# 5ers...... Help Me.... Why Should I Switch ?? Ive Never Had A 5er.



## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

FRIENDS:
Here is our current setup.....as you can see below in my sig
2008 Sydney 32BHDS
2008 Ford F350 Diesel - not a daily driver, used only for towing the 32BHDS.
Equal-I-zer to be replaced by a Hensley/ProPride 3P Hitch (if we opt for keeping the 32 ill order this)
3 kids, 1 wife, nanny (on occasion she comes with us, but with the 3rd child, now she doesnt fit too well in the TV and stays home







)

The family spent a good amount of time at the RV show this weekend. We were a little dissapponted as the amount of BH 5ers was limited. The dealers were commenting that this show is more catered to the retired going south for the winter so there were not many BH models there, but enough for our research as we were not there to buy...JUST LOOKING!

We kept gravitating towards the BH Class A's but tried to keep this investigation narrowed down to whether a 5er was right for us as a next step before an eventual Class A.....The Grandparents have a Prevost so the Class A temptation is always right there in front of us. Although their recent purchase of $6,ooo worth of batteries for it reminded me that im not ready for that type of expense, but I digress...

After sitting in many of the BH 5ers we started asking ourselves; _What, really, does this offer us that we dont have with out 32BHDS?_ This is where I need help_.
_
Some items were:
2 baths - ok, i guess i could trade for a OB 310BHS.
Bigger Bedroom - dont really care. 
Bigger Bunkhouse - which means they are really big cause ours is big enough now.
Bath that enters from the outside. - back to the 310BHS comment.
Better towing - an unnamed hitch would really make this a non issue.
Higher ceilings -









But Ill lose:
The bed of my truck
Ill have to remove the cap and put it back on.
Indoor storage possibilities (due to it being taller)
Aerodynamics - hey, i mentioned taller ceilings being a benefit i can mention this as a negative....








Risk of knocking over a bank drive-through roof.

Im at a loss. Id like those who own 5ers to add to the discussion, especially those who switched from a TT (Nathan), as well as those (Jim) who are really set on soon making the change to a 5er from a TT. Help me out with what a 5er really offers me.

The DW mentioned, maybe this just means we bought the right thing the first time. Maybe, and it *would* be the first time cause when we were boating we were buying something new every year.

Other notes: 
I love the Raptors but left the discussion about the Raptor TH 5ers for another time. I do really like them best but they (and the other brands) are a unique blend that if we decided on one it cant be comparred against the 32BHDS.
Finally, the kids and DW (ok me too i suppose) like the BH Class A Diesel Pushers but thats a completely different decision as it involves selling the truck, selling the OB, much more $$ and teaching my 2 girls that they are infact Motorhomes and not "Driving Trailers" as they like to call them.







And yes, if your sharp enough to wonder what our Outbacks are really called.... Well, if you ask them, there called "Pulling Trailers"............... _I love my girls_....









So, just looking for experience, insight, and some good information.
Thanks!


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

At the risk of seeming blunt, if you need convincing, you don't need a fiver.

Only you can determine whether or not a fiver would fit your needs.

I'll venture to say some will try to convince you; others will try to convice you to save your money and keep the Sydney. I say, look at both and make up your own mind. Each has their own particular benefits and disadvantages. But only as determined by you, the consumer.

When I'm ready to move up, my only question will be, hey, guys, like what I just bought?

Good luck in your decision.

Mark


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

MSWALT - I like the way that Man thinks.

-CC


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

mswalt said:


> At the risk of seeming blunt, if you need convincing, you don't need a fiver.
> 
> Only you can determine whether or not a fiver would fit your needs.
> 
> ...


Dont worry about being blunt. Im Ok with it.







Actually it sounds more like your saying "if you cant figure it out then you dont need one".

But since your looking to make the switch ill ask. Mark, what are your reasons for wanting to switch to a fiver?

Maybe ill rephrase the title. Im looking for other peoples reasons for changing. Curious if im overlooking something. I have never owned one so how can i be sure one is an "upgrade" as many call it.

We came from tent camping for years and LOVED it! But if somebody asked my "Hey DT, you tent camped and switched over to a TT. Why did you do it? What are the benifits? I could list my thoughts about it. 
Kind of what im looking for here.

