1/2 ton

469whj469 wrote:
You have got enough posts for you to know that it is not a good idea. There are not many fivers that should be towed with a 1/2 ton truck. Forest River stated that my fiver, 2012 V-Cross 275, 32 feet long, loaded up ready to go, pin weight 2,000 lbs and trailer rated for 9,950 lbs can be towed with a 1/2 ton. I would not even think of pulling it with anything less that what I have, 2011 F250, diesel, CC, RWD, longbed. Additionall, the tires on the type of fiver you are looking at are rated for 65 MPH and should not be driven at higher speeds.

I didn't see anything that the OP said about towing speeds just curious where that came from?? You might note that any fiver that comes with ST tires which I believe is 100% of them, has tires that are rated for a maximum of 65 mph...Jayco has a new line of 1/2 ton towables that might work very well as long as they are within your weight limits...

B.O.

You have got enough posts for you to know that it is not a good idea. There are not many fivers that should be towed with a 1/2 ton truck. Forest River stated that my fiver, 2012 V-Cross 275, 32 feet long, loaded up ready to go, pin weight 2,000 lbs and trailer rated for 9,950 lbs can be towed with a 1/2 ton. I would not even think of pulling it with anything less that what I have, 2011 F250, diesel, CC, RWD, longbed. Additionall, the tires on the type of fiver you are looking at are rated for 65 MPH and should not be driven at higher speeds.

Met 2 sets of people last fall in MI and were towing Jayco Eagles ( 2 slides) 1 with a F150 and the other with a Toyota Tundra. Both did not have sliders. both said they had all the truck they needed to pull the trailers. I did look at the nameplate ratings and it seems to me I remember about #7000 empty and around #10700 full. I kind of envy them the extra slide and a lot less weight. Makers are building a lot more for the 1/2 ton market whether some want to believe it or not.

The dealer will tell you anything to sell you an RV. Check your weight limits and stay within them. Remember, any truck will pull any camper, the problem is stopping, steering and suspension.

x2 on everything said. The catch all phrase is '1/2 ton' towable. In actuality there are more than just a couple 1/2 ton towable out there. But they're only towable empty.

Our 5'er could be considered 1/2 ton towable. Actual dry pin is 1385lbs and the dry weight is 7385lbs. All loaded the pin is 1800lbs and the loaded weight is close to 9000lbs. Pretty much out of 1/2 ton range.

If you look around, there are plenty of "1/2 ton towables" out there. Very few are really 1/2 ton towable, and those that are need a VERY CAPABLE 1/2 ton. I am upgrading to a Ram 1/2 ton Diesel, and after looking, I pretty much gave up on going to a small fifth wheel and staying with a conventional ball mount 27' and under.

Definitely need a slider. The Jayco has a FW line made to be 1/2 ton tow-able. Its the Eagle HT. Last time I was at the dealership I walked through a couple of these and they were nice.

Good Luck!

Pull-Rite makes a Super Glide especially for the 5.5' box. Look for them at Tweedys, RV. They are expensive but not anywhere near what the dealer quoted yo. I would buy a nice bumper pull myself..

B.O.

The Reese Revolution is a better and cheaper solution than a sliding hitch, especially if included as a factory option on Flagstaff and Rockwood fivers, maybe others as well. A short bed truck with a slider or Revolution, even if it can't quite make 90 degrees will still turn plenty. Never had a slider on my 1/2 ton trucks. Installed one on the 3/4 ton just in case I bought a fiver with a straight drop pin box, but never used it. With today's notched front caps and extended pin boxes, it isn't needed on a 6.5ft bed, and the Revolution is the best answer for a 1/2 ton with a 5.5ft bed.

It doesn't matter if 99% of fivers on the market can't be safely towed by a 1/2 ton, there is only one fiver that matters, the one you buy. I spent 15 years towing three different fifth wheels with several 1/2 ton short bed trucks. Towed many miles and never felt unsafe, my preference and opinion, it is safer to tow a fiver at 95% of the tow vehicle ratings than a TT at 80% of the ratings. More stable, less driver fatigue, no hassle getting the correct hitch setup.

fla-gypsy wrote:

ol Bombero-JC wrote:

globehopper wrote:
I've been looking trading up my trailer to a fifth wheel that can be towed with my f150 5.0 v8 ton w/ short bed (5.5) I've looked at cougars and open range. three questions: can they really be towed safely? are there any other models that will work? and finally the keystone dealer told me I needed a special sliding hitch that would cost $3500! is this right? thanks for any responses.

"The dealer told me......."

Be *VERY* careful of what the dealer told you - especially regarding what your F150 is capable of towing.

Also - large range of prices from manual to auto sliders.
(IMO) The dealer factored in a bit of "excessive markup" - even for a top of the line slider!

"Terryallan" offered good advice!
IMO - stick with your TT (or a larger one) until you are ready to
"trade up" your F150 for something with more load capacity - - whether that "something" is a 5th or another TT.

.

X2

X3

Most F150's don't have the payload capacity for a 5er. only the Max/Max have the 4,800# 7 lug rear axle. Next down is the 4,000# 6 lug rear axle.