Towing a 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck

You should talk to the salesman at the dealership you plan to buy the truck at, he will know what the truck he sells will safely tow. Since you will only be towing the RV once and a while, you should be ok, besides what could possibly go wrong?


The information is out there, all you have to do is let it in.

SabreCanuck wrote:



Considering the OP answered the question of usage and it is so minimal it's crazy that anyone would recommend buying brand new 3/4 ton, blah, blah.
To the OP>>
To answer your question - NO it is not safe.
To answer your other question - YES considering you are moving 40 miles per year, I would buy the 1/2 ton.

BUT - nobody knows your skills like you know your skills.

let the bashing continue>>>>

That's just it. I feel it is quite a financial cost to get another Super Duty for the little I would really want/need to use it. Then again, I don't want to have something catastrophic happen either. That would be worse.

I've driven Fire trucks, water tankers with no baffles, ambulances, etc. so I been through all of the emergency driving courses, but that by no means says that something bad couldn't happen. There's a lot of people that wouldn't think twice about pulling my RV with a 1/2 ton, but I have a responsibility to be safe too.

Considering the OP answered the question of usage and it is so minimal it's crazy that anyone would recommend buying brand new 3/4 ton, blah, blah.
To the OP>>
To answer your question - NO it is not safe.
To answer your other question - YES considering you are moving 40 miles per year, I would buy the 1/2 ton.

BUT - nobody knows your skills like you know your skills.

let the bashing continue>>>>

It is hard to beat the ride of a new generation 1/2 ton.. I have a 16 f-150 Lariat package.. It has all the STUFF needed and rides like a champ!! My older F-250 did not even come close.. so,,,,,, ORDER ALL THE RIGHT STUFF , and you SHOULD be close .. or fine..

*** OR *** Take all the guess work out and order a new 3/4 ton and be done with it !

You might be able to get one that will be within spec (assume the full 2000# pin weight plus a couple hundred for the hitch plus anything other cargo in the truck).

But why? If you want the soft ride of the light duty 1/2 ton trucks, it won't have the capacity. If you get a 1/2 ton that is maxed out, it will ride like a 3/4 ton anyway, so just get the 3/4 ton.

Go bigger or go home!

ford truck guy wrote:
Is it a new generation F-150 ? What size motor ? What size rear? What's the payload capacity? What's the max towing capacity ?

Well based on the OP post he is looking. If getting new I would say F150 Max Tow, Max Payload and 3.5 RB engine.

If buying used I would say "Good Luck" finding a F150 3.5 EB, Max/Max, they are hard to come by.

He is looking at the 5er weighing in at 7,500# and 8,000# Likely closer to the 7,500# mark 7,500 * 20% = 1,500# pin. That 5er has a payload of 3,260#, real hard to get that much "Stuff" in a 26' 5er!!!

If he can find an F150 with about a listed payload of 2,000#+ he should be fine.

Stated many times before much rather see a 5er at limits, or just over , than a long TT just within! The 5er will be way more stable. Just don't exceed axle or tire limits.

Depends...on a lot of factors

ford truck guy wrote:
Is it a new generation F-150 ? What size motor ? What size rear? What's the payload capacity? What's the max towing capacity ?

Good question, but I haven't bought one yet.

I will pull the 5th wheel 8 miles maybe 4 times a year. Possibly a 60 mile trip once a year.

Yes it is safe to use and F150 to tow a 5th wheel provided you don't exceed any of the ratings (GVWR, payload, RAWR, FAWR, max tow rating, etc.). You can use either one of these to help figure it all out.
This
Or This
Chances are you are going to need an F150 with the Max Tow pkg, and the Hvy Duty Payload pkg. For an every day driver you should also get the 3.5L Ecoboost in my opinion.