stellar, or some of the other high end 5ers.

As for the hitch, I have a shortbed, and a 60 gal aux tank/toolbox in the front of the bed. I put 5 gas cans between the aux tank, pus enough firewood behind the hitch for a 12 day trip. It's all in how you pack it in there. If I need the entire bed, I leave the hitch attached to the trailer and pull the 4 pins, then raise the trailer to lift the hitch out of the truck, then just drive the truck out from under the hitch. No heavy lifting.

Right now is a great time to buy a used trailer!

We just upgraded from a our 30' TH tag to a WW 5er. I was shocked at how well it towed compared to the tag.

There are a lot for sale for sure, most of em way too big for me!!

I've seen where they makes shock set-ups for trailers, I might have to look into that to help get the ride where it should be I guess.

I'll keep look'n around. Thanks for all the replies!

Joe, just load up the van and take 2 vehicles

Not only do I know less than you, I cant even get my buggy out cuz I
dont have nuthin to pull with, and to get sum thing to pull wif, gotta sell
the buggy.

we've done what with the durango quite a few times. from how much a 5th wheel costs, the gas might be a LOT cheaper!!!

but then again, a trip or two to st anthonys or oregon, would prolly even it out...

jason, your a bigger mess than me. doncha just love this sport???