5th Wheel Trailer / Caravan - Pros and Cons ?
Discussion
Hi guys,
4 kids and loving the countryside I've done camping and TBH with a 2 and 4 yr old its fair bit of hassle for a weekend away.
I'm not a caravan fan but have recently come across these 5th wheel versions which seem to mean you can get a 28ft caravan in the space of a 21ft caravan (no hitch and 4ft over the back of the pick up) plus I'm told they are a LOT more stable and easier to tow and manouvere and obviously less likely to get stolen as you need a 5th wheel equipped pick up.
So what are the pit falls ?
Some are 7ft which would be fine but I've seen some at 8'4" are these legal on UK roads as they seem a bit cheaper ?
I wouldn't consider spending £20k so I'd be looking at an older one but these still have AC and push out lounges / bedrooms so I really quite fancy one.
Cheers
4 kids and loving the countryside I've done camping and TBH with a 2 and 4 yr old its fair bit of hassle for a weekend away.
I'm not a caravan fan but have recently come across these 5th wheel versions which seem to mean you can get a 28ft caravan in the space of a 21ft caravan (no hitch and 4ft over the back of the pick up) plus I'm told they are a LOT more stable and easier to tow and manouvere and obviously less likely to get stolen as you need a 5th wheel equipped pick up.
So what are the pit falls ?
Some are 7ft which would be fine but I've seen some at 8'4" are these legal on UK roads as they seem a bit cheaper ?
I wouldn't consider spending £20k so I'd be looking at an older one but these still have AC and push out lounges / bedrooms so I really quite fancy one.
Cheers
Too big.. I think (but feel free to correct me) that the length should be ok.
18+ft isn't unsual for a std caravan (which I presume excludes the hitch) and a Vovlo estate isn't much smaller than a crew cab really.
How wide is a std caravan 7' ?
Is an extra 16 inches in width a problem on caravan sites ?
Serious question as I've only ever camped.
18+ft isn't unsual for a std caravan (which I presume excludes the hitch) and a Vovlo estate isn't much smaller than a crew cab really.
How wide is a std caravan 7' ?
Is an extra 16 inches in width a problem on caravan sites ?
Serious question as I've only ever camped.
iguana said:
7ft6 is uk legal width for smallers tow vehicles Cars 4x4 vans etc. Maybe some big yank Pick ups are over 3.5t gvw? Then its ok but. No euro\jap regular onés are that i know of.
So its Gross Vehicle Weight that relates to width not Train Weight ?I had an F150 Supercrew and IIRC that weighed 2 tons but legally could only carry 3/4 ton in the back BUT mine had been re - plated which was just a technical exercise as the previous owner towed boats. Looks like I should have kept it.
The one I've seen is 8'4" and seems surprisingly cheap so I'm wondering if the catch is that it isn't actually legal to tow over here - albeit it has been used over here for many years.
Greg_D said:
As i understand it, a lot of camp sites have a blanket ban on commercial vehicles (to discourage the piepeople) wouldn't the pickup fall foul of this?
I'm not expert but I looked into this when I went camping last year in my T4.Only a few mention it and most describe it as a ban on VANS as many people use Navaras etc as cars these days - my Bank Manager drives one !
And they tend to describe vans as ones having no windows in the back so my pimped T4 wasn't an issue. I have heard this isn't the case on Caravan Club sites though.
Greg_D said:
happy to be proven wrong, just chucking something into the pot.
you may very well be right though, the chap who told me had a signwritten astravan (welding, so not obviously pieperson) and simply COULD NOT get into ANY camp site
I don't suppose it is worth the risk to the site owner of having them descend en masse though.
can any caravanners confirm that pickups are welcome?
A signwritten work van is precisely what many won't accept.you may very well be right though, the chap who told me had a signwritten astravan (welding, so not obviously pieperson) and simply COULD NOT get into ANY camp site
I don't suppose it is worth the risk to the site owner of having them descend en masse though.
can any caravanners confirm that pickups are welcome?
BUT I went to a campsite with a lake near Twekesbury and they allowed vans on.
Have to say there were no problems.
Most van drivers are like most car drivers.
