REVIEW
5th Wheel toWing
tow-vehicle options for fifth wheelers WORDS Jacqui Madelin
N
ot sure whether to buy a motorhome or caravan? Don’t forget fifth-wheelers, especially if you already have a Ute or one would fit well with your lifestyle. For those unfamiliar with fifth-wheelers, they are essentially a semi-trailer, where the front of the trailer sits directly on the rear of the towing vehicle and is attached by a turntable arrangement - used extensively in the heavytransport industry and commonly referred to as the fifth-wheel. While motorhomes are of limited use once you’re home, both caravans and fifth-wheelers utilise your daily transport to get about. Fifth-wheelers offer other advantages, too. Because some of the fifth-wheeler’s length sits over the Ute bed, it’s easier to manoeuvre and more stable on the road. It also delivers more
useable space for a given overall length than a car and caravan would. Meanwhile, just as your tow bar doesn’t prevent you using the car without the caravan in tow, a good hitch arrangement can be disengaged to leave your Ute bed free for everyday use. As Utes are now built and sold as daily-drivers as much as workhorses, there are plenty to choose from but you must match your Ute to the fifth-wheeler. The equation can get complicated, but essentially the mounting point on the tray introduces a load that equates to about 20 per cent of the fifth-wheeler’s weight. You have to ensure that the weight is within the tray’s carrying capacity, and the remaining 80 per cent is within the Ute’s towing rating. Don’t forget to factor in the weight of the hitch, passengers, luggage, and fluids when making your calculations. Don’t forget
either that manual or automatic transmissions, and single, double or cab/chassis variants of the same Ute model may have varying ratings and capacities! It’s generally safe to assume that as long as your combined Ute and fifth-wheeler combination weighs under the Ute’s gross combined mass (GCM) you’re okay, but there are exceptions; fortunately, any fifth-wheeler retailer worth their salt can make these calculations for you, which only leaves what Ute to choose. For the sake of simplicity, we’ve included only 4WD Utes currently sold new in NZ, with information biased toward the double-cab variants, as these are most likely to be bought for family duties as well as workhorses. Our brief specification list emphasises the up-spec’ variants, and we’ve added a brief drive impression when we’ve sampled it recently. double-wishbone front and leaf-spring rear suspension set-up, while the disc front, drum rear brake combo that’s all but standard for the breed delivers spongy feel but adequate response. Families will approve of the child-proof rear locks and child seat tether anchors, while off-roaders will appreciate the 214mm ground clearance and limited-slip rear diff’. The twin airbag Ranger 4x4 variants have a three-star crash test rating.
Ford ranger Ford sells plenty of Ranger variants, from a bare-bones single-cab/chassis, through to super-cabs and up to the top-spec’ double-cab wellside. All are powered by a 3.0 litre turbo-diesel mated to a five-speed heavy-duty manual or five-speed automatic transmission. Ranger recently got a rugged redesign and a greater focus on
car-like road handling. It still feels like a truck, but a refined one with comfy seats and a well thought-out cabin. This is a flexible engine, with most of the torque on tap from 1400rpm – although it’ll pull from 800rpm off road – and you can shift from two to four-wheel-drive on the move. This Ute is a smooth performer at open-road speeds, assisted by the effective
Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, 115kW at 3200rpm, 380Nm at 1800rpm Price: $45,274-$60,812 Basic spec: ABS brakes, four airbags, air conditioning, stereo auxiliary port, 16-inch alloy wheels Payload: 1305-1114kg GCM: 4875-5500kg Tows: 3000kg (manual), 2500kg (auto), both braked
www.rvlifestyle.co.nz 34 | rv & motorhome lifestyle