Fifth Wheel Company are the original and only UK-based manufacturer of European-compliant fifth wheel type tourers. The Fifth Wheel Company is truly a family affair. Based in the stunning North Wales countryside of Rhuallt, Denbighshire, we founded the Fifth Wheel Company in 2002. Originally set up by husband and wife team Mervyn and Jenny Parry-Jones in conjunction with their son Adrian – it wasn
’t long before daughter Ceri moved back to join the team. So how did we end up designing and manufacturing fifth wheels? Well back in 1997, we managed a successful Massey Ferguson tractor dealership. Needing a comfortable base when exhibiting tractors at shows and events, we imported a fifth wheel from America. It wasn’t long before our new tourer was attracting interest among friends and colleagues. And this planted a seed in Mervyn’s mind. We loved the sheer comfort, luxury and flexibility of our tourer and realised that there was a gap in the UK market. In the 1990s the only option was to import from the US, followed by a lengthy and expensive process of conversion to ensure it met UK standards including brakes, electrics and gas systems. So when someone asked why we didn’t start producing them, we couldn’t think of a good reason. Within six months we had developed our first prototype of a UK version – more suited to smaller European roads and compliant with European standards – and the dream began to take shape. Since we started the Fifth Wheel Company in 2002, we have gone on to win numerous accolades, including The Caravan Club Design Awards five years in a row, been hailed as ‘the biggest thing to hit the UK caravan market in 20 years’ and achieved a verdict of 10 out of 10 by The Caravan Club Magazine.
