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| Sorry, you need to be a My Downunder member to post a reply. | | Camper
Posts:1
 | | 04 Feb 2008 4:59 p.m. |
 Alert | | I am interested in buying a 5th wheeler. What are the advantages over a conventional caravan, despite more space and towing stability? | | | |
| Alison
Posts:3
| | 15 Feb 2008 6:53 p.m. |
Alert | | Camper, a fifth wheeler is a great invention. There are just a couple of draw backs to them, the main one being the size. I am in this industry one 'both sides of the desk', one having a caravan park and the other having a caravan. In fact I am sitting in my van at the moment making my way down the east coast for a short break after the Christmas holidays. We are lucky and have sites that will take fifth wheelers, but not every park can because they were built in the days when caravans were small and sites were therefore small. Now, size is such a variance, a park owner has to accommodate rigs from the neatest Avan to 40m winner takes all buses. So, the advantage is luxury, the disadvantage is a restriction to the sites you can stop at. Caravans have fabulus fit outs these days and the push out sides (I don't have one) give you so much extra room. It is all a matter of personal choice in the end, but think of the places you want to stop and the space you will need when you get there. | | | |
| Rebecca
Posts:3
| | 15 Feb 2008 7:05 p.m. |
Alert | | Hey Alison, does your park take large vans? How has it affected you? | | | |
| Alison
Posts:3
| | 29 Feb 2008 10:38 p.m. |
Alert | Yes Rebecca, we do take fifth wheelers and other really bit rigs, but some parks cannot do that. These parks were built 30 odd years ago and designed to take 15ft vans that still gave room for the annex and a car. Now you need to take a huge rig, with expander sides, annexes, one or two cars, a boat, and sometimes a car trailer.
I do wonder when it will stop and how big rigs will get.
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| jgordon
Posts:2
| | 19 Jul 2008 9:11 p.m. |
Alert | | alison do you think a fifth wheeler off 25 ft would be ok for most parks comments. | | | |
| Rambo
Posts:1
| | 26 Mar 2009 4:34 p.m. |
Alert | We are looking at purchasing a 5th Wheeler (27ft) but are really now confuse as many people are telling us, that 4 out of 10 parks will take them, the rest cannot accomodate these rigs. Is this the case ?
Also we hear that models with the slide out sides have a leaking problem, again is this the case ?
Kevin | | | |
| djhr
Posts:10
| | 14 May 2009 9:46 p.m. |
Alert | You are all worried about caravan parks being able to accommodate your fifth wheelers big deal, I just wonder what sort of licence you are going to tow these monsters with.
In Victoria you cannot just jump into a prime at
mover and hook up a semi trailer without an ARTICULATED LICENCE now why should there be any difference, with you hooking up a fifth wheeler.
When you pull into a caravan park and watch some drivers you begin to wonder if your caravan is safe in the same park.
As a past truck driver, not saying all truck drivers are perfect there are some cowboys out there, as road users know.
Now I would like to see all drivers towing a fifth wheeler and also a caravan be made to under go a full articulated licence test.
Some of them are all right while travelling in a straight line; but even that seems a problem to others.
So how about we get some uniform licence Australia wide, and also how to tow, and load, a caravan. properly.
| | | |
| djhr
Posts:10
| | 14 May 2009 9:48 p.m. |
Alert | [quote]Posted By djhr on 14 May 2009 9:46 p.m.
You are all worried about caravan parks being able to accommodate your fifth wheelers big deal, I just wonder what sort of licence you are going to tow these monsters with.
In Victoria you cannot just jump into a prime
mover and hook up a semi trailer without an ARTICULATED LICENCE now why should there be any difference, with you hooking up a fifth wheeler.
When you pull into a caravan park and watch some drivers you begin to wonder if your caravan is safe in the same park.
As a past truck driver, not saying all truck drivers are perfect there are some cowboys out there, as road users know.
Now I would like to see all drivers towing a fifth wheeler and also a caravan be made to under go a full articulated licence test.
Some of them are all right while travelling in a straight line; but even that seems a problem to others.
So how about we get some uniform licence Australia wide, and also how to tow, and load, a caravan. properly.
