Another 5th wheel rig (a work in progress): 2022 Lariat SuperCab 3.5EB 4x4 towing Escape 5.0 Trailer

[Calson]

A 5th wheel trailer is easier to maneuver but one loses a great deal of storage space, as in the entire bed of the truck. This is a problem if someone wants to take kayaks or a dingy or bicycles or dogs with them when "camping".

With full size 5th wheel trailers there is a little basement storage but one is still limited to relatively small items that will fit inside.

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[Buyer2021]

2021 F150 Platinum Powerboost with Escape 5.0 5th wheel.

Nice rig!

A 5th wheel trailer is easier to maneuver but one loses a great deal of storage space, as in the entire bed of the truck.

With my 6.5 ft box and Andersen hitch I find there's lots of room for misc gear and 'stuff', but yes it must fit in the available space. I can easily accommodate my pair of Honda Eu2000i generators and extended run fuel tank with space left for a generous supply of firewood.

But rigid boats and bicycles do require alternate arrangements (kayaks over the truck cab / hood or bicycles on the RV rear bumper, for example).

No question, 'fivers' aren't for everyone .... every trailer type has its own set of compromises, ya gotta go with what works best for you

 

[Calson]

With a standard trailer and a fiberglass cap over the bed one can mount cross bars for kayaks and boats and put a couple of bikes inside and everything is secure from theft. There is also less usable floor space with a 5h wheel trailer. Friends have also commented on the need to go up steps to reach the main sleeping area as well as more steps to get inside from the ground. It has been a frequent reason why they have sold the ones they owned and replaced them with a motorhome.

The RV websites and campgrounds are good places to ask people what they like and most dislike about their current RV and also what they had before and what they plan to get when they sell their current RV.

 

[Buyer2021]

There is also less usable floor space with a 5h wheel trailer.

That's certainly not the case for a given overall rig-length (an important criteria for some folks for a variety of perfectly legitimate reasons).

... more steps to get inside from the ground.

The ground-to-floor height of my ETI fiver is identical to that of the same company's 19' and 21' bumper-pull trailers. I believe the 17' model may use a 1/2" shorter chassis box section so would be 1/2" closer to the ground if that's correct. But that's comparing trailers with comparable suspensions (Dexter #10 torsion axles w/15" wheels) and construction (all a molded fiberglass shell on a steel box-section chassis). ETI offers an optional 2-5/16" body-lit kit on all of their trailers for folks seeking more ground clearance between the bottom of underfloor fresh / gray water tanks and the ground (with attendant greater step-up height).

You can continue to present cons of 5th wheel trailers, and those which are fairly presented I won't dispute. IMO suggesting that fivers as a type are in some way inferior to bumper-pulls as a type is misguided, but that's your prerogative. That seems to be your agenda and while certainly your prerogative I might wish you start another thread for advancing that IMO misguided agenda.

Having owned and greatly enjoyed a number of bumper-pulls and now a 'fiver' I continue to recognize that there are pros and cons to both types. Neither is perfect for everyone and IMO neither is inherently inferior or superior as a type. I'll continue to advocate that folks should carefully consider the pros and cons of both in light of their particular situation, wants, and needs while avoiding denigration or touting 'superiority' of either type.

 

[carmigo]

2021 F150 Platinum Powerboost with Escape 5.0 5th wheel.

Awesome setup! Looks like the start of a great road-trip.

 

[Raicilla]

ProPower ROCKS for RV Life!

Lots of interior photos of the Escape 5.0 here: https://escapetrailer.com/the-5-0-escape/

 

[Buyer2021]

As mentioned, a work in progress ....

I have Firestone brand air bags on the 2005 XLT I previously used for towing this trailer. I like 'em for 'tweaking' trailer-level for various load conditions.

The only bags I found that are compatible with my B&W Turnoverball underbed hitch on the Gen 14 F150 is the Air Lift 5000 series, PN 88355 being the version with internal bump-stops (the OE bump stops are removed to install the bags). Those typically go for ~$480~$520 'street price' these days, sometimes you can catch a sale closer to $400.

I'm a "frugal" guy, always looking for 'the deal', so taking a chance I just ordered the 88355 that came up on Amazon as "Used - Very Good Condition" for $299.

I've never bought a 'used' item from Amazon Warehouse, there's free 30-day return as with New items, they claim no missing parts in this kit. I'll definitely be inspecting VERY carefully and doing a multi-day 'leak-down test' on the bags before installing.

Stay tuned, we'll see how this plays out, I'll update here.

 

[Buyer2021]

Stay tuned, we'll see how this plays out, I'll update here.

The update is: "Nevermind" .

I received the 'used' airbags from Amazon, they in fact looked completely new (the bags of hardware were un-opened); but, after considering how level my new rig rides even after placing a random extra 300# load in the bed I decided they are an unnecessary item and have returned the kit to Amazon.

Upon reflection it was an ill-considered notion, I should have done more testing before making the purchase (thankful for Amazon free return which I hope to not abuse).

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