Excerpt

As you might surmise from the title, this book is intended to be a compendium about fifth wheel trailers. Youll find many books about the various aspects of recreational vehicles (RVs) in general. Other books cover the topic of trailers as a class of RVs; these usually include both fifth wheel and travel trailers, plus pop-ups, tent campers and just about anything that can be hitched. However, fifth wheel trailers are distinctly different from all of the other towables. If you want to learn what there is to know about them, youve come to the right place.

Well provide a lot of basic information, so if you are new to the subject, you should learn everything you might need to know, whether you are just curious, still evaluating various RV options, getting ready to buy, or even as a new owner wanting to learn as much as you can before heading out on your first adventure. Wed also like to provide useful information for more experienced RVers or fifth wheel owners. Theres a lot to know and we hope youll learn a few things that will make your fifth wheel experience easier and more enjoyable.

This is the book that I wish Id had when I set out on my own RV adventure three years ago. I read a few books on general RVing, and they helped me with some basic information. But it wasnt until I got out and talked to people and then spent considerable time online reading many posts on a variety of forums that things started to come together for me. Ill share what I learned as I went through the process of deciding what type RV to buy and then selecting the fifth wheel that has worked out so well.

When I finally ventured out on the road in December 2004, I still had much learn. I hope that this book will help you to avoid some of the problems I had. Experience may be the best teacher, but perhaps you can profit from some of the things that I learned the hard way.

A short note on semantics: The term fifth wheel trailer is frequently shortened to just fifth wheel and the slang term fiver is also in common use. It is often written as 5er, especially in online venues such as blogs and forums. For our purposes, well use fifth wheel and fiver interchangeably throughout this book.

Where did the term fifth wheel come from? Well cover that topic in the next chapter, along with some history and background on what actually is a fiver. Moving along, well look at the advantages of fifth wheels as compared to motor homes and to travel trailers. Then well explore the fifth wheel universe, where there are now literally thousands of models to choose from. Well provide some structure and suggest some strategies that should help you find the right trailer for your needs and budget. Then well delve into the subject of tow vehicles, essential information for prospective fifth wheelers. And no review of fifth wheels would be complete without a detailed review of the hitch that sets them apart from all other towable RVs.

If you already own a fiver, tow vehicle, and hitch, I think youll find Chapter 2 interesting, but you may wish to skim Chapters 3 through 7 or skip forward to Chapter 8. Starting there, the last half of the book will be devoted to more operational topics, the nuts and bolts of tools and accessories, driving, towing, backing, parking, and other subjects related to enjoying and getting the most out of your fiver. Then well have a little fun going off the beaten track with our trailers. Finally, well provide some checklists to help you remember essential steps involved in departure and arrival sequences. Here and there youll find tips that we have learned on our own or picked up along the way.

Please note: This book is not intended to replace your owners manuals. You need to be familiar with details and operational procedures specific to your particular brand or model of trailer, hitch or other accessory. Only an owners manual can provide this information. Its unlikely, but if anything in this book conflicts with your owners manual, be sure to follow the manual. Hopefully this book presents details and fleshes out procedures in a way that complements those which manufacturers provide.

RVing is a wonderful way to experience this wonderful land of ours. I hope this book helps you to get out and enjoy all there is to see and do in a way that is uniquely yours. Happy Trails to you.