The fifth wheel trailer is named for the way that it hooks up to the tow vehicle, the same way that semi trucks attach to their trailers. There are many perks to owning a fifth wheel with very few drawbacks.

They are most recognizable by their front end that overhangs over the truck bed. It attaches to a hitch located directly above the rear axel of your truck. This design all but eliminates sway in you trailer due to the pivot point being located over the wheels. The beauty of these RVs is their choices in sizes. You can have something as small as 18 feet or less or as large as 40 feet. They are open to pretty much all options available out there. A lot of the newer designs like for you to have the ability to stand up straight in the front overhang area, which is usually is the bedroom, and employ this height through the length of the rig. Thereby giving an average of 3-5 feet of head room, lending to a much more spacious feel.

To be a fifth wheeler, you must also be a truck owner as well. The larger, older rigs tend to be on the heavier side, so you’re going to want a truck and hitch that can handle well above the weight that you are pulling. Factor in the weight of all that’s inside the trailer, along with the weight of full water and waste tanks, don’t just go by the dry weight! A gallon of water weighs eight pounds, so if you have a full 40 gallon fresh water tank, that’s an additional 320 pounds!

Hitches are another factor. They can range anywhere from $400 to $2,000 depending on the style and tow capacity. After you buy a hitch, it must be installed, if you don’t feel confident installing it on your own, you’ll have to pay for someone to do it for you.

Most 5th wheels, or fivers as the cool kids call them, pull great and once you get the hang of it, back in easily. The first thing you’ll notice once you”re hooked up is how close the trailer is to your cab. And you’ll soon discover when making tight turns, it will bump the cab! I’ve seen many drivers make this mistake, myself included. They turn too sharply and the trailer bumps the cab causing damage such as a busted back glass, or dented panel. Many of the new hitch systems are ‘slider’ models that slide on a rail system in the bed of your truck and allow the trailer to be further away from the cab.

A class within the 5th wheel class is toy haulers. In toy haulers, the rear of the trailer is a dedicated garage, with a ramp door that opens up allowing you to drive your ‘toy(s)’ right in (i.e. motorcycles, ATVs, etc). There are other types of trailers that are toy haulers, but they work best with the fifth wheel set up because of the extra living space in the overhang in front.

The 5th wheel is a great trailer set up.  Just be ready for the extra costs of a stronger truck and hitch to go with it and you’ll have a great rig!