Just thought some of you would be interested in this. I got a new truck this year a 2018 F150 V8 6.5 bed club cab. 355 gears four wheel drive. 10 speed. I always pull my 5er with my F250 super duty but was always curious if my little truck would pull it and how hard it would be for the truck to do so. Well I set my F150 up to pull the 5er the other day and took it out for a test run. First place I went was to the scales. The truck is at it's maximum weight capacity. I thought well ok lets take her for a spin. I live on the Oregon coast so there is no flat spots to speak of just up one mountain and then down another.Too tell you the truth I was amazed at the trucks performance. I traveled up one steep long grade at 55 miles per hour it worked a little getting us up there but it was quite manageable. It was in tow haul it did not even shift too many times. Very impresive. Total weight it was pulling was 8000lbs The temp on the engine and transmission never changed. On the fifty mile spin I got 8 miles to the gallon. Total rear axial weight 3758lbs Like I said the truck was maxed out but you sure couldn't tell it by the way it handled. I had expected it to wine like a siren going up those hills but it still had more power to give if I had wanted it. Very impressive. Just to be crystal clear. I am not getting rid of my super duty. I was just surprised at how easily the little truck pulled the Fox Mountain.

The 150s have improved a lot in the last 5-7 years, and have great power. It appears you are under your RAWR, likely under tow rating (GCVWR). I see many of these type trucks, seemingly well over ratings, while towing a FW. Folks often times use what they got, seem to get by, not everyone can just trade up, even when they should. Nice that you have 2 trucks to choose from. :)Jerry

Short run you seem to be fine. Long run....?

Very impressive, a little jealous too!

The reason it pulled so well was the 10 speed doing its job !Can you imagine what it would be like with a 3.73 axle ratio.

Pulling power is rarely the limitation with 5th wheels...add in the newer engines putting out crazy power compared to 20-30yrs ago along with the 10speed transmission is likely better able to make use of the power compared to a 10yr old F250 with 4-5 gears to choose from...and yeah it can "pull" that much without significant issue.At 8000lb loaded, that's a pretty light 5th wheel. Pin weight probably around 1600lb, so as long as you don't go crazy with other gear in the truck it's within load limits..Nothing surprising about your results.

The little truck that could. | Good Sam Community

rhagfo
Explorer III
Jan 29, 2019
diazr2 wrote:
twodownzero wrote:
55 mph is really hurting! How steep is it?

Its pretty steep and a very long run maybe 5 miles up. The truckers in the fifties use to call it Buck Hill because it took a bucks worth of diesel to get over it. These days I would guess they would call it 5 buck hill. Oh and by way the speed limit here on the coast is 55 mph. I was traveling through your state last year I was amazed at the 75 mile an hour speed limit for trucks. Holy moly can you make some time through that state or what. I tell you I was making fantastic time through your state but it still took me three days to get through it.. Had to stop a lot on the freeway for them to clear all the big rigs that were crashed on the road.. Never seen so many crashed trucks.. Bad luck I guess ;)
where about is Buck Hill on 101?

Holding 55 on a hill on 101 is good as most have some tight turns.
diazr2
Explorer
Jan 29, 2019
Buck hill is between Bandon Oregon and Coos Bay Oregon
valhalla360
Navigator
Jan 30, 2019
JIMNLIN wrote:
hmmmm..... and we read all the time on this website that 1/2 ton trucks can't tow 5th wheel trailers according to some folks.
As you found out and most of us know a proper equipped 1/2 ton can indeed easily tow a 5th wheel trailer that size.

Fords F150 has a strong 1/2 ton truck platform with 7500-8200 gvwr and 4550-4800 rawr packages...and just as important new power plants putting out 400+ hp and 400+ torque.

Except this is usually in reference to a 12-16k lb 5th wheel where the pin weight is in the 2500-3200lb range and is over the payload limits for the vast majority of 1/2 ton trucks.

If you read the 5th wheel threads, it's repeated over and over that it's the pin weight not the tow rating that usually limits the truck.

