Quote:
Originally Posted by OregonDuck
I am sure you will get a lot of response here on your question; I can be a first. Safest answer is no. Dry weight of the rig should not be considered when looking at your towing ability; you'll want to calculate what the rig would weigh fully loaded. And more importantly, it is all about your payload - the truck's payload that is. Pin weight (at 20% of the total loaded weight of the rig) plus all the weight of your truck (passengers, full tank of gas, etc). Compare that number to your yellow door sticker. I have a Cougar half-ton 5'er and am right at my max payload for my F250.
If I could go back in time, I would have gotten the F350. As mentioned, I'm sure you'll hear from many on this forum that the "half-ton towable" 5th wheel is more of a marketing angle, in that there are only a select few half-ton trucks that can truly, safely, tow one.
|
I too would have bought a very capable TV a few years ago rather than "experimenting". I had a Dodge 2500 Cummins and a Cougar X-lite, supposedly that could be towed with a half-ton. My 2500 struggled. I upgraded to a 3500 and that was very capable of towing the Cougar. In my opinion the only RV that is 1/2 ton towable are those that are very light weight. Would I tow a fifth wheel with a half ton? Nope. Yes, the manufacturer of those trucks will claim "tow ready" which in many cases is just the wiring, brake controller and the hitches. Our 3500 diesels are much more capable with larger axles and brakes, robust suspension, exhaust brakes and engines/transmissions that can handle those loads.