Advice Needed on Hauling 5th Wheel - Fiberglass RV
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Old 12-17-2009, 02:57 PM   #1
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I am trying to find a 5th wheel and need to trade in my current car for a Toyota 6 cyl. I would like to get a king cab. That means a shorter bed. Are there any restrictions on bed size for hauling the 5th wheel? Any issues I should know about before I purchase? And, any tips?

Thanks!
Carolyn
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Old 12-17-2009, 03:45 PM   #2
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Hi: carolyn Henry... We are hauling an Escape 5.0 5th. with a short box full size pickup. If I was to buy a new tug I would look very seriously at a Crew/King cab 4dr. V6 Nissan Frontier as they make a long box version. I understand that the turning radius isn't great but neither is it for my GMC.
When we are both retired and can pare down to one vehicle a King/Crew 4dr. pickup will be it!!! Santa...did you hear me...are you reading this???
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Old 12-17-2009, 04:30 PM   #3
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I dont know if you are talking new or used, but you can get a quad cab tacoma with the long bed. They are hard to find but are out there. I have seen them on New Dealer lots.
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Old 12-17-2009, 04:42 PM   #4
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A great place to find what U R looking for and to get an estimate of the price.
http://www.carmax.com/
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Old 12-17-2009, 11:03 PM   #5
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Because the actual trailer sets behind the hitch, not over it as some 5th wheels do, the only thing that matters in forward towing is that the hitch must be installed over or just slightly forward of the axle. You can do that with pretty much any pickup truck.

Where having a shorter bed does make a difference is in backing your trailer up and really, really tight turns: you can't "jackknife" the trailer quite as far when you have a shorter bed. Other than that . . . no troubles.
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Old 12-18-2009, 07:27 AM   #6
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Hi: carolyn Henry... We purchased our complete rig from the original owner. He bought the truck in '02 and the trailer in '07. We have a Husky 16k Ez Roller hitch here. It allows the hitch to roll back on rails in the box for an additional 8" of clearance on very tight turns. Only trouble is we don't need it as the trailer clears the truck cab by 4"s and so does the step bumper and the frame. I can do a 90* turn with out rolling the hitch back.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 12-18-2009, 08:10 AM   #7
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We got our 5th wheel about 2 years ago, and towed it home with our 2000 Toyota Tacoma 4cyl king cab. It was good, except we felt it lacked power for the hills or moutains. We have since traded up to a 2007 GMC crew cab, mostly for more room for my wife, Myself and our two kids. But the Toyota should do fine. Another thing to keep in mind is the new Tacomas have composit floors in the bed. Other people on here have dealt with that problem, but it does seem to add a new set of challenges. Good luck.
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Old 12-19-2009, 09:15 AM   #8
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Would it make a difference if the trailer is like a Scamp 5th wheel with a gooseneck or a true 5th wheel?

Seems to me, the gooseneck sets the trailer nose further away from the cab of the tow, where a true 5th wheel is nearly underneath the nose, consequently the nose is closer to the cab.

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Old 12-19-2009, 07:50 PM   #9
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Hi: All... The prime position for a fifth wheel hitch is directly over the axle. A straight trailer hitch should be as close to the rear axle as possible. In the case of a fifth wheel the pin weight needs to be directly over the drive wheels. If the hitch is placed further back it makes for an unstable tow. That's why the Honda Ridgeline or Ford Escape (Sport Trac)pickups are not suitable for a fifth wheel tug.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie
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Old 12-22-2009, 06:35 PM   #10
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We pull our Scamp 5th with a Nissan Frontier, long bed, 4 door. The RV guy who put in our hitch was a bit concerned that he had enough room to place it accurately over the axle, but he did a good job. We have plenty of power, 4 wheel drive, but lousy turning radius. Not really a problem though.
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Old 12-23-2009, 04:13 PM   #11
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Just watch out ... be sure the bed is STEEL, not a composite - I think some of the Toyota's have a composite bed. Scamp will NOT install the 5er hitch in a composite bed. And get your bed liner sprayed on before you install the hardware in the bed
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Old 12-23-2009, 06:12 PM   #12
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Just watch out ... be sure the bed is STEEL, not a composite - I think some of the Toyota's have a composite bed. Scamp will NOT install the 5er hitch in a composite bed. And get your bed liner sprayed on before you install the hardware in the bed
Alan is right, Scamp won't install in a composite. Doesn't mean it CAN'T be done tho, because it can and has.

Here's a couple of links to successful implementations in composite beds:
Scamp 5er Hitch Mod w/Photo Link, Toyota Tacoma Scamp 5th Wheel Hitch

SOLD: 1989 19' Scamp Fifth Wheel, Salem, OR - Post 6 with pictures

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