Posted by RonW on April 06, 2003 at 13:16:43:
In Reply to: What advantages to fifth-wheel trailer? posted by ken on April 04, 2003 at 10:26:07:
Fifth wheel or ball-- I can answer you with over 30 years construction experience. A fifth wheel allows the same truck to be able to pull a much larger and heavier trailer and a lot safer as compared to a ball. The fifth wheel is mounted in the bed just ahead of the axle, so actually your vehicle is pushing the load rather then pulling it.On a load like this you should probably be looking at a 3/4 ton truck with dual axles and electric brakes on the trailer. There is all the advantage in the world to this, with one drawback. You obviously can't have a camper shell on your truck and you loose a lot of your bed space. There are different kinds of fifth wheels and some are smaller and don't take up as much room, but you still have the turning radius. There is also another option called the pintle hook.You see this on for example dump trucks pulling backhoes or small track machines. This is 2 large steel rings that join, a lot like a jewelry clasp called a lobster claw. You should be looking at a heavy 3/4 ton or better yet, maybe a 1 ton truck. You may even want to consider dual wheels,(4 tires) on the back of the truck.A lot of guys pulling big dual horse trailers go with a 1 ton truck with dual wheels and put straight positive traction in the rear ends and are very happy with this set up.
You can also increase the trailer to a tri-axle, and defintely have brakes on the trailer or it will push you through stop signs. One big secret is to have the tongue and hitch mounted at level angles so the trailer isn't putting too much weight on the rear end causing the front end to float, resulting in poor steering. Pintle hooks are generally bolted and welded to the frame, so you will probably be loosing your bumper. I would rather loose the bumper then bed. Get a good trailer set up right and a strong truck and you will be happy. Lobster boats are NEAT...