Fifth Wheel Hauling Tips

A fifth wheel trailer is a type of towable recreational vehicle (RV) that uses a unique two-part hitch system to anchor it to the bed of a pickup truck. Roomy and comfortable, fifth wheels have plenty of sleeping spaces for the whole family. Some fifth wheels resemble residential homes in terms of the amenities and comforts they offer.

But one of the challenges of owning a fifth wheel can be the towing itself. These vehicles aren’t small, and they do require you to adapt your driving habits to some degree. Happy Camper RV Sales, with locations in Boise, Garden City and Nampa, is your Idaho fifth wheel dealer. Here are some tips to help you safely haul your fifth wheel around.

Avoid Overloading Your Fifth Wheel

Your average fifth wheel hitch can haul a weight limit of about 24,000 pounds, but you should never assume that that’s the weight yours can carry without checking! You should know how much your fifth wheel weighs when it’s empty and when it’s full. You can get the empty weights for your truck and fifth wheel by checking your owner’s manuals, but you will have to rent a CAT scale or use a local dump scale to measure how much your full fifth wheel weighs.

Be Ready For Mountain Driving

In Idaho, we’ve got the Rockies to contend with when driving, and mountains present an extra challenge for those hauling fifth wheels. If you’re driving a gas truck, then your engine is going to lose approximately 4% of its power for every thousand feet in elevation you climb, but if you have a diesel truck, this won’t be a concern. 

In either case, loading your fifth wheel as lightly as possible will help make it easier to scale steep inclines. Put your truck into a lower gear when you’re going into a mountainous region and slow down your speed. Watch for places that you can turn off the road in case of an emergency, too.

Don’t Use Overdrive

It might be tempting to put your pickup into overdrive to reduce wear and tear when you’re hauling something as weighty as a fifth wheel. Overdrive reduces engine noise and improves fuel consumption. However, the extra weight of your fifth wheel can put serious strain on your truck’s transmission system, which can lead to overheating. You don’t want to end up breaking your truck by trying to get a little more mileage per gallon, so steer clear of the overdrive function.

Check Tire Pressure

Before you depart, you’ll also want to make sure that the tires on both your pickup truck and your fifth wheel are in peak condition. Driving on worn tires puts you at risk of a blowout, which is dangerous enough when you’re just driving your car or truck, but the danger increases exponentially when you’re hauling something heavy like a fifth wheel.

Use a tire pressure gauge to check the pressure of each tire and air them up to the psi levels specified in your vehicles’ owner’s manuals. While you’re airing up your tires, examine each one for signs of uneven wear, embedded objects and bald treads. Make sure to repair or replace your worn tires promptly. If you want to make tire pressure maintenance simpler, you can install a tire-pressure gauge on your fifth wheel that will keep tabs on the tires for you and let you know if one isn’t right.

Practice Makes Perfect

Finally, one of the best things you can do when you’re new to hauling a fifth wheel is to put in some practice. Take your entire towing setup to an empty parking lot so you can practice turning, braking, reversing and parking. This will help you to gain confidence so that you aren’t as likely to struggle while driving on the highway or trying to park at your campsite.

Seeking fifth wheel trailers for sale near Nampa? Visit our website to see the fine selection of new and used 5th wheels for sale at our three Idaho dealerships. We even provide financing options to help you get the 5th wheel you want. Happy Camper RV Sales proudly serves the city of Meridian, ID.