Hello there! In my Questions From the Road column, I take a crack at answering real questions from real RVers, just like you. You might find your question here! If not, please send me an email!

Why can fifth wheels be heavier than a travel trailer as far as towing goes?

Jonathan and heidi

I’m interpreting this question as “Why can a certain tow vehicle tow more with a 5th wheel hitch than a rear receiver hitch?”

(If you’re asking why 5th wheels can be heavier per square foot than travel trailers, then I’m way off the mark!)

It’s actually a pretty complicated question. Here’s a good article to start with. (And here’s a 5th wheel towing calculator at Changing Gears.)

There’s a lot that goes into this question. Market constraints are one reason. It’s a lot easier to find a truck that can tow a 12,000 5th wheel than can tow a 12,000-lb travel trailer!

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So, the basic idea is that the tongue weight of a travel trailer acts as a lever with the rear axle of the tow vehicle as a fulcrum. So not only are you adding weight on the rear axle, but you’re also reducing weight on the front axle.

That’s awful for handling and weight distribution. This is why pretty much all RVs require weight distribution hitches, which reduce this teeter-totter effect.

It also severely stresses the rear frame of the tow vehicle. The load is cantilevered. Imagine trying to hold a 50-lb weight with your arm extended straight in front of you, and you’ll get the idea.

Towing with a 5th wheel connection improves vehicle handling in just about every way: better turn radius, less trailer sway, etc. The kin pin weight is located directly over and centered on the tow vehicle’s rear axle. There’s no teeter-totter effect, and for a bunch of super-complicated aerodynamic and physics reasons, vehicle handling is markedly better. Less chance of the tail wagging the dog.

The simple answer is that when towing a 5th wheel, as long as your tow vehicle’s rear axle weight capacity (RGAWR) isn’t overloaded, you’re good to go. When towing a travel trailer, you can’t exceed the hitch weight, which is usually quite a bit less, and handling isn’t as good.