OK folks, As you know or may not know or care I am moving to AZ later this summer after the girl(Sara) leaves for school.  I'll be boondocking in the RV for a year before building as I want to check out the best place to build. I've heard 5th wheels are more stable than TT's but I've also seen that they say fifth wheels have more room than TT's...not sure about that as 27' is 27' and you loose some space where the pickup bed is but whatever.

I have a travel trailer, my forth one. The reason I stay with the travel trailer is because I don't tow it around and you don't need a pick-up truck, You get a little more living space in them, but the 5th wheel is much better and easier to tow, also a lot of 5th wheel unit have what they call basement storage, under the living area, and they can be huge. Most 5th wheels have one bedroom on upper area which gives you a large living area, which may be great for you since it's just you. Based on 1 person and a long haul I think you would be better with the 5th wheel. The more slide outs the more room but they add weigh and cost. They make light weight units also. Check reviews on any model you like, since they are not the best well made things out there, trust me I know! I have a Gulf Stream and it's a piece of crap. Hade 2 Mallards before and both were great. Frank & Barb have a 5th wheel, Frank may also be able to give you some pointers. Good luck, if you have any questions I'll try to help you out.

5th wheels are more stable for towing. They track better with less sway, and are easier to control backing up. This is due to the load point being above the axle instead of out back. This also prevents the front of the tow vehicle from wanting to lift due to a lever effect. More room? Yes for the distance behind the tow vehicle. A regular trailer of 27 feet is all behind the truck. A 5th wheel has several feet above the truck, making the end of the trailer closer to the back of the truck. So while 27 feet is 27 feet, 27 feet behind the rear of the truck is longer trailer with more room. Depends on the measurement being used. So why regular trailers? The fifth wheel hitch takes away a lot of cargo space when not towing, and cannot be used with some types of trucks or some bed covering. Many older 5th wheel trailers are not tall enough and cannot be towed by newer taller trucks. And some folks are intimidated by fifth wheels when it comes to hook up, and sometimes overall height. Not really a big deal but ones perception is one's reality.

Head on over to iRV2.com and sign up.  You will get a ton of info and any questions answered.

Thanks, I'll do that.

Dave, first find out what your 1/2 ton will tow.......it may narrow down your selections.

Drive out and buy one off Craigslist in Phoenix and make them deliver it to your "pad" and save all sorts of gas money tugging it out there! http://phoenix.craigslist.org/search/sss?sort=rel&query=5th%20wheel%20trailers

RV dealer I saw today came up with a figure of 7900# which really narrows down the options on a fifth wheel.  Keeps it at 25'-26'. I was also told that they are better insulated and have more storage space than travel trailers.  Seems like a weird blanket statement but these folks sell all types of trailers so there shouldn't be any bias.

Is upgrading your truck to a bigger towing capacity an option?

+1 on fith wheel. More stable on the road, specially against side winds and that big 18 wheeler coming the other way on a two laner. Out there vs where your at 50-50. SW fifth wheels will be dry and rust free, but can definitely get baked by the sun. Paint, plastic, rubber etc. can all get pretty dried out if it's spent it's whole life in the SW. Buffalo area the rigs won't dry out as much but were they kept nice and dry and free from salt during storage ?? Run away from anything that's been stored outside on the grass or gravel during the winter. Personally, I think you should buy it in NY and experience the drive out to AZ. Things will go good and things will go bad (some very bad), but you'll never forget your first long trip in your RV, plus you'll be a seasoned veteran by the time you make it out to AZ. The biggest thing if you buy used in NY is tires, make sure they're new or almost new. Milage and tread wear mean nothing, time is an RV tires worst enemy. When you get out to AZ, cover them up !! Brand new tires will be baked in the AZ sun in less than a year. My two cents worth after 2 1/2 years and 15k miles in our motorhome. Good luck !!