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Subject Topic: 5th Wheel ... any problems with sites?
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04/7/2009 at 12:11am
 Location: cheshire
 Outfit: Coachmen Mirada 300qb. American RV
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I have had no problems with sites here or in europe with my 5ver.One haven site however wanted to charge me for 2 pitches a night but they did say that applied to any van over 20' in high season. i have no probs with fresh or grey water either and my toilet is the cassette type, but if it wasnt i would just use a blueboy its easy enough. One thing you do have to do is to be able to reverse the unit into position (practice is everything). If you are serious stick with either Niche-marketing or Calder leisure both these units can be easily towed by uk pickups. The one thing i will say is the lower height of the niche units will give a better fuel return when towing but the larger space in the kountry lite from calder is very nice for long term touring.As for the very nice rambler(beautiful outfit) from the 5th wheel company I know a few who have bought this unit and have ended up buying an american pickup because the unit is very heavy and they felt the uk pickup wasnt up to the job of long distance towing especially up hills or long upward climbs of road.This is the only van that you would need to upgrade the leaf springs on a uk pickup and its due to the pin weight of the rambler in the loadbed.Air assist is optional but it gives the whole outfit a better ride over bumpy roads at present i dont have air assist on my truck and i dont have extra leaf springs because the pin weight is under the carrying weight for my truck in the loadbed
A 5ver is more stable on the road and when sited is more spacious.
You dont need a hgv licence for one, but if you past your test after 97 you would have to take the test to tow a trailer because this type of outfit would put you over the 3500kg combined allowance for newer drivers.
I have had mine just over 4 years now and much prefer it to a uk/european type of caravan.

Maggie
p.s. yes im female and i hitch, tow and reverse my unit including putting it into its storage spot, as well as driving over here i take it over to france and down to spain.

Post last edited on 04/07/2009 00:26:22

Post last edited on 04/07/2009 00:43:03


04/7/2009 at 8:09am
 Location: South Gloucestershire
 Outfit: Sterling Excel 550 - Honda CR-V Mk4
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Quote: Originally posted by pajaholic on 02/7/2009
Fresh and grey water arrangements are similar to most motorhomes. Since the tanks are a lot bigger than an Aquaroll and Wastemaster, you can go several days between visits to the motorhome service point.

The way you handle the toilet waste depends on whether you've got a European-style cassette or a US-style black water tank. If you have a cassette, you dispose of the toilet holding tank in the same way as you would with any other Thetford-equipped caravan.

US-style black water tanks are more of a problem. If you can get close enough, you can run a sewer hose to the CDP and dump the tank like the Americans do. Alternatively, you can use a "blue boy" (similar to a Wastemaster only bigger) to transport the sewage to the CDP. Even better, you can fit a macerator that shreds the sewage and can pump it uphill to the CDP. Not that I condone this, but I have heard of people pumping macerator discharge into the site waste water point (but only where the site has mains sewers).

HTH,

Geoff

Hi Geoff,

That was exactly my point, not very practical if you have to de-rig every few days and drag the unit to the motorhome service point.

Mind you, I have only seen them on CC sites, not really their intended environment I guess!

cheers

Mr UM



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04/7/2009 at 10:03am
 Location: roche cornwall
 Outfit: lynton 5th wheel
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the answer is to have just the same set up as a normal caravan. lots of 5ers have cassette toilet ,waste is best delt in the same way. i have had my 5er 10yrs ,yes some sites dont want mine on some dont care. i dont use sites if i can help it. you dont have to go massive with a 5er ,mine is 20ft .the total length is only 2ft longer than my bongo n 10ft folding caravan .height about the same as most m,homes. i think the advantages out way the dissadvantages over a large caravan/m,home.everything is a compromise .really you need every thing.

-------------
vwalan


10/7/2009 at 7:35pm
 Location: northants
 Outfit: x-treme lite fifth wheel
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I have been touring in a 26ft fifth wheel for 4 years and have never been turned away although there are some small sites that all large units cannot get on.One of the secrets is to tell the site what you are,you are allowed on all caravan club sites but tell them many sites have large pitches for 38footers.O/k the manouvering is sometimes a bit harder than a 12 foot caravan but I have seen people heaving big vans I cant so Im not tempted,the waste is no problem I either dump on the way out or empty each day in a sealed bucket big deal.I have just spent 5 nights at Beddgelert forest campsite no probs 1 other 5th wheel there,I tow with a mitsibushi but a navarna would do i cruise at 60 no problem only on long slopes after roundabouts slow me down.I am biased but I think the few problems are overcome easily for the luxery gained the 99% that the unit is stationary cheers pamjim

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pamjim


11/7/2009 at 7:47am
 Location: Derbyshire
 Outfit: ElddisAvante462 Honda CRV SE2.2 i-Dtec
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I question the driving licence requirements as posted above, anyone who has passed their driving test post 1997 needs to take a separate test before they can tow a caravan or trailer, and my daughter is curently seeking out to take such a test in order that she may tow our camping trailer, as she passed her test 2 years ago.

Both my husband and I have been driving for many years before the cut off date, and have never had to take a further tow test in order to be able to pull our Car/caravan unit, so how come that according to the above post you dont need to take an extra test to tow a fith wheel outfit if you passed your test post 97? 

We did see one of these units being towed on the M1 yesterday coming back from Filey, but it was an american import of both pick up and trailer, complete with american number plates, it must have cost a fortune to ship it over for a holiday!

