Fifth Wheelers

Fifth wheelers are becoming a popular choice of recreational vehicle in Australia. This is likely due to the convenience, luxury and easy of towing that a 5th wheeler offers. A fifth wheel van is a home away from home for many people enjoying all our great country has to offer. Read on to discover more about the fifth wheeler and the reasons for its growing popularity.

What are Fifth Wheelers?

A fifth wheeler is an RV that has an extension on the front that fits over the towing vehicle and is designed to be towed using a special hitch mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. The hitch is a horizontal plate which is generally circular and uses a king pin that fits in the centre like an axle and acts like a wheel, which is how it got the name “Fifth Wheel”. This fifth wheel is attached on the back of the tow vehicle usually in the centre and directly above the rear axles which provides the support for the van’s weight.

All fifth wheelers are fitted with this fifth wheel. The fifth wheel hitch makes towing much easier than with a caravan by making the load sit in the centre of the tow vehicle as opposed to behind it, thus creating stable towing and also the ability to have much more living space and yet a shorter towing length than a standard caravan.

Generally pick up trucks such as the Chevrolet 2500HD or light commercials are used as the tow vehicle for the fifth wheeler van market here in Australia.

History of The Fifth Wheel

The idea of a fifth wheel have been around as far back as 1000 BC* when the celts refined the concept of a kingpin pivot in carts with a kingbolt and turntable steering system and then further refined it to fifth wheel steering.
As time progressed the fifth wheel was improved and used in wagons and carriages.

With the advent of motor vehicles, the fifth wheel was modified allow connection of these wagons and carriages over the rear axle of a tractor. This modified fifth wheel then evolved into the hitch systems used today first in semi-trailers, with a locking-jaw fifth wheel hitch that was patented in 1919, and then in fifth wheeler RV’s in the 60’s.

Fifth Wheeler RV’s and the Advantages

Fifth Wheelers are a relatively new concept here in Australia and our consumer is quickly starting to appreciate the advantages of Fifth wheel towing. The biggest advantage of a fifth wheeler over a caravan is the towing stability and therefore the safety. Compared to caravans fifth wheelers are a dream to tow.
Twenty percent of the weight of the fifth wheeler is carried above or slightly forward of the rear axle of the tow vehicle while the rest of the weight is supported by the van itself. This set up contributes to improved traction and handling compared to pulling a traditional trailer. It is more stable, eliminating the usual pitching and swaying of a caravan and allows the handling of much heavier trailer loads than traditional tow behind the axle configurations.

Some other advantages of a fifth wheeler are:

• The fifth wheel's raised neck section connects over the bed of the tow vehicle to the fifth-wheel hitch. This overlap reduces the overall length of the two vehicles (up to 3 metres shorter) without sacrificing living space.
• With a Fifth Wheel van may be removed from the tow vehicle at the camping destination within 2 minutes freeing it up for exploring.
• A vehicle towing a fifth wheel is easier to reverse and maneuver than a caravan. It can also turn a tighter circle. Because of the design much sharper turns (up to 90 degrees) can be made.
• Coupling and uncoupling is a quick, one-person job with a fifth wheeler. Because it uses a turntable hitch instead of a ball and socket type it a simple matter of raising the fifth wheeler to the correct height and reversing the tow vehicle under the pin.
• Due to a fifth wheeler sitting so close behind the tow vehicle there is less wind drag generated which gives better fuel efficiency on he road
• Fifth wheelers can cost much less per square foot than a motorhome. This is particularly valuable to someone who already owns a pickup truck and could use that to pull with.

What’s inside a fifth wheeler?

Large fifth Wheelers have many of the luxuries that are inside modern homes such as entertainment units with home theatre and internet, shower and bathrooms, dining areas, kitchen, living areas and lots of storage space.
Fifth Wheel vans are generally designed with a step up to the master bedroom above the truck bed usually holding a large king or queen size bed. Most fifth wheelers have single, double or triple slide out sections that move the walls outward at the touch of a button to increase the living areas substantially.

Fifth Wheeler Tow Vehicles

If you already have a vehicle or you wish to purchase a vehicle for this purpose it is important to understand that the tow vehicle must be legally rated to tow a 5th Wheeler. You will need to know the weight of the 5th Wheeler and check your tow vehicle has the capacity to tow that weight. This towing capacity of your vehicle is found in the vehicle Owner's Manual. Fifth wheeler tow vehicles should also have a published gross combined mass (GCM) which is the total allowed weight of the tow vehicle and fifth wheeler when both are fully laden. Consult your RV dealer who will be able to work out whether the vehicle is suitable.
Make sure that your towing vehicle is equipped with a weight-distributing hitch that has a rating at least equal to the GVWR. Make sure that it is installed per the hitch manufacturer's instructions, and that it meets the tow vehicle's requirements for fit and performance.

Fifth Wheeler Hitches

A fifth wheeler hitch is rated according to the weight of the fifth wheeler to be towed. In Australia the hitches must be compliant with Australian design rules 62.01 which refers to Mechanical Corrections between vehicles. The most commonly used hitch in Australia is Hi-Jacker 24-SLP-16 dual pivot hitch which is available from your authorised Crossroads RV Australia dealer and is rated at 7257kg (16000LBS).

Fifth Wheel Van Considerations

The fifth Wheel van industry is an emerging category within the RV industry in Australia and has much acceptance and appreciation for its many advantages such as towing safety. The Australian fifth wheeler market is following in the footsteps of the United States with our love of the much improved living areas and the availability of the larger pick up trucks such as the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and GMC Sierra’s.

When considering which fifth wheeler always deal with a respected Australian manufacturer and distributor who will have a product that meets all Australian Standards and design rules and meet all the necessary compliance obligations.

* World History of the Automobile By Erik Eckermann

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