A true 1/2 ton fith wheel?

kennyd63 wrote:
I have seen on you tube dealers trying to sale fifth wheels and saying that your 1/2 ton TW can tow it without any modifications is this true? I have a 2014 F-150 super crew 4X4 with a 5.0L

Thank you all in advance

Will your 1/2 ton be able to tow a 5th wheel marketed as a "Half Ton Towable" unit? Absolutely. Without question. What it also can and likely will do is eat up all of your available payload. So if that happens, where are you going to put your stuff? My 5th wheel is considered a "Half Ton Towable" (2019 Salem Hemisphere). My pin weight dry is 1625 pounds so probably real close to 2000 pounds pin weight when the camper is loaded. Then the hitch itself weighs 200 pounds so now I'm up to 2200 pounds. Add my 200 pounds and my wife's 125 pounds and I'm at 2525 pounds. What does the little yellow sticker inside your drivers side door indicate is your maximum payload?

I hate the marketing **** manufacturers and dealers use to sell their campers. I could probably tow a 15,000 pound 5th wheel with an old Ford Ranger. Just because I could get the thing rolling down the road doesn't mean it's safe.

You never see someone complaining because they have too much truck.

They’ll all pull them no problem, plenty of power. What most 1/2 ton trucks can’t do is carry the pin and hitch weights without exceeding the payload, axle, and tire ratings.

It's true sorta. Most 1/2 tons can tow most 1/2 ton rated 5th wheels only if the 5th wheel is empty and hardly anythings in the truck. Since no one actually uses them like that then it's a lie.
You have a door sticker on your truck that shows the cargo carrying capacity. Thats the key number you need to work with. If you can hitch up the 5th wheel and load everything else in the truck that you normally would and be at or under that door number then, yes you can tow it.

gbopp wrote:
You never see someone complaining because they have too much truck.

Actually some do. When a truck is also used as a Daily Driver (DD) and only used 10% ± as a Tow Vehicle, a 1/2 ton can make sense. A 3/4 ton can make a terrible DD for many reasons, and if its a diesel it can be even worse. So if a 1/2 ton can be used within it's ratings as a Tow Vehicle, it's a win - win when also used as a DD.

I know of several folks who pull fifth wheels (under 10K GVWR) with late-model F150s equipped with the 3.5 EcoBoost, max payload, and max tow packages. They are within specs and the rigs perform well. However, the trucks aren't your "every day" F150s, either. Each truck is different and it's all about equipment, options and ratings.

RV sales people have a lot in common with politicians... do you know how to tell when they're lying? Their lips are moving.

Rob

troubledwaters wrote:

gbopp wrote:
You never see someone complaining because they have too much truck.

Actually some do. When a truck is also used as a Daily Driver (DD) and only used 10% ± as a Tow Vehicle, a 1/2 ton can make sense. A 3/4 ton can make a terrible DD for many reasons, and if its a diesel it can be even worse. So if a 1/2 ton can be used within it's ratings as a Tow Vehicle, it's a win - win when also used as a DD.

Well I DD every day not that bad only as bad as you make it, newer will suffer with short distance commute, but if longer than that and highway travel they are fine.

I see a lot of fifth wheels in parks being towed with F150 trucks (two last week). I don't know how well they perform or if they are within specs but they are there and the owners are enjoying themselves. You probably need to consider the specifications of your own truck then make a determination for a trailer.

The Escape 5.0TA would certainly be legit.

I remember a 1/2 ton pickup pulling the space shuttle and said it would do it. CAN it? yes SHOULD it? probably not.

Each truck is spec'd differently and the setup of each fifth wheel is also different. Those need to be taken into account.

I had a 2012 Ford F-150 that I had spec'd and ordered. It had the 3.5 Eco-boost, the max tow package AND the Heavy Duty package. It had a higher payload than most SuperDuty F-250s that were on the lot when it was delivered. We did pull a fifth wheel with it - a 2008 Wildcat 32QBBS. It did great and we never lost power going up mountains, etc. It's dry weight was less than 9K.

We were limited in what we could take with us and when we wanted to upgrade the fifth wheel, we went with a larger truck.

Add the weight of the hitch in bed, anything carried inside the bed like what is loaded inside the tool box, etc, your weight, wife, dog, gas and then your hitch weight. Some of what you load into the front storage bins of the 5th wheel: propane, plus added batteries will be transferred to your hitch weight. Even a 2500 truck would be close or over its max when truck and trailer are fully loaded for all but the very lightest 5th wheels like a quantum for example or Scamp 19 ft'er. Don't do it. Get a TT instead.