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Purchasing Camper, Need Advise


Randy R

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Myself and mt wife are fairly new RVers.  We bought a beginners model last October and are looking to upgrade.  I sold my Chevy 1500 that was pulling my 28 foot Avenger bumper pull and I purchased a Chevy 2500 diesel.  We know we want a Jayco Eagle brand for the quality.  We are looking at a 33 foot 3 slide 11,ooo lb.bumper pull and a 31 foot 3 slide 11,300 lb. 5th wheel.  The 5th wheel is approx. 12,000 dollars more for the camper and adding the 5th wheel hitch.  I'm wanting to know which would pull, drive, sway less and would handle the bouncing better.  We live in Central Louisiana and mainly travel within about 2 hours from home but are planning on traveling to Tyler Tx., Willimena State Park Arkansas and Approx. 2 1/2 weeks to Colorado within the next year.  Don't really want to spend 12,000 dollars more but want to be satisfied with the adventure.  I'm semi retired and my wife will still work full time for about another 9 years.  I really can't stand the bouncing between the trailer and truck.  Can anyone please HELP with some good advice that has experience in this.  Thanks so very much.    Randy

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Between 5th wheel and travel trailer, tt will have a little more room but the 5th will tow better, especially if you get into rough roads, wind or run on highways with lots of truck-trailers for traffic.  Like said, I'd watch the towing capacities, while most 3/4 tons can pull the load, it's light enough a heavier trailer is going to throw you around more.  Going up into Colorado, I would want a lighter camper or bigger truck.  I pull an 11k 5th wheel with a won ton dually, it's overkill but I enjoy not getting blown around (ND winds are horrendous!!).  Plus, if your like me, I plan some day get a bigger or heavier RV, I'm ready with the truck size wise.  As for the bumpy ride, to get rid of it, buy a diesel pusher class a with air ride seats/suspension.  Otherwise, enjoy the bumps.  IMHO

If your looking at used RVs, check the tire manu. dates.  Don't run old tires or china bombs, they can/will blow causing many thousands $$ of damage. (5th wheel or travel trailers)  You did not say, long bed or short?  Makes a difference on type of 5th wheel hitch.  You don't want to make a tight turn and blow out a window/damage the cab.  Feel free to ask any questions, someone will be along.  My answers come from years of *vacation* camping, many here are full timers and will have some good answers for you.  I'm almost in same boat as you but my wife has weeks left.

 

Oh, Welcome to the forum!

Edited by NDBirdman

2002 Fifth Avenue RV (RIP) 2015 Ram 3500 Mega-cab DRW(38k miles), 6.7L Cummins Diesel, A668RFE, 3.73, 14,000 GVWR, 5,630 Payload, 27,300 GCWR, 18,460 Max Trailer Weight Rating(For Sale) , living in the frigid north, ND.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm rather fond of fifth wheels myself since I've had three of them and have lived full-time in a Arctic Fox 27 – 5L 30 foot fifth wheel for the last four years, and tow it with a GMC three-quarter ton crew cab short bed pickup, and since I lived in the Colorado mountains for about 30 years I had more than my share of experience pulling fifth wheels up and down the mountains.

I used to have a normal flat fifth wheel hitch in my truck but a couple of years ago I bought an Andersen fifth wheel hitch  


https://andersenhitches.com/Catalog/ultimate-5th-wheel-connection.aspx
 
and I couldn't be happier. It's the smoothest pulling hitch I've ever used. It doesn't bounce and chuck like it used to with the old flat hitch and it makes the fifth wheel feel like it's a part of the truck instead of just hitched up to the truck. I don't know if it will solve all of your problems but I know it's the only fifth wheel hitch I'll ever use.

 theboondork.com

 

Fulltiming in an Arctic Fox 27-5L

My Website and Blog is theboondork.com

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Randy R, welcome to the Escapee forums. Your profile doesn't show that you have signed in at all since your first post, so if you are reading the forums, please be kind enough to sign back in and let us know. 

 

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

            images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQqFswi_bvvojaMvanTWAI

 

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Depending upon the trailer hitch you buy, a TT can tow just as easily as a 5er today; of course these trailer hitches are costly, but you pay for  what you receive.

 

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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If you plan on camping off grid, you may want to consider a camper with a generator built into the camper. Very few travel trailers would have one. Even fifth wheel ones are not as common, unless they are toyhaulers. If you add an antisway system to your truck for the travel trailer, it would start to add up to the cost of a fifth wheel hitch. I personally like having the onboard generator. If you only camp at rv parks, not such a big deal. You can also haul a generator along, but that has to be factored in as well. Good luck. 

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A travel trailer has the advantage of having fewer steps to climb. A very experienced RVing friend (he was a fulltimer both before and after his marriage) had a Hensley hitch on his latest setup and swore he'd never have anything else.

Linda

 

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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