Doering

I am trying to get a better sense concerning "FW's pull nicer". I know so much depends on the actual setup with the truck. We have looked at dozens of floor plans in both the FW and TT. Other than the ceiling height advantage, many TT are on par with the lighter weight FW's in terms of layout. In fact, when you go to some higher end TT with 3 slides, they offer more room and features than a FW in the same weight class.

We purchased our new Eco with Max Tow and HD payload thinking FW all the way. But now, I'm not so sure. Yes, we can pull a number of 5ers out there but we could also pull one hec of a TT. The Rockwood Windjammer 3008W is one impressive design for what we are looking for in terms of design and space.

So, max out the truck for a nicer ride and pull, or go with a higher end TT and travel hitched up no where near the truck's max specs.
Just thought I'd throw this one out there for comments.

eduardobibm

Seriously good question. There has to be people out there that have done both. Hoping we hear from them. I would love to understand the differnce better from the horses mouth.

humblerb

I haven't towed a FW, but I will say that you made the right choice with the Max Tow / HD Payload. I pull a 7200# TT with my EB and it pulls it great.
Just wish I had 2500# payload instead of 1750#.
With my current set up, I have to think about everything (passengers included) when loading up the trailer.
With MT/HD, I could load most anything (within reason) without having to calculate the weight. Short of a bed full of firewood, I think I could load about anything or anyone I would want to.
I'm convinced that if I went to a FW, I would upgrade to a F250 - just because. And I don't want my daily to be a 3/4 ton.
Probably stay where I am for a while.

SkiSmuggs

My 8500 lb fifth wheel feels more secure towing than my 5500 lb TT did. Just so much less wagging. And the ceiling height makes me feel like I could live in it full time.

brulaz

I always seemed to me that a real advantage of a FW is maneuverability. For the same size camper, the distance between the truck's rear axle and the trailer's axle should be less, and the pivot point is right over the rear axle, not hanging several feet behind it. So backing your camper around corners and so on should be a lot easier in tight campsites. (FWs are often taller than TTs though, so overhanging branches in rough campsites may be more of an issue.)

As for driveability, I have no experience, but FWs tend to put more weight on the pin than TTs put on their tongue. And with a greater % of trailer weight on your truck there's less chance of sway. Maybe a TT with a real good anti-sway WDH is just as good; I dont know.

Of course the disadvantage of the FW's pin load is that you need a truck with a higher payload to carry it. Our trucks can tow a lot more than they can carry. But that's because they depend upon the trailer's axle, tires and brake systems to deal with the extra weight. My own experience is that the trailer's components are nowhere near the quality of our truck's.

So if/when I upgrade to a bigger trailer, a FW will be a serious contender, especially as my truck has a 2050# payload rating.

But I will hate to lose the functionality of my pickup's bed + cap. Need a place for kayaks on top. Others want the FW so they can haul a boat/cycle trailer behind it. Others want the bed for their motorcycle.

There's just no one choice that works for everybody, that's for sure.

RedOne

And that is why there are so many FW and TT choices for us to use. Pick out one that suits you the best and "Go for it!"

brulaz

Ah but window shopping is half the fun!

Besides we did our bit for the N.A. economy last year with two new vehicles.

Somebody else's turn this year (like the OP), while we recuperate.

Doering

With sway control built into the truck and a good WDH also with anti-sway set up correctly, TT sway should be almost non existent (apart from extremely windy days). The 6.5 foot truck bed with the longer wheel base should also improve the handling with longer trailers. That is what I have been told. Window shopping continues!

walts99

One thing to remember is with a FW you lose a lot of the bed of your pickup. I have a tt with wdh and have towed it to Wy. and back with no problems. The only time I have problems is when I get a big cross wind over 30. No matter what you get proper setup is the key.

smokeywren

I've been towing both 5ers and TTs and pop-ups and work trailers since the 1950s. In the last 15 years I owned a low-profile 5er for two years and 10,000 miles, a mid-profile 5er for 12 years and 100,000 miles, and my current TT for only 7 months and 5,000 towing miles so far.

If you compare apples to apples, the properly set up TT will have just as nice a "ride and pull" as a comparable size 5er. The TT will need a ProPride hitch to guarantee absolutely no sway, where the 5er can get by with a less-expensive ordinary 5er hitch with 4-way tilt.

The 5er will cost more than the TT, but after you include the ProPride hitch for the TT, the total prices are close for similer quality, size and aminities.

We liked our 25' (interior length) 5er with one slide better than our current 19' (interior length) TT with no slides, but only because of the extra elbow room in the bigger 5er. But the 8,000-pound 5er overloaded our F-250 diesel over the GVWR, and the 5,000-pound TT just barely overloads our F-150 EcoBoost that has neither max tow nor HD payload.

With your EcoBoost that has both max tow and HD payload, you're still limited to only a smaller 5er because of hitch weight limitations. But you can go up to a TT with a GVWR of around 10,000 pounds without being overloaded. So if I had your TV and my experience, I'd look for a big TT with GVWR almost 10,000 pounds and hook it up with a ProPride hitch.