GreatGranny said:
Just checked the DVLA site the max. width is now 2.55m and 7m length if towed with vehicle less than 3.5t.
Yes I'm not sure about the length limits.I called a seller of 5th wheel units and he said the length doesn't apply to 5th wheel units only drawbars.
I haven't been able to confirm this.
Basically I only bought it as it was cheap.
I wasn't actually looking for one but stumbled across the ad.
From what I've seen 5th wheel trailers start at £5k then later / UK ones £10-15k and new ones are £22-50k.
Greg D will no doubt buy a £50k one with a £20k truck to pull it.
I looked at caravans but they didn't offer the space my tent does and they are more likely to get stolen.
I wasn't actually looking for one but stumbled across the ad.
From what I've seen 5th wheel trailers start at £5k then later / UK ones £10-15k and new ones are £22-50k.
Greg D will no doubt buy a £50k one with a £20k truck to pull it.
I looked at caravans but they didn't offer the space my tent does and they are more likely to get stolen.
Update should anyone care...
Collected it from sellers farm which was down a narrow track with a couple of tight turns.
I had to try the 1st turn 3 times to get around it - it doesn't turn anything like a normal trailer and the caravan wants to cut the corner.
By the end of the drive I thought I'd made a terrible mistake and wished I hadn't bought it.
Then got it on the main road and it was a lot better.
Onto the motorway I discovered that the Isuzu deperately needs a remap - as soon as you hit a decent hill the speed disappears and I ended up in 4th for a lot of the way home.
On the flat it sat happily at 60 and despite there being "High Winds" displayed on the Motorway signs it towed so well you wouldn't know it was there.
Got it to my Dad's farm and it took 15 mins to park it, the truck moves loads before the 'van changes direction again due to it being towed from the middle rather than the back.
The 5th wheeler itself is HUGE and much bigger than I realised or need and makes far more sense for weeks away rather than weekends.
We'll test it out next weekend as it took so long to go though how everything worked (they are far more complicated than I realised)
Having completed my first trip I'm much happier about driving it but I'll definately be booking BIG campsites at first.
Collected it from sellers farm which was down a narrow track with a couple of tight turns.
I had to try the 1st turn 3 times to get around it - it doesn't turn anything like a normal trailer and the caravan wants to cut the corner.
By the end of the drive I thought I'd made a terrible mistake and wished I hadn't bought it.
Then got it on the main road and it was a lot better.
Onto the motorway I discovered that the Isuzu deperately needs a remap - as soon as you hit a decent hill the speed disappears and I ended up in 4th for a lot of the way home.
On the flat it sat happily at 60 and despite there being "High Winds" displayed on the Motorway signs it towed so well you wouldn't know it was there.
Got it to my Dad's farm and it took 15 mins to park it, the truck moves loads before the 'van changes direction again due to it being towed from the middle rather than the back.
The 5th wheeler itself is HUGE and much bigger than I realised or need and makes far more sense for weeks away rather than weekends.
We'll test it out next weekend as it took so long to go though how everything worked (they are far more complicated than I realised)
Having completed my first trip I'm much happier about driving it but I'll definately be booking BIG campsites at first.
Should anone find this in a search - handy tips:
Join the Camping and Caravanning Club £39
Use their unique "Arrival" scheme via the RAC for Breakdown Recovery £75 - no other way to cover large 5th wheels I can find.
Use their Insurance cover as again no one wants to cover 5th wheels £150 for 12 months cover against Liability, Theft, Fire, Damage etc
Join the Camping and Caravanning Club £39
Use their unique "Arrival" scheme via the RAC for Breakdown Recovery £75 - no other way to cover large 5th wheels I can find.
Use their Insurance cover as again no one wants to cover 5th wheels £150 for 12 months cover against Liability, Theft, Fire, Damage etc
gtdc said:
I use a 3l Isuzu Rodeo Denver Max auto - pulls ours a treat - up hill not a problem.
What is your engine spec ?What does your 5th wheel weigh ?
I've driven it without the 5th wheel attached for the first time today and its hardly a ball of fire but IIRC the non IC 3.1 only have 115bhp.
Gassing Station | Tents, Caravans & Motorhomes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff