Richard Neuman Art Prints - 5th wheel camper

From The Richard Neuman Print Collection - used by permission

Fifth Wheel Camping Trailers

A fifth wheel trailer is a camper that is designed to be towed using a special hitch mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. In this arrangement, the trailer is attached over the truck's rear axle and wheels, which then supports a significant portion of the trailer's weight.

The phrase fifth wheel refers to the connection of the trailer to the hitch in the bed of the truck. The phrase originally referred to a turntable device that allowed the front axle of horse-drawn wagons and carriages to pivot with the animals as a turn was made. With the advent of steam, electric and gasoline engines, the fifth wheel was modified in some applications to allow connection of these wagons and carriages over the rear axle of a motorized tractor. This modified fifth wheel evolved into the hitch systems used today with fifth wheel RV campers and semi-tractor trailers.

An early motorized fifth wheel application

Vehicle steering methods

fifth wheel hitch mounted in the bed of the pickup truck A 5th wheel is used to "join" the pick-up and the trailer into one unit, when connected. It consists of two flat horizontal metal plates, one lower plate mounted in the bed of the truck and one on the camper. The plate on the camper also has a large vertical pin called a king pin on fifth wheel trailer king pin, which slides into a slot on the lower plate, and is locked into place by the 5th wheel hitch jaws. The hitch, when connected, forms a flexible coupling that permits both rotational and vertical movement between the pickup truck and camper.

Fifth wheel trailers are available from entry level campers for occasional camping though luxury recreational vehicles suited for long term or full time RVing. Sizes range from the 19 foot Scamp 5th Wheel to over 40 feet.

While most fifth wheel campers require a heavy duty pickup, or larger, as a tow vehicle, there are a few light fifth wheels that can be towed by a light duty pickup truck. It is very important that the tow ratings of the truck exceed the fully loaded weight of the camper. Some recommend that the tow vehicle be rated for ten to twenty percent more that the camper's fully loaded weight.

North American recreational vehicle manufacturers web sites are provided on Haw Creek in the RV categories of class A motorhomes and Coaches, class B motorhomes and vans, class C motor homes, fifth wheel campers, travel trailer RVs, tear drop trailers, tent or folding trailers, and truck campers, including off road RVs. In most instances, along with the home page for the manufacturer, the names of the current models are provided, where available. For financing the RV once you've found it, see RV Financing and for RV pieces, parts and add-ons, see Recreational Vehicle Accessories.

Fifth Wheel RVs

Fifth Wheel RV Manufacturers

Adventure Manufacturing
5th wheel models:
Riverside; RPM (toy hauler); Sky; Timberlodge; Timberlodge LE

Alfa
5th wheel models:
See Ya! Gold; See Ya!

Ameri-Camp
5th wheel models:
Summit Ridge; Summit Ridge Reserve; Wrangler

Americana - factory ordered
5th wheel camper models:
GS, LC

Carriage Inc.
5th wheel trailer models:
Cameo; Carri-Lite; Carriage; Domani; Royals International

Carson Trailer, Inc
5th wheel trailer models (toy haulers):
Carrera Lite; Fun-Runner; Titan

Coachmen RVs
5th wheel models:
Chaparral; Chaparral Lite; Wyoming

Crossroads
5th wheel models:
CrossFire (S.U.T); CrossForce (S.U.T); CrossTerrain (S.U.T); Cruiser; Cruiser Sport; Kingston; Seville; Sunset Trail; Zinger

Double Tree RV
5th wheel models:
Elite Suites; Mobile Suites; Select Suites

Dutchmen
5th wheel models:
Adirondack; Colorado; Denali; Four Winds; Grand Junction; Monte Vista; North Shore; Tundra; Victory Lane (toy hauler); Wild Thing (toy hauler); Winners Circle (toy hauler)

Eclipse Recreational Vehicles Inc.
5th wheel trailer toy hauler models:
Attitude; Stellar

EnduraMax LLC
5th wheel trailer toy hauler model:
Wide Open

Excel Fifth Wheels
5th wheel models:
Classic; Limited; RT; Wild Cargo (toy hauler)

Extreme RVs
5th wheel trailer models:
MegaLite; Monterrey; Sportmaster

Franklin Coach

Frontier RV
5th wheel trailer model:
Aspen, Tazor

Fleetwood Enterprises, Inc.
5th wheel models:
Advantage; Formula (toy hauler); GearBox; Prowler; Prowler Classic; Quantum; RedLine (toy hauler); Regal ; Terry; Terry Resort; Wilderness; Wilderness Scout

