5500 pound 26 ft 5th wheel

[DaveTN]

Hoping to get some advice on this.

Is this considered a light 5th wheel? Is there really even a light weight category in 5th wheels? Could my F 150 handle it? The 5th wheel is 5300 so loaded maybe 6000 pounds is more realistic?

Thanks!

[Ray,IN]

A few 5er manufacturers do make a "lite" trailer for towing with 1/2T pickups. That sounds like one. They are normally low-profile, meaning the bedroom is not tall enough to stand upright, but some are mid-profile and one can stand upright in the bedroom.. While this may be true about 1/2T towable, it is not the entire picture. The rear axle weight limit of the pickup and towing weight limit is the governing factor. Another factor is wind resistance of the frontal area of the trailer, which is akin to towing a flat wall, climbing hills will quickly drag a gas engine down for this reason.
I recommend this towing calculator to accurately and safely match your pickup to a 5er.

[DaveTN]

Thanks, great site. It's in my bookmarks now!

[caissiel]

The word lite, for me means more expensive and more parts to break. Frame are usually weak and flex a lot, and all axles and tires and other parts are at the limit
We towed a 24ft low profile 5th wheel standard trailer for 4 years with a Ranger and now get the same economy towing a 38ft high profile trailer with an eight year old used diesel. With 300% more comfort on the road and in the park.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by DaveTN

Could my F 150 handle it? The 5th wheel is 5300 so loaded maybe 6000 pounds is more realistic?

More realistic is 7000 to 8,000 pounds.

Using the dry trailer weight then guessing at how much weight you will add is a sure way to wind up overloaded when you get on the road.

Use the GVWR of the trailer as your probable wet and loaded trailer weight in the middle of your third RV trip.

As to whether an F-150 can pull it without exceeding any of the weight ratings of the F-150, that depends on the exact F-150. On a 2013 model, GCWR varies from 10,400 to 17,100. Tow rating, which is overstated because it assumes an empty tow vehicle and ignores hitch weight, varies from 5,500 to 11,300. Assuming a SuperCrew body, GVWR varies from 7,100 to 8,200. Back up to 2009 model year and GVWR for F-150 regular and Super cabs varies from 6,450 to 8,200, and from 6,800 to 7,200 on SuperCrews. (HD Payload Pkg was not available on 2009 SuperCrews.)

To determine the towing capability of your F-150, we need year, engine, axle ratio and GVWR of your F-150, plus 4x2 or 4x4. Plus for 2011-up F-150s, we need to know whether it has the max tow pkg. The GVWR is included on the Federal Certification Label on the doorjamb. (That label also includes VIN, year/month of production, tire size and PSI, and several codes for paint, axle, etc.)