What size 5th wheel for my truck?

[CodyWyBound]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

CAT Scales....here are some around/Near Littleton
https://catscale.com/cat-scale-locat...s=4&cmdSearch=

Cost is like $10/$12

USS NAVY...Machinist Mate Aft Engine Room USS Decatur DDG31 (Guided Missile Destroyer) 1972-1978

THANKS for your Service. Welcome Home!!

Thank you sir!

[Brantel]

If your gonna be legal then your gonna have to stay under 12,000 gross and even less than that if you put a heavy hitch in the bed.

Look at the half-ton towable models which are not really half-ton towable, they are really just good options for a 3/4 ton truck....Or a very small standard model.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by CodyWyBound

Hi HDGoose. My sticker I attached does show the tire pressures. It is 65 psi (cold). I have looked everywhere for another sticker but only found the one that only provides me the GVWR and the GAWR front and rear.

Look on the driver door jamb itself (not only the door). I think it's pretty much mandatory that all vehicles have a payload sticker. Heck, even a Hyundai Accent has one! On trucks, they are typically like the yellow and black one linked by another member above.

I also guesstimate your payload at 2200-2500 lbs tops.

[tuffr2]

Ditto Brantel - he is correct. You can look at just about any 5th wheel advertised as half ton I think. If your 'Occupant Cargo capacity is 2,400 lbs.'

It is true, 5th wheels advertised as half ton towable is not true. Very very few 1/2 ton trucks have the cargo capacity to tow one.
Only two I know of are the F-150 with the very special HDPP package, and the Nissan Titan XD

Does your truck have a 5th wheel prep package? That is a nice package to have. It cost $500 from the factory but cost $1,200 to have a turn over goose ball added if it does not. To add rails was $800.

Two things I do not like about 5th wheels are:
1. They are kinda high. Over 12' in most cases. Low hanging tree branches and low hanging residential power lines are another worry.

2. They track way inside the path of the truck so you have to make wide turns just like a semi-truck.

There are however advantages to both 5th Wheels and Travel Trailers.

For full time with a travel trailer you have the bed of your truck for storage.

[CodyWyBound]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Does your truck have a 5th wheel prep package? That is a nice package to have. It cost $500 from the factory but cost $1,200 to have a turn over goose ball added if it does not. To add rails was $800.

Hi Tuffr2, I do have the 5th wheel prep package but everything I am learning is I probably won't be using it since it seems that there are very few 5th wheel options for my truck. I am now focusing on travel trailers and I am finding some nice ones with Grand Design and I see I can pull any of the Airstreams including their 33ft Classic which is a beauty.

[Brantel]

Originally Posted by CodyWyBound

Hi Tuffr2, I do have the 5th wheel prep package but everything I am learning is I probably won't be using it since it seems that there are very few 5th wheel options for my truck. I am now focusing on travel trailers and I am finding some nice ones with Grand Design and I see I can pull any of the Airstreams including their 33ft Classic which is a beauty.

There are plenty of 5er's in the so called "Half-Ton Towable" class to choose from. I just bought a Cougar HT 32BHS that fits my 3/4 ton truck (although I do have the HCTP and the 10,800 GVWR). Its a lot of rig for the weight!

Grand Design also has a whole line of H-T models.

I am sure there are others but these are the two brands I looked at the most.

[tuffr2]

Man, if I had the 5th wheel prep package I sure as heck would compare the half ton 5th wheels vs the nice travel trailers. If you find a half ton 5th wheel you like you could use a goose neck ball with the Andersen Ultimate hitch which would only weigh 35lbs plus the 10 lb. ball. So you will not lose too much of your cargo capacity. I think most half ton 5th wheels will have a pin weight (weight your truck will carry) of 1,500 to 1,800 lbs.

But agree - there are a lot of nice travel trailers too. Especially if you are thinking Airstream or Grand Design. You will get to use the bumper pull hitch. So not all is lost.

I do like the idea of a cap on the truck for storage and a travel trailer for full timers

Oh, The Keystone Cougar travel trailers are warranted for full time use. But so are the Cougar mid profile 5th wheels. I think all this means if you are living in these RV's full time and you need service work there are no questions about living in it full time.
I think Jayco is also warranted to use full time. Just a little to think about and probably not a big deal.

