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Last Updated on October 24, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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5th Wheel vs Travel Trailer
More and more people are turning to recreational vehicles to meet their travel needs, and the choice of vehicles is extensive.
Other choices exist besides a conventional RV, such as a travel or fifth-wheel trailer. Which camper you choose depends on your personal needs, but in this article, we will look at two of the most popular recreational vehicles: the travel trailer and the fifth wheel.
We will examine some of the strengths and weaknesses of both types of vehicles and give some advice, especially to beginners, on how to decide which may better suit your needs.
Before we look at the advantages and disadvantages of each type of vehicle, let’s define what constitutes a Travel Trailer and a 5th-wheel
5th Wheel vs Travel Trailer
Both of the vehicles discussed in this article are trailers. Both are designed to have living space inside, and their purpose is simple. You stock the inside with food, clothing, and other personal needs, hitch them to a tow vehicle, and explore the world around you.
Owning and using one of these vehicles allows you to enjoy a nomadic lifestyle. You carry your home with you, and all your personal needs are there when you want them.
These trailers are a good and cheaper alternative to the drivable RV, but they do not necessarily mean you have to give up your luxuries.
Here are some aspects of these two vehicles when deciding which to purchase.
Do you get better gas mileage with a 5th wheel or travel trailer?
Individuals considering the purchase of a recreational vehicle (RV) frequently ask whether they get better gas mileage with a fifth wheel or a travel trailer. The answer, however, is not straightforward as it depends on several factors, including the trailer’s weight, aerodynamics, and the towing vehicle’s capabilities.
Travel trailers are often lighter than 5th wheels, which could lead to better gas mileage. However, 5th wheels are typically more aerodynamic due to their unique hitch design, which can make them more fuel-efficient when driven at higher speeds. Furthermore, the gas mileage of your towing vehicle also plays a significant role. Trucks with powerful engines can pull a 5th wheel without exerting much effort, which may result in better gas mileage than pulling a travel trailer.
It’s also worth noting that driving habits and conditions—such as speed, terrain, and wind—can significantly impact fuel efficiency. Thus, while one might get better gas mileage with a fifth wheel or travel trailer under certain circumstances, other factors could negate this advantage. Ultimately, it’s recommended to consider all these aspects before making a purchase decision.
Appearance
The significant difference between the two types of campers is that the fifth-wheel trailer looks like a big slice has been chopped out of the front. This is because the trailer is designed to fit snugly over the back of a pick-up truck, so the front is stepped to allow for this connection.
Travel trailers come in many different sizes, but they all look similar. The front and rear of the trailer look alike, with the only difference being a little streamlining often found on the front.
Coupling the trailer to the tow vehicle
This feature is the main difference between the two types of vehicles. Both trailers use a very different mechanism to couple to the tow vehicle. This choice of coupling greatly affects nearly all aspects of the trailer, including size, stability, and on-road performance.
The travel trailer uses a conventional, horizontal ball-and-socket hitch, which is also found on many luggage and boat trailers. The hitch is attached to the tow vehicle at the rear but NOT to the bumper; it must be safely attached to its frame.
This means that the hitch can be attached to almost any type of vehicle, including sedans, SUVs, and pick-ups.
The fifth-wheel coupling mechanism is attached to the bed of a pickup truck and works in a vertical plane. The fifth-wheel hitch is a large, usually trapezoidal mechanism fixed to the bed of the pickup truck. It consists of several pieces, including the mounting device and the hitch itself, which lies above a set of supporting arms.
The most frequently fitted type of hitch is a metal jaw, the “female” portion of the hitch, mounted to the pickup bed and closing securely around the “male” part of the hitch, which is affixed to the underside of the trailer overhang. This is the safest and most secure type of hitch.
Installing the fifth-wheel hitch to the pickup takes some serious work. The hitch mounting rails must be securely fastened to the truck’s bed by drilling holes and securing strong steel components under the bed. The actual hitch then needs to be assembled and installed on the bed.