Forest River
5th wheel models:
Cardinal; Cedar Creek; Cherokee; Day Dreamer; Flagstaff; Rockwood; Salem; Salem Sport (toy hauler); Sandpiper; Sierra; Surveyor; Wildcat; Wildwood; Wildwood Sport (toy hauler); Wolf Pack toy hauler); Work and Play (toy hauler/cargo carrier); XLR (toy hauler)

General Coach BC
5th wheel models:
Citation; Cosair

General Coach ON
5th wheel models:
Citation/Chateau

Glendale RV
5th wheel trailer model:
Titanium Tour Edition; Titanium Pearl;
(Glendale also sells park models)

Gulf Stream
5th wheel models:
Ameri-Lite; Canyon Trail Mid-Profile; Canyon Trail Sedona; Conquest; G-Force (toy hauler); Innsbruck; Kingsport; Mako Blue Water; Mako Mid-Profile; Prairie Schooner; Yellowstone

Heartland
5th wheel models:
Big Country; Bighorn; Cyclone; Landmark; Razor (toy hauler); Sundance

Holiday Rambler
5th wheel models:
Alumascape; Alumascape Suite; Next Level (toy hauler); Presidential Suite; Savoy LX; Savoy LE

Hy-Line

Jayco
5th wheel models:
Designer, Eagle; Eagle Super Lite, Recon ZX (toy hauler)

KZ Recreational Vehicles (KZ RV)
5th wheel models:
Durango; Durango LX; Escalade; Escalade Sportster; Inferno (toy hauler); Montego Bay; New Vision Sportster (toy hauler); Sportsmen; Sportsmen Sportster (toy hauler)

Keystone RVs
5th wheel models:
Big Sky; Challenger; Copper Canyon; Cougar; Cougar SRX (toy hauler); Everest; Fuzion (toy hauler); Hornet; Laredo; Montana; Mountaineer; Raptor (toy hauler); Springdale; Springdale Springloaded (toy hauler); Sydney

King of the Road
5th wheel models:
Crown Marquis; Royal Villa; Royalite

Komfort RV
5th wheel model:
Komfort

Marathon Homes
5th wheel models:
Free Stylin’; Marathon; Olympian; Specialty RVs

McKenzie RV
5th wheel models:
Medallion Estate; Dune Chaser; Lakota; Lakota Estate; Starwood LX, Starwood LE

New Horizons - factory direct
5th wheel models:
Classic; Summit; Motomover (toy hauler); 5 Star Series

Newmar Corp
5th wheel models:
Cypress; Torrey Pine; Kountry Aire; X-Aire

Northwood Manufacturing
5th wheel models:
Arctic Fox; Desert Fox (toy hauler); Nash

NuWa Industries
5th wheel models:
Hitchhiker II LS; Hitchhiker Champagne; Hitchhiker Discover America

Okanagan
5th wheel model:
Eclipse

Palomino RV
5th wheel models:
Puma; Sabre; Thoroughbred

Pilgrim International, Inc.
fifth wheel models:
Cirrus Ultra Lite; Pilgrim 1500; Pilgrim 2500; Legends MP; Legends HP; Open Road

Play-Mor Trailers, Inc.
fifth wheel models (toy-haulers): Motorsport; Motorsport Deluxe FW; Racer; Sport LX; Sport-Maxx

Recreation by Design - Designing custom-built recreational vehicles is our business. (formerly American Travel System)

R-Vision
5th wheel models:
Dodge; R-Wagon; Max Lite; Trail-Bay; Trail-Cruiser; Trail-Sport

Scamp

Skyline RVs
5th wheel modesl:
Aljo; Layton; Nomad

Space Craft Mfg. – Custom Built

Starcraft
5th wheel models:
Aruba Lite; Homestead Lite

Sun Valley
5th wheel models:
Roadrunner; Roadrunner Elite; Roadrunner XL; X-Treme Lite; X-Treme Sport

SunnyBrook
5th wheel models:
Big Dog (toy hauler); Bristol Bay; Brookside; Titan LX; Titan SURV (toy hauler)

Teton Homes
5th wheel models:
Experience; Royal

Thor

Thor California
5th wheel models:
Jazz; Summit; Tahoe (toy hauler); Vortex (toy hauler), Wave

Travel Supreme
5th wheel models:
Classic; River Canyon; Rally Sport (toy hauler); Travel Supreme; Select

Triple E RVs
5th wheel model:
Topaz

Western Recreational Vehicle
5th wheel models:
Alpenlite Limited; Defender (toy hauler)

S.U.T. = Sport Utility Trailer