Moved: 5th Wheel or Travel Trailer?

[Paula Downing]

Hello!

I am a NEWBIE trying to select the "choice egg" for me. I would like the space of a fifty wheel to have more space than the EscapeTravel Trailer. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a 5th wheel vs the tow travel trailer. Guess the Escape is strictly tandem wheels?

I would appreciate any help you can be in my decision process.

Thanks!

Camper Downing, Oklahoma

[Lizbeth]

Paula, you may want to start a new topic on this so it won't get lost in this thread. I have some opinions on this but will check in when we get back from camping. Leaving in a bit!

[Matt in SV]

I broke this discussion out into its own

Regards, Matt

[Cam A]

Hmm. The 5th wheel is easy to hookup, especially with one person. It tows like a dream, but backs up a little different from a trailer. Main disadvantage to a 5th wheel is that it mandates a 1/2 ton tow vehicle. The sleeping area on my Bigfoot is relatively private from the rest of the trailer, which works well with night owl/morning person couples.

[Paula Downing]

Cam!
Thanks for the info. I wondered if the 5th wheel might be easier to hook up. However I rece'ved info on the Scamp that it is really a "hitch" hook-up and might be harder. I'm short to reach into the bed, etc.

The more I hear about Escapes, Scamps, and Casitas, the more convinced I am that the trailer I would really like would be an Escape, or a Bigfoot like yours. Let me know if you decide to sell! LOL

Too slow to catch those sales on Escapes or Bigfoots!

Thanks, all this info help - all of this really helps me to move forward.

[Mary F]

The downside to a fifth wheel for me is the loss of the back of the pickup for carrying our dog. (Our pickup has a shell on the back of it, which makes a great corral for our 50 lb. hound. It also is great for carrying other things, more or less out of the weather, too.)


I got to tour an Escape 5.0 back in November - and I really liked it a LOT ... except I kept looking at that truck bed and wondering what we would do with everything that "goes there." Of course, YMMV.

[Cam A]

Originally Posted by Mary F

The downside to a fifth wheel for me is the loss of the back of the pickup for carrying our dog. (Our pickup has a shell on the back of it, which makes a great corral for our 50 lb. hound. It also is great for carrying other things, more or less out of the weather, too.)


I got to tour an Escape 5.0 back in November - and I really liked it a LOT ... except I kept looking at that truck bed and wondering what we would do with everything that "goes there." Of course, YMMV.

Yes, no doubt, it would be handy to have the truck box for dogs, bikes, and stuff. On the other hand, my dog usually ends up up-front anyways.... We haven't spent enough time in the Bigfoot to "settle in" with all of the miscellaneous stuff which seems necessary for comfortable camping. So far, though, it seems fairly caverous for storage. Mind you, we are moving up from a Surfside TM14...

[Donna D.]

There's a misconception when towing a 5th wheel the bed of the truck is unusable. There are many things you can do to use much of the space. 5th wheel tailgate box or Wheel well box and you can haul bikes like these on Ian and Paddy's Escape 5th wheel. Not good for hauling a dog tho

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

There's a misconception when towing a 5th wheel the bed of the truck is unusable. There are many things you can do to use much of the space. 5th wheel tailgate box or Wheel well box and you can haul bikes like these on Ian and Paddy's Escape 5th wheel. Not good for hauling a dog tho

Hi: Donna D...I don't have any pic's. of the new combo, and judging by the weather here it could be a while!!! We don't have a dog but we now have a 4dr. tug with a real back seat. I'm on the lookout for a new smaller truck box poss. a black plastic one to fit the Nissan bed width. Thanks for the links!!!
Here's a pic of our old combo hitched.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Cyndi B.]

My husband can get the Scamp 5ver hooked up by himself. So far the tailgate is still intact. The hitch takes up very little space in the bed and can be removed easily when not in use.

[Marv]

... except I kept looking at that truck bed and wondering what we would do with everything that "goes there." Of course, YMMV.

We have been discovering there are tool boxes available to fill the space around the fifth wheel in the bed. If you plan carefully, you could probably fill the entire bed around the fifth wheel with secure storage.

Paula, there are good points about all the trailers. You can't make a bad choice. We have used and loved our Casita 17 but now we have an Escape fifth wheel on order. Although the trailer is only two feet longer, the living area is larger by almost half again. That did it for us.

Marv

[Paula Downing]

Originally Posted by Alf S.

Hi: Donna D...I don't have any pic's. of the new combo, and judging by the weather here it could be a while!!! We don't have a dog but we now have a 4dr. tug with a real back seat. I'm on the lookout for a new smaller truck box poss. a black plastic one to fit the Nissan bed width. Thanks for the links!!!
Here's a pic of our old combo hitched.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

I noticed that you had a Frontier. Would the Escape 5th Wheel fit a 3/4 Ton Pickup or a 150. I currently have a 3/4 Ton and do intend to replace it eventually. [I use it on the farm.]
Camper Downing

[Alf S.]

