It’s easy to understand why and how wind impacts the 5^th wheel when you are at a campground. Wind gusts, wind speed and the direction of the wind can all cause the 5^th wheel to move and shake. The giant side wall is just a large target and takes the brunt of the wind force. If the wind speed is high enough, you can definitely feel the shaking and moving inside the trailer.

Simply walking around your unit can also cause unwanted movement. With the higher center of gravity, some 5^th wheel owners feel the vibration when someone is walking through the unit. This can occur even if the trailer is blocked or on leveling jacks. And if the kids or grandkids (or large dog) are running through the trailer, you can feel the shaking from front to back.

Washer/dryers are notorious for causing shake, rattle and roll in 5^th wheel trailers. The washer/dryer action creates a vibration that gets transferred to the trailer and felt throughout it. Watching TV, reading a book or working on the computer is a little more challenging when the washer/dryer is running. Some 5^th wheel owners leave the trailer while the machines are running so they don’t have to feel the vibration.

Another factor that contributes to the amount of shaking going on, is the amount of rear overhang on the unit. You can see the amount of overhang by finding the location of the rearmost jack and counting the number of feet to the very rear of the trailer. It’s not uncommon for there to be 9-12′ of overhang. This overhang serves like a tail that wags the dog. The larger the amount of overhang, the more likely you will feel shaking, rocking and rolling when someone is walking through the trailer or the washer/dryer is running.