5th wheel or trailer?

[Maxtor]

I need to purchase a 5th wheel or trailer so we can start traveling the USA. I am leaning toward getting a 5th wheel, but do not like the idea of drilling additional holes in the bed. Also where does the electrical plug hook up to the main wireing? It's nice that Ford has put outlets on each side of the front of the bed for wiring. We have an older F350 with a 30 ft. 5th wheel, but our 06 F350 is five inches taller at the bed then our older F350 making the old 5th wheel not able to match up level with the new truck. So it is either a new trailer or new 5th wheel. I like the idea of the trailer which then would allow us the full bed for other things, and the electrical hookups are right there in the back .
15.5K hitch. We really enjoyed our 5th wheel, and they have some advantages over the trailer. What is your opinions, and is there a hitch that does not require drilling into the bed?

 

[oi8228oi]

it mostly depends on size.... if you looking for a really big trailer your gonna need to go 5th wheel, though i have seen so landscapers with huge trailers hooked up to there powerstroke dumptrucks, but im sure they have much less weight in em... i think all 5th wheels require drilling, but im sure if you looked hard enough you could probably find one that locks in and is partially removeable for use of the bed.... ive never had a 5th wheeler, always used trailers so im not 100% on em

 

[powerboatr]

Probably 95% of all fith wheel hitch set ups require some new holes in the bed, some are small and some are huge, depends on your choice, and most also have the frame parts that line up with existing frame holes so no new holes in the frame.
as far as the plug at the bumper. most fivers cord is long enough to drop over the tailgate and plug in or you can have a plug put in the rear corner post, its fairly straight forward and no splicing.

as for a fiver or TT
your set up based on one person of 150 lbs and full fuel is rated to pull 15,600 fiver or 12,500 bumper pull

you said you want to travel and see the country..... full time or a few months at a time, tt are generally not as tall and can get into places fivers cant. HOWEVER they are lacking on storage space of things that belong outside like grills and lawn chairs and bikes etc.
fivers generally have large underneath storage for large items and outside things. are you tall?? fivers have more head room

i would say decide on whats important to you and your family
head room, storage, payload( fivers generally allow more payload) allow about 2k pounds of your stuff if you plan on full timing, , comforts, etc
then find a TT and fiver that fits the bill and then make a educated decsion based on your needs
I would vist a rv show and see a good spread for comparision.
and then vist dealers with a diverse inventory and lay on the beds, stand in teh showers, crawl in and out of storage areas, spend a day in a few modles and see what strikes your fancy or turns you off.
and lastly.... how much $$ are you willing to spend, under 20 over 40
you would be surprised what you find.
good hunting

 

[BamaSixGun]

you might consider a hidden hitch. i have an 18k 5th wheel in my truck. it does require drilling holes in the bed to attach it to the frame. you can remove the 5th wheel portion, but the mounting points stay attached to the bed, so you can use your full bed to haul other stuff.

 

[BamaSixGun]

here is a pic of mine. sorry, it was night time when i took it. but you can see where the pins are that attach the 5th wheel to the bed.

http://www.superdutydiesel.com/forums/vbpicgallery.php?do=big&p=884

 

[Maxtor]

Thanks

Thanks for all the good information. We are not full time RVers. We plan on taking about three months to see the east coast, and upper middle America. Then just two or three weeks travels to the coast. A month or two in Canada and Alaska. After that, only week travels to go here and there. Weight is not an issue for us, but we would like to keep the trailer or 5th whl. to a maximum of 34 ft. although I would prefer to keep the length down to around 29 ft. so that I can access most all of the campgrounds. We have been told that a generator is a must, and most people suggest two Honda 2k generators. They say that the 2k is more quiet than the 4k and that the two 2k's are the same price as one 4k. The only time you would need to connect the two 2k's together is while running the A/C. The 5th wheel has room for the generators, but having a tt you could put the generators in the bed of the truck. In eithor case we plan on purchasing an additional fuel tank, 50 gallons and put it in the bed of the truck. I do not want it hooked up permanently. I will have a 12 volt pump and hose to fill up the main 38 gallon tank. That way I can remove the tank when not on long trips. The best floor plan that we have seen so far is a Cougar 296efs 5th wheel that has a rear kitchen. They list about $36,000 but I have seen them on sale for $30,000. Only possible problem is that our truck might be to tall for that 5th wheel. With the 4x4 and camper package, the truck is very high. Almost need oxygen it is so tall. I purchased a step ladder just to be able to get into the bed. 5 inches taller than our 93 F350 dually at the bed rails. So we might be limited to a trailer.

 

[powerboatr]

you can get the trailer axles flipped, most new fivers are pre-built to have teh axle raised or lowered depending on your truck, Our Cedar creek (forest river product, like cougar) has three extra holes in the spring brackets for raising the trailer a total of 3 inches ir required. I would certainly look at that on each one you consider.
generators.......
we have a 6500 watt built in. QUEIT, fairly fuel efficient, starts at the flip of a switch.....


portables, well they are portable, but if your not planning on using them alot, I would save the money and go with two 2k hondas, they are small enough to toss in the back of the truck on in the basement. and pretty queit.
I have an old 1800 watt honda portable that lept off a truck going down the highway, started right up and has been dependable since around 1991.


also invest in a surge guard for the trailer, state parks private ones and federal are famous for low power and brown outs, its the best 300 you can spend to protect your fridge, micro, tv and other electronics.

 

[fisherd]

Hey everyone, new here and I have been searching for a simple answer on the search forum and can not find max towing capacity. I have a 06 F250 S/D short bed, lariat, 6.0L. Trying to find out what weight I go by is it GVWR or UVW to figure out what I can pull. Looking to purchase a 5th wheel toy hauler. Thanks

 

[DaveBen]

Welcome to SDD fisherd. Sorry but I don't know what you can tow for weight.

Dave

 

[BamaSixGun]

Hey everyone, new here and I have been searching for a simple answer on the search forum and can not find max towing capacity. I have a 06 F250 S/D short bed, lariat, 6.0L. Trying to find out what weight I go by is it GVWR or UVW to figure out what I can pull. Looking to purchase a 5th wheel toy hauler. Thanks

i am not sure that this will be much help, but here it goes. your GVWR is the maximum allowable weight of the fully loaded vehicle (including all options, equipment, passengers and cargo) you will find what your GVWR of your truck is on the safety compliance certification label located on the driver's door or door pillar. my trucks GVWR is 9800 lbs. if i add the GVWR of my 36' 2 car trailer, which is 14000 lbs, i get a total of 23,800 GVWR.

that means, if my truck is fully loaded with passengers, equip. and the cargo i am hauling, it should not excedd 23,800 lbs.

all of this info you should find in owner's guide that came with your truck. in mine, this info starts on page #159.

if i have stated any info wrong, someone please correct me. i am by no means and authority on this subject. just trying to help a fellow PSD owner.