Half ton fifth wheels

[Spletbr]

Looking for any experiences this group has with the half ton fifth wheels. We want to move up from our travel trailer as fifth wheel towing is safer and more fun. We have a F150 with tow package, etc. Ford guide says our model can take a 10k # fifth wheel. Really? We could handle the 27SGS with a weight of 8k # ok?

[sourdough]

Just to get started thinking about it, find the sticker inside the driver door of your truck and get the payload/gvw/gawr. Take the gvw (not dry weight) of the trailer you are looking at and multiply it by .25% (10,000 lbs. x .25 = 2500). That is your estimated pin weight. Subtract the pin weight and what do you have?

[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.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Spletbr

Looking for any experiences this group has with the half ton fifth wheels. We want to move up from our travel trailer as fifth wheel towing is safer and more fun. We have a F150 with tow package, etc. Ford guide says our model can take a 10k # fifth wheel. Really? We could handle the 27SGS with a weight of 8k # ok?

You want to throw the "Ford guide" out the window and use real numbers. The "guide" is simply a sales tool that gets WAY too many people in trouble. BTW, the Cougar 27SGS is a 10,300gvw 5th wheel. There is a very real difference between "pulling" an RV, which most trucks can do with even very large units, vs "carrying" the load of said RV. "Tow" ratings are spouted all over the place and mean absolutely nothing. Same goes for "max payload" of xxx trucks; you won't have that one. It ALL depends on your specific truck and what those stickers say inside the door.

[Spletbr]

Appreciate all the input!

[5J's]

Yep, what they said. You'll likely be over your GVWR with a 5er but, to see for sure load your truck for a regular trip out with the TT (firewood, full fuel tank, pets, tools, all family members, etc...). Go to the nearest scale and weigh it. Subtract your actual weight from the GVWR listed on the door sticker and this will tell you how much payload you have left but, remember your hitch will likely add about 150lbs to your vehicle. Good luck!

[meaz93*]

Spletbr....I too was in your position. I WAS going to pull the trigger on a 1/2 ton towable 5th wheel. BUT I already had all the bumper pull equipment and did not want to spring for the 5th wheel hitch gear (the wife really-lol)
I crunched the numbers and....I tow at the very limits of my 2014 F150 Boost with the Max Tow & Payload Package 4x4.
This isn't my first rodeo towing a large trailer with a half ton. I have a lot of aftermarket goodies on my truck and love the way it tows!-Not for everyone, especially on this forum....and that's fine.
Also, I did not want a small 25-27' 5ver....
I'm on here because of my AWESOME Keystone 2018 Outback 328RL.
Good luck in your search!

[KimNTerry]

You asked for 1/2 ton towable experience with a 1/2 ton pick-up; so here goes...

In my experience the "1/2 ton towables" are designed to offer a lighter pin weight 15-20% vs 20-25% so adjust to 20% when checking payload to determine a truck. Mine is typically 17.5% of my scaled weight. I weigh at least once per year so I know where I'm at on weights.

That being said I do NOT recommend just any 1/2 ton truck with just any "1/2 ton towable". Do your due diligence, It is your responsibility as the operator to ensure that your rig is safe and within the limits established by the manufacturer. This holds for any towing setup not just 1/2 ton users.

Know your available payload by weighing your wet loaded truck and subtracting that from your GVWR not the yellow payload sticker.

Use the GVWR of the proposed trailer for estimating how much payload you need to tow the trailer. Understand that even with a "Payload Package" you will be close to the rated numbers on your vehicle and many people are not comfortable with that. If you're not comfortable with that, then move up a vehicle class but do the same due diligence. Understand that 3/4 ton truck is still a class 2 truck and may have similar limits.

Ford has the Heavy Duty Payload Package (HDPP) option but they are rare and you usually have to order it finding a used one in the wild is difficult at best. Nissan Titan XD has high payload ratings as well >2k on many rigs. I have an F-150 with the HDPP and a stickered payload of 2337 and tow what you see in my sig in the Rockies fairly often so I can speak from experience.

I would not recommend any Ford F-150 1/2 ton for towing a fifth wheel that is not equipped with the HDPP and Max Tow.

I am under all of my limits but I am close. My truck tows well and I have no issues.

By towing I mean:
Pulls adequately and keeps up with traffic even in mountains.
Maneuvers well in heavy traffic.
Stops well under normal (conservative?) driving conditions. I keep it under 65 MPH and keep at least 4 seconds between me and the vehicle in front of me.

Tow Vehicle and Trailer can perform aggressive emergency stops and maneuvers (aggressive left and right lane changes) if required. These are practiced in a large parking lot every year. You have to know how your vehicle behaves and what its limitations are.

Just my .02

[mwemaxxowner]

If you don't have the HDPP, at a typical 20 percent pin weight I think you're gonna be fighting a losing battle.

I tow with a half ton, and don't agree with the majority of this forum that a half ton isn't capable of anything more than a lawn mower on a tiny utility trailer and ONLY if it isn't full of gas, but there are definitely limits. Just knowing you have a tow package doesn't mean a whole lot. You could have anything from a 6,000 to about a 13,000 (as rated) towing capacity, and anywhere from about 1200 lbs to about 3000 lbs of payload.

I like to look at my gvwr and gcvwr and determine capabilities from that. Looking at that "payload" rating on the door sticker can get you in trouble. I like to know my gvwr and weigh my truck as is to determine what I have to work with.

Google "20xx f150 towing guide" to give you an idea about ratings on your truck as equipped. Figure out your gcvwr and your gvwr (which is on the door) and look at your rear axle rating as well. There are separate ratings for 5th wheel than bumper pull.