He's got what by current standards is a very small 5th wheel and he admits it's at the upper end of the rating limits.

Again nothing unusual or unexpected.
JIMNLIN
Explorer III
Jan 30, 2019
Except this is usually in reference to a 12-16k lb 5th wheel where the pin weight is in the 2500-3200lb range and is over the payload limits for the vast majority of 1/2 ton trucks.

If you read the 5th wheel threads, it's repeated over and over that it's the pin weight not the tow rating that usually limits the truck.

Your scenario isn't what I was referring to.
Yeah I read all the trailering forums on this web and three other website trailering forums.
And its the same on all of them.
RV.net and Irv2 are the worse with those that jump right up and tell us a 1/2 ton truck cannot/should not pull a 5th wheel trailer period when some one with a 1/2 ton truck asks if there are any small 5th wheel trailers his/her truck can tow.
Addy15
Explorer
Jan 30, 2019
It seems pretty simple to say that SOME (not all) 1/2-ton trucks can safely and effectively pull SOME (not all) 5th wheel trailers. Each person needs to exercise their own due diligence when deciding on their own particular truck/trailer combination. Not sure why this has to turn into such a big debate every time someone brings it up.
valhalla360
Navigator
Jan 31, 2019
JIMNLIN wrote:

Your scenario isn't what I was referring to.
Yeah I read all the trailering forums on this web and three other website trailering forums.
And its the same on all of them.
RV.net and Irv2 are the worse with those that jump right up and tell us a 1/2 ton truck cannot/should not pull a 5th wheel trailer period when some one with a 1/2 ton truck asks if there are any small 5th wheel trailers his/her truck can tow.

I follow this forum also and it's almost always a bigger 5th wheel where people have issues...or in some cases, they buy the lowest payload 1/2ton.

8,000lb loaded is at the low end of available 5th wheels and presumably he has the higher payload options for the truck...so nothing special about it and it didn't disprove that for "most" a 1/2 ton isn't the best choice.
twodownzero
Explorer
Jan 31, 2019
rhagfo wrote:
diazr2 wrote:
twodownzero wrote:
55 mph is really hurting! How steep is it?

Its pretty steep and a very long run maybe 5 miles up. The truckers in the fifties use to call it Buck Hill because it took a bucks worth of diesel to get over it. These days I would guess they would call it 5 buck hill. Oh and by way the speed limit here on the coast is 55 mph. I was traveling through your state last year I was amazed at the 75 mile an hour speed limit for trucks. Holy moly can you make some time through that state or what. I tell you I was making fantastic time through your state but it still took me three days to get through it.. Had to stop a lot on the freeway for them to clear all the big rigs that were crashed on the road.. Never seen so many crashed trucks.. Bad luck I guess ;)
where about is Buck Hill on 101?

Holding 55 on a hill on 101 is good as most have some tight turns.

That makes sense.
happycamper1942
Explorer
Feb 01, 2019
Did you do an emergency stop to see how the brakes performed?
laknox
Nomad
Feb 01, 2019
happycamper1942 wrote:
Did you do an emergency stop to see how the brakes performed?

Moot point. If everything works as it should, the trailer stops itself and the truck stops itself; there should be little to no tail wagging the dog. That being said, if the trailer brakes go out, all bets are off and you're screwed no matter if you're driving a Tacoma or a Kenworth.

Lyle
tommyznr
Explorer
Feb 01, 2019
Addy15 wrote:
It seems pretty simple to say that SOME (not all) 1/2-ton trucks can safely and effectively pull SOME (not all) 5th wheel trailers. Each person needs to exercise their own due diligence when deciding on their own particular truck/trailer combination. Not sure why this has to turn into such a big debate every time someone brings it up.

It does seem pretty simple, however, it is true that:

SOME (not all) forum responders to the vast majority of questions regarding anything 1/2 ton towing fifth wheels will say never do it. Does not matter if you are within rated weight limits. I read it here over and over again.