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

M.R.E. wrote:
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.

Your friend can tow a fifth wheel with a 1500, right up to 100% of the 1500's ratings (without exceeding any ratings).
And since no one here seems to know for certainty what the specs are for what he want to tow and what the ratings are of the tow vehicle - that makes most of these 3 page pure baseless conjecture.

wing_zealot wrote:

M.R.E. wrote:
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.

Your friend can tow a fifth wheel with a 1500, right up to 100% of the 1500's ratings (without exceeding any ratings).
And since no one here seems to know for certainty what the specs are for what he want to tow and what the ratings are of the tow vehicle - that makes most of these 3 page pure baseless conjecture.

Weight and ratings are the key. The F150 has limits and most people do not understand the ratings or how to apply them. Their eyes are too big and they want a 34 ft 5er but a 1/2 ton truck. They ask for advice and get many opinions and when they find another person or two that says they do fine with their little truck and too much trailer, they feel safety in numbers...someone else is towing with too small of a truck.

All I can tell people is unless the people can back up their claim with REAL weight tickets, ignore them. Get the manufacturers towing guide for the vehicles and read and understand the numbers and all the footnotes.

Ken

ford towing guide here

He's likely going to exceed rated towing capacity, but even worse, the truck is going to be a handling nightmare with the short wheel base.

wing_zealot wrote:
The badge on the side does not determine if you can tow a fifth wheel or not. I guarantee I can easily tow a 8000 lbs fifth wheel with my half ton and still be within all its ratings.

What rating are you referring to?

After occupants, cargo and gas you maybe down to 1500 payload left. But that is distributed over both axles. What is the bed payload max?

What fifth wheels are 8000 lbf or less fully loaded? Thor and Rockwood make some of the lightest but both are around 8000 lbf unloaded with close to 1500+ pin weight. Of course there is always something like the Scamp 5th wheel that can easily be towed by a half ton.

mileshuff wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:
The badge on the side does not determine if you can tow a fifth wheel or not. I guarantee I can easily tow a 8000 lbs fifth wheel with my half ton and still be within all its ratings.

What rating are you referring to?

After occupants, cargo and gas you maybe down to 1500 payload left. But that is distributed over both axles. What is the bed payload max?

What fifth wheels are 8000 lbf or less fully loaded? Thor and Rockwood make some of the lightest but both are around 8000 lbf unloaded with close to 1500+ pin weight. Of course there is always something like the Scamp 5th wheel that can easily be towed by a half ton.

I don't know how much you think I weigh dude but it ain't anywhere near 900 lbs. Me and my wife, cargo and a full tank of gas and I still over 2100 lbs of payload left.

I think that guy just called my wife fat?

I have 2240lbs left with me, the hitch and a full tank(36 gallon) on my 4800lb RAWR. My 9600lb scaled 5r has a pin weight of 1800. That’s gives me 440lbs for my “big boned” wife. BTW my pin weight when I weighed coming home from dealer went up only 140lbs when fully loaded. I am close (within 200lbs) of my GVWR of the truck. So it can even be like mine (9600lbs) AND be within ALL ratings.

I routinely see folks in the campgrounds with 1/2tons and fifth wheels - i often spark up a conversation about their rig and setup and the usual response it something along the lines of tows great and don't know its back there. I must be doing something wrong as i know my 1/2ton towable fifth wheel is behind my 1 ton truck every time I'm towing.....

The problem is the same as its always been, the RV dealer will tell you what you want to hear to get a sale and the folks at the cart dealer are just about as bad - nobody explains what the actual numbers are and why you can't "beef up" a half ton to tow a heavier fifth wheel.

All of that being said, you rarely ever see or hear of any issues with all of the people towing fivers with half ton's (and trust me, we see folks from Quebec towing fivers that i would consider heavy for my truck!)

wing_zealot wrote:
I don't know how much you think I weigh dude but it ain't anywhere near 900 lbs. Me and my wife, cargo and a full tank of gas and I still over 2100 lbs of payload left.

I think that guy just called my wife fat?

4 passengers at 150 lbf each is 600. 30 gallons of gas is 180. Add cargo and you're easily topping 900. If it's just 2 people then sure, it's less! As for payload that is split between both axles. Whats the max pin rating for the bed?

How are the newer 1/2 ton trucks rated higher than my 2007 3/4 diesel? My max pin weight rating is right near 2100 lb. I have looked at the springs and diffs, axles etc on newer trucks and they are no where near as beefy as mine. So how the higher ratings?

There are very few 5th wheel models that will work. Been pulling mine 15 years now. No issues.