5th wheel hitch question....new member

[normanis14]

Hello,

I am purchasing a Grand Design 150 series 230rls 5th wheel trailer and hitching it up to my Ford F150 super crew short box pick up. I am contemplating using either a Reese pro series 16k hitch or upgrading to the B&W patriot 18k hitch. I do not need a slider hitch as the pin box rotates.
I am thinking it might be a good idea to go with the B&W just because it is heavier and seems to have a better king pin locking mechanism.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this subject? We are first time 5th wheel owners and are looking forward to doing some traveling.....

Thank you.

Jeff

[tuffr2]

My 2 cents, get the best locking mechanism you can with smooth operation.

[CWSWine]

Since your pin weight weight loaded ready to camp is going to be around 1500 pounds I would be looking for a lighter weight hitch than the B&W since it will add a couple of hundred pounds to the payload and you still have to allow for people, aftermarket options and stuff you carrying in the truck. I would looking at something like the Andersen under 50 pounds or one of the light weight hitches. The B&W is a great hitch but it is heavy and you will probably be tight on payload unless you have the HD Payload option!!!!

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by normanis14

I am purchasing a Grand Design 150 series 230rls 5th wheel trailer and hitching it up to my Ford F150 super crew short box pick up. I am contemplating using either a Reese pro series 16k hitch or upgrading to the B&W patriot 18k hitch. I do not need a slider hitch as the pin box rotates.
I am thinking it might be a good idea to go with the B&W just because it is heavier and seems to have a better king pin locking mechanism.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this subject?

Yeah, several thoughts.

First thought is your F-150 will probably be overloaded with that 5er unless you are diligent in minimizing the weight you haul in the trailer and the F-150.

Trailer GVWR is 9,495, with 17.2% dry hitch weight. Probable empty weight with propane and battery(ies) is about 8,000 pounds, so a lightly loaded 5er ready for a camping trip will be about 8,500 to 9,000 pounds. Expect at least 18% pin weight, so if you perturb DW by keeping the gross wet and loaded trailer weight down to 8,500, that's pin weight of 1,530 pounds. A decent 5er hitch will weigh about 200 pounds installed, for a total hitch weight of about 1,730 pounds. If you subtract 1,730 pounds from the payload capacity of your F-150, how much payload capacity do you have left for passengers, pets, tools, toys, campfire wood, etc.? Payload capacity is on the yellow sticker in your driver's door jamb. Here's the specs for the 230RL.
https://www.granddesignrv.com/showro...oorplans/230rl

Now for the 5er hitch. Reese makes several different 5er hitches, from inadequate to really good. The Pro Series is their economy hitch, and I'd rate it as inadequate. I began towing a 5er with the Pro Series 5er hitch, and soon threw it away and replaced it with a much-better Reese 5er hitch. Assuming you'll buy a hitch with "industry standard" above bed rails, here's the minimum Reese 5er hitch I would buy now:
https://www.etrailer.com/p-RP30047.html

Note that hitch #RP30047 costs $498.91. The less expensive Pro Series costs $413.31 from the same source. Trust me, you'll be glad you spent the additional $86 to get the better hitch. The B&W Patriot costs $571 from that same source. There's no reason to pay the extra $172 over the cost of the Reese #RP30047.

But if you want an empty bed when the hitch is removed, then you want below-bed rails. The price went way up in a hurry, but some folks insist on nothing in the bed when the hitch is removed. Reese has your back. It's the premium (expensive) hitch called the Reese Elite hitch, and they make one that will fit in an F-150 with 5.5' bed:
https://www.etrailer.com/5w-2014_For...furl=-c1-Below

Note that I used a 2014 F-150 in the above links. If your F-150 is not a 2014 and you order a hitch from eTrailer, you need to change vehicles to get the custom install kit that will fit your truck.

[normanis14]

Originally Posted by SmokeyWren

Yeah, several thoughts.

First thought is your F-150 will probably be overloaded with that 5er unless you are diligent in minimizing the weight you haul in the trailer and the F-150.

