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Michigan_Rod's avatar
Michigan_Rod
Explorer
Sep 29, 2014

The old question of what size truck do I need

I'm asking this question for a friend as I'm a truck camper and know squat about towing a fifth wheel. I need your expert advice.

The friend has a toy hauler which can be converted into a horse trailer which can weigh as much as 19k lbs.

He's looking for a used truck but doesn't know what make, diesel or gas, engine size, rear end ratio, etc. he would need to pull that weight.

Thanks for any help you can offer.
  • I would seriously consider the Ford F-450 Dually Diesel with the kind of weight you mentioned.
  • Figure a minimum of a 1t diesel dually and some wouldn't handle it without being set up right.
  • Depends on pin weight (and don't horse trailers HAVE to be gooseneck?) My F350 diesel dual rear wheel (DRW) has a combined gross weight of 30,000 lbs, and truck is 9,000. Payload is 5,700 lbs.
  • With that kind of weight capability, the only thing I'd be comfortable with would be a F350/3500 (or larger) diesel powered dually.