Can you recommend some 1/2 ton towable FW manufactures....In looking at units it is important to us to have a walk around queen bed.Extremely important to have access to the bathroom and refrigerator when slides are in.Unit should be under 27 or 30 feet in length.Any recommendations on manufactures or floor plans?Thank you,

Need more info on your half ton. Not all half ton models are towable by every half ton. They list a 12000pd fifth wheel as half ton towable as there are two half tons on the market that can do it. A Chev and Ford configured a certain way, can tow 12000pds and payloads around 2000pds. Similar truck loaded up may only tow 9000pds with 1300pds of payload based on its gears and the extras added.

Keystone Cougar has 1/2 towables.

See reference to my trailer in the signature lines. I towed with an '09 Silverado C1500 (with tow package, 9,600 lb tow capacity) for close to 3 years. Got all around Texas. The C1500 did the job until I had the cash to get more pulling power. This Springdale has about the lightest pin weight you'll find for the size of trailer. I was within 140 pounds of my rear GAWR and 90% of my GCWR of the truck. Limitation on horsepower was most noticeable when trying to maintain 65mph on Interstate into a 15mph headwind.The floor plan is as you describe.

2halfs wrote:Can you recommend some 1/2 ton towable FW manufactures......................Thank you,Need more info on your truck first.Most important is payload.You have a black/yellow label on your driver's door pillar that says "Weight of occupants and cargo must not exceed xxxx".What is that "xxxx" number?Then, from your Owner's manual, what is your Max Tow capacity?With those two numbers we can get you started.

If you look at the ratings of your truck, you will know what FWs you can carry. Yes, there are some FWs, that are truly 1/2 ton towable, but you can not go by the brochures.If you know your payload #, and the RAWR, you only need to weigh the truck, to see what hitch weight you can carry. Most FWs will have about 20% of their weight on the pin. If you use the FW GVWR, say 10,000 lbs., this would be about 2,000 lbs. pin weight, plus 150-200 lbs. more for the hitch.Two thousand plus, is too much hitch weight, for most true 1/2 ton trucks.Jerry

1/2 ton towable FW | Good Sam Community

therink
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
kaydeejay wrote:
tekman741 wrote:
............. the hitch weight is 80lbs not 300lbs
Careful with generalizations such as this. OP MAY need a slider for a 6'6" box truck. That will be 200#. He could opt for peace of mind and do what I did and get a Superglide - that's 285#.
Are there hitches that weigh 80#? Sure, but would they work in his situation? Only he can be the judge of that.
Rear windows and cab sheet metal can get expensive real quick!!

My hitch weighs 100 lbs (slider). The installation kit (frame brackets mounting hardware and bed rails weigh about another 100). That is 200 lbs.
Jayco-noslide
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
Before our current Motorhome, we towed a, 1999 25 ft. Jayco 5th wheel with no slides with 2 different half-ton Chevys for 10 years. It worked out fine but I always said that I wouldn't want any more weight; not even a few hundred pounds. For the life of me, I can't figure out why the manufacturers don't make more truly half-ton towable 5th wheels in the 25 to 27 ft. range but they don't. There are plenty in the 30-32 ft. range but they are really too heavy for the average half-ton. Sure it might work if you have a newer half-ton equipped with the biggest motor, heavy duty suspension, etc. but most half-ton aren't. Oh, and don't pay any attention to salesmen. Fully research it yourself and don't tow any more than 80 or 90% of the truck's advertised capacity.
wing_zealot
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
Why do you want a FW? Lots of nice TT's out there that you can tow with a 1/2ton. You can tow a bigger TT with a 1/2 ton than a FW.
Me_Again
Explorer III
Jun 09, 2015
tekman741 wrote:
Open range lf305bh, people tow it with a tundra equipped with extra rear spring or air bags or timbrins. Need the 5.7l v force. I have done a ton(lol) of research. Look at the open range forum. If with ford or Chevy or dodge check that forum. I think it will have all the features you want. I did not buy one because I may be getting a cabin instead good luck. Guy who tows on that forum is Davy Crockett the hitch weight is 80lbs not 300lbs

I am pretty sure the OP truck would be a short bed. NO slider hitch is going to only weigh 80 lbs. PullRite 4100 16K SuperGlide 5th Wheel Hitch weight 195 lbs. Chris
Fresno_Tundra_D
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
Hello, You most likely want something newer but for over 12 years we've towed a 2003 Fleetwood Prowler 27 5A. It has the walk around queen in the front. Its 27'11" long and loaded up its just over 7000lbs. It does have bunks in the back so maybe you don't want that. We have always towed it with our 2001 4.7L Tundra 2wd extra cab. Good Luck.
kaydeejay
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
tekman741 wrote:
............. the hitch weight is 80lbs not 300lbs
Careful with generalizations such as this. OP MAY need a slider for a 6'6" box truck. That will be 200#. He could opt for peace of mind and do what I did and get a Superglide - that's 285#.
Are there hitches that weigh 80#? Sure, but would they work in his situation? Only he can be the judge of that.
Rear windows and cab sheet metal can get expensive real quick!!
tekman741
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
Open range lf305bh, people tow it with a tundra equipped with extra rear spring or air bags or timbrins. Need the 5.7l v force. I have done a ton(lol) of research. Look at the open range forum. If with ford or Chevy or dodge check that forum. I think it will have all the features you want. I did not buy one because I may be getting a cabin instead good luck. Guy who tows on that forum is Davy Crockett the hitch weight is 80lbs not 300lbs
NC_Hauler
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
IF, as you stated now that your truck is a 1500HD...JIMNLIN is right...it's a far more "beefier 1/2 ton then GM's 'normal" half ton pick up during that time frame....OP needs to look at his RAWR and weigh his truck to see how much pin weight he can put in the bed of the truck.

I think he needs to weigh his truck and whatever amount is on his drive axle, add an additional 200# for a 5er hitch, and go from there....Use GVW of 5er and take 20% of that to get a ball park idea of what pin weight you might be adding to the weight on the rear axle..

BUT OP also mentioned SLIDE(S)...how heavy of a 5er is he planning on getting. Everyone knows that one slide is going to add more weight and more slides are going to make it even heavier....Do the math and use some common sense and try to err to the side of safety in picking out a 5er you're going to tow,
mbutts
Explorer
Jun 09, 2015
If you really want something light, Escape makes a micro-size 5th wheel: Escape

Gross weight of 5,500 lbs. and a sort-of walk around queen bed.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jun 09, 2015
Now were getting some where.
A 1500 HD has a 8600 GVWR 6000 RAWR with load E tires and wheels. Comes with the 6.0 engine and the tough old 4L80e tranny and can be a 3.73 or 4.10 gears. Payloads run over 3000 lbs and up to 12k tow ratings. The drivers side door post will have the GVWR/FAWR/RAWR.

If this is your truck its a much sought after 1500 truck which is the old 2500 before GM came out with the HD 9200 GVWR 3/4 ton truck.

The 1500 HD has a very light gross weight. From the factory it can have a 2600-2700 lb rear axle weight which leaves well over 3000 lb payload. I would stick with around a 2500 lb wet pin weight for this truck.

How much will it pull ?? You know it pulls your current TT with no issues.
The older 6.0 engines don't have the performance of the new 6.0 so I would stick with a 10k-11k wet weight trailer.