These hitches can easily weigh around 100 pounds, so mechanical lifting assistance may be required.
After the hitch has been installed, you will find hitching the trailer in a fifth-wheel configuration much easier than a travel trailer. This is because you can see the fifth-wheel hitch in your rear-view mirror, so reversing under the overhang and lining up the hitch is relatively simple. The ball hitch on a travel trailer is hidden behind the car, so you must estimate where it is or have someone direct you (which can be risky!).
The 5th wheel can always be hitched by yourself, but the ball type of hitch requires some fancy footwork, either by fitting a flag you can line up on or having a spotter to help.
Another consideration is that the 5th wheel hitch remains on your pickup bed, severely impacting your ability to carry a load in that space or use the bed as a working surface. While it is not difficult to remove, consideration must be given to the weight of the hitch when removing and installing it, and you must bear in mind the holes in your truck’s bed. These holes must be treated with an anti-rust treatment so your truck’s bed does not start rusting where the holes have been drilled.
The ball hitch the travel trailer uses is much simpler to install and weighs a few pounds at most. Most modern vehicles have all the fittings for a tow hitch, so installing the ball and electrical components will be relatively simple. If you intend to travel with a trailer, you can make inquiries when purchasing the vehicle, as the tow hitch is often offered as an optional extra.
These balls can be fitted to any car, sedan, SUV, minivan, or pickup as long as it has the towing capacity for the trailer’s weight.
Tow Vehicles
In this aspect, the travel trailer allows for a far more versatile choice of vehicle. As the hitch is attached at the rear of the vehicle, it is compatible with an extensive range of cars. As mentioned above, the only consideration is the vehicle’s match to the travel trailer’s size and weight.
If a pick-up truck is used to tow the travel trailer, the entire bed can carry additional camping gear, such as tables and chairs.
The fifth-wheel trailer is severely disadvantaged as a truck can only tow it. This is due to the coupling’s receiver, which must be fitted to the truck bed and not to the vehicle’s rear. Additionally, as the front of the trailer sits snugly over the truck bed, it cannot carry additional equipment.
Passengers
A travel trailer can be towed with almost any reasonably sized car or SUV, so you can carry several passengers and haul the trailer behind. This is not the case with the fifth-wheel trailer, as you must use a pickup truck, limiting the number of people you can carry unless you have a double-cab pickup. A double-cab will allow you to take additional passengers but will add considerably to the length of the combination.
Size of the trailer
Travel trailers are usually smaller than fifth-wheel trailers and are sometimes used for full-time living. They are also lighter in weight and tend to have lower rooflines. These attributes help fuel efficiency since the tow vehicle can also be smaller.
A lower roofline is also a benefit for height clearances; this type of trailer will fit under most road bridges. The major drawback is the length of the vehicle as the trailer is hitched to the rear of the tow car.
A fifth-wheel trailer must be hitched to the bed of a pickup truck, so it tends to be larger and heavier, with higher roof lines. This can present problems with clearance, especially on old bridges. The overall length of the vehicle is, speaking in general terms, shorter than with travel trailers, as part of the trailer lies over the bed of the pickup.
Road Safety
The 5th-wheel trailer is significantly more stable on the road than a travel trailer. Travel trailers are inherently unstable and prone to sway due to the hitching mechanism. This sway can be exacerbated by poor packing in the trailer, especially if more weight is placed in the rear than in the front.
The sway can make driving in heavy winds dangerous, and in wet, snowy, or slippery conditions, great care must be taken not to allow the trailer to start swaying. Some devices, such as the PullRite and the Hensley Hitch, will partly mitigate this tendency to sway, but it cannot be eliminated.
Another concern with travel trailers is that the trailer and tow vehicle can jackknife on the road. This situation arises when the travel trailer swings around and collides with the side of the tow car. Jackknife situations often occur in wet or slippery conditions when the trailer starts to sway, and the driver cannot bring it back under control, causing the trailer to swing around completely.
The mechanism to hitch the fifth-wheel trailer to the pickup is inherently more stable due to the secure mechanism attached to the truck’s load bed. This means there is less possibility of the trailer starting to sway and ending up in a jackknife situation.
Fifth-wheel trailers are more maneuverable than ball-hitched trailers. This is partly due to their design and partly due to their shorter length. With a travel trailer hitched via a ball, the tow car can turn only a relatively short distance before the front corner of the trailer makes contact with the rear of the towing vehicle.
This can also happen to a 5th-wheel trailer when hitched with certain types of hitch, but generally speaking, the tow car can turn 90 degrees before you risk a collision between the vehicle and the trailer.
Living Space
As 5th-wheel trailers tend to be larger than their counterparts, these trailers will provide more living and packing space. Often, 5th-wheel trailers allow for more than one level to accommodate separate rooms for indoor living. Most 5th wheel manufacturers allow for many choices of floor plan, solid lumber cabinets, modern sound and entertainment systems, USB charging points, high-powered microwave ovens, full-size fridges, ovens, ducted furnaces, and many more features to make your 5th wheel as comfortable as your home.
Travel trailers are smaller and tend to have only one large room with beds, sometimes a bathroom, a small cooking area, and storage lockers. The floor plan in a travel trailer may have a fixed bed, but many rely on the seating areas to be converted to beds when required. Small microwave ovens are fitted in many travel trailers, but there is no space for large fridges, ovens, and other luxuries such as washers or dryers.
Tall people may prefer the fifth-wheel arrangement, as it provides more headroom. Travel trailers tend to have lower roof lines, so standing up inside can be challenging for tall people.
Travel trailers’ packing space is limited mainly to the cupboards and lockers inside and the space in the nose cone. On the other hand, fifth-wheel trailers have a surplus of packing space inside, and often, large storage lockers are underneath. This means bicycles, jet skis, and other luxury toys can be transported simultaneously.
The multi-level arrangement of a fifth wheel may pose difficulties for people with reduced mobility, while the flatter floor space of a travel trailer may make it easier for them to move around.
Another consideration, especially with guests or a family, is that 5th-wheel trailers often carry larger water and waste tanks. This can be a boon when stopping overnight outside a campsite and trying to provide toilet and shower facilities for several people.
Parking
Due to their smaller size and height, travel trailers generally have a much easier time fitting into campsites. They can park in most sites. Fifth-wheel trailers require much more room, and many campsites cannot comfortably accommodate them.
Many drivers find backing up with a trailer brutal, as the towed vehicle behaves quite differently from the towing vehicle. Neither of these trailers is very easy to reverse, but the 5th wheel can be easier as it does not react as quickly as the hitched trailer. Parking and reversing either of these vehicles will require practice, and once you have mastered one, it does not mean you have mastered both.
They have quirks; you will need practice with both if you swap from one.
Once at the campground and parked, the trailers’ setup is no different. Both will have to be hooked up to electricity and water, and the stabilization of the trailers is similar. Both will have to have their stabilizing legs lowered so that the trailer stands as close to level as possible.
Wrapping Up
The debate between choosing a fifth Wheel and a Travel Trailer often boils down to personal preference, lifestyle, and towing vehicle. A fifth Wheel is typically larger, offering more space and amenities like a separate bedroom, larger bathroom, and more storage. Due to their gooseneck hitch design, they’re engineered for a smoother towing experience and are generally considered more stable on the road.
On the other hand, Travel Trailers are often less expensive, lighter, and can be towed by a wider variety of vehicles. They also tend to cost less in terms of maintenance and insurance.
Your specific needs and circumstances should guide your choice between a fifth Wheel and a Travel Trailer. A fifth wheel might be the right choice if you require more living space and a suitable towing vehicle. However, a travel trailer could be your best bet if you’re looking for something more compact and economical and have a smaller towing vehicle.
Before deciding, assessing your personal preferences, travel needs, budget constraints, and towing capabilities is crucial.