Towing a 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck
I have a 27' Sportsmen 5th wheel. I am looking to buy a newer truck and will be using it for driving to work 90% of the time, pulling my boat 7% of the time and my 5th wheel 3% of the time. The 5th wh...
Forum Discussion
Dayle1 wrote:Racine96 wrote:
Can it pull it? Yes. But it won't be safe if you have to stop unexpectedly, or crosswinds hit you. Too much weight for the rear axle. Be safe, buy a 3/4 ton
I towed several different fifth wheels over 15 yrs and too many miles to count. Never had a cross wind issue because fifth wheel setups are inherently stable, so throw that concern out the window. As for stopping, any proper setup has the trailer brakes stopping the trailer and the truck brakes stopping the truck. In an emergency stop, the last thing you want is the trailer pushing the truck because of an improper setup. Bigger brakes on heavier trucks do not reduce stopping distance, they simply compensate for the heavier truck weight. Just look at the test results in any auto magazine and compare UNLOADED stopping distance from 60 mph. As long as the setup does not exceed the GAWR or tire ratings, then the right 1/2 ton will be fine.
X2!!
Racine96, every one of your reasons is why NOT to pull a LONG TT with a half ton!!!
The correct sized 5er is a good match for several newer 1/2 tons!! We have seen many come into the park we was hosting at last year. Most looked better setup than many of the 3/4 tons we saw towing 5er's.
Never talked weight or ratings with the owner, as not my place as a host.
We also saw many 1/2 tons pulling long TT, and looked like a handful to tow and drive!!
