Our 32' travel trailer was recently totaled as a result of storm damage and we started shopping for another RV. The fifth wheel has attracted our interest however, after visiting a dealership and researching options on the web, we're concerned about the length of the trailer. We currently own a Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Diesel longbed which is approximately 20' and with the previous RV we were over 50'. We have gotten to like the Silverback's and the Sierra but the length of these models exceed our previous RV. The dealership tells us that people are purchasing the 38'-39' RV's, but we're hesitant on moving forward with this size. We have visited many campgrounds with smaller sites and experienced a tight squeeze with the 32'. Has anyone had any experiences with the larger fifth wheels from parking, traveling, etc.
Purchase what works for you. Just because the salesman says people are buying 38-39' rigs doesn't mean you have to. There are many people on this site with 30' or less 5ers that are completely content.
2007 Chevy 2500HD Z-71 D/A
2008 Jayco Eagle 341RLQS
Dual Honda EU2000's with parallel kit
DW, 10-wk old daughter, 1 yr old yellow lab
A 32' fifth wheel will be easier to manuever than a 32' TT. You have to remember that with a fifth wheel you aren't actually towing 32' behind you. Some of (about 4-5') of the trialer is actually in the bed of the truck.
My fifth wheel is almost 33' long but in reality,I'm only towing about 27' behind the truck.
With the 2500, you just need to pay attention to the "Pinweight" you'll be putting in the bed of your truck. GVWR on the 2500HD is 9200#, that is the total the truck can weigh with family, full fuel tank,anything else you load into the truck for a trip AND the pinweight of the hitch, what ever the pinweight is, (a good "ballpark" is approximately 15-20% of the GVW of the 5er your looking at). Don't go by "dry weight" of the 5er, and don't go by what the truck manufacturer say's is the total weight of a 5er you can tow. Remember, however long the 5er is, some of that will be over the bed of the truck, if it is 34' long and it extends into your truck 4', then you have 28' of 5er and 16' of truck. Biggest factor with the 5er again, is it's weight. You'd be ok with a 30-34' 5er, maybe longer IF the GVW of the 5er is 14,000 or less. Just my opinion.
Jim & Kathy
2007.5 Chevrolet K3500DRW/CC/LB/LMM/D/A LTZ, Prodigy,Reese 20K hitch.
2006 HR Presidential Suite 37RLQ (4 slides).
2007 Mitsubishi Outlander XLS 4X4
Boxers: Sheba, 13...Buddy..1 yr.
USAF 71-75 Nam Vet
Our 25' fiver, with GVWR of about 7,000 lbs, is the maximum our 2002 F-250 4x4 powerstroke diesel, crewcab, shortbox, can handle if we wish to not exceed the truck's GVWR. When we're fully loaded with people, dogs, firewood, canoe, etc. we exceed our truck's GVWR by a few hundred pounds. The truck handles well and copes with the weight with ease, even though.
The 25' fiver on our shortbox results in a total length of 40'.
Wouldn't dream of towing a 32' fiver, never mind a 38'.
Similar to you went from a 31 tt to a 35.5 fiver.We almost bought a 39 footer,but found a plan with opposing slides that fit both current and future plans nicely.Look at the type of camping you may want to do now and in the future and try to strike a balance.We do lots of prov parks,the 31 tt was not an issue but the 35.5 resticts us to a lot less sites,just a bit more planning.Travelling is less stressful with the fiver overall,easy to park and easier to maneuver than a tt.PIN weight will get you on most fivers over 36 ft,any fiver with 3/4 slides ,34/36 ft is a lot of trailer.
If you had a 32'TT then why not get a 32' fifth wheel? It would be much shorter in overall length. If you want a little bigger then check and see if your rig will handle a 34' fiver. Your 3/4T truck probably won't be able to handle a 38'-39' trailer because of the pin weight.
Ignore the dealer. Not everyone is buying huge. We love our little one
charlie
2006 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab
2003 Skyline Nomad 24ft Fiver
Me and Wife
Maggie the Old English Sheepdog
Our 5er is 39' is big, we have a 32' and sometimes it is a little tight but always fits.
Papa Bob
1* DW "Granny"
1* 2008 Brookside Sunnybrook 32'
1* 2002 F250 Super Duty 7.3L PSD
Husky 16K hitch, Tekonsha P3,
Firestone Ride Rite Air Springs, Trailair Equa-Flex, Champion C46540
"A bad day camping is better than a good day at work!"
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