'18 F150 with 5.5 box tow a 5th wheel ?

trailernovice wrote:
A person who has been rv'ing for nearly 20 years and has been on this forum for almost as long...seriously?

Maybe, but not super active only 138 post.

Well the issues with 5er is their inherent stability!

As park host we see way too many people towing 5er's with F150's and Tundras!
These are family's of four and several extras, but if you were to talk to the owner, they would say tows great no handling issues. :S

My friend wouldn't listen to me. I wanted other information to show him. I would never use a 1500 to tow a 5th wheel.

An Escape 5.0TA fifth wheel would tow fine behind that truck.

I'm with Rhagfo, I see fifth wheels being towed all the time behind F150 trucks at campgrounds. Not legit, but when I talk to them they say it tows good. People brag all the time on this forum about exceeding their ratings. It isn't something I would do, but we are all different.

Try making a quick evasive lane change or have a BIG gust of wind hit you on a curve descending a 6% grade.

Now tell me it "tows fine".

Are we talking about towing fifth wheels with 1/2 tons or exceeding their ratings? Two entirely different things. Title of this thread eluded to towing a 5th wheel with a half ton - completely doable without exceeding their rating. Depends on what the sticker on the door says not the badge on the side.

I'd rather tow a 5er near max with a 1/2 ton vs a TT near max or even a TT within the so called 80% rule.
Most 1/2 tons aren't capable of towing one of the so called "1/2 ton towable" 5th wheels when it's loaded.
Most all 1/2 tons can to an empty "1/2 ton towable" 5th wheel.
Somewhere in there they can tow a loaded 5th wheel. It's finding right combination.
And yes they make bed rails for 1/2 ton trucks. How else would 1/2 ton truck owners be towing 5th wheels?

Yes you can tow a 5er with a 5'5" bed. You need the right hitch and pin box.
Grand Design makes a 5th wheel with the Turning Point pin box. Their videos show an F150 doing a 90* turn.

wing_zealot wrote:
Are we talking about towing fifth wheels with 1/2 tons or exceeding their ratings? Two entirely different things. Title of this thread eluded to towing a 5th wheel with a half ton - completely doable without exceeding their rating. Depends on what the sticker on the door says not the badge on the side.

I thought the title, and what OP was asking, had to do with his friend having a 5.5' bed, and wanting to tow a FW. While there are FW capable 1/2 ton trucks out there, the OP's friend's truck is likely low on payload, and RAWR, compared to some Ford or GM model 1/2 tons.

In his second post, the OP then indicated he would not use any 150 to tow a FW.

Jerry

To answer the OPs question, you can absolutely tow a 5th wheel with a 5.5 box. I’ve done it. BUT seeing as it IS a Ford with the 5.5’ box means it didn’t come with the Heavy Duty Payload Package or HDPP. As you can only get it with the 6.5’ box. This means that their payload is anywhere between 1200 and 1800ish. We need more info on the truck like payload and RAWR to be of any real help. I’m suspecting that it won’t be possible with that particular 1/2 ton. Other than that, it’s just hot air.

M.R.E. wrote:
Can my friend's truck tow a 5th wheel or is the box too short ? Has anyone here done this ? F150 Crew cab , 4x4,V8 with 5.5 box.

Sure....as long as the 5th wheel trailers hitch weight doesn't exceed the F150 RAWR. Ford markets a 3800/4050/4550/4800 RAWR for the F150.
JMO but doing the math shows the 3800 rawr is good for maybe 1300-1400 lbs in the bed.
The 4050 rawr is good for maybe 1600-1700 lbs in the bed.
A 4550 rawr around 2000- 2100 lbs in the bed.
The 4800 rawr can carry up to 2400-2500 lbs range in the bed.

For whatever reasons some don't know all the different GVWR and RAWR packages Ford uses for the F150....different frame sizes and material thickness...design and engineered differences. Fleet Ford specs shows all the differences but most nay sayers are stuck on 1/2 ton trucks are all the same.
BUT ....now the OP friend will have to figure if weights match up and if a hitch like the Superglide in the clicky will let the back of his pin box clear the tailgate and sides of the bed.
Hitch for 5' 5" beds

wing_zealot wrote:
Are we talking about towing fifth wheels with 1/2 tons or exceeding their ratings? Two entirely different things. Title of this thread eluded to towing a 5th wheel with a half ton - completely doable without exceeding their rating. Depends on what the sticker on the door says not the badge on the side.

If the moon and the stars align, sure.

But since the OP didn't provide specs on the truck or the trailer, 95% chance he's over his limits.