towing with 1/2 ton towable trailer.

My fifth wheel weighs 6720 empty with a pin weight of 1160. Loaded with full water it weighs 8420 with a pin weight of 1280, all weights verified by CAT scale. It has proven to be a very well-matched combo.

If you truly add only 800 lbs. to your empty weight there is no way that 600 of it adds to the pin. I would guess your pin weight is less than 1500 loaded. But why guess? Take it to the scales and find out.

Configured correctly there are some "half tons" that can carry that much pin weight, but not all can.

I have a 2013 f150 you can see in my signature we were loaded and leaving for a week but no water we had full hookups where we were going. It has the 3.5 ecoboost heavy tow package and a 3.73 rear end. My weights are real close to yours and the only modifications that have been done to either f'ver or truck is a Mor ryde hitch. As you can see by the picture it is both truck and trailer are dead level. Gas mileage varies some depending on the wind anywhere from 10.5 calm nice day to 9 when bucking a head wind.
I will say that it is only the wife and I without a lot of extra gear no kids or pets and we have gotten real good at balancing the load.
I have used a couple of other tow vehicles and this is by far the best one, passes anything with ease, absolutely no problem merging on a freeway. Hope this helps.

blacktop wrote:
I have a Cougar lite that weighs 7,000 lbs empty. I load it up to another 800 lbs, so I'm around 8,000 including myself. The hitch weight is around 1200 factory, but I'm sure that's up to 1800 by now.
Presently, I tow with a Dodge 2500 and it doesn't feel the weight behind it. Tows great. I only plan to go to the end of the warranty on this truck and then buy a new one. Next time, I would like to tow with a 1/2 ton for the better ride and price. Anyone towing an 8000 lb 5th wheel with a half ton truck? How well does it tow?

Assuming you've got a fifth wheel, the issue isn't what your truck can TOW, it's what your truck can CARRY. The pin weight is the real killer for using half-ton trucks. Since you already have the FW, load it like you were going camping for a month or two, then weigh it and the truck so you can get a good idea of the actual pin weight. You might be surprised to find how heavy it actually is on the pin. IMO, stick with the 2500, especially since you may actually decide to upgrade your FW.

Lyle

I am towing a 27 foot jayco ht aprox 8000# with a 2009 silverado 1500 with the max tow package.I call it a 5/8 ton.Six liter v8,14 bolt rear end heavier springs,4 wheel disk brakes,and air bags.Have towed it 10,000 miles.Travel in fourth or fifth gear at 60/65,45mph on steep grades.works good for me.The new 1500 has the 6.2 with about 40 more h.p. and 40 more fpt.Trailer has a more ride pin box.