Comparing Fifth Wheels and Travel Trailers

There are numerous styles of recreational vehicles available on the market, giving you a dizzying array of choices. Your primary decision is between motorhomes and towable RVs. If you’ve landed on towable RVs, though, you now have another big decision between travel trailers and fifth wheels. Each type of towable RV has its benefits, but which one is right for your camping needs?

Herold Trailer Sales in Indianola is your western Iowa travel trailer and fifth wheel dealer, serving Omaha and Des Moines. We’ve drawn up this comparison between the two styles to help you come to a decision.

Cost

You can find inexpensive options for both types of RV, but travel trailers typically win out when it comes to being budget-friendly. The most well-appointed travel trailer is likely going to cost less than a standard fifth wheel, simply because of its lighter weight and smaller size. Travel trailers also don’t require as much maintenance or high insurance costs or expensive accessories and they’re easier to store.

Ease of Towing

With practice, you can easily tow either a travel trailer or a fifth wheel. Each one has its own advantages, though.

Travel trailers are smaller and lighter in weight, so they can be towed by nearly any type of van or SUV or truck. Their bumper-pull hitch style means they can be adapted to many types of vehicles. The light weight of a travel trailer also makes it easy to tow.

Fifth wheels have a unique hitching system that requires the use of a pickup truck with a bed that their couplings can be installed into. While this severely limits the type of vehicle you can use to tow them, fifth wheel hitch connections tend to be very secure and reduce trailer sway.

Size

Between the two styles of vehicle, fifth wheels are much larger. In fact, some can be comparable to residential homes in terms of their size, with high ceiling clearances and slide-outs that increase interior space. Fifth wheels also tend to have more sleeping berths and storage spaces for all your gear. Because the hitch of a fifth wheel can carry more weight, these RVs can be a lot bigger.

If you’re looking for something that’s more compact and can fit into more small camping and parking spaces, though, a travel trailer is your best bet. Travel trailers also weigh much less.

Ready to view some RV models in person? Come see us at our dealership in Indianola, IA, today to check out our current inventory of new and used fifth wheels and travel trailers for sale. You can even discuss RV financing options with our friendly sales team. Herold Trailer Sales proudly serves greater Des Moines, IA, and Omaha, NE.