Fifth Wheel Vans

The concept for using a fifth wheel hitch for a road based trailer has been around for nearly a century. The original idea arose to allow one person instead of two or more to couple a vehicle and trailer together. After learning about the stability benefits that a fifth wheel hitch provides when towing, the RV industry in the U.S. began using it for caravans in the late 1960’s. This article discusses the fifth wheeler and the reasons for its growing popularity.

What is a Fifth Wheel

Fifth wheeler vans have an extension on the front that extends over the tow vehicle and sits on a horizontal plate which is generally circular and uses a king pin that fits in the centre like an axle and acts like a wheel, hence the name “Fifth Wheel”. This fifth wheel is attached on the back of the tow vehicle usually in the centre and directly above the rear axles which provides the support for the van. All fifth wheelers are outfitted with a fifth wheel hitch which is also known as a goose neck hitch. The fifth wheel hitch arrangement makes towing easier by placing the trailer load in the centre of the tow vehicle in stead of behind it, thus creating a stable towing proposition and also the opportunity of obtaining a lot more living space and a shorter towing length in comparison to a standard caravan. Typically full size pick up trucks such as the Chevrolet 2500HD or light commercials serve as the tow vehicle for the fifth wheeler van market here in Australia.

History of The Fifth Wheel

The phrase “Fifth Wheel” may have been used as early as the 1700’s to describe the horizontal wheel that was used to steer horse drawn four wheel carriages. The term fifth Wheel was also used in mechanical dictionaries in the 1870’s to define it as a wheel segment above the fore-axle of a carriage. When it came to coupling the locking jaw, a fifth wheel prototype was patented in 1919 and subsequently used in trail-mobile semi-trailer trucks in America. The way railway cars are coupled bought about this idea and the need arose so the vehicle and trailer could be connected by the driver alone

Fifth Wheeler RV’s and the Advantages

Fifth Wheelers are a relatively new concept here in Australia and our consumer is quickly starting to appreciate the advantages of Fifth wheel towing. Around 20% of the weight of the fifth wheeler van is placed directly above or slightly forward of the rear axle of the tow vehicle while the rest of the weight is supported by the van itself. This set up leads to better traction, handling and stability. It also increases safety and eliminates pitching and swaying and allows the handling of much heavier trailer loads than traditional tow behind the axle configurations.

Some other advantages of a fifth wheeler are:

Since the fifth wheel van is around 1.5meters over the tow vehicle and has no draw bar, the total length is up to 3 metres shorter than a standard caravan. This results in a shorter overall towing length with out sacrificing living space.

~ A Fifth Wheel van may be detached at the camping destination within 2 minutes freeing up the tow vehicle for exploring.

~ A vehicle towing a fifth wheel can turn a tighter circle than one towing a standard caravan. It is also much easier during reversing as a fifth wheeler does not move and jump from side to side.

~ A fifth wheel van can be hitched and unhitched much easier since it uses a turntable hitch instead of a ball and socket type it is simply a matter of raising the fifth wheeler close to the correct height and reversing the tow vehicle under the pin.

~ Because a fifth wheeler sits close behind the tow vehicle less wind drag is generated leading better efficiency on he road

Types of Fifth Wheelers

Large fifth Wheelers have a lot of the luxuries that are featured in modern homes such as full entertainment units with home theatre and internet, shower and bathrooms, dining areas, kitchen and full sleeping quarters with some comfortably sleeping up to 8 people. Fifth Wheel vans are typically bi-level designed having the master bedroom above the truck bed usually holding a large king or queen size bed. Most fifth wheelers have single or multiple slide out sections designed to move the walls outward at the touch of a button and increase the living areas substantially.

Fifth Wheeler Tow Vehicles

If you already have a vehicle or you wish to purchase it is important to understand all the legalities and performance of the vehicle. All the vehicles have ratings based on power torque towing capacity and payload capacity etc specified by the manufacturer. Fifth wheeler tow vehicles should also have a published gross combined mass (GCM) which is the total allowed weight of the tow vehicle and fifth wheeler when both are fully laden. Consult your RV dealer who will be able to work out weather the vehicle in suitable.

Fifth Wheeler Hitches

All fifth wheel hitches installed in Australia must be compliant with ADR 62.01 which refers to the Australian design rules – Mechanical Corrections between vehicles. Fifth wheel vans used a turntable style hitch installed on the back of the tow vehicles tray A two inch king pin at the front of the fifth wheeler is commonly used to connect with the locking jaw on the turn table. A fifth wheeler hitch is rated according to the weight of the fifth wheeler to be towed. The most commonly used hitch in Australia is Hi-Jacker 24-SLP-16 dual pivot hitch which is available from your authorised Crossroads RV Australia dealer and is rated at 7257kg (16000LBS).

Fifth Wheel Van Considerations

The fifth Wheel van industry is an emerging category within the RV industry in Australia and has much acceptance and appreciation for its many advantages such as towing safety. The Australian fifth wheeler market is following in the footsteps of the United States with our love of the much improved living areas and the availability of the larger pick up trucks such as the Chevrolet Silverado 2500HD and GMC Sierra’s.

When considering which fifth wheeler always deal with a respected Australian manufacturer and distributor who will have a product that meets all Australian Standards and design rules and meet all the necessary compliance obligations.