5th Wheel purchace help
Hi All, We are looking for advice before we purchase a 5th Wheel. We like the Coachman Brookstone, but have read that the large manufacturers tend to cut corners to put out maximum amount of units...
Forum Discussion
Abby Normal wrote:garyp4951 wrote:
I would stay under a 12k loaded trailer with a 3/4 ton truck if it were me.
I really appreciate all the advice I am receiving. Would mind expanding on your opinion here? I want to know the reason to stay so low under the towing capacity of the truck. Thank you!
It's because, as I said previously, it's not about what you can TOW, it's about what you can CARRY. Remember, your hitch is in the bed of your truck, and that's where all the load is. If you figure that 20-25% of the GVW of the FW is in on the hitch, with a 12k GVW FW, that means that anywhere between about 2400-3000 lbs is loaded on the truck. You then have to figure how much the FW hitch, passengers, and "stuff" you plan on carrying in the truck weigh and figure that into your total payload number. Please take the time to search out threads regarding payload capacity here. If you're confused, don't hesitate to ask, though you'll get every kind of answer from "a Tacoma could tow that" to "all FWs need a minimum of a 1T dually"; some are actually pretty accurate, though. :-) Biggest issue is that it's =very= hard to get real-world numbers on specific models, so you can only estimate weights based on published numbers, then make an educated guess. The rule of thumb for years has been to find the FW you like, then buy the truck to tow it with.
Lyle
