Help Please - 5th wheel for 1500 crew cab?

[BRobinson]

I own a 2007 1/2 ton chevy crew cab short box - crew cab was a must for the family. Intended on buying a travel trailer so purchased with 6.0L and Max trailering package. I would prefer to buy a 5th wheel, but I am concerned there may not be adequate clearance between the hitch and cab due to the short bed length. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.

[BRobinson]

I own a 2007 1/2 ton chevy crew cab short box - crew cab was a must for the family. Intended on buying a travel trailer so purchased with 6.0L and Max trailering package. I would prefer to buy a 5th wheel, but I am concerned there may not be adequate clearance between the hitch and cab due to the short bed length. Any comments or suggestions are appreciated.

[Fulltimer]

They make slider hitches for your kind of truck. Keeps the 5er from hitting in turns.
But you will be limited on how much trailer you can pull.

[TXiceman]

Howdy and welcome to iRV2. I will link this back to the new members forum as well.

With a 1/2 ton truck and a 5er, the biggest problem is the higher pin weight and the limited GVWR on the truck. A typical 5er will average close to 20% of the trailers GVWR on the pin when loaded. A TT runs around 12% on the hitch.

You need to weigh the truck with all of the family and normal travel cargo in the truck and add 200# for the 5er hitch. Now subtract the weight of the truck from the GVWR of the truck. The GVWR is located on the sticker inside the door jamb on the truck.

This difference is the most hitch or pin weight you can add from a trailer and still be within the trucks rating.

The trailer tow ratings that the manufacturers provide are a glamorous number and big, but it is big because it is based on a base model truck, no accessories, no cargo, no hitch and only a 150# driver. every pound you add over the base model, reduces the trailer and cargo capacity the same amount.

So for a family, you should concentrate on a a reasonable sized travel trailer to get the most trailer that you can tow.

You can get a well towing TT if you purchase a good weight distributing hitch with sway control. I use and like the Reese Dual Cam HP.

Truthfully, with the 1/2 ton truck, you will pretty well be maxed out with a 24' 5th wheel trailer and I doubt if that will work with a family.

Ken

[brad03ca]

I fully agree with Ken on this one. I actually towed my 28'lite weight 5er for a few years with a 1/2, and was on pins and needles everytime I towed. The 1500 will tow the TT just fine, without the suspension,braking issues. My upgraded T/V makes travel much more enjoyable.

[NLOVNIT]

BRobinson,

Yes, welcome . You've come to the right forum for answers. The members here are highly knowledgeable about towing limits & their advice is sound. I, too, looked to them for answers when we were shopping.

Add me to confirming what Ken stated. In the "real world", 5-r's with enough room for a family are not within the GVWR of a 1/2t truck. You definitely have to take into account all the people & stuff that will be in that truck when figuring what you can safely tow.

I know you would prefer a 5-r, but it's more important to be within the limits of the truck you have. Please reconsider a TT. With the proper equipment, you will be able to have a roomier rv in a TT than a 5-r & will be safer in the long run.

L-

[JIMNLIN]

brobinson
my wife has a '06 1500 4x4 crew cab we purchased last fall. As we were signing the paper work I mentioned our 11200 GVWR 5th wheel trailer. The salesman dropped his pen and made the statement GM doesn't recommend pulling a GN or 5th wheel trailer with this truck. I laughed and told him I pull it with my 2500 Dodge/Cummins and the 1500 will pull my tractor with a front loader/mower/box blade doing custom work and nothing else. I just looked at my '06 owners manual and it states on page 4-73 in the towing schedule that the 2wd or 4x4 5.3 or 6.0 1500 crew cab is neither designed nor intended for towing 5th wheel trailer or a GN. I have a '07 Chev towing guide brochure and it states up to 10500 lb tow capacity for a TT. Under the 5th wheel and GN schedule it is blank for a 1500 crew cab truck. I would check your owners manual and dealer on towing a 5er with your '07 1500 crew cab truck. Bummer.

Jim

[BRobinson]

Thanks for the feedback, you are a great group. I will turn my attention back to a TT. I would appreciate some feeback on how hard it is to hookup to a TT by yourself. I will be storing this thing at my office and will often be picking it up alone - this was one of the driving forces to look to a 5th wheel originally. I have alot of experience hooking up a bass boat alone - no big deal, you can move the tongue as needed if the hitch is relatively close. Since the TT weighs significantly more, I don't know if this is possible or if it will have to be a 'direct hit' between the hitch and trailer - sorry for such a long post for a simple question. Thanks again.

[A1RvTech]

I have a Ford F250 and pull a 24-foot Jayco Travel Trailer. I hook up the trailer by myself with no problems at all. The key is to get it lined up left and right and then back up to within one foot of the ball and get out and look. I have to get out 3 or 4 times but I try hard not to have the trailer hitch hit the license plate on my truck. The license plate is just a few inches in front of the ball. Practice makes perfect.

Matt

[Bobby C]

We have owned 2 TT and 1 5r. The first TT was 28' light weight and worked fine with our 1500 GMC 2wd, super cab 5700 V8. We decided to upgrade to a 32' TT (gvwr 9,800 lbs). I listened to the RV dealer and even did a test pull with the 1500 GMC. First pull to Calloway Gardens went well. The second pull we were heading to the Blueridge Parkway about 2 hours from the house. We got about ten miles away and had to make a stop. The torque converted and tranmission gave way. The truck was towed to the dealership and I borrowed my brother F250 to get the trailer home.

Bottom line, I listened to the RV dealer who said the truck tow the trailer fine. What I didn't do but should have, was know what the trucks GVWR, GCWR and towing capacity of the truck. I was exceeding every capacity and am lucky nothing worse happened. I repaired the truck and traded it in on an F250 crewcab, 4wd, with the 7.3L powerstroke. It has pulled the 36' 12,000 lbs 5r for 3 years now.

Maker sure you know the tow capacity of your truck, the weight of the trailer and the king pin or hitch weight of the 5r. This weight is added to the weight of the truck. You will most likey be exceeding this limit first. When you add fuel, people, stuff and the 5r king pin weight, that can't exceed you truck GVWR.

Hope this helps?

[Bobby C]

Sorry guys for the poor spelling. I tired and it has been a long day of baseball field prep., cutting grass, cleaning the gutters etc.

[NLOVNIT]

Hitching up a TT, even by yourself, is easy. It just takes practice & patience. You might have to get out & check several times, but you can do it.

We had a set of these to help with backing up enough to get the ball under the hitch. It worked really well. If you're interested, send me a private email, we don't need our set anymore.

L-

[TXiceman]

You can purchase an alignment system that has to rods with magnets on the bottoms. One sets on the truck hitch and the other on the trailer tongue. You align the pins and stop and hook up.

Good luck,

Ken

[John66]

There are many ways to ease the hooking up of a TT. The CHEAPEST is good technique and lots of practice.

For those of us who are lazy, there are many 'gadgets' to help, like the pair of rods in the link from NLOVINIT. Then there is a mirror which clips to your tailgate, or a wireless backup camera system. Perhaps others.

But the 'easiest' would probably be a movable hitch like the 'PullRite', which also claims to make the TT 'tow as well as a fifth wheel does' in addition to being easier to hook up.