[/quote]
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| kerval
Posts:1
| | 21 May 2009 10:30 p.m. |
Alert | Every person who "tries" to tow any unit bigger than about 5 metres SHOULD BE MADE to do a test AND get a special licence similar to a light rigid plus trailer. I have put this to many "salesmen" and been told it's OK to tow a 5th wheeler on a car licence (of course, they would say that to get a sale !!!!).
As it stands now, a newly licenced driver can be in charge of a vehicle that needs at least a couple of years practice to tow properly. As a professional heavy vehicle driver, I am always very wary of ANY caravans or similar vehicles and give them a wide berth.
I will add that I own a 4.5 metre van, and consider that more than adequate to be towed by a family sedan on a normal "car" licence.
BRING ON THE TESTING AND LICENCING OF DRIVERS OF ALL "ARTICULATED" VEHICLES, no matter what type !!!!!!!!. | | | |
| djhr
Posts:10
| | 22 May 2009 10:52 p.m. |
Alert | Thanks kervel. I am glad someone has much the same opinion as i have.
It seams funny how you never hear from owners of these fifth wheelers is it, because they might have to do a test or something that they may never pass.
I would like to see sone of these drivers reserve around a left hand bend, using there mirrors as i had to do to get my articulated licence.
(In Fourm YOUR SAY started by me about this subject) eagleanddove, watched a holden ute with a large 5th wheeler behind take the corner as if it was the ute alone and wound up with 5th wheeler hooked up on traffic lights.
He had no idea how to reverse off it.
In another I noticed a couple went to pick their fifth wheeler to see the dealer, replacing the spare wheel and refrigerator, when asked why the reply was we had to get it weighed and it was to heavy with them in it for a car licence or you would have to get a light truck licence. FRIGHTENING. | | | |
| Jos
Posts:1
| | 25 May 2009 10:38 p.m. |
Alert | Hi Guy's
I agree with the truckies, there should be some sort of special course and licence to tow 5th wheelers. I've just returned from a 1600k trip towing an empty 34ft boat trailer and having driven for over 30 years with some of those in Buses and Fire trucks back in the 80's I still found this a very unnerving experience. For people who have not had experience driving larger vehicles there must be an extra licence. | | | |
| djhr
Posts:10
| | 21 Jun 2009 11:45 a.m. |
Alert | | Come on you fifth wheeler owners, how about some coments, what sort of licence are you towing your monsters with, or are you scared that Vic Roads or some other state body will starts putting you over a weigh bridges and you find out your vericle is over the legal limit for your licence. The quicker state bodys start weighting cars and caravans the better it will be for all road users. | | | |
| SthOzMale
Posts:1
| | 26 Jun 2009 7:06 a.m. |
Alert | | djhr i understand what you are saying about an artic license to tow fifth wheelers but there is a flaw to this idea. I am a professional artic vehicle driver and test new drivers for my company. The problem is that drivers i am seeing who have newly qualified for a license under the national testing regime have little or no idea about driving these vehicles. Unfortunately the current licensing scheme is a total failure. Also please explain to me the difference between towing a 28 foot A frame caravan and a 28 foot fifth wheeler which is actually a shorter and more stable combination. I totally agree some form of training should be mandatory. The contents of the artic license are only a very small portion of the requirement to safely handle a fifth wheeler on the road and in the tight maneuvering of a caravan park. p.s. I own a 30 foot fifth wheeler which I tow with a mercedes atego 12 tonne truck that carries my smart car. | | | |
| maggie1942
Posts:5
| | 06 Mar 2010 11:06 a.m. |
Alert | Hi all
Does any one need more solar panels?
to be self sufficient with your Fifth wheeler.
I have found 280 watt for $2 a watt $560 each.
this is solar panel well below 1/2 price.
I need to find some people who also want more solar panel......
I can get the panels direct from the factory
But
I need to buy a few more than I need......
if so can you contact me maggie@polycore.com.au
Cheers Maggie
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March 2010 |
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Elizabeth Werner of NSW
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Donald LeBlanc of ACT
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New Year's eve 2008, Yackandandah, Victoria.Dinner and drinks at the pub and walk back to the caravan for a few more.
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