Lightweight 5th Wheel

[go44]

Hi
I think 450 Donn is correct , your truck may handle a travel trailer better because of the pin weight....
My truck has the Z-71 package, heavy duty tires and is rated to tow 8100 lbs..My Prowler is a lite weight travel trailer...
I can cruise along at 65 mph , works on the hills. Having said all this , the 3/4 ton is probably better for towing , but I don't like them solo...
Besides, with the price of gas , I may downsize to ??????

[Randy the sly old fox]

I agree that 1/2T rigs are best suited for hauling TTs - in fact it was only in the past two years that GM has even posted 5th wheel tow ratings. As we have all pointed out, the problem is pin wt of most lightweight 5th wheels is almost at much as the payload rating of the truck. This leaves no room for passengers and even fuel - let alone any camp gear in the truck.

[Tugboat]

I have a FORD F150, 4X2 supercrew cab,5'6" bed, 5.4L, 373 gears with automatic transmission. It has a tow rating of 9,500 conventional trailer and 9,500 fifth wheel. I am looking at the THOROUGHBRED F-829RK it has a GVWR OF 8,142LBS. and the unit on the lot has a light weight of 6,134 lbs.

Thoroughbred

If we buy this unit I will have a Pull-Right super slider installed. and also a POP-UP RV5 King Pin Extender. The extender is because I take two kayaks on the roof of the truck and it could hit without the RV5 it moves the front of the trailer back 10".

I also agree that a 3/4 ton is better but I just got this truck were I want it and it was a 50th birthday present from my wife. (she wants me to go out and get a bigger truck)

[TXiceman]

Tugboat, the thing you need to watch on the 5er and a 1/2 ton truck is your pin weight and the trucks GVWR. Ford's 9500# rating has a very critical foot note which is seldom read. You are not to excedd either the GCWR or GVWR of the truck. If you pull a 5er that weighs 9500# you will have a pin weight of close to 1900# when loaded (ignore the brochure dry pin weight). At 1900# you will be pushing the limits of a lot of 3/4 ton trucks.

You need to weigh your truck with all passengers on board and cargo, and then add 250# for a 5er hitch. Subtract this laoded weight from the trucks GVWR and you have left the maximum load you can carry as pin weight. Your truck can probably haul 900# to 1000# in real life.

With all of this noted, a 1/2 ton truck will be pretty well loaded up at a 24' 5er. Since a travel trailer has a pin weight that is 50 to 60% of a 5er's, you can pull a larger TT than a 5er.

The manufacturers are great at hidding the truth in the footnotes.

Ken

[Tugboat]

Agreed I am lucky that I have free access to a truck scale. I have taken all the weights. The trailer that we have now we load 1248lbs. of payload including water. I also had the dealer weight the pin weight as I watched it is 942lbs with nothing in the trailer. that is less then the manufacturer stated.

We are looking at two trailers now the Thoroughbred and a Jayco G2 31RKS. We will decide in the next few days we have been looking for six months.

[JIMNLIN]

Gary
both of my area dealers have small 5ers for a 1500 std duty trucks. Sounds like you may have the 5.3 instead of the old retired 5.7 which was a great tow engine when properly geared and matched to the load. Some are a single axle unit. If properly matched in weights the 1500 works great for towing a small 5er all the way up to max GAWRs/GVWR. See RV manufactors formanufactors[/URL] for a 5er for your 1500 truck. Check these webs and they can recommend a dealer in your area. There is certinly nothing wrong with a used 5er unless your wanting a new unit.

Jim