Trailer GVWR is 9,495, with 17.2% dry hitch weight. Probable empty weight with propane and battery(ies) is about 8,000 pounds, so a lightly loaded 5er ready for a camping trip will be about 8,500 to 9,000 pounds. Expect at least 18% pin weight, so if you perturb DW by keeping the gross wet and loaded trailer weight down to 8,500, that's pin weight of 1,530 pounds. A decent 5er hitch will weigh about 200 pounds installed, for a total hitch weight of about 1,730 pounds. If you subtract 1,730 pounds from the payload capacity of your F-150, how much payload capacity do you have left for passengers, pets, tools, toys, campfire wood, etc.? Payload capacity is on the yellow sticker in your driver's door jamb. Here's the specs for the 230RL.
https://www.granddesignrv.com/showro...oorplans/230rl

Now for the 5er hitch. Reese makes several different 5er hitches, from inadequate to really good. The Pro Series is their economy hitch, and I'd rate it as inadequate. I began towing a 5er with the Pro Series 5er hitch, and soon threw it away and replaced it with a much-better Reese 5er hitch. Assuming you'll buy a hitch with "industry standard" above bed rails, here's the minimum Reese 5er hitch I would buy now:
https://www.etrailer.com/p-RP30047.html

Note that hitch #RP30047 costs $498.91. The less expensive Pro Series costs $413.31 from the same source. Trust me, you'll be glad you spent the additional $86 to get the better hitch. The B&W Patriot costs $571 from that same source. There's no reason to pay the extra $172 over the cost of the Reese #RP30047.

But if you want an empty bed when the hitch is removed, then you want below-bed rails. The price went way up in a hurry, but some folks insist on nothing in the bed when the hitch is removed. Reese has your back. It's the premium (expensive) hitch called the Reese Elite hitch, and they make one that will fit in an F-150 with 5.5' bed:
https://www.etrailer.com/5w-2014_For...furl=-c1-Below

Note that I used a 2014 F-150 in the above links. If your F-150 is not a 2014 and you order a hitch from eTrailer, you need to change vehicles to get the custom install kit that will fit your truck.

Thank you so much for the suggestions. I will look into these other hitches before I make a purchase.

[CecilD]

It sounds like you have a Sidewinder style pinbox so lightweight ball type hitches such as the Andersen are not for consideration. Make sure you understand your capture plate installation and operation. If you are not sure as to what I am talking about please ask. Having two pivot points is dangerous trouble.

Congratulations on your new fifth wheel.

[Cumminsfan]

Hate to say it but you bought too much 5er for your truck.
Since you have a SB truck you won't have enough payload for the pin weight.

[Sandflea]

I have a 16K Reese to pull my 31' Wilderness, and it is interchangable between my 91 GMC 1500 [with air shocks], and my 94 Chevy K3500 dually. I use the 1500 around the area and the 3500 for road trips. The main reason I got the Reese was the locking jaws, similar to the Holland and Zern hitches on my semis. I really don't like having a flat piece of steel bar across my pin, BUT that is my personal preference. If your pulling yours with a 1/2 t pickup, 150/1500, be careful of the handling at higher speeds, mine gets a bit squirrely above 45 mph, seeing as the trailer weighs twice the tractor, 11K/5K, just something to consider. As far as the flat bedd, a sheet of plywood on 3-4 2x4's works too.

[Txloser]

Aside from the weight stuff, I'd go with B&W. Get the 18K over the 16K, just because there's less to put together. Base is welded vs having to screw it all together. I've got the 16K Partriot and love it.

If I didn't have that, I'd go with the Andersen. Super light weight and people rave about it on these message boards.

Sounds like you could potentially be overweight, but when dealing with 1000's of pounds, a couple hundred one way or another won't make much difference. Might as well get whatever hitch you like best. Buy once and have it for your next truck if there is one.

[normanis14]

Originally Posted by Cumminsfan

Hate to say it but you bought too much 5er for your truck.
Since you have a SB truck you won't have enough payload for the pin weight.

