Fifth Wheels For Sale Serving Seattle & Western Washington

Fifth Wheel Towing Tips

Just purchased your first fifth wheel? Congratulations! You’ve probably got a lot of great trip ideas already planned out, if only in your head. Not sure how to tow a fifth wheel around? That’s okay! Not everyone can be an expert right away, so to help you out, Valley RV Supercenter has provided some of the basic tips for towing your fifth wheel for the first time. Take a look, and if you think your rig is going to need some maintenance or repairs before your first trip out, stop by our location in Kent, Washington. We welcome all RV owners from the areas of Seattle, Tacoma, Mount Vernon, and Silverdale, Washington.

Using the Correct Tow Vehicle

First things first: make sure you’ve got the right tow vehicle to haul your fifth wheel. Fifth wheels are different from other towable RVs in that you must use a vehicle with an open- or flatbed, so most likely a pickup truck. The hitch gets installed directly into the bed, so there’s little wiggle room on this and the few exceptions are generally more work than they’re worth.

You’ll also want to use a tow vehicle that can handle the weight of your rig. Fifth wheels tend to be a bit bigger, so odds are you’ll need a pickup that can tow at least half a ton, if not much more. You can figure out your tow vehicle’s towing capacity, or their gross combined weight rating (GCWR), by checking with the vehicle manufacturer. This will need to include not only the weight of the tow vehicle and the fifth wheel, but the cargo and passengers as well, so you won’t want to cut it too close. Violating weight limits is not only incredibly dangerous, but it’s illegal and can come with hefty fines.
 

Hitching

When you have the right tow vehicle, make sure it also has the right hitch. Luckily, most truck manufacturers make their own fifth wheel hitches for specific models you can get installed without too much carving and slicing into your truck.

The hitching process itself is surprisingly simple, so much so that you can do it without the help of another person. Open the jaws of the hitch so it’s ready to receive the kingpin and line up the back of your tow vehicle with the front of your fifth wheel. Slowly back up toward the fifth wheel, adjusting the hitch height with the front jacks as necessary. If all goes well, you should eventually hear a “click” to indicate the hitching process is complete. All that’s left is to lock the receiver in place with the cotter pin.
 

Important Driving Tips

Now comes the hard part, the driving. We’ll admit, this can look a little daunting at first, but you’ll have a few advantages, namely security. The overlap between the bed of the truck and the overhang of the fifth wheel actually gives you more control and stability over your rig, which will keep you from getting pushed around too much or from fishtailing.

Even after you’ve purchased your tow vehicle, you’ll still want to keep your overall weight in mind. Just because your tow vehicle can haul the weight, doesn’t mean it’s easy to brake with it. It’ll take longer to slow down and stop, so give yourself plenty of room between you and the vehicle in front of you, especially when traveling at high speeds. In general, just take it easy. The majority of towing accidents are caused by reckless driving habits, so be patient and slow down when necessary.

So what’s the best way to get better at towing your fifth wheel? Just practice! Find a big, empty parking lot to help you get used to the feeling of driving with a fifth wheel without having to worry about other drivers. You’ll want to focus on developing new habits for some basic driving techniques like braking, turning, parking, and reversing. Eventually, you should also work your way up to high speed driving on the highway. For this, you’ll probably want to find a day or time with light traffic. This won’t come naturally, so give yourself all the advantages you need to become more confident.

While this covers the basics, you’ll probably find you develop more specific tips for your individual needs. Just make sure you’re always in compliance with legal obligations and that you’re prioritizing the safety of you, your passengers, and the other commuters around you. If you’re still looking for the perfect fifth wheel, then stop by Valley RV Supercenter in Kent, Washington to check out the models we have on our lot right now. We proudly serve the areas of Seattle, Tacoma, Mount Vernon, and Silverdale, Washington.