[Garyp4951]

If you have a 4x4 crew cab short box 6.4 motor with 3:73 or 4:10 gears, your payload is 3,300#

[wandering1]

Originally Posted by CodyWyBound

Hi everyone. I'm new to this forum and look forward to becoming a knowledgeable RV'er through iRV2 forums!

Ok, I just recently purchased a new 2020 Ram 2500 6.7l Cummins Crew Cab 4x4 6.4. I bought it because my wife are planning to sell the house and full time in an rv. We want to purchase a 5th wheel and what I need to know is what size 5th wheel can I reasonably tow with my truck? Here are the specifications I know of:

GVWR: 10000 lbs
GAWR Front: 6000 lbs
GAWR RearL 6040 lbs
GCWR: 27000 lbs

This is all I have. I can't find any other ratings. It's been frustratiing trying to find that information. According to Ram, I have a towing capacity of 15, 980 lbs. I have been asking questions in a Ram truck forum and basically I'm being told I can't tow a 5th wheel at all, even the smallest of 5th wheels. This is shocking if this is true. I guess I should have decided on a 5th wheel first and then purchased the truck. Oh well. I have the truck (I love it) so now I need to determine what size 5th wheel I can tow. I do have the 5th wheel/gooseneck towing prep. I have been looking at 5th wheels with a GVWR of 15000 lbs, 35 feet.

While I'm at it, if you can provide input, what size travel trailer can I tow with my truck?

I look forward to your input and this information will assist me in deciding the best 5th wheel or travel trailer that I can purchase that would be a good full-time living rv.

Thanks!

Read the posting in this forum " Sticky: Tow Vehicle Sizing & Weight"

[Wileykid]

There are several ways with RAM to find the payload. One should be, and is a federal requirement to have that yellow sticker on the truck. Another is to lookup your vin# on the RAM website. Here is one for your truck: https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html. Just click on the "look up your vehicle" and put your vin# in it. The weight will be the actual number that your truck was when it came out of the factory.

[TMyers17]

Go weigh the truck. Once you have accurate front and rear axle weights, compare them to your truck’s max axle weights. My 2013 2500 CTD max is 6000/rear and 5000/front.

I tow a 12k lbs. 5th wheel with mine and I’m under my rear max axle weight by 700 lbs. We load the camper with pin weight in mind and the truck only carries passengers, everything else goes in the camper.

[Rhagfo]

Originally Posted by CodyWyBound

I don't see that on my sticker. I googled it though and if this is the right value you are looking for, the maximum payload is 4010 lbs.

Well you posted your VIN sticker in an earlier post, I took the VIN from that and ran it through the "Look Up My Vehicle" button in the middel right of the screen on this WEB site.
https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-guide.html


Your payload as the truck left the factory was 2,170# Max Towing 16,980. That 2,170 Payload is pretty low for towing both a 5er and a large TT.


I know I am a little late to the party, but when anyone ask me about 3/4 ton diesels I simply say if you want a diesel, just get a one ton for the payload.


Had you bought a one ton long bed the GVWR would have been 12,300# giving you about double your current payload.


ON EDIT: if you go to this site and put in your VIN it will list all the equipment on your truck in detail.
https://fcacommunity.force.com/RAM/s/equipment-listing

[tuffr2]

I was lucky - I was in a winter snowbird RV park looking at used Diesel Pusher motorhome and staying in a 22' travel trailer. Anyway everyone in the RV park had 5th wheels. So to make the story shorter I bought a 37' 16,000lb GVWR 5th wheel and had it delivered to the RV Park.

I looked at and really liked a Ram 2500 diesel I test drove and was allowed to keep it over night. I showed it to one of the RV parks guru about towing. He said I needed. dually to tow that trailer. This was the very best free advice I ever got. I bought a F-450.

If your payload is just 2,100 and some change you are best off with a travel trailer.
And at that, you need to be careful of the hitch weight.

I was going to mention you could trade for a much higher payload Ram 6.4gas with the new 8 speed transmission. But the diesel makes a better towing machine.

[cavie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RbqPaqtpuI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwFLOBrADBs