5TH WHEEL TRAILERS : I think you mean 1775 lbs cargo weight. That's why I mentioned the pin weight. Most lite weight 5th wheels will come in around 800 to 1200 lbs hitch weight. That payload is, if I remember correctly, after the driver and fuel is on board. Then you have to subtract additional passengers plus any other "stuff" you load in. That makes a pin load of 800 to 1200 lbs pretty close to an overload on the truck. Adding an extra leaf to the rear springs doesn't increase the payload an ounce so using a 150/1500 for a 5th wheel can get pretty dicey.With 5th wheel trailers, pin weight will be in the 20% to 25% range. Travel trailers are around 10% to 15%. You will be able to move the trailer and won't probably have any problems but you need to be aware you will be close to or over the legal gross vehicle weight even if you aren't close to the combined gross vehicle weight. For instance, if you bought a trailer with a weight of 5,000 lbs which had a pin weight of 1,275 lbs, you'd only have 500 lbs payload left. That could easily be eaten up with a couple of passengers plus "stuff". Most 5th wheel trailers have a storage compartment in the front of the trailer. Anything put there will be mostly transferred to the pin. Plus, most 5th wheels have the bed in the overhead. Most beds have a hinged mattress so you can store more "stuff" under the bed. That weight also mostly gets transferred to the pin. Now, presume you have a trailer weight of the above 5,000 lbs and have added even say 1,000 lbs making the total weight of the trailer around 6,000 lbs. Your truck weighs around 5,000 lbs plus the 6,000 lbs of the trailer for a total gross combined weight of 11,000 lbs. This would be 2,000 lbs under your allowable combined weight rating. This might sound okay till you realize your gross vehicle weight rating (for the truck) has been exceeded. Don't forget you have to subtract the weight of the 5th wheel hitch from the truck payload. 5TH WHEEL TRAILERS : I'd like to try some extended travel in an RV when I retire (and if I likeit, maybe move on to full-timing). Right now I'm just doing some research,and looking at some rigs. I know I don't want a motorhome. And I wantsomething fairly small, say 21' to 24'. Which would be easier for a singletraveller to drive, park, hitch and unhitch, and back-up -- a fifth wheelor a travel trailer? Any of your insights or experiences would be appreciated. DorothyA 5er is the easiest to tow, by far. No sway and rides a lot better onrough roads.The 5er is easier to hitch solo. You can look over your shoulder to seethe pin and plate and once it locks in place, you are done since thereare no sway control or weight transfer bars.. Unhitching the 5er iseasier, again, no sway control or weight transfer bars.For a short 5er, backing isn't quite as easy as a tag-along, especiallywith a long wheelbase (extended cab) truck and a short trailer. To backinto a space with my trailer (19'), I usually have to start the turnand then pull forward once or twice during the process to realign thetruck and trailer. On the good side of the coin, I can jacknife the rigand spin it in a circle the size of the truck turning radius. That hasgotten me out of cul-de-sacs a few times. 5TH WHEEL TRAILERS : Praying is like a rocking chair-- it'll give you somethingto do, but it won't get you anywhere. [Gypsy Rose Lee]HEH HEH HEH - let me get MY foot in the door first! I think that for a healthy, reasonably physically active (more on that in a minute) individual, a fifth wheel is a good way to go. It's considerably easier to tow - assuming you have or are willing to do all your RV side trips in a pickup - and overall on-the-road length is shorter than the equivelant TT. As you bring up, a fiver is easier to hitch/unhitch due to the fact that all the apparatus is in plain sight, and little effort is needed once the hitch is engaged. The OTHER "physical" reference is the fact that fivers in the class you indicate require regular climbing into the raised sleeping area - and some contortions in bed-making, compared to a similar sized trailer. We have camped at a number of parks with our '24 ft. fiver where trailers the same length as ours were either turned away, or had to pay for additional parking because the combined lenght of trailer and tow vehicle would not fit in available campsites.I will now stand aside and allow the TT enthusiasts to beat THEIR drums... Either way, Good luck! 5TH WHEEL TRAILERS : Gary, Is your 5th wheel the height of most 5th's; about 11 feet?When camping at the campgrounds you mention, do you run intoproblems with low overhanging branches that hit your roof?This is the primary concern I have with a 5th wheel. I am trying to decide on either a travel trailer or 5th wheel.Also, I can't think of an easy way to carry a canoe with a5th wheel.My fiver is about 11 ft. tall, it doesn't have a raised section in the front as some do, but we do have an air conditioner that increases the height to the 11 ft. level - otherwise it would be slightly lower. The canoe could be a problem with a fiver and most pickups due to it's length - my brother-in-law carries a 12 ft. fishing boat on a rack so the boat is over the cab of his '95 Dodge/Cummins. A canoe is no doubt longer, and may be difficult. Hi Ed ... A non-basement motorhome will go 10 to 10.5 feet.A basement will put you to 11.5-12' ... at least in a Winnie.Virtually all the (many many many) 5ers we looked at whenwe were looking were going 11-12 feet (for non-cracker boxes). 5TH WHEEL TRAILERS : At 10.5 I had no problem at all in all the parks I went to. AndI had a lot of aluminum above the roof (ham antennas). I suspectI won't have trouble now at 11'8".What third world country do you camp in? 24' plus tow vehicle is ... toolong???WELL, Steve, the last place we camped was Antelope Lake, up near lake Almanore - and there were MANY spaces where a fiver longer than ours would NOT fit even while connected. Now, I realize you are reeling in disbelief at that statement, but I ASSURE you that there are MANY camps up in this "3rd world" part of California where this is the case. And when camped in those spots with longer combinations of vehicles, the tow vehicle must be parked in the provided "extra vehicle" parking area where an extra charge applies. Not only is that true here in the California Sierras, we have run into it in other places as well - such as Harris Beach State Park in southern Oregon, and others further north along the coast. It is NOT and unusual situationm even in well developed, full hookup parks we have used. In our case. we have been able to gain entrance to those above spots when the relatively longer combinations were being turned away - believe it or NOT!
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