Thankfully I haven't made the purchase yet. I was very close to doing it but the input I have received on this forum has helped change my mind. It still bothers me a great deal that of the 6 dealerships I talked to about the 5er I was considering, ALL of them said I could pull this trailer with no problem. While I suppose they were correct that I could pull it with my truck, they failed to tell me that I'd be way over my payload rating for my truck. Irresponsible in my mind.
I have received a very good education here at iRV2.com. It really looks to me like there isn't a 5er on the market that I can pull with my current truck.

Thank you all

[tuffr2]

Good call, there are very few 5th wheels (if any) that can be towed with a 1/2 ton truck. You can special order a F-150 with a heavy duty package that might be able to tow a 5th wheel but would coast more than an F-250 that could tow the same 5th wheel w/o any special towing package.

[SmokeyWren]

Originally Posted by normanis14

It really looks to me like there isn't a 5er on the market that I can pull with my current truck.

There are some smaller 5ers you can tow without being overloaded, but nothing as big and heavy as the GD 150 Series 230RLS. You must find a 5er with GVWR of about 5,000 pounds, and those are few and far between.

My Sunrise Nomad 196S tag trailer is much smaller with no slides, has GVWR of 5,600 pounds, and grosses about 5,000 pounds when wet and loaded for a long trip. And on the road, I'm overloaded by 100 pounds over the GVWR of my F-150 SuperCrew with 6.5' bed, lightweight camper shell, and with just me and DW and Sugar (Border Collie) and my tool box in the truck. My 196S is a normal RV trailer with all the conveniences such as hot water bathroom, AC, furnace, etc. But it's a normal RV trailer, not molded fiberglass construction. If my same trailer was a 5er instead of a tag, I'd be overloaded by several hundred pounds.

If you insist on a 5er, look only at RV trailers with molded fiberglass construction.

Escape is one brand, but their 5er is a tandem-axle RV with GVWR of 5,500 pounds.
The Escape 5.0 TA fifth wheel

Another brand of tiny 5er is Scamp. Their 19' 5er has one 3500 pound axle, so GVWR is about 4,000 pounds. Scamp 19' fifth wheel

You can tow a bigger conventional "bumper-Pull" RV (so-called tag trailer) than 5er without being overloaded because of the difference in hitch weight. Tag trailers average 13% wet and loaded tongue weight while small 5ers average about 18% pin weight. So on a 5er that grosses 6,000 pounds, pin weight would be about 1,080 pounds plus another 200 pounds for a good 5er hitch, or 1280 pounds hitch weight. On a tag trailer with that same 6,000 pounds weight, the tongue weight would be about 780 pounds plus about 100 pounds for a good WD hitch. That 500 pounds difference in hitch weight can mean the difference between being overloaded or not.

The Escape tag trailers are lighter weight than the 5er, plus that difference in percentage of hitch weight. Their biggest tag trailer is 21' long and has GVWR of 5,000 pounds. With a good WD hitch, you could tow that trailer without being overloaded. The 21 Foot Escape

[JIMNLIN]

Along with the Andersen check out another 50-60 lb hitch PullRite ISR Super Light rated up to 20000 lbs. ISR Series SuperLite Four Point (4P) Rail Mounted Fifth Wheel Hitch | Fifth Wheel Hitches by PullRite

Maybe I missed it but I didn't see which GVWR/RAWR package your truck has.
Ford does have F150 with heavier suspensions that can handle that size 5th wheel trailer.
Simply depends on the numbers matchup.

[normanis14]

Originally Posted by CecilD

It sounds like you have a Sidewinder style pinbox so lightweight ball type hitches such as the Andersen are not for consideration. Make sure you understand your capture plate installation and operation. If you are not sure as to what I am talking about please ask. Having two pivot points is dangerous trouble.

Congratulations on your new fifth wheel.

I looked into the Andersen hitch and really liked the whole concept of it but did find out that it just won't work properly with a sidewinder....darn it!

Thanks for the comments....much appreciated!