"Light" Weight 5th Wheels

[KHBama]

How are dealerships getting away with advertising these as 1/2 ton towable?? The few I've looked at have a hitch weight that range from 1300-1700lbs. I have a ram 2500 gaser and I really liked a Laredo but can't justify it with my 2300lb payload. It has a hitch weight of 1500lbs, with my family of 4 I'm looking at almost 2100lbs before any cargo. Salesman said "oh yeah, people pull these with 1500s"

[tbos1958]

Bottom line is it's a marketing tool. After all a 1/2 ton Toyota pulled the Space Shuttle. In an ideal situation with an empty RV and a bare bones truck with the max towing package the numbers may squeak into the safe range. Other than that I think a 1 ton is the way to go for most people.

[Gordon Dewald]

Originally Posted by tbos1958

Bottom line is it's a marketing tool. After all a 1/2 ton Toyota pulled the Space Shuttle. In an ideal situation with an empty RV and a bare bones truck with the max towing package the numbers may squeak into the safe range. Other than that I think a 1 ton is the way to go for most people.

They probably gave the shuttle a shove to get it started!

[Yosemite77]

Originally Posted by Gordon Dewald

They probably gave the shuttle a shove to get it started!

Or they turned the shuttle’s engines on.

[MTK46]

Originally Posted by KHBama

How are dealerships getting away with advertising these as 1/2 ton towable?? The few I've looked at have a hitch weight that range from 1300-1700lbs. I have a ram 2500 gaser and I really liked a Laredo but can't justify it with my 2300lb payload. It has a hitch weight of 1500lbs, with my family of 4 I'm looking at almost 2100lbs before any cargo. Salesman said "oh yeah, people pull these with 1500s"

Have you looked at any Forest River "Lite" 5th wheels? My son is buying a 2015 Crusader with a 1322 hitch weight. He has a F-250 7.3 diesel.
Flagstaffs have 1080 t0 1300 hitch weight 5th wheels.
They are out there just have to look.

[JIMNLIN]

How are dealerships getting away with advertising these as 1/2 ton towable?? The few I've looked at have a hitch weight that range from 1300-1700lbs.

Probably because they know there are 1/2 ton trucks out here with payload ratings up to 3000 lbs.

Fords F150HD 7850-8200 GVWR....4800 rawr is good for up to 2400-2500 lbs.

GM 1500 with the NHT heavy tow package has a 7600 GVWR.....4300 rawr with up to 2100-2200 lb payloads.

Ram 1500 doesn't have enough rawr capacity for 1600-1700 lb hitch weights.

Older mid '00s 1500 Dodge Mega cab 5.7 hemi with a 8510 gvwr....6000 rawr for up to 2800-2900 payloads in the bed.

'00 to '06 1500HD GM with 8600 gvwr...6000 rawr 6.0 gasser up to 3000 lb payloads in the bed.

many 1/2 ton owners didn't select the right tow/haul package and make claims all 1/2 ton trucks can't do the job. Gotta' make the right selections.

[NavyDiver198]

Originally Posted by KHBama

How are dealerships getting away with advertising these as 1/2 ton towable?? The few I've looked at have a hitch weight that range from 1300-1700lbs. I have a ram 2500 gaser and I really liked a Laredo but can't justify it with my 2300lb payload. It has a hitch weight of 1500lbs, with my family of 4 I'm looking at almost 2100lbs before any cargo. Salesman said "oh yeah, people pull these with 1500s"

I have a 1/2 Ton Towable that I pull with a 2015 F250 Gas. DW decided she wanted a different trailer, went to look at a Front Living Room model. I looked at the sticker on the trailer and said (with the salesman in earshot) that our truck wouldn't pull it if we where at the GVWR, he responded with "Your F-250 will pull this no problem, how often do you pull with the trailer full."

I immediately told the wife that we had to go. I won't ever buy a trailer at this dealership.

[campnfool]

KHbama, FWIW.. We tow a Xlite 1/2 ton towable 5'er with our little '13 F-150 & are well within all weight limits. GVWR 8200, RAWR 4800. Payload capacity of 2172 lbs. Truck weighs 6450 lbs ready to tow & 5'er GVWR is 9960 lbs. PW is 1450 lbs. & 8600 lbs total loaded. So, if you do your homework & research, it is possible to match the right so called 1/2 ton truck with a 1/2 ton towable 5'er. We've towed ours now a little over 12,000 miles, allot in & around the hills of the Southern Rockies of Southern Colorado & around the southwest part of the country. It's a fantastic combination.

