Further behind that you

[hogjaw]

I'm only to the point where I by myself am looking at fivers. Wife not too interested presently. Will that change? I don't know.

Kinda leaning towards the Jayco HT RL as I like that feature.

We live in Northeast Arkansas and are in the fast lane getting accustomed to retirement. Me, well, really about 10 years 'cause I been doing what I wanted and enjoyed for that time (lawn care business), and her this will be her 4th (business instructor - college level).

Really want to get in to this and if I'm in wrong place, kick me out and I'll not return. Our children are gone, but live close by. We have 5 grandsons from 18 down to 22 months. So, hopefully, a lot of years of camping and travel to enjoy with the grandkids still.

Really what got me interested in a FW is I have desire to spend our winter months in the sunshine state. Looked at properties there, some good, some not, some money flow never ends in HOA's, etc (but, I'm not complaining).

Thought maybe a FW would give us the opportunity to go when the urge strikes not only South but local campgrounds as well. The FW would be nice to have in Florida when we were ready, and stay as long as we like, live it there for a few then go back for the balance of the winter and/or summer. When ready bring it back home for use here.

Arkansas has a lot of beautiful campgrounds that I've never set foot in - sorry to say.

Also think it would be a good opportunity to meet and become acquainted with some new people that have common interest in life. Neither of us smoke, drink, do drugs, but enjoy a cold glass of tea or coke from time to time.

Have a 2005 Silverado 2x2 ext cab and am trying to do math to see what I can pull/haul safely, yet a rig we will be comfortable with and living in it on the road. It looks like the 3/4 ton here on this site greatly outweigh the 1/2 TV, but that's there decision and I'm sure it would a good one for them. I can't move up to a 3/4 or 1 ton yet - it least I'm not willing to give us the money.

We still like to do cruises and plan to continue that aspect.

During year we travel some, no camping currently, but enjoy travel.

I've already learned a lot from snooping around the doors with cracks in them listening to you guys argue and talk - very beneficial.

Today, I have nothing to offer the forum other than I want to be a member in hopes it will expedite on my part some good decisions that may be made in the not to distant future so I can post "got a new FW today and trip home was glorious". Here are 1,321 photos for you to galk at.

Good nite all.

Best Regards,

Skilletthandle

[Crabman]

Welcome to the forum! Yes you are in the right place and the folks here can help you make a safe, informed decision.

[Doug]

Welcome to the forum.
The more you learn, the better choices you will make for sure.
Best regards,
Doug

[RoyBraddy]

Welcome to the forum - NorthEast Arkansas is the start of the OZARK and MARK TWAIN Natl forest areas up into MO. Love the wooded areas and the high country. Also retired and need to head back to those areas and do some digging up bones on the BRADDY line where my early ancestors came into this area from VA/Carolinas following the rivers back in the the late 1790-1800s. They settled in the Fredericktown area of MO along the St Francois River... My home town being in Southern Ill and was stationed at Little Rock ARK for several years made many of trips up US67 heading for Cairo Ill from Jacksonville back in the 60s. Was just looking at google map and see that US67 now ends just North of NewPort... Must be a map fluke - Will have to look into that haha...

Roy Ken

[paflyfisher]

Welcome to JOF from snowy central Pennsylvania. There is a wealth of information here, so ask away.

[tinlizzie23]

Welcome to JOF, and I think you will be very happy with a 5er. We have had several TTs over the years, and now have our first 5er. What a difference. Everything from smoother and more stable towing, to more room, to a longer trailer without so much total road length. We took a trip from Virginia to Wyoming in our 27 foot TT a few years ago, and discovered that in the Western CGs we stayed in, 5ers outnumbered TTs about 3 to 1, where they are about equal here in the East. Invited in to several, and made a quick decision that our next one would definitely be a 5er. Good luck on your decision, and please post often.

[hogjaw]

I thank all for your warm reception and comments.

Kinda awkward posting since I don't have TT yet.

Been reading a lot of the posts on different types of mounts for the bed of the truck as well as comments on 'chucking'.

Does the 5er hitch come as a part with the trailer?

If not, is the hitch, brake, and electrical (lights) hookups negotiable like the 5er?

My 05 Ext cab Chev 1/2 ton came from factory with frame mounted hd hitch, and rear springs. So, most of the brake or electrical wiring should already be existing at least on my truck (right?).

One more thing, will it be my decision as to what type hitch dealer mounts, 'cause I sure have no experience regarding that.
Thanks all.

Best regards,

[LiftedAWDAstro]

Hate to say it but your 1/2 ton truck isn't going to be happy towing a nearly 10,000# FW camper! That 26.5RLS weighs about 7,000# dry and by the time you load it up with 1,000 - 1,500 # of stuff like food, water, clothing, dishes, cooking items, etc., etc., etc. you will be wayyyy over weight of what your 1/2 ton can handle. I really think for the safety of you, your wife and everyone else on the road, you really should look to upgrade to a nice used 3/4 or 1 ton truck. Either that or find a smaller, lighter camper to tow.

[tinlizzie23]

X2 on the 1/2 ton not being anywhere near what you need to tow that 5er. We tow an 11,000# Designer 5er with an F350 (1 ton) long bed SRW P/U, and it does very well, even though the 11,000# is near the truck's upper capacity. Not sure exactly what the max tow capacity for your truck is, but you should be able to find a towing chart in your owner's manual that will give you this info. As the previous post says, you need to add considerable # to the dry weight to get the actual weight - all that water and stuff will add up quicker than you think. Also, unlike a TT, where 10-15% of the trailer weight is on the bumper hitch, about 25% of a 5th wheel's weight is on the rear axle of the truck. If the 5er weighs around 10,000#, then that would be about 2,500 or more on the truck's rear axle, and that probably exceeds the 1/2 ton's capacity.

As to other questions - no, the truck's hitch for a 5er does not come with the trailer. There are many different brands and types of 5er hitches available, and different types of pin boxes available for the 5er, besides the one that comes with it. If you have a short bed, for example, there are slider hitches to avoid problems with maneuvering in tight turns, and there are pin boxes like the Sidewinder that eliminates the need for a slider hitch on a short bed. As to chucking, that seems to be a problem with many (but not all) set-ups, and there are numerous special hitches available for reducing or eliminating chucking. Suggest you research the many discussions on this forum on hitch questions, to get an idea of the virtually endless combinations available. Those and a chart of weight capacities will help you decide what route to go.

Couple of other comments are in order. Yes, if you have a factory mounted bumper hitch, you should have the electrical wiring present. However, the plug may or may not be the one you need for a given trailer. And for a 5er, you will need the plug installed somewhere in the bed, not under the rear bumper. There are conversion harnesses available that plug into your existing bumper plug and then reach up through a hole that you make in the bed so the final plug is inside the bed, near the 5er hitch. If you are not comfortable with the installation, I would have a hitch shop install it for you. In fact, since dealers are notorious for just wanting to sell you a hitch, and are not always very knowledgeable about the details of such things, I would strongly suggest that you find a reputable hitch shop, take the specs of the trailer you are considering, and let them recommend, and/or install, your 5er hitch and extra wiring.

Hope this helps some. If you have further questions, please feel free to ask. There is always someone on the JOF that can and will try to help. One way or another, we want everyone to have a SAFE and enjoyable towing experience.

[hogjaw]

I thank you all for the comments. They have been well taken.

Safety takes top priority over our wants.

A ton of valuable information here on this site, and so far I've just scratched the surface.

So we need to be looking at something similar to the 26BH to be safe in GVWR for the 05 Chevrolet.

Again, thanks all.

[nevercominhome]

Welcome to the forums!