crash course in 5th wheel hitches?
I've done the whole Truck Camper thing (twice), and the Class A thing. Now I'm getting ready to try a 5th wheel next. I'm just starting to come to terms with how much I DONT know yet about 5th whe...
Forum Discussion
JeffPritchard wrote:
Some of you are recommending against ANY combination of F-150 and 5th wheel.
I've "done the math", but maybe I'm missing something important. Assuming we can all read the numbers and do simple math, what might I be missing here:
2015 F-150 SuperCrew XLT 4X4 3.5eco Max towing: 11,500 lbs Max payload: 2,020 lbs.
Cougar X-lite 26RLS (one example) Shipping Weight: 6885 CCC: 3070 Hitch weight: 1155
When I do the math, even adding weight for hitch and water and groceries etc. I come out ok.
I am a "party of one", and don't tend to drive great distances with my tanks full. I'm used to the limited space of a TC, so don't bring all my worldly possessions with me when I travel. I reckon the vast cavernous pass-thru storage bays will be stuffed full with air for the most part.
It is certainly true that some of the longer "HT" campers have an empty hitch weight approaching 2000, and also true that a 2015 F-150 differently equipped can have a max payload as low as 1600.
It is also true that a few years ago an F-150 didn't approach the towing capacity and payload of the one I'm planning on, and that a few years ago even a "lite" 5th wheel was heavier than many current HT models.
So, maybe once upon a time it was near impossible to do a 5th wheel on an F-150 without going to "weight police" prison...both sides of the equation have moved over the years. It is certainly still possible (perhaps even easy) to choose poorly, but it appears it is also now possible to choose well.
If you do the math, since you can't weigh anything, you'll see that you have a touch over 17% on the pin, dry. Times the GVW of 9955 gives you 1720 lbs on the pin, at GVW. Only leaves you 180 lbs "spare" payload capacity on your truck. Way too close, IMO. Yes, you may pack light, but there will be times when you end up having to tow much heavier than normal, and you're likely to be at, or over, your truck's rating. It's not that much more to buy a 250/2500 class truck and you just get a whole lot more truck. Personally, as long as I'm RVing, I'll never go back to anything less than a 2500 4x4, no matter how small my trailer/FW is.
Lyle