[xrated]

campnfool.......If the GVWR of your truck is 8200 lbs and the truck weight, ready to hook up and tow is 6450, that leaves you with a remaining payload of 1750 lbs. Then you said the pin weight is 1450, that leaves you with 300 lbs for passengers, other cargo, etc to reach your cargo max capacity. That is cutting it very close, and depending how much additional "stuff" you put in the truck or trailer, you could very easily be overloaded on the CCC of the truck. Just something to think about.

[rollondown]

People next to us are pulling a Keystone Light with Tundra and are double towing their golf cart on a utility trailer....
His words.... Salesman said it was fine....

[C.Martin]

Originally Posted by KHBama

Salesman said "oh yeah, people pull these with 1500s"

Probably the first truth he told you. We used to get a kick out of biking around the loops at Ft. Wilderness (Disney). At the time we had a "Super Lite" Keystone Outback 282FE that we pulled with a 3/4 ton dodge diesel. I was amazed at how many people had much larger 5th wheels than mine, behind a 1500 or F-150. And somehow, a lot of them had come all the way down from Ontario, Canada. So, yes...it is done all the time. Is it proper??? I would say NO. It wouldn't be in my nature to be intentionally non-compliant with DOT limitations. If involved in an accident, your salesman will not be present in the courtroom.

Your hearing always gets better in the hearing...

[Old-Biscuit]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

Probably because they know there are 1/2 ton trucks out here with payload ratings up to 3000 lbs.

Fords F150HD 7850-8200 GVWR....4800 rawr is good for up to 2400-2500 lbs.

GM 1500 with the NHT heavy tow package has a 7600 GVWR.....4300 rawr with up to 2100-2200 lb payloads.

Ram 1500 doesn't have enough rawr capacity for 1600-1700 lb hitch weights.

Older mid '00s 1500 Dodge Mega cab 5.7 hemi with a 8510 gvwr....6000 rawr for up to 2800-2900 payloads in the bed.

'00 to '06 1500HD GM with 8600 gvwr...6000 rawr 6.0 gasser up to 3000 lb payloads in the bed.

many 1/2 ton owners didn't select the right tow/haul package and make claims all 1/2 ton trucks can't do the job. Gotta' make the right selections.

X2

MANY 150/1500s have more payload then 250/2500s

Truck models/trims should be 150/1500 then jump right to 350/3500 and just do away with the 250/2500.
Not only do they have low/limited payloads the pricing is so close to 350/3500

[campnfool]

Originally Posted by xrated

campnfool.......If the GVWR of your truck is 8200 lbs and the truck weight, ready to hook up and tow is 6450, that leaves you with a remaining payload of 1750 lbs. Then you said the pin weight is 1450, that leaves you with 300 lbs for passengers, other cargo, etc to reach your cargo max capacity. That is cutting it very close, and depending how much additional "stuff" you put in the truck or trailer, you could very easily be overloaded on the CCC of the truck. Just something to think about.

xrated...Thanks for your concern.
" Ready to hook up & tow is 6450 lbs". That 6450 lbs (scaled & give or take a lb or 3) is the total weight of the truck motoring down the road. Includes me, DW, Yorkie, munchie bag, hitch, Tonneau cover, spray on bed liner. That's it.
5'er, PW 1450, TW 8600 lbs (scaled) GVWR 9960. We travel extremely light.
I know, as stated on some of the different forums, some have the notion that a 150/1500 shouldn't tow anything bigger than a bread box. That, if you don't have a 350/3500, you shouldn't be towing. I disagree. Matching the right truck with the right RV make for a fantastic adventure & we have the perfect match.
Was towing a 31' TT, with the same weight, with a TW of 1045 lbs. with this truck. Was well within weights & ratings with it, wasn't love but wasn't bad. Never felt really comfortable towing it. Any little breeze or semi passing would effect the movement of the setup. BTW, we also pulled that TT with an '04 6.0 F-250 (special order HD). Had less payload than this HD F-150 and was much the same with breezes & semi's.
FWIW...We spent well over a year researching, figuring numbers & weights to match an RV to our truck. Picked a '14 26sab. I feel totally comfortable towing this 5'er. Can't tell when a semi passes and it's hard to tell if & when the wind is blowing unless a micro burst hit us. I gotta keep checking to see if it's back there. If I didn't feel safe I wouldn't be towing it.

[HighDesert]

I had a 2016 Forest River Wildcat Maxx, model FR262 RGX, that was close to 30', overall length. This was "rated" too be towable by a 1/2 ton truck. I was using a F-350, SRW, 6..4 TD and would not even think once about hooking up a half ton to pull this unit. I am amazed that people have no qualms about buying and hooking one of these up to a 1/2 ton truck. I have seen units, like this, in national parks where the truck has been so modified that it is ridiculous in order to pull these once fully loaded for a trip. This is one of those "buyer beware" things and people should be well informed BEFORE pulling the trigger. Most RV salesmen will tell you whatever you want to hear in order to close the sale.