looking for best 5th wheel for 1/2 ton pickup

kaydeejay wrote:

BUDDY1963 wrote:
im new to rving , can I get some suggestions on what makes and models to look at for my 1/2 ton pickup.

Welcome to the Forum, but you're not going to like the advice you are going to get!
Unless you have a recent F150 HD with the Max tow package, ferget about a 5th wheel on a 1/2 ton.
Only the smallest, lightest fivers will not overload your truck.
While it may be rated to PULL a good load, the limited payload capacity will bite you - FAST!
Start out by looking at the yellow & black "Tire and Loading Information" label near your driver's door.
It will say something like "Combined weights of occupants and cargo must not exceed XXXX pounds".
THAT is your maximum payload capacity and must handle everyone and everything IN the truck, full tank of fuel, the hitch weight plus the loaded pin weight of the fiver.
Get that number and do the math!

If the truck is equipped with the max tow package, look at a Grand Design Reflection series. They have a lightweight series designed to be towed with a 1/2 ton truck that's properly equipped. They also just came in with a couple of premium travel trailers that a 1/2 ton can handle.

We bought our 25' fifth wheel from a 1/2 ton truck owner who realized it was too much trailer for his truck after only a couple of trips. He had taken only a couple of trips with it, and according to him he didn't want to continue white-knuckling it.

He was selling for half the new purchase price so we got a great deal on a fifth wheel perfectly suited to our 3/4 ton.

I also remember my hubby thinking his 1/2 ton 4x4 was a skookum machine that could haul anything, and we started with a 17.5' fifth wheel. After a couple of years we upgraded to an 3/4 ton because he knew the 1/2 ton was working too hard. Then in a another couple of years, we upgraded to the 25' fifth wheel noted above. We continue to enjoy the 3/4 ton and 25 footer. Perfect match.

You can but probably won't like anything about it. Too little payload to support a FW any heavier then say 5000lbs wet.

Like other have said consider a nice 20-25ft bumper pull. Reason is the tongue weight on a bumper pull is drastically less (10-15% of trailer weight VS 20-25% for a fifth wheel).

The half ton trucks on the market can pull a lot of weight - in essence you run our of payload before pulling power.

BUDDY1963 wrote:
I have a dodge 1500 4x4 quad cab 5.7l hemi 2013

This doesn't say anything about the load capabilities of your truck. I don't know what options are available for heavy payloads on the RAM, but it is doubtful that you truck has them. Ford's HD Payload is often mentioned as a requirement, but good luck finding one on a dealer lot anywhere. You can only get that by special order.

Please read this:

http://fifthwheelst.com/2015-half-ton-truck-towing.html

And down in the FAQ we find this:

"As evident in the picture (left), we at FWS have determined that for typical RV use, most half-ton trucks do not meet the load requirements for the weight of these trailers. The GVWR and the GAWR will most likely be overloaded, and some driving conditions may be unsafe, even with the lightest fifth wheel RVs touted for half-ton trucks.

However, we have discovered one truck brand that may tow fifth wheel trailers up to 11,712 pounds and not exceed the ratings. That truck is the 2015 Ford F150 with the 3.5L V6 EcoBoost. The configuration that meets this requirement follows: 3.73 gear ratio, 4X2, 163.7" wheel base, SuperCab. With two passengers, the loaded vehicle weight is 5,388 pounds. The GCWR = 17,100 and the GVWR = 7,850. Especially for any half-ton truck, weigh it fully loaded without any trailer attatched and use RV Tow Check 2.0 to calculate the realistic tow capacity."

smkettner wrote:
Need a dry pin under 1,000 pounds to have a chance to be in the rating.

Still going to depend on the truck specs. Best is to fill with fuel and take the family down and have the truck weighed. This will be useful for choosing a 5th or TT.

Why talk "dry" pin weights???? I don't get it...It's not reasonable...No one will have a "dry" pin weight once they've loaded the 5er up....To have a "dry" pin weght of 1,000#, you'd have to have a 5er with a "dry" weight of 5,000# give or take a few hundred pounds here or there.

I recommended earlier for the OP to weigh his unit, ready to go camping and add 200# more for a 5th wheel hitch....Use RAWR to subtract weight he get's on drive axle...it'll tell him how much weight he can put in the bed of his truck, (pin weight), but without going over his rear axle weight rating.....

It'll have to be a light weight 5er.

Need a dry pin under 1,000 pounds to have a chance to be in the rating.

Still going to depend on the truck specs. Best is to fill with fuel and take the family down and have the truck weighed. This will be useful for choosing a 5th or TT.

BUDDY1963 wrote:
im new to rving , can I get some suggestions on what makes and models to look at for my 1/2 ton pickup.

Welcome to the Forum, but you're not going to like the advice you are going to get!
Unless you have a recent F150 HD with the Max tow package, ferget about a 5th wheel on a 1/2 ton.
Only the smallest, lightest fivers will not overload your truck.
While it may be rated to PULL a good load, the limited payload capacity will bite you - FAST!
Start out by looking at the yellow & black "Tire and Loading Information" label near your driver's door.
It will say something like "Combined weights of occupants and cargo must not exceed XXXX pounds".
THAT is your maximum payload capacity and must handle everyone and everything IN the truck, full tank of fuel, the hitch weight plus the loaded pin weight of the fiver.
Get that number and do the math!

I pull a 30' FW with an F150.
The truck has a door sticker payload rating of 2030#. Loaded for a trip the trailer has a Cat scale weight of 7800# of which 1540# is on the pin. 20000+ miles now, crossed most US mountain ranges, no problem. This truck-trailer combination are fine. The FW is more comfortable (stable) to tow than my boat.
But be aware:
- Most new "half ton towable" FW's out there now weigh much more than mine. My truck is loaded very near its payload and rear axle limits.
- My trailer is 11 years old. When I trade, I'll have to buy a heavier truck.
Look at the Open Range LF297RLS. I like the opposing slides, so you can sit facing the TV, and the moveable kitchen island with leaves that open to a dining table. It weighs about 2000# more than my truck would like though.

Dannyabear1 wrote:
My brother has a light Cougar around 30' length and tows it all over the country with a Tundra double cab with 5.7 engine. He has added air bags to the rear and still has the P tires on truck

If he has P rated tires on his truck, he's pushing his safety limits....if he added airbags it was to level the load...I'd definitely be getting E rated tires on his truck, or tell him...not real safe.

There are some lightweight 5er's out there, but you really need to look at GVW and not "empty" or "dry" weight's and ignore "dry" pin weights...not realistic....You need E rated tires on the rear and you need to know what your rear axle weight rating is....Weigh your truck ready to camp, then take the drive axle weight you get and subtract it from your rear axle weight rating and that'll give you an idea how much pin weight you can drop in the bed of your truck....a 5er hitch will go 200#.....If you find a 5er with a GVW of 9,000# for example, you can figure you will be dropping 1800# of pin weight in the bed of the truck, add another 200# for hitch and you're at 2,000#..not counting family, pets and whatever else you carry in your truck or truck bed....If you don't do the math, you could end up really regretting how big of a 5er you try to tow with your truck.