Hi: Paula Downing... Our Escape 5.0 has an axle lift installed by the factory to be able to fit our old Sierra 1/2 ton. These trailers are designed for the mid sized PU's. In searching for a replacement truck I found the F150 box is to deep. The GM's and Dodge were a little shallower but I wanted a full 4dr. truck. That presented a whole diff. set of problems as the fifth wh. hitch needs to be over the axle. I still haven't been able to hitch the trailer but I'm sure it will work with the Nissan long bed 4dr. I did drop the hitch head and will have to adjust the pin box down on the trailer when the time comes to haul. I really like the Frontier and with 6100lbs. tow cap. pulling 3500 lbs of trailer should be a breeze!!! Here's a pic of our former GMC with trailer attached and on tour.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Lizbeth]

What we love about our Bigfoot 5th;
-It tows much better and smoother than any bumper pull we have ever towed including the 13 ft Boler.
-Easy to hitch, easy to back up.
-We love the twin bed set up we went to. No more crawling over each other to go to the bathroom. I can have my soft bed he can have his firm bed.
-Lots of storage.
-Big bath with separate shower.
- We can comfortably seat 6 for dinner (eight in a pinch) and we can still have floor space and elbow room.
- Eric can walk upright. I can do jumping jacks.
-The big windows are fabulous.

The disadvantages as we see it;
- We would like to have dual axles but could not find a Bigfoot dual axle that we could afford and was in striking distance. We would still buy one if we find one.
- We miss having the full truck bed.

We have a 2001 short bed 4x4 Dodge truck, with a Superglide automatic sliding hitch so we never have to worry about hitting the cab, even in very sharp turn. We can u turn any where we can u turn the truck. It still amazes and amuses us. The trailer we bought was already lifed to fit a taller truck. We have a storage box in front of the hitch that is bed height so we don't have to worry about hitting it when we turn. We have to figure out how to carry our new bikes. We don't think they will fit safely as in the picture Donna posted. I think the trailer would hit them, will have to do some measuring and see. The dogs ride in the truck.

Escapes and Bigfoots are 5th wheels, Scamps are goosenecks unless the have been converted to 5th hitches.

[Alf S.]

Originally Posted by Marv

We have been discovering there are tool boxes available to fill the space around the fifth wheel in the bed. If you plan carefully, you could probably fill the entire bed around the fifth wheel with secure storage.

Paula, there are good points about all the trailers. You can't make a bad choice. We have used and loved our Casita 17 but now we have an Escape fifth wheel on order. Although the trailer is only two feet longer, the living area is larger by almost half again. That did it for us.

Marv

Hi: Marv...When is your joyous event happening???
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Wayne Hill]

Lizbeth,
" Escapes and Bigfoots are 5th wheels, Scamps are goosenecks unless the have been converted to 5th hitches."

What is the difference between these two systems? Are there other systems out there? I've heard of something called a "mumby" which if I understand it correctly converts one style to the other. Pictures of it make me believe that it converts a goose neck to a 5th wheel style.
Is the goose neck, a ball secured on the bed on the truck?
Is the 5th wheel, a system that allows the ball or pin on the trailer to fit into a receiver mounting system mounted on the bed of the box?

Any preference or pluses and minuses with the two systems?

Does anyone know why the 2 systems exist?

Wayne

[Alf S.]

Hi: Wayne Hill... Here's pic's. of our 5th.wh. hitch. Same style used on all 18 wheelers. In Canada Goosenecks are used for horse trailers and consist of a ball mount in the box with the "Gooseneck" on the trailer. I preferred the 5th style hitch...more substancial looking to me. YMMV!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Wayne Hill]

Alf S,
Thanks for the pictures.
Lots more metal in the 5th whl hitches for sure. But... lots of farmers all over USA and Canada use and abuse thier goose necks every day. LOL
I talked to my brother about this recently and he tells me that the "newer" style goose neck balls can sort of fold up and disappear completely under the bed. The method to secure these is a pretty substantial plate bolted right to the frame. On the minus side is that the plate and ball would normally stay with the truck when you sold it.

With your Frontier and with the 6.5 box are you going to have to get one of those "pivoting" style 5th whl hitches?

One of my options is to get a rig very much like you have. Except an older Frontier, 4 door long box 4 x 4, 3.5 motor or bigger (depending on year) and smaller 5th wheel - single or tandem.

Anyone know why Scamp went with the goose neck style hook up?

Wayne

[Lizbeth]

Here is a thread that I started in the towing forum when we were contemplating getting a Bigfoot 5th and I needed help understanding the hitch system. It may help others.
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...hes-35923.html

[Wayne Hill]

Lizbeth,
Thanks for the update. I read it all and it does explain a lot.
Now we have to actually get out and get a "feel" for the different size, styles, interior setups and types of trailers.
We have nothing much for sale around here right now - hibernation time?

Wayne