# TT or 5th



## Balki14 (Oct 13, 2004)

I have noticed that when looking through the various posts, the majority of owners who have longer rigs are not 5th wheel owners. Being somewhat new to the TT and 5th wheel scene, i was trying to figure out why.

We have a 21RS but are pricing the new Sydney 5th wheel. I see lots of folks have the 28 foot TT and was wondering if there are significant difference or is it the TV that has made the minds up of most. We have several friends who own various larger Outbacks, but none that own the 5th.

Are we setting ourselves up for something bad or do we not know something we should We are also looking at the Aruba 5th wheel and from initial comparisons, they seem pretty much alike.

Thanks,


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## Y-Guy (Jan 30, 2004)

The reasons I didn't get a 5er were three fold.

1) My Avalanche can not tow a 5er and at the time I didn't think I would want to upgrade.
2) My Home Owners has a height restriction and the 5er would be over it. Mind you now that nobody is following the rule it irritates me but gives me hope that I can maybe one day get a 5er on my property.
3) We liked the features of the TT better than the 5ers. To get all we have in our Outback TT I would need to have gone with a Cougar 314 which is 33'. The Quad bunkhouse was something we really liked and wanted as well as the space inside. The 5ers don't have the expandable rear beds so the bed takes up floorspace and thus they need to make them longer. The TT with expansion just fit our needs better.

Now once the kids are sleeping in tents instead of in the camper one of those 5ers would be very nice, and that's one reason I got the F350 so I have the choice down the road.


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## BigBadBrain (Aug 26, 2004)

I've owned both now and while I have limited time with the Outback (only a few camping trips so far), the difference is remarkable.

Our 5er was a 22 ft. Dutchman with rear bath. The size of floor space is comparable to the 23RS we currently have, however, the USABLE floor space is much greater in the Outback. With the rear slide, we effectively got back all the space used in the bedroom of the 5er and it now becomes family camping space not unused space. Even the forward bed and bunk in the 23RS feel like they are part of the camper during normal use - the front bedroom in the 5er was just that - another room.

While I have my kids still at home, I'll stick to the TT. Once they are gone, I'll consider a move up to a 5er and a bigger TV.

But that's just me.


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## Cire (Oct 15, 2004)

Balki,

Are you going to sell the 21RS? I am "almost" in the market for one.


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## GlenninTexas (Aug 11, 2004)

Balki14 said:


> I have noticed that when looking through the various posts, the majority of owners who have longer rigs are not 5th wheel owners. Being somewhat new to the TT and 5th wheel scene, i was trying to figure out why.
> 
> [snapback]16550[/snapback]​


I guess I'm confused by your comment above. According to the poll results (see General Discussion topic) over 50% of the Outback TT owner at 25 footers or shorter. The three longest rigs Outback makes is a 28' TT a, 28' 5'r and a 29' 5'r.

I think in general the longer the rig, the better off yuo would be if its a 5th wheel v. a TT, simply because of the added stability of the 5th wheel hitchpoint. I certainly wouldn't feel comfortable towing a 35' TT, regardless of the tow vehicle, but you can see 35' 5'rs all the time. Maybe I mis-uinderstood your point.

As to your question. My wife and I were looking for a TT (a used one in fact) when we came across the Outback 28F RL-S. As soon as we saw the inside and florplan, there was no going back. Perhaps if the dealer would have had an Outback TT, we would have went with one, but he only had the two 5th wheel models. The 28f meets all our needs, it's just the two of us and two labs. 
Luckily, I already had the truck to handle the 5th wheel, but I think you'll find that many people selected their models based on the capabilities of their existing vehicles. As Y-Guy said, many people have SUVs to handle the passenger load, so a 5'r is out of the question.

Hope this helps, I thinks I've begun to ramble.

Regards, Glenn


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## hatcityhosehauler (Feb 13, 2004)

I specifically looked for something that my Avalanche could tow, and I had specific weight and length parameters in mind when I was shopping. Initially, I was undecided between the 28BHS and the 26RS. We ended up getting the 26, and haven't looked back since. I wouldn't tow anything longer with my Avalanche, so until I get a new truck, I will be content with what I have. When the time comes to get a new TV, I will be looking at the 2500HD/3500 lines in the GM's and F250/350 SD's in the Fords. Both of those will give me 5'er capacity in the future, so who knows?

Tim


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## NDJollyMon (Aug 22, 2003)

MY REASONS:

1. I first saw an OUTBACK in 2001-2002 at a campground, and recognized it's unique-ness.

2. When it was time to upgrade from pop up to travel trailer, (mid 2002) I was thinking about hybrids. My son looked into an OUTBACK, and said, "Dad...you gotta see inside this one!" Of course, this was an annoyance to me, because I wanted to concentrate on the hybrids we were there to look at. Once I stepped inside...it was all over. That 25 RS-S was it. Perfect size, color, bed arrangements, space, and the beautiful white interior. We were sold.

3. My tow vehicle was a Chevy Tahoe at the time, and I couldn't tow one.

4. OUTBACK didn't even make 'fivers' then anyway.

I really like the 'fivers', and I have since bought a pickup truck. I'm still not in the market for a 'fiver' because the truck I bought has too small of box to tow one. I also need box space to carry my toys, wood, bikes, etc to the campground.


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Lots of different reasons to pick between a long TT and a 5er.

We picked the 28 rs-s because we need to get a shell on the pick up so we can carry stuff dry in the winter (hockey bags). Did not want to mess with taking it on and off to connect the 5er. Wanted full usable bed in TV without hitch bits in the way.

REALLY loved the lay out of the 28 rs-s and that just made the above stuff that much easier to separate into pro and con list.


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## shake1969 (Sep 21, 2004)

I couldn't figure out how to put that hitch on the top of the Gator.


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

I think as much as anything the decision is due to how many people you have to tote around when traveling. TT's seem to be better for families because you can tow with an SUV. When we had our family, we had a TT. But, for us now (only 2 of 'us' now -- yeehaw) the 5 was the better choice -- less rig hanging out the back and better control when traveling.


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## Grandeken (Feb 16, 2004)

I have had both a TT & now a 5th We have only the 2 black labs now at home. We take the Grand Kids with us some times and the pull out Queen bed work for us the kids watch TV down stairs and we watch movies up stairs at night. works great for Us. The thing I like about backing up the 5th in some camp sites is it seems nicer in tight spots. We also had a truck slidein camper that I loved to get around with but a pain to load and unload at campgrounds if we where going to stay for awhile. Ken


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## Balki14 (Oct 13, 2004)

shake1969 said:


> I couldn't figure out how to put that hitch on the top of the Gator.
> [snapback]16620[/snapback]​


Yeah. That "Gator" would bite if you take a screw to that top to add that hitch.


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## Balki14 (Oct 13, 2004)

All. Thanks for the feedback. I guess I asked the question in th ewrong context. Aside from not having a vehicle to tow the 5th with, what I sought was reason for a TT vs a 5th if you owned a TV that could pull.

Thanks again as I think that the response are basically twofold: TT's provide more usable space with the kids, dogs and whatnot. The 5th is great if you have few kids and actually tow better that the TT's and have better manueverability to them in tighter capsites.

Got my answer. And as a new Outbacker, we thanks you all for you kind words and comments.


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## rdowns (Oct 20, 2004)

We have owned both, this spring we moved to a fiver and last week we bought a new bigger one, My husband says he will never go back to a tt. That said, I think tt's offer a greater variety of floor plans which appeals to many and a greater variety of tow vehicle choices.


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