Looking to get a 5th wheel

[fajitatone]

ok, so I have the truck in my sig, it's pretty much stock. We are looking for a 5th wheel. I'll need a hitch and some other stuff. What exactly will I need?

second question

Looking at DRV Mobile Suite (father in law has one, loves it). Any other brands to look at that will give us a quality product? Used or New.

ok, Flame ON!!!

 

[matt78]

I have had a few trailers,and now the durahome. My first bit of advice,buy used. 5ers drop in value fast when you drive them home. Drv mobile suites are slick,probably nothing else out there that high end. As far as decent,I had 2 open range rigs,both decent. I had a jayco travel trailer,it was pretty good. They last longer when you don't live in them full time and if they stay covered. As far as a hitch I had a b and w companion and loved it. Of course the 5th wheel had 88 degree turn radius for a short bed truck like mine as well. The companion is easy to remove ,no bolt holes or rails in the bed.

 

[Ne-max]

I like having a 5th wheel cause I still have a truck when out camping.

If your truck is a classic I would defiantly get a set if airbags right away. The ass end of them seem soft. As for 5 the wheel hitch I would get the Curtis hitch, rails and mount kit on Amazon. Less then 400.00. Works perfect if you are not towing for a living. I personally am not a fan of the companion. To damn heavey to move around, the locking arm sucks on the newer trucks, and expensive. Yes having the rails sucks but that's the only bad side.

 

[ALLY Fox]

DRV is top of the line, very nice and VERY heavy and best towed with a 1 ton dually. Check the REAL pin weight carefully-not the weights listed on the trailer, they don't include propane tanks, batteries, water, your junk, wife/gf junk, hitch, etc etc. B&W Companion hitch is one of the best, gives you GN hitch and 5th wheel plus a flat bed when hitch is out. I have an Arctic Fox, pretty happy with it for a medium priced rig, but just do lots of homework. There's a ton of review sites on line to check out anything you find.

 

[fajitatone]

WOW, thanks for the tips. I was thinking of getting air bags for sure. I will look into the hitches. I assume I'll need a brake controller, so any suggestions on that (prodigy?). When I bought the truck in 06 the dealer gave me 2 of the wiring harness' so I have a spare. I might need to connect some stuff under the hood fuse box? is that correct? Can I test for voltages at the 7-way plug? if so what am I looking for? I have only connected a 4 way to the plug, so I'm not sure what the other 3 wires are for.

 

[Chevy1925]

are you wanting just a travel trailer style 5th wheel or a toy hauler style?

you might look around on CL for a 5th wheel hitch. you can usually find some nice ones for a good price.

depending on the trailer, the 7 way cord from the trailer may or may not reach your plug at the bumper. i personally found it easier and nicer to have another plug wired in and attached to the bed on the inside by the lever for releasing trailer from the hitch. no worries of the plug rubbing on the tailgate and nothing hanging out back there.

for brake controllers, i have had a digital prodigy in my truck for the last 13 years and it hasnt let me down. very simple and works very well.

your harness the dealer gave you should go from the brake controller down to the black box on the fire wall right next to your e-brake. the black cover comes off and you route the wiring to the correct plug for trailer brakes (there should be a schematic on the back of the cover that tells you what plug to put it into). that should be all the wiring you need to do IF you have the 7 way plug in the back of the truck already.

air bags for sure as others have stated.

ive liked the 5th wheel style tail gates if you like to tow alot with the truck. keeps you from having to either keep getting out and shutting the gate before you hitch up or just pulling the gate off and not having a way to keep things in the back of the truck.

 

[fajitatone]

Thanks!

We are looking to do the travel-trailer see the country thing. We'd like to be comfortable, and we have 3 dogs. they will ride in the truck with us, and sleep in the trailer with us. Wife is actually hoping for something with a king bed, since the dogs tend to climb in on her side while she sleeps.

Getting back to the plug. That sounds like a great idea to put a plug in the bed. Should I just splice in from the back of the current 7-way? I'm already getting a weather guard tool chest that sits below the rails at the front of the bed. I need a place to carry hand tools. Would it be advisable to mount the new plug on the box? Either way there will be some bed drilling.

Man, this is the best forum!

 

[matt78]

I had an old weight distribution hitch&bars and a sway bar. Sold them finally 2 months ago,dang I could have made you a hell of a deal. I had 2 travel trailers,I liked them because you could use all of the truck bed. The 5th wheel was slick as well for pulling purposes. Good luck with it. I always wanted a drivable rig and looked for a year almost for a good used unit in my budget,and along came the durahome. I enjoy it,and trips over 150 miles or so I really enjoy it. Main thing is if it keeps the family closer it's well worth it Imho.

 

[Chevy1925]

Thanks!

We are looking to do the travel-trailer see the country thing. We'd like to be comfortable, and we have 3 dogs. they will ride in the truck with us, and sleep in the trailer with us. Wife is actually hoping for something with a king bed, since the dogs tend to climb in on her side while she sleeps.

Getting back to the plug. That sounds like a great idea to put a plug in the bed. Should I just splice in from the back of the current 7-way? I'm already getting a weather guard tool chest that sits below the rails at the front of the bed. I need a place to carry hand tools. Would it be advisable to mount the new plug on the box? Either way there will be some bed drilling.