Im not looking for somebody to make the decision for me. Just info, pros/cons, etc...

Thanks!


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## huntr70 (Jul 8, 2005)

For me, the best thing about a fiver is the towing.

A fiver is a completely different feeling while towing.........one of your un-named hitches or not, it will not feel the same as a fiver.

The hook-up and unhooking is great. I could hook and unhook 6 times while your getting your trailer off that ball.

I love the storage compartments.

Probably won't believe it, but a tall fiver doesn't affect aerodynamics as much as you think it would.

Again, bottom line is, if you don't know why you would need one, you don't need one.............

Our decision was based on the towing ability and the floorplan.

Steve


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

huntr70 said:


> For me, the best thing about a fiver is the towing.
> 
> A fiver is a completely different feeling while towing.........one of your un-named hitches or not, it will not feel the same as a fiver.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the info!! Towing was the first and biggest reason we started considering one. We would like to take longer trips and have heard that they tow much better. And if it really turns out that it is that much better, this may be the driving force for us to switch.
I appreciate your input!


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

> But since your looking to make the switch ill ask. Mark, what are your reasons for wanting to switch to a fiver?


For one, more room. One of the models I'm looking at is the Open Range 399. Big, double bunk room slides, large living/dining room slide, kitchen slide, and bedroom slide.

Also, additional bathroom; a larger main bath.

And, I like the look and feel of the bigger trailer. My grandkids will be around for several more years, thus I need the extra room. If and when I decide to move up to a fiver, I have to consider how many others will be "moving up" with me.

I'm no expert, but I have heard that fivers tow better than tts.

Grant you, I'm not in a buying mood right now, btw. I'm satisfied with my Sydney.

And I didn't mean to come off as "blunt" either; I just kind of took it to mean you weren't sure what you wanted to do and needed someone to "convince" you. I probably just *inferred* what you did not *imply*.

Mark


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

mswalt said:


> > But since your looking to make the switch ill ask. Mark, what are your reasons for wanting to switch to a fiver?
> 
> 
> For one, more room. One of the models I'm looking at is the Open Range 399. Big, double bunk room slides, large living/dining room slide, kitchen slide, and bedroom slide.
> ...


Thanks! those are certainly good reasons and ones we can appreciate as well. And about being in the buying mood, I agree we arnt all too eager right now. we took a 3 year loan on the OB and the truck and that was 14 months ago. the way things are - economy-wise, i think ill at least get to the point of them being paid off before i do anything. See how i feel then. Good plan at least. maybe gives me some time to try out one of those new fandangled hitches Sean is peddling.







Unless some crazy deal comes around.


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

> I agree we arnt all too eager right now


It's not that I'm not too eager (I'd love to have one), but fact is, I just don't *need* one yet.

So, I'll just keep my eyes open and when I think the time's right, I'll see what's out there then.

Have fun looking!!

Mark


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## webeopelas (Mar 11, 2006)

Bigger tows better in a fiver. If you don't NEED bigger right now, a fiver may not be for you.

We went for it because we tend to live in it for a month or two every time we move (I'm in the military), and my wife wanted the residential size shower, and the bigger counter space in the kitchen. The separate bunkhouse room was also a big selling point.

If you are not unhappy in your trailer, I wouldn't move to a fiver.

Phil


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

i'd wait for the Prevost


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

DT,

You've got mail!


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Remember, we had a 28RSDS with 1 18" dinette slide. In our case the 5'er has a LOT more room:




































The front hall in the OB was always a bottleneck. Now we have everything wide open and very rarely get in each others way.

Hitching and towing are improved, and jacknifing while backing up is a neat campground parking trick (watch the neighbors with bumper pulls ohhh and ahh as you turn the truck 90 degrees and push the front of the trailer sideways....







)

The other thing we got were increased capacities of everything. A ton of storage in the basement, larger tanks, etc.

Definete downsides are readjusting to how it corners, increased weight/frontal area, bank roofs...








Oh and the fact that the trailer now weighs more than my truck again.......









DON'T buy one because it is a 5er, Buy one because it is the floorplan/amenities that you have to have (ok, or what the DW has to have.....







