5th Wheel Hitches 101
Hello all, it's been a LONG time since I've been here. My family and I have camped in a travel trailer for basically the last 18 years. Well, we sold "Mama Eagle" (last July) and decided to move to a 5th Wheel.
So, I'm going from "Seasoned Expert" on towing to a "Newbie".
So, how about some 5th Wheel Towing 101 for someone in my situation.
I *MAY* have already found the 5th wheel we want, but even if we haven't, the first thing I need to do is understand what I'm looking for in a 5th wheel hitch.
We'll be towing with our 2000 Ford F350 4x4 7.3L PSD. It is a crewcab with a long bed (8.5 ft IIRC).
What I'm looking at right now should be very doable for our 1-ton, even if it's almost 20 years old. The truck is in great shape and has always been well maintained.
The 5er we're looking at is 34 ft. long, with a dry weight of 10,000 lbs. and a GVWR of 13,615 lbs. It lists a "hitch weight" (which I'm guessing is the pin weight?) of 1615 lbs, which I'm guessing will be more than that if this works like it does in the TT world, adding options, cargo, etc.
In any event, the GVWR of our F350 is 10,000 lbs. and with the heavy fiberglass cap needing to be off now to tow, I'm thinking I have about 2500-3000 lbs. of carrying capacity for the pin weight, since the truck weighs in at around 7500 without the cap. is that correct?
I'd appreciate any advice on the hitch, and just advice in general as somebody who is switching from TT to 5ers.
If nothing else, what are some good hitch brands, etc.?
Thanks!!
So, I'm going from "Seasoned Expert" on towing to a "Newbie".
So, how about some 5th Wheel Towing 101 for someone in my situation.
I *MAY* have already found the 5th wheel we want, but even if we haven't, the first thing I need to do is understand what I'm looking for in a 5th wheel hitch.
We'll be towing with our 2000 Ford F350 4x4 7.3L PSD. It is a crewcab with a long bed (8.5 ft IIRC).
What I'm looking at right now should be very doable for our 1-ton, even if it's almost 20 years old. The truck is in great shape and has always been well maintained.
The 5er we're looking at is 34 ft. long, with a dry weight of 10,000 lbs. and a GVWR of 13,615 lbs. It lists a "hitch weight" (which I'm guessing is the pin weight?) of 1615 lbs, which I'm guessing will be more than that if this works like it does in the TT world, adding options, cargo, etc.
In any event, the GVWR of our F350 is 10,000 lbs. and with the heavy fiberglass cap needing to be off now to tow, I'm thinking I have about 2500-3000 lbs. of carrying capacity for the pin weight, since the truck weighs in at around 7500 without the cap. is that correct?
I'd appreciate any advice on the hitch, and just advice in general as somebody who is switching from TT to 5ers.
If nothing else, what are some good hitch brands, etc.?
Thanks!!
