Towing bumper pull vs. 5th wheel

[dja4260]

I've made a camper trailer purchase and will be selling our 5000lb dry, 600 lbs hitch weight bumper pull trailer for a 7500lb dry, 1400lb of pin weight, 5th wheel trailer. I've always been told that 5th wheel style trailers are so much more pleasurable to pull. I've pulled bumper pull trailers for the past 20 years so this is a new experience for me.

What has been your experience? I'm an open book!

I'll be using an Andersen hitch set up as seen below:

 

[wwillson]

Take a look at this thread on our RV site that discusses the topic.

https://rvthe.us/community/threads/fifth-wheel-towing-comparison-to-wd-hitch-towing.371/

 

[GON]

This thread may also provide some information on the Anderson hitch:
https://rvthe.us/community/threads/anderson-hitch-failure-while-towing.1291/#post-10618

 

[AZjeff]

They do pull more solidly that a bumper hitch. You're going to take an MPG hit for the weight and taller trailer. My BIL tows a similar size with his 6.6 gas 2500 Silverado and gets 8 mpg at best, IDK how fast he tows. My bumper pull trailer is similar to yours and over 30k miles of towing @65 in the West with a 6.6 gas Sierra I'm right at 10 mpg.

You'll have to re-learn backing up and turning in, it's a bit different with a 5th wheel. You have to pay attention to overhead when getting gas, newer stations seem to be really high, older ones not so much. Depending on your truck and how much bed rail to trailer clearance you have you really have to watch sharp dips or rises or diagonal twists like going through a drainage channel or ditch. Let someone out to spot you so you don't crunch your bed rails.

My daughter-in-law had the same Andersen hitch with a fairly large toyhauler and the 4 allen head bolts that tighten the kingpin block kept coming loose, not sure if it was user error or what but something to keep an eye on. Andersen Hitch video

This thread may also provide some information on the Anderson hitch:
https://rvthe.us/community/threads/anderson-hitch-failure-while-towing.1291/#post-10618

The good thing about Andersen hitches is the light weight. The question mark is all aluminum construction including the ball. The accident linked to is a bit suspect, like maybe the ball broke after he hit the vehicle ahead?

Safe travels and good times with your new trailer.

 

[dja4260]

They do pull more solidly that a bumper hitch. You're going to take an MPG hit for the weight and taller trailer. My BIL tows a similar size with his 6.6 gas 2500 Silverado and gets 8 mpg at best, IDK how fast he tows. My bumper pull trailer is similar to yours and over 30k miles of towing @65 in the West with a 6.6 gas Sierra I'm right at 10 mpg.

You'll have to re-learn backing up and turning in, it's a bit different with a 5th wheel. You have to pay attention to overhead when getting gas, newer stations seem to be really high, older ones not so much. Depending on your truck and how much bed rail to trailer clearance you have you really have to watch sharp dips or rises or diagonal twists like going through a drainage channel or ditch. Let someone out to spot you so you don't crunch your bed rails.

My daughter-in-law had the same Andersen hitch with a fairly large toyhauler and the 4 allen head bolts that tighten the kingpin block kept coming loose, not sure if it was user error or what but something to keep an eye on. Andersen Hitch video


The good thing about Andersen hitches is the light weight. The question mark is all aluminum construction including the ball. The accident linked to is a bit suspect, like maybe the ball broke after he hit the vehicle ahead?

Safe travels and good times with your new trailer.

I currently average about 10 mpg and I do expect a dip, which is to be expected. I see ALOT of people at campgrounds that use this setup, and I see why. I can remove it from my bed within minutes by myself. No setup is perfect and failures do happen for alot of reasons. Bed rail clearance is a concern and I'll be sure to monitor.

I appreciate your insight!

 

[burbguy82]

I've made a camper trailer purchase and will be selling our 5000lb dry, 600 lbs hitch weight bumper pull trailer for a 7500lb dry, 1400lb of pin weight, 5th wheel trailer. I've always been told that 5th wheel style trailers are so much more pleasurable to pull. I've pulled bumper pull trailers for the past 20 years so this is a new experience for me.

What has been your experience? I'm an open book!

I'll be using an Andersen hitch set up as seen below:

View attachment 302226

I have this system, it is second to none. Very easy to hook up, no bucking like with slider. Super nice. big thing is the top nut and maintaining torque. On my truck, I did not tighten the top and the whole thing rotated. 60 ftlbs i think is the top torque, and 40 for the securing bolts on the side.

I would recommend a rubber pad under the flat portions, that is what I did. Just allows a bit of give, to keep tension. I used grill mat or something like that.

The unit is light and easy to install.......and hitching requires you be I think 3 inches from center, and it will self align and plop down.

Highly recommend the Anderson hitch.

 

[honeeagle]

always remember open the tail gate when unhooking and pulling out

 

[GON]

always remember open the tail gate when unhooking and pulling out

Made that mistake once.....

 

[NiwradND]

Fifth wheels have always pulled better than bumper trailers for me. I think you will be happy with your decision.

 

[dja4260]

I have this system, it is second to none. Very easy to hook up, no bucking like with slider. Super nice. big thing is the top nut and maintaining torque. On my truck, I did not tighten the top and the whole thing rotated. 60 ftlbs i think is the top torque, and 40 for the securing bolts on the side.