)


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## Lmbevard (Mar 18, 2006)

We went from a pop-up to a 5er after looking and discussing TT and Class A, B, & C's. We went with the 5er over the other ones for the following reasons;

1. As apposed to a driver unit where we would need to tow a car behind, we already have our transport in the truck. Doing a spreadsheet on mileage, you're better off with a good Diesel truck and 5er compared to a Class A with a towd.

2. We liked the setup on the 5er a lot better than any of the TT we looked at. For us it was a plus that it was more like home instead of a camper. The few TT's that was setup like a home had a lot of wasted space and seemed cramped. With the higher ceilings and a more open floor plan, the 5er seems a lot bigger.

3. Towing is very easy. With my Dodge and the nice level setup that the dealer did on my unit, it pulls like a dream. Even with a 3/4 wind and simi's flying past me, the 5er follows behind me with very little wagging. I was following a TT and he about went off the road with every gust and every Simi passing. Scared me.

4. Backing is A LOT different. Hooking up is very easy, just adjust your rearview mirror to look at the hitch and back into it. But, with the 5er, backing up takes alot more steering and involves alot of jack knifing to get the tub to turn. One plus is that your unit is about 8' shorter than the same length of TT and that you CAN jack knife it with out a problem (very useful to turn around in a short distance with) but, at least for me, it's give me 40 acres and I back that thing in. I have only backed the pop-up and a couple of 24' campers, so I'm no expert on backing them, but I've seen people back a TT into holes that I would not even try. One of the problems is that once you jack knife the 5er into a hole, you have to have room enough to get it unjacked to back streight. That being said, I can 4 out of 5 times get my 30' 5er into my back yard spot one the first try with maybe once pulling forward to get the truck even with the camper and I have 4' clearance on one side and the other has to be within a foot of a outside basement entrance. All that being said, backing is just different on a 5er, sometimes better, sometimes worst that with a TT. Of course the easiest would be a Motorhome with a drive thru spot.

5. Storage! My wife takes half the house with her to camp or crafting things and we can fit it all in. Even the 30' Outbacker can hold alot of stuff. Some of the higher grade 5ers even has more room. One of the 5ers we looked at had enough room underneath for 4 kids to have a playroom and to sleep there complete with lights and heat.

6. Resale value. It seems that 5ers hold their value a little better than TT and a lot better than Motor homes.

I hope this helps a little. Biggest difference between a 5er setup and a Motorhome is cost. Not only the initial cost, but down the road if you start having problems with the motor, guess which one is going to be cheaper to get fixed? Of course with a 5er you can always replace the truck or the camper and don't need to replace both at the same time.


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## Silvrsled (Jul 24, 2008)

Sayonara said:


> Risk of knocking over a bank drive-through roof.


#1 reason not to get a 5th wheel.







That guy is infamous now.


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Well welcome to my world







After three Outbacks and ending up like you with a new 32bhds and a quad cab diesel that I only use for towing and diesel going to a buck more a gallon than gas I dumped them both for a class c (where I started 6 years and 5 rv's and 3tv's ago). Now a Provost







as great as they are will not be in my cards anytime soon. But there is some nice bunk house class A,C, and super C units. We love the current setup and have no regrets but I've said that before :

Have fun with all all the decisions spinning in your head (been there)

John


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

With the recent demise of Pligram RV, I would hold off a year..

Pilgram had designed a new composite design that would have changed the whole rv industry as we know it..

The technolgy and knowledge is planning to be used by another mfr.. Dont know the one just yet, but that mfr will have the market cornered till the others catch up.

This new design gets rid of the wood or aluminum framing in an RV. It is twice as strong as a framed rv. It is also 30-40% lighter than framed RV's.

The employees that designed this technolgy are being sucked up by another mfr, so it wont be long till this design is out.

It would be real cool to have a 35 foot 5er with 4 slides that weighed the same weight as your sydney, uh? Well this is just over the horizon..

Bet your fuel mileage wouldnt change much if you could have something like that.

I would hang in there a year and see what happens.. With the fuel price situation hurting the rv mfr's the changes have already begun for all of them....

It wont be long till we see the cream float to the top..

Be Patient if you can!

Carey


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## 5th Time Around (Jul 8, 2008)

We made the switch to a 5er after 1 class C and 3 TT's. We didn't like the 'C' because unless you towed a vehicle you had to unhook to leave and there was not a BH. My DH did not like it when it broke down and had to leave me and the kids all by ourselves on the side of I95 and walk to the exit for help (before cell phones were cheap).

I love my 31KFW! I love the ceiling height, it feels so spacious. I LOVE the shower! repeat I LOVE the shower! I do not mind that it is in the bedroom one bit. It means I have room to get dressed. According to my DH it tows much better. We have a SB truck so we have a sliding hitch. The thing about jackknifing it is true, it is freaky the first time or two. We don't hardly notice it is there (probably why that bank drive through went down







)

But we still have a hard time backing it up. It is like trying to steer the Titanic, it takes forever to start turning. I prefer the pull through sites but that almost never happens. If it is really woodsy there is the height issue, but we aren't much taller than a Prevost so that shouldn't be a comparison. And if your even thinking about a diesel pusher, the length won't matter either because they are 35 - 40 feet as well.

Again, I love my 5er







As with everything there are pluses and minuses, only you can determine what your needs are. Nanny???? Where do I get one of those???


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

Thanks everyone for the feedback. This is exactly what i wanted to hear. Keep it coming. We are in no hurry which is a nice place to be (as most of us are) Just want to be sure we arnt missing something that would help in our decision making.


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## fourwalls (Sep 21, 2007)

We were unfortunate enough to have a hitch weld break on a TT and it almost wreck us. I am thankful we got off the road before it was a disaster. At that point I informed DH we would only be pulling 5ers after that. I have never had a trailer whip us as that one did. And 3 5ers later getting ready for number 4 we are still sold on the pulling stability of the fifth wheel. We love the room and towing of the 5ers. We installed a light weight 2" receiver on the back of the 5er for the bike rack and can exchange it for a hitch hauling platform to make up for the truck bed we cant use. We still put the firewood, carpet, generator, and blocking in the truck bed under the 5er. Good luck with your decision. We all must remember to buy what fits our family s and makes us happy.


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

Someone else has already said it, in my opinion, the right floorplan is the key to happiness with either type of unit. After that, as you already know the rest are just preverences.

I like my 5'er and the reasons I bought it was;
1. floorplan, floorplan, floorplan
2. spaciousness (height, openness, feel) 
3. storage space. Many people are concerned about loosing the use of the bed of their truck. In reality you get more space in the basement of the 5'er than you have in your truck bed with the added benefit of not having to load/unload and store the stuff when your not camping. With the 5'er, you can just leave it in the basement area.

After the purchase, I discovered that towing was much better with the 5'er. It's just more stable.

One drawback with the 5'er no one has mentioned is getting the hitch in and out of the truck bed, plus storing it when not in use. One option of course is buying a hitch that stays in the truck bed, but I don't recommend that. The hitches weight a lot. You either need a couple of strong people, a block and tackle, or a tractor with a front end loader (what I use) to get the thing in/out of the truck.

Did I mention floorplan?

Regards, Glenn


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

fourwalls said:


> We were unfortunate enough to have a hitch weld break on a TT and it almost wreck us.


Was it the hitch or the TT tongue? Glad you were able to get it under control safely.


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## 5th Time Around (Jul 8, 2008)

My DH just read in this months issue of Trailer Life about a 5er hitch failing due to not lubricating the rails properly. Just an FYI that failure is not out of the equation, you just need to lube the rails.









Yes, the hitch weighs a ton. It is very hard for me to help with removal or installation. My 20 y/o son wanted to borrow the truck so my DH said he had to help remove the hitch first. He was shocked at how much it weighed.


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## cabullydogs (Jul 12, 2008)

I would say the greatest thing about the 5er is that there will be no more arguments between you and the DW over getting the trailer on the hitch







Or maybe that's just us.... I watched our friend hook up his 5er all by himself... I thought that was cool, since I'm apparently terrible at helpng the DH back up properly.