We also spotted a cavanner doing his own version of fith wheel towing by running for some distance with his jockey wheel still down, we followed him for about 3 miles, and he seemed oblivious to the fact, maybe because he had got his music playing so loudly as we finally overtook him, we did try flashing him as a warning, but got a two fingered salute in return, so decided to leave him to find out the hard way with the need for a new jockey wheel 



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11/7/2009 at 9:44am
 Location: Cornwall
 Outfit: Autotrail Scout
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Romany Girl wrote:
"I question the driving licence requirements as posted above, anyone who has passed their driving test post 1997 needs to take a separate test before they can tow a caravan or trailer, and my daughter is curently seeking out to take such a test in order that she may tow our camping trailer, as she passed her test 2 years ago."

It never ceases to amaze me how many people (including this poster) don't understand the rules. Romany Girl, I would be very surprised if your camping trailer wasn't within your daughter's current entitlement. i.e. she probably doesn't need to take the B-plus-E test to let her tow it.

Category B is:
Motor vehicles with a MAM not exceeding 3500kg having not more than eight passenger seats with a trailer up to 750kg.

Combinations of towing vehicles in category B and a trailer, where the MAM of the combination does not exceed 3500kg and the MAM of the trailer does not exceed the unladen mass of the towing vehicle.
So, provided the maximum gross weight of your camping trailer (it'll be on the trailer VIN plate) does not exceed the unladen mass of the towcar and the sum of the maximum gross weights of towcar and trailer do not exceed 3,500 kg then she can already tow your camping trailer without needing to take the B-plus-E test.

HTH,

Geoff


11/7/2009 at 9:57am
 Location: roche cornwall
 Outfit: lynton 5th wheel
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hello romany girl  pajaholic has it in one. as for pre 97 lic.you should have c1+e restricted to 8.25 ton train wt. so long as the 5er is not too wide 2.55 mtr. if the tow unit is over 3.5ton gross if under its 2.3mtrs . you cantow a combination upto 8,25ton. hope that helps it is abit difficult sometimes some of us spend hours reserchingthe regs.always check with dvla swansea ,takes time but i find them most helpfull.

-------------
vwalan


11/7/2009 at 9:45pm
 Location: cheshire
 Outfit: Coachmen Mirada 300qb. American RV
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yep both vwalan and pajaholic are correct with the licencing laws, my son in law and daughter have a elddis 2 berth caravan with a vectra which is under the 3500 with out taking the extra test but if they wanted to tow with a big 4by they would have to take the test.This link might help

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/DriverLicensing/CaravansTrailersCommercialVehicles/DG_4022521

this one makes it easier to understand i know it is produced by ifor williams trailers but it makes understandable reading for those not sure about the towing laws.
http://www.iwt.co.uk/brochures/ltt.pdf


10/5/2013 at 7:18pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: None Entered
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I`m a warden with the Caravan Club and most sites on the network can accommodate 5th wheelers. I myself have one. The Nissan Navara will pull most 5vers up to about 28ft. After that you will need something a tad larger. Regarding recovery, Green flag will recover 5vers. People look at a 5th wheeler and think "good god look at the size of that" but in reality its not the length its the height.My 5ver is a Calder leisure Kountry lite and it is 26ft L (8mtrs) 7ft 6 ins W (2.5m) and 11ft 6 ins height. A twin axle caravan is very similar except for the height. Dont be put off by the size, they are great.


10/5/2013 at 9:35pm
 Location: plymouth
 Outfit: fiat trigano tribute 665
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We are at cofton country holidayy in devon on the next pitch to us is a 5th wheel co dreamseeker with a slide out being towed by a nissan pick up which looks smaller than my shogun so I cant see theres any problems the van is about the same length as my twin axle sterling

       doug



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11/5/2013 at 10:27pm
 Location: Little Neston Wirral
 Outfit: Kia Sorento--Lunar Delta RI 2018
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Have a look at this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGeUSjRMlQ4



-------------
You'll Never Walk Alone C'mon you Reds


12/5/2013 at 2:49pm
 Location: south cheshire
 Outfit: VW Caddy Maxi
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Quote: Originally posted by TonyDD on 11/5/2013

Have a look at this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGeUSjRMlQ4





Wow neat little thing. Wish they still made them!

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12/5/2013 at 2:58pm
 Location: Nottingham
 Outfit:  Swift Freestyle S2
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Tony thats brilliant!! Now they should be produced!

-------------
Regards Robin


12/5/2013 at 3:01pm
 Location: roche cornwall
 Outfit: lynton 5th wheel
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that could be arranged . not difficult to organize.might be harder to find a nice beetle .

-------------
vwalan


12/5/2013 at 3:50pm
 Location: northants
 Outfit: x-treme lite fifth wheel
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coming up to 8 years now and still got my x-treme lite been Austria Switzerland France etc 1 or 2 tight pitches but always manage most wardens very helpfull like I said 4 years ago ring up tell them what you have then it is their problem .,mostly they give you a bigger pitch that costs a little extra.I find 5th wheelers are becoming more common now also getting bigger and taller I dont think I would want more than my 8 metre happy camping

-------------
pamjim


14/1/2018 at 1:16pm
 Location: None Entered
 Outfit: None Entered
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Hi,
Have you still got your 5th wheel trailer?
I notice you posted something some time back.
Regards,
Patrick

-------------
Regards,
Patrick



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