Travel Trailer Or Fifth Wheel: How To Determine Which Best Suits Your Lifestyle

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Maybe you have grown tired of tent camping and are looking for alternatives. Or, perhaps you've been turned away from campgrounds because your current camper is too old and are looking to upgrade. Whatever your motivation, if you are in the market for a towable RV, you will be faced with the choice of a bumper-pull travel trailer or fifth-wheel model. While these two styles have several things in common, there are also some really big differences — most notably size and tow vehicle requirements. In order to determine which best suits your lifestyle, you need to carefully consider the pros and cons of each. 

Both travel trailers and fifth wheels come in a myriad of layouts and floor plans. So, even after you determine which style RV trailer you prefer, you will still have a variety of options to consider. Both typically utilize both electricity and propane as power sources. Additionally, both styles utilize gravity-flow septic systems with both grey and black water tanks, which must be drained with a Camco RhinoFLEX RV Sewer Hose or similar product.

Although both types of RV trailers come in many sizes, as a rule, fifth wheels tend to be larger and heavier. Depending on your needs, this can be either an advantage or disadvantage. So, as you weigh the pros and cons of both, remember that it isn't just about which offers more — the decision should be based on which is most practical and useful for the type of camping you enjoy.

Bumper-pull travel trailers are typically smaller, lighter, and less expensive than fifth wheel models. This provides several advantages. For one, they can be pulled with a wider range of vehicles and they connect to a standard ball hitch, which is easy enough to install on any type of vehicle. Another plus to the smaller size is many more campsites can accommodate them. This is huge, as nothing is worse than booking the perfect campsite only to discover your RV trailer is too big to fit. Because they connect to the bumper, travel trailers also leave the entire truck bed (if you are pulling it with a truck) open to store large or bulky items. Additionally, because they are so easy to hook up and tow, they are far more convenient for a quick getaway.

While travel trailers are typically smaller, models up to 40 feet are available. This is typically more than adequate for most camping purposes. On the flip side, models as small as 10 feet long are also on the market. So, if you are essentially looking for a towable hard-bodied tent, a travel trailer is hands down the way to go. However, many larger models of travel trailers have a wide variety of amenities, including showers, full kitchenettes, and air conditioning. Storage space, however, is often sparse compared to fifth wheels, so trying to bring excess gear is a camping mistake to avoid with travel trailers.

Fifth wheels are much larger and heavier than travel trailers. They also need a special hitch installed in the truck bed. The hitch, along with the turning radius of the trailer as it extends into the bed, severely limits your ability to use the truck bed for storage. However, this is typically offset by the very ample amount of storage found in a fifth wheel trailer. The extra storage is just one of the advantages fifth wheels offer.

Although some of the largest travel trailers stretch as long as some fifth wheels (the average size of fifth wheels being 25 to 45 feet), they usually aren't as tall, wide, or sturdy. As a result, fifth wheels offer more head space and more spacious living areas. Despite being larger and taking bigger vehicles with a specialized hitch to tow, once they are hooked up to the tow vehicle, fifth wheels are generally easier to control than bumper-pull travel trailers. 

Many fifth wheels are also appointed with so many amenities they actually feel more like an apartment than a camper. But, those niceties and additional space also come at a cost, with the average price of fifth wheels being substantially higher than travel trailers. But, if you are wanting comfort and room, a fifth wheel is likely your best option.