As a Mom with 2 girls and the fact that we haven't ruled out a 3rd child, I understand your space concerns. We first looked at the bunkhouse moddel but then realized that would be a lot of wasted space for us and once we saw the bhdsle we fell in love with the floorplan. At this point with a 3 year old and a 5 month old we just set the porta crib up in the back and my 3 year old actually prefers sleeping on the couch in the living area, but we also set the bunk up for her in the back just in case. I figure that even if we have three we have a long time before they will be old enough to outgrow the configuration.

The only thing the DH really wishes we had is the wrap-around dinette set-up, you can seat more people that way. I agre it's nice, but I love our OB and it works so perfect for us right now.

I guess a bonus is the increased water capacity with the 5er, right? And once the girls get older you will probably really need that!


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

cabullydogs said:


> As a Mom with 2 girls and the fact that we haven't ruled out a 3rd child, I understand your space concerns. We first looked at the bunkhouse moddel but then realized that would be a lot of wasted space for us and once we saw the bhdsle we fell in love with the floorplan. At this point with a 3 year old and a 5 month old we just set the porta crib up in the back and my 3 year old actually prefers sleeping on the couch in the living area, but we also set the bunk up for her in the back just in case. I figure that even if we have three we have a long time before they will be old enough to outgrow the configuration.
> 
> The only thing the DH really wishes we had is the wrap-around dinette set-up, you can seat more people that way. I agre it's nice, but I love our OB and it works so perfect for us right now.


What you wrote here sounds a lot like us.

We bought our 32BHDS when we had the 2 girls knowing we were going to have a 3rd child soon. We thought the 2 girls could sleep on the hide-a-bed and the 3rd on the bunk. Now with 3 girls it will be up to them to figure it out. Right now they like either the hide-a-bed or the floor in their sleeping bags.

Additionally when we saw the 310BHS we really liked the wrap-around dinette also. with 5 that would really be nice. when we went in one, we did notice that the couch is much smaller than in ours, i guess its a trade off. id actually prefer something like this in the Raptor 3812.

*Thanks for all the opinions and experience! Good stuff.*


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## 5th Time Around (Jul 8, 2008)

Yes the holding tank capacities are much larger. If you use full hook up its not a big deal. We don't use full hookup so we need that holding tank capacity. I would have prefered the free standing dining table over our booth. I think that the u shaped dinettes are fine for younger kids but no for kids that are the size of adults (like mine) because of knee room and belly room.


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## fourwalls (Sep 21, 2007)

the hitch on the suburban that has the ball and sway arm attachments is where the weld broke. We found a nice person along route 77 in Charlotte to weld it for us and get us on our way home. We kindly refer to that trip as the trip from #!*! And have since sold the TT and Suburban.


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

From a 32BHDS to a 5'er. I don't get that move. In dollars and cents your likely to loose a lot on yours and you get I suppose better towing and maybe a floor plan that you like more but again I don't get it unless your in it nearly constantly. 5'ers may tow nice but come on you got a 1 ton truck. Your not exactly at the bottom of the food chain pulling with that. Save your money up on that Prevost. Your gonna need it to maintain it.


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## Sayonara (Jul 23, 2007)

NJMikeC said:


> From a 32BHDS to a 5'er. I don't get that move. In dollars and cents your likely to loose a lot on yours and you get I suppose better towing and maybe a floor plan that you like more but again I don't get it unless your in it nearly constantly. 5'ers may tow nice but come on you got a 1 ton truck. Your not exactly at the bottom of the food chain pulling with that. Save your money up on that Prevost. Your gonna need it to maintain it.


Hmmm. The first comment that is in line with what we were thinking.

They are certainly nice and if i had my truck before the 32BHDS purchase i probably would have bought one then. I just found that its so easy to get caught up in the "well, now i got the truck, might as well get the 5er" syndrome as so mony people talk that way. When we finally went looking, we were not finding much that warranted changing. Oh, there is some nice stuff out there - for sure! This is our situation, certainly if we had something smaller and needed more room the story would be different. Now like i said earlier, I really like the Raptors and Cyclones and am contemplating some things that would make owning one very practical in the next couple years, but that would be a purchase based on _need_....







due to their floorplans of coarse.

Thanks everyone for your comments !! I enjoy reading the experiences and can appreciate everyones opinion. i have learned a lot. I have no idea what we will do, good thing is, we arnt in any hurry and we enjoy what we have now very much !!


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