I would recommend a rubber pad under the flat portions, that is what I did. Just allows a bit of give, to keep tension. I used grill mat or something like that.

The unit is light and easy to install.......and hitching requires you be I think 3 inches from center, and it will self align and plop down.

Highly recommend the Anderson hitch.

Do you use safety chains with the Andersen setup?

 

[GON]

Do you use safety chains with the Andersen setup?

Traditional fifth wheels don't use safety chains, unlike gooseneck.

 

[dja4260]

Traditional fifth wheels don't use safety chains, unlike gooseneck.

I understand however, the trailer is sitting on a ball. I also see that it's not required by law, but I could argue that it's best practice.

 

[burbguy82]

Do you use safety chains with the Andersen setup?

No, I did not. Good question. I suppose you could....but no. The locking mechanism is very simple and robust. I have mixed feelings about safety chains. I think Anderson recommends not using them....might be wrong on that memory.

If you get one, you will not be sorry. Especially if you use your truck bed when not camping. Older slider hitches suck and are nasty, and are heavy. This is none.

One suggestion is to tighten the top bolt first a few times to wear in the threads a bit, 60 ftlbs, then loosen, then again, maybe 5 times, then tighten the top bolt at 60 or 65............load the trailer.....then tighten the side bolts to 40........for the first time you hitch. This will set the marks the steel side bolts will make in the aluminum....they are really there as extra security, not load bearing......hard to explain.

You will need to carry a torque wrench in your RV tool kit. so there is that. Torque is important on this system. Not a bad idea to have it anyway.

 

[dja4260]

No, I did not. Good question. I suppose you could....but no. The locking mechanism is very simple and robust. I have mixed feelings about safety chains. I think Anderson recommends not using them....might be wrong on that memory.

If you get one, you will not be sorry. Especially if you use your truck bed when not camping. Older slider hitches suck and are nasty, and are heavy. This is none.

One suggestion is to tighten the top bolt first a few times to wear in the threads a bit, 60 ftlbs, then loosen, then again, maybe 5 times, then tighten the top bolt at 60 or 65............load the trailer.....then tighten the side bolts to 40........for the first time you hitch. This will set the marks the steel side bolts will make in the aluminum....they are really there as extra security, not load bearing......hard to explain.

You will need to carry a torque wrench in your RV tool kit. so there is that. Torque is important on this system. Not a bad idea to have it anyway.

Yes, I have one ready to go! I bought my Andersen set up used from a friend. He did a 14k dry toy hauler so this is small potatoes for the setup.

 

[02SE]

In a past business I owned HDT's pulling 53' dry vans. They have 5th wheels and are generally very stable. For pulling a trailer behind say a light duty pickup, the 5th wheel is more stable than a bumper pull. With the latest 5th wheel Toy Hauler we had, I used a B&W companion hitch in our light duty 3500 Dually.

 

[GON]

In a past business I owned HDT's pulling 53' dry vans. They have 5th wheels and are generally very stable. For pulling a trailer behind say a light duty pickup, the 5th wheel is more stable than a bumper pull. With the latest 5th wheel Toy Hauler we had, I used a B&W companion hitch in our light duty 3500 Dually.

Having the weight over the rear axle provides significant advantages over bumper pull. Additionally bumper pull often are best configured with optional weight distribution and anti sway hardware, something not part of a fifth wheel or gooseneck.

The OP will be very happy safety wise migrating from a bumper pull to fifth wheel.

 

[AZjeff]

Yes, I have one ready to go! I bought my Andersen set up used from a friend. He did a 14k dry toy hauler so this is small potatoes for the setup.

This showed up on my YouTube page today, didn't go looking for it. Have no opinion one way or the other about the Andersen hitches other than the aluminum ball (?) but the fact that the hitch you bought was towing a heavy loaded toy hauler might have taken some life out of it. 14k dry was probably closer to 20k than 15k loaded. Obviously no way to know the use history of this outfit.

 

[AZjeff]

Was watching a video today reviewing a GEN-Y gooseneck hitch and the owner said chains are required when you use a ball. Would this be a state by state thing?

 

[dja4260]

Pulled the new camper 90 miles home. It felt heavier, however, it felt very planted with zero sway. I averaged 9 mpg per my dash display. The nose is slighty higher than I'd like so I need to see if I can move the pin box lower as I cannot adjust the Andersen ball any lower. I have 9''in of clerance from the bed rails to the camper. Super pleased so far! I measured from top of tire to front/rear wheel wells and they were identical on the truck.

 

[AZjeff]

Good to hear you like how it towed. Putting a level on the bed rail tells you more about if the truck sits level. Tire to wheel well distance with and without trailer hitched tells you how much squat you have. Your truck looks a bit nose high in the pic? Keep as much bed clearance as you can you'll need it sometimes.

When you get it set up how you want load it up trip ready and go to a CAT scale and see what your numbers are. Full of gas, full propane, water tank how you'd travel etc. It's good to know if you're close on anything and need to be careful where you put things. One weight truck alone and one hitched up will tell you what you need.

Don't know about RAM but GM trucks are always optomistic about MPG on the dash. What was your towing speed?

Happy trails!