[sourdough]

OP, and herein lies the conundrum...some do, some don't, some wouldn't for anything and some would no matter what.

Many folks on the forum believe bigger is better and in many cases that is true, but not all cases. In the matter of a 5th wheel you might think about that moreso than other, smaller trailers. If you like to be safe and have a real safety margin (10-15% of capacity) then you will find it nigh unto impossible with a 1/2 ton of any kind - but you can do it if you don't mind being close to overrunning your numbers.

As has been pointed out, the only 1/2 tons capable of towing a small 5vr are as rare as hen's teeth - simply due to the construction of a 5th wheel; pin weight and heavy hitch. Don't take those things lightly....you'll be like the guy I saw in CO with his 1/2 ton pulling a fair sized 5vr; sitting on the side of the road with the rear tires blown out....yep, P rated tires. I'm sure he could blow and go down the road....it just wasn't made to "carry" it.

[mwemaxxowner]

I always towed a 5th wheel until now. Wish I still did, but compromises must be made. A 5th wheel certainly pulls better, but with a good WDH, a trip to the scale to dial it in, some attention to ratings, and attention to loading, you can get a bumper pull that will fall within ranges and have it tow fine. I like my Curt True-Track hitch so far.

[GHen]

I also had a 1/2 ton Chevy, was looking at the 1/2 ton 5r’s. After looking at the limitations on the truck and the limitations of the 5r, I decided to upgrade .
The 2500 has bigger brakes, axel, suspension, fuel tank and more.
The full size 5’r had more cargo capacity, twice the capacity for water, gray tanks, black water. That allowed adding portable generators, fuel, extra water tanks, more cargo, more food, plus better quality cabinets, bigger refer, better counter tops, bigger TV’s and a few solar panels with extra batteries.
But all of that comes with a bigger price tag for the truck and for the 5’r. For us, we spend a couple months a year in the rv and can be traveling over steep passes regularly. My needs tipped the scales for the larger rigs.
My big tip, don’t believe what the dealer says, they will say anything to get you to buy something. You need to run your own numbers on the truck and the 5’r. Compare cargo capacities between multiple tow vehicles and multiple 5’rs. If your not a numbers person, ask a friend to run the numbers for you. You then can make an educated decision and one that you will be happy with because you know the facts.
Happy Camping!

[Spletbr]

I don'thave payload on a sticker in the truck, just GVWR, GAWR. According to the Ford guide my model (3.5EB, 7k GVWR 4x4) should have a payload of 2050. Do I expect a in weight of 20% or 25%? And wgen you say the 27SGS is a 10.3k GVW are you saying that is what it would be fully loaded? I am looking at a 250 for safety and sanity sake but need to explain that need to you-know-who with the right numbers...

[xrated]

Originally Posted by Spletbr

I don'thave payload on a sticker in the truck, just GVWR, GAWR. According to the Ford guide my model (3.5EB, 7k GVWR 4x4) should have a payload of 2050. Do I expect a in weight of 20% or 25%? And wgen you say the 27SGS is a 10.3k GVW are you saying that is what it would be fully loaded? I am looking at a 250 for safety and sanity sake but need to explain that need to you-know-who with the right numbers...

Unless someone tore it off or removed it, is there. It's another white sticker with yellow highlighted areas on it. Your payload capacity will be in the upper right hand corn area.

[mwemaxxowner]

All you need to do now is weigh the truck. That will be more accurate than your payload sticker. Subtract what the truck weighs from your gvwr.

[mwemaxxowner]

Should look like this.

[5J's]

Depending on the age of the vehicle there may not be a payload sticker. I've never owned a vehicle with one.

[JRTJH]

Originally Posted by 5J's

Depending on the age of the vehicle there may not be a payload sticker. I've never owned a vehicle with one.

The truck in question was manufactured in 12/18. It's a "new vehicle" and should have the tire placard which has the payload listed.

You're right, the "yellow sticker" wasn't mandated until around 2002. The Ford Explorer/Firestone tire/rollover issue was a major consideration on requiring manufacturers to clearly post the payload of each vehicle (rather than require owners to calculate the payload by using math).... It's been alleged by some that the sticker was just another part of 'dumbing down the public"....

[wiredgeorge]

Quit messing around asking these guys... go ask the RV salesman for the straight scoop! Although he probably drives a Prius and has never camped, he is an RV EXPERT on commission! Half Ton Towable! Whichever marketing guru came up with that should be strung up by the toes!

I started RV life with an F150, then moved to an F250 and now drive an F350. My 3/4 ton was probably adequate but the 1 ton provides a bit of margin for load capacity. If your truck is supposed to be rated for x lbs, get a trailer that is about 75 percent of x and figure the tongue weight is about 20 percent of x and figure out what your load capacity is capable of handling this weight. Say you have a tow rating 10K lbs. You look at an 8K lbs trailer and the tongue weight will be about 1500-1600 lbs and add family, hitch, dog, etc to the 1600 lbs and you are looking at over 2K load. Your F150 up to 2K lbs load? What if you had a fully loaded gross weight on the trailer of 10K lbs, You are now in SUPER DUTY land.

[5J's]

Good catch. I looked for the vehicle mfg date but didn't think to look at the sticker posted. However the best way to know is like I stated earlier, pack the truck for a camping trip and head to the scales. Subtract the scales weights from the GVWR and GAWR. Or as posted earlier ask the TV salesman, the F150 is fine for a 36' Alpine. [emoji16]