Reinventing the Fifth Wheel

Reinventing the Fifth Wheel

The Fifth Wheel by definition is "an extra wheel for a four wheeled vehicle or a coupling between a trailer and a vehicle used for towing." We all know it as a travel trailer attached by a specialized hitch in the center of a Truck bed. This differs from the traditional hitch on the very back of a vehicle near the bumper. This specialized hitch is much like a smaller version of those used on 18 Wheel Trucks. The hitch easily connects to the Fifth Wheel by driving the Truck backward to lock it in place with the Trailer. 

The ease of hitching and un-hitching is appealing to most RV'ers. It is also proven to be more secure on the road and prevents the possibility of a Jack Knife situation. Often, a Fifth wheel is used for long term travel or extended stays and acts much like a Home away from home while being able to utilize the truck for driving into town. Another great feature is that the overall length of a Fifth Wheel is reduced because a portion of its front is swallowed by the Truck bed. The Fifth Wheel trailer tows much more securely than those of the traditional hitches because all of the hitch's weight rests on the back tires of the Truck.

Photo from: www.murphyautomuseum.org 
1938 REO Tractor and Curtiss Aerocar Fith Wheel

According to everythingaboutrving.com, the first Fifth Wheel was invented in 1927 by an aircraft designer and then licensed for the road in 1929 at the whopping price of $5000 (This was not affordable to the average consumer). It was built to be very aerodynamic. At that time the Fifth Wheel was towed by Coupe vehicles and Roadsters with the specialized Fifth Wheel hitch on the back. They say the Fifth wheel, at that time could be towed safely up to 55 miles an hour. According to the current NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) statistics, 40% of Fifth Wheel Roll overs occur in speeds at 55mph.

 Let's fast forward to 1976 when Jayco started producing the first Fifth Wheel trailer with a full stand-up height front bedroom. A lot has changed. The Jayco Eagle and Designer have now become very popular Fifth Wheel models with luxury in design. More currently Jayco added the luxurious Pinnacle model to the roster.

Valley RV Supercenter has brand new

2015 Fifth Wheels for sale

at extremely Discounted Prices!

Why so many 2015 Fifth Wheels?

I talked to our Sales Manager Chuck Joss and he said "We simply bought an abundance to keep up with the demand. We did just that and with a little to spare".There is word that Valley ordered roughly 3 million dollars in new inventory for 2017 and now those 2017 Coaches are coming in as we speak. There are now only seven of the 2015 Fifth Wheels left and of course they are priced aggressively. By design the dealership must make room for the new inventory and do what a Dealership does...sell those RV's. These situations make a great discount for the consumer.

Jayco Pinnacle 36FBTS

Price:	$92,011
Special Price:	$64,995

That's a savings of $27,016

Valley RV Supercenter currently has seven Fifth Wheel models at extremely reduced prices. You will see a few of them featured here in this article complete with a video tour and pricing. In the current discounted line-up they have two Eagle Premier 331RKTS models, two Pinnacle 36FBTS models, one Eagle Premier 361 REQS, one Pinnacle 38FLSA and a Pinnacle 36RSQS. All of these 2015 units can be found on Valley's website with full pricing and details.

Jayco Eagle Premier 331RKTS

Price:	$76,678
Special Price:	$58,777

That's a savings of $17,901

These are all brand new Fifth Wheels with the famous two year Jayco Warranty still intact. That means the consumer is purchasing a brand new unit with full Warranty at an incredible price. Chuck Joss added "As a dealer we take bit of a loss on these but we are really happy to pass that discount onto our customers."

Jayco Pinnacle 38FLSA

Price:	$93,555
Special Price:	$69,888

That's a savings of  $23,667