Man, this is the best forum!

just cause we all go fast with these truck dont mean we dont use them as they are intended! :hug:. mine sees a trailer more than it sees me racing it. i have a tool box just like you described behind my cab as well but wouldnt want it in there with as much stuff as i throw in the bed like firewood, coolers, misc crap. mine is in the bed just in front of the wheel well so as the cord bends back, there really isnt much that could damage it or want to cause it to come out. Id have to look and see how my in wired in. it was done way back in 2002 or 2003.

I had an old weight distribution hitch&bars and a sway bar. Sold them finally 2 months ago,dang I could have made you a hell of a deal. I had 2 travel trailers,I liked them because you could use all of the truck bed. The 5th wheel was slick as well for pulling purposes. Good luck with it. I always wanted a drivable rig and looked for a year almost for a good used unit in my budget,and along came the durahome. I enjoy it,and trips over 150 miles or so I really enjoy it. Main thing is if it keeps the family closer it's well worth it Imho.

hes got a long bed though so wouldnt really need the sliding setup anyhow. gives him some good, cheaper options as well as might be able to find one easier.

 

[Robby05]

Here's a link to the 7 way harness for your bed. Plug & play no splicing wires. Just gotta cut a hole in the bed.http://www.draw-tite.com/products/electrical-wiring/fifth-wheel-harness/fifth-wheel-harness/!FQHI%7CfPlgi4bIw!cyPp0nqaqFuaYw1c

Are you planning on doing the hitch install yourself? If so I'd highly recommend a Pull Rite hitch set up & their customs fit brackets. It'll make your install soooo much easier

 

[Big Chris]

If your truck came with the camper package you should have a wiring harness for your in bed plug coiled up and attached under the truck right behind the cab. Both of mine had had it.

 

[fajitatone]

Here's a link to the 7 way harness for your bed. Plug & play no splicing wires. Just gotta cut a hole in the bed.http://www.draw-tite.com/products/electrical-wiring/fifth-wheel-harness/fifth-wheel-harness/!FQHI%7CfPlgi4bIw!cyPp0nqaqFuaYw1c

Are you planning on doing the hitch install yourself? If so I'd highly recommend a Pull Rite hitch set up & they're customs fit brackets. It'll make your install soooo much easier

I do most things on my truck myself. This looks like a great piece.

If your truck came with the camper package you should have a wiring harness for your in bed plug coiled up and attached under the truck right behind the cab. Both of mine had had it.

I'll look for that. Thanks!

 

[Robby05]

I've installed more hitches than I can remember, Pull Rite is the way to go if your getting a traditional 5th wheel hitch setup. The B&W is a nice piece also. If you need any help with the install shoot me a PM.

The cool thing about the Pull Rite brackets is they have a tab to hold the nuts that bolt the bed rails to the frame brackets. You don't have to lay on your back & fight getting nuts started above the fuel tank & heat shields. You can actually get a torque wrench on bolts because they bolt from the top.

 

[fajitatone]

So I need some more advice. What are some of the things to look for when investigating a used RV? Water pump, roof, windows/door. Slide operation, jacks, tanks.

What am I missing? Axles, Brakes...

 

[matt78]

All of what you named is what to look at. Look for signs of water damage,mildew, etc. Look under the sinks, run the ac,or both ac units if they have 2 for at least half hour or so. I would get on the roof and make sure there are no rips on the tpo material or similar material. Also,feel if the floor feels soft in spots,and signs of being lived in. I would roll under it and give it all a good visual also. 5th wheel or travel trailer?

 

[Ne-max]

So I need some more advice. What are some of the things to look for when investigating a used RV? Water pump, roof, windows/door. Slide operation, jacks, tanks.

What am I missing? Axles, Brakes...

The biggest thing to check is for water damage. Inspect all of the sealant on the roof and sides. Check for soft spots in walls and floor. Look for bubbles in the sides and water marks.
Next is tires. Camper tires usually don't run out of tread. The weather check and just get old. I change mine every 4 years.
Run the awning out and check for rips or holes. Usually wont see anything with them rolled up.
Fridge, AC, water heater and power convertor are the most expensive things to replace on a camper when they go out.
Make sure the propane tanks are up to date.

Just remember. Campers are built super cheap. They require a lot of maintenance. Even my newer one needs small things here and there. Also bigger is NOT always better.

 

[fajitatone]

Got The DRV. It was in impeccable shape. kept under a cover wen not in use. The cover is a freaking circus tent! Owner upgraded the DC system/Inverter, and also threw in a torque wrench for the lugs on the wheels. Moved it to a covered storage lot.

Thanks for all the replies.

:thumb:

 

[Chevy1925]

Got The DRV. It was in impeccable shape. kept under a cover wen not in use. The cover is a freaking circus tent! Owner upgraded the DC system/Inverter, and also threw in a torque wrench for the lugs on the wheels. Moved it to a covered storage lot.

Thanks for all the replies.

:thumb:

i hate putting mine on... they are heavy SOBs to get on the roof lol