A travel trailer is towed on a conventional hitch, the kind that fits a receiver on the tow vehicle. A fifth wheel couples to a hitch mounted in the bed of a pickup truck. That puts more of a fifth wheel's weight on the truck, so it needs a pickup rated to carry it. Travel trailers start at much lower prices: in Jayco's 2027 lineup, travel trailers start at $17,468 and fifth wheels at $52,643.
Specifications and list prices below were read from manufacturer websites on 9 October 2026.
This comparison comes from published data, not test tows. Grand Design and Jayco each sell both types under one model name, so each was used for a matched pair: the 2027 Grand Design Reflection and the 2027 Jayco Eagle. The pairs were chosen for close weight. Both Reflections have the same weight rating, and the two Eagles are 80 lb apart unloaded.
Truck ratings come from Ford's website and Ford's 2026 RV and Trailer Towing Guide.
| 2027 Grand Design Reflection |
345RLTS travel trailer |
303RLS fifth wheel |
| Length |
38 ft 10 in. |
32 ft 10 in. |
| Height |
11 ft 11 in. |
12 ft 11 in. |
| Unloaded weight |
10,425 lb |
10,325 lb |
| Hitch weight |
1,415 lb |
1,985 lb |
| Weight rating (GVWR) |
11,995 lb |
11,995 lb |
| Fresh water |
54 gal. |
74 gal. |
| List price (MSRP) |
$94,391 |
$90,947 |
| 2027 Jayco Eagle |
320MKTS travel trailer |
29RLC fifth wheel |
| Length |
33 ft 8 in. |
32 ft 11 in. |
| Height with air conditioner |
11 ft 10 in. |
12 ft 3 in. |
| Unloaded weight |
9,340 lb |
9,420 lb |
| Dry hitch weight |
1,110 lb |
1,745 lb |
| Weight rating (GVWR) |
11,500 lb |
11,200 lb |
| Cargo carrying capacity |
2,160 lb |
1,780 lb |
| List price (MSRP) |
$65,085 |
$69,743 |
List prices are each maker's MSRP for the 2027 model. Grand Design's excludes freight, tax, title, license and dealer prep. Jayco's excludes freight and dealer prep.
The two pairs agree on three points.
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The fifth wheel puts more weight on the truck. The hitch weight is 570 lb higher on the Reflection 303RLS than on the Reflection 345RLTS, and 635 lb higher on the Eagle 29RLC than on the Eagle 320MKTS. As a share of unloaded weight, that is about 19% on each fifth wheel, against 14% and 12% on the travel trailers.
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The fifth wheel is taller. The gap is 12 inches on the Reflections. On the Eagles it is 5 inches with the roof air conditioner that Jayco includes on both.
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In both pairs, the fifth wheel is the shorter trailer. The Reflection fifth wheel is 6 ft shorter than the travel trailer with the same weight rating. The Eagle fifth wheel is 9 inches shorter.
Price does not follow one rule. The Reflection fifth wheel lists for $3,444 less than its travel trailer partner. The Eagle fifth wheel lists for $4,658 more.
See RVs for sale on Searchshop, or go straight to fifth wheels or travel trailers.
The hitch is the real difference between the two. Ford's 2026 RV and Trailer Towing Guide says a fifth-wheel hitch is mounted in the pickup bed to put more of the trailer weight directly over the towing vehicle. It says travel trailers are normally towed with a conventional weight-distributing hitch, depending on weight.
That has three effects for a buyer.
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A fifth wheel needs a pickup. The hitch sits in the bed. Ford's guide adds that an F-150 with a 5.5 ft box will accept a fifth-wheel hitch, but most fifth-wheel trailer designs are not compatible with it.
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Ford rates its trucks separately for each hitch. Ford lists the 2027 Super Duty at up to 30,000 lb for conventional towing and up to 35,000 lb for fifth-wheel towing. These are Ford's maximum available figures, and they depend on how the truck is configured.
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Hitch weight counts against payload. Ford's guide says trailer tongue load or king pin weight is part of the truck's cargo weight. Ford works on a tongue load of 10% of loaded trailer weight for conventional trailers over 2,000 lb and a king pin weight of 15% for fifth wheels.
Part of a fifth wheel's length also rides over the truck. Ford's guide describes the raised front section as designed to extend over the box of a pickup.
Travel trailers start much lower. In Jayco's 2027 lineup, travel trailers start at $17,468 with the Jay Flight and fifth wheels start at $52,643 with the Eagle SLE. Inside one model line the ranges overlap. The four 2027 Reflection travel trailers that Grand Design lists with a price run from $86,855 to $94,625. Its seven priced Reflection fifth wheels run from $90,947 to $117,493.
Dealer asking prices vary with floorplan, options and model year, so compare a dealer's price with the maker's list price for the same model and year, and ask what the price includes.
Check today's asking prices on RVs for sale.
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A travel trailer suits the buyer who tows with something other than a pickup, wants to keep the truck bed clear, or is shopping new under $30,000. It is also the lower trailer on both pairs above, by 12 inches on the Reflections and 5 inches on the Eagles.
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A fifth wheel suits the buyer who has, or plans to buy, a pickup rated for the hitch weight, and who wants a shorter trailer for the same weight rating, as on the Reflection pair, or a larger one. The 2027 Reflection fifth wheels run up to 41 ft 1 in. long and a 14,995 lb weight rating. The Reflection travel trailers stop at 38 ft 10 in. and 11,995 lb.
Before you compare prices, ask the dealer for four numbers on the exact unit: the hitch weight, the weight rating (GVWR), the height and the out-the-door price. Then check them against your truck's payload and its rating for that type of hitch.
Browse RVs for sale on Searchshop, including fifth wheels and travel trailers. For more help, read the fifth wheel buying guide, the travel trailer buying guide and the guide to the best tow vehicles. Searchshop's RV loan calculator is there too.
Some, on paper, but check the exact truck and trailer. The highest fifth-wheel trailer weight in Ford's 2026 towing guide for the F-150 is 11,700 lb. That figure is for the 5.0L V8 and requires the Tow/Haul Package and the Max Tow Axle. The 2027 Jayco Eagle 29RLC has a weight rating of 11,200 lb, which is under that figure. The 2027 Grand Design Reflection 303RLS is rated at 11,995 lb, which is over it. Payload matters as much. The highest payload Ford lists for any 2026 F-150 is 2,440 lb when properly configured, and other configurations carry less. The 303RLS has a hitch weight of 1,985 lb before passengers, cargo and the hitch itself.
You may, depending on your state and the trailer's weight rating. In California, for example, the DMV lets a basic Class C license holder tow a fifth-wheel travel trailer rated over 10,000 lb but under 15,000 lb with an endorsement, when the tow vehicle weighs 4,000 lb or more unladen and the towing is not for compensation. Its Recreational Vehicles and Trailers Handbook, revised in November 2011, lists a Noncommercial Class A license for travel trailers over 10,000 lb and for fifth-wheel travel trailers over 15,000 lb, when not used for hire. Check your own state's licensing agency before you buy.
