What is a uili lona lima? They’re just travel trailers, right? Well, not so fast.

While a 5th wheel camper is a towable RV, it’s different from standard travel trailers. In fact, a towable RV that’s called a fifth wheel (or 5th wheel) is distinguished from other travel trailers in a variety of ways.

Tulaga maualuga JSK lafo uili lona lima 37C

E le gata e eseese i latou i le tulaga i fafo ma le faʻatulagaina o totonu, ae o le tosoina o le tasi e ese mai le tosoina o isi tagata tolauapi.

In today’s post, we hope to clear up the confusion by answering the question “What is a fifth wheel camper?” with some important details and distinctions that make them unique.

O le a le mea ta'avale uili lona lima?

O le RV uili lona 5, o se ta'avale toso ma se pulou tele i luma. O se tasi lea o vaega autu e iloagofie ai le uili lona lima mai soʻo se isi ituaiga o taavale toso malaga. O le pulou e nofo i luga o le moega o le loli lea e fai ma taavale toso.

Fifth wheels aren’t all one size. Some are extremely large with multiple slide-outs, and some are a bit smaller, like the one shown here.

I lalo o le pulou, o le tele o loʻo i ai se pusa pine uʻamea ma pu faʻapipiʻi i le tasi pito. O le mea lea e fa'afeso'ota'i ai le uamea e ta'ua o le kingpin i luma o le uili lona lima.

Pickup trucks that tow 5ths are equipped with a heavy-duty hitch installed into the bed of the truck. That wheel hitch clamps around the fifth wheel’s kingpin, locking the trailer and the hitch together.

O iinei e te vaʻaia ai se vaʻaiga vavalalata o auvae loka o se uili lona lima i le moega o se pikiapu.

O lea la, o le auala o le tosoina o se tasi o eseesega taua o le 5th uili tolauapi.

O le isi eseesega iloga i le va o taavale toso femalagaa'i masani ma le ituaiga uili lona lima o le RV e fa'atatau i le avanoa e nofo ai i totonu.

Fuafuaga fola fola uili 5 e mafai ai ona tele tulaga ma fa'ase'e i fafo. O le nofoaga tele e nonofo ai e maua e le avanoa latou te ofoina atu atonu o le mafuaaga sili lea e lauiloa ai nei rigs i RVers tumau.

O a mea lelei ma mea le lelei o le Tolauapiga Uili Lima?

E pei o soʻo se seti RV, o loʻo i ai le lelei ma le le lelei iinei.

O le togafiti, e pei lava o taimi uma, o le iloa lea o le seti e sili ona aoga mo lou aiga ma lau faiga malaga.

Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of 5th wheel travel trailers.

Fa'alelei

We’ll start by taking a look at the advantages, which can be considerable.

Avanoa

Fifth wheels offer a LOT of room for the size of the rig, some up to as much as 500 sq. ft. That’s larger than some tiny houses and city apartments!

O nisi 5ths e matua matagofie lava, ma o le tele e lava avanoa e ofoina atu ai le tele o mea lelei o se fale laau & piliki.

E le gata ina latou ofoina atu se nofoaga tele e nofo ai ae tele foi avanoa e teu ai.

O se tasi lea o mafuaʻaga e taʻutaʻua ai uili lona 5 i tagata faigaluega tumau ma aiga.

Sili atu Aafiaga Tosoina

E maua ai le fa'aogaina ma le fa'atonutonu lelei o le uili fa'afa'ilima/toso nai lo le fa'ato'a-toso/toso malaga.

Placing the weight of the trailer directly over the truck’s axle helps significantly with balance and sway prevention, making it a better towing experience overall.

Fale-Pei-I totonu

The floorplans of fifth wheel campers are often more home-like than other RVs. A variety of layouts are made possible by the step-up area (into the cap), and often include multiple RV slide-outs.

Most fifth wheels have slide-outs (some have several), that serve to increase the interior living space of the rigs substantially. We’ve seen floorplans with as many as FIVE slideouts!

O nisi e iai umukuka mo motu po'o le peninsula fa'atasi ai ma mea faigaluega fa'apitoa. O nisi e iai ni tapu ta'ele moni!

Taua

E maua e le au fai uili lona lima le tele o pa mo a latou tupe.

Despite the fact that they’re some of the most spacious rigs on the road, they’re nowhere near as expensive to buy as large Class A RVs and other big rigs are. (Of course, lacking a drivetrain, 5ths have a built-in price advantage here.)

Faatasi ai ma le uili lona lima, e te maua le tele o le ola ma le teuina o avanoa mo au tupe.

Cons

Like anything else, there are some downsides. Let’s take a look at the disadvantages of owning and traveling in a fifth wheel camper.

Tele ma Mamafa

O uili lona 5 e masani ona lapopoa ma mamafa nai lo isi taavale toso malaga, o lea e manaʻomia ai se loli lapoʻa e toso.

Ma'imau le avanoa mo le moega o loli

Because the fifth-wheel hitch is located in the bed of the truck, you lose the use of much of the truck bed when you’re towing the camper. And many hitch designs remain in the way even when not towing.

Manaomia le Paleni Lelei o le Tolauapiga ma le loli

Balancing the size of the truck and trailer is important when you’re towing a 5th wheel.

You have to ensure that the fifth wheel overhang isn’t too long, or the bed of the truck too short. Otherwise, you could hit the back of the truck with the fifth wheel when maneuvering. Breaking the rear window on the truck is an awful self-inflicted wound.

Fifth Wheel Fitches Manaomia le tausiga

I le faaopoopo atu i le tausia o le tolauapi ma le loli, o le nonoa lava ia e manaomia ai le tausiga.

E tele a latou vaega fe'avea'i, e aofia ai le king pin locking assembly. E tele vaega o lo'o galue ai iinei, ma e mana'omia ona fa'aulu i taimi uma.