Hey guys, I'm new here. My wife and I are looking at fifth wheel trailers and I am wondering what size in length my truck can handle.I have a 1994 Ford F-350 crew cab with a 7.5l v8, auto, single rear wheel 4.10 rear end. The rig we are looking at is a 1988 Aljo Skyline 40ft 3 axle 5th wheel. I know this is at the extreme end of size especially for the time period, but its immaculate and a total steal. Does anyone with experience with a trailer this age and my style truck think I can tow it? I'm not uncomfortable pulling sokething that large, I'm just not sure if my truck can do it. And I have no way to test a different trailer the same size, it's in another state.Thanks guys,Jeff

It's not a guessing game. I need the 5er's weight, the weight of your truck, and the GCWR of your truck. From a smidgen of research it looks like it can pull about 11k, top end. I hope you won't plan a cross-country trip with it, even with a plastic Jesus on the dash.

While that truck is capable, you will run out or rear axle capacity long before you get much in the trailer. I would forget this one and find something in the 10-12K GVWR to pull.

donn0128 wrote:While that truck is capable, you will run out or rear axle capacity long before you get much in the trailer. I would forget this one and find something in the 10-12K GVWR to pull.Thanks. I'll look at something a bit on the lighter side. My truck being a 94' one ton, what the heck in 1988 could pull that thing? Its not like they had F450s and F550s back then.

OK guys. I got this one. I'll be the salesman. Heck yes your truck will pull that just fine.Now that we got that out of the way, we can get serious. As soon as I heard triple axle, I said to my self it's dually time. That truck may (and I use that word loosely) haul it but you won't be happy. Get a bigger truck or a smaller trailer. JMO

I pulled my 38 foot toy hauler back from south dakota with a 1 ton dodge diesel single rear tire, just about the same set up as you, and it destroyed the breaks on that truck, i had a air ride hitch and a air ride pin box on the trailer, the trailer weighted about twice as much as the truck, it pushed and pulled that truck all the way home, stopping/slowing down is going to be your big issue.

Can my truck handle this 5th wheel? | Good Sam Community

17 Replies

AH64ID
Explorer
Mar 21, 2014
GuitarJesus wrote:

The MaxBrake is no longer available, correct?

I know the previous vendors are not selling it anymore, but I thought a new vendor would have come along by now. I haven't looked in a while.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Mar 20, 2014
wirenutz wrote:
Old-Biscuit I think we might be close by each other, currently I am in cottonwood

Yep.....just 12 miles or so east of Cottonwood.

Rio Verde, Thousand Trails Or Dead Horse?
GuitarJesus
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
ah64id wrote:
wirenutz wrote:
ah64id you are probable right, as I am new to the fifth wheel towing world, I am always adjusting mine, I replaced the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 that came in my Freightliner with a Tekonsha Prodigy P3

Those are both great controllers. I ran the P2 for many years and was very happy with the control it gave, especially on long grades.

I currently run the Max Brake, which is hydraulic over electric. I find it has a little better control on slow dirt/gravel roads where washboards are present and would mess with the proportional P2.

The MaxBrake is no longer available, correct?
wirenutz
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
Old-Biscuit I think we might be close by each other, currently I am in cottonwood
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Mar 20, 2014
wirenutz wrote:
"The trailer should slow/stop itself. If it doesn't the brakes or controller aren't doing their job. " there is a slight delay between your truck breaks and the trailer breaks kicking in, and thats the time your truck is doing all the work in slowing down

My trailer brakes are set to come on at same time truck brakes.
Trailer brakes control/stop trailer
Truck brakes control/stop truck
AH64ID
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
wirenutz wrote:
ah64id you are probable right, as I am new to the fifth wheel towing world, I am always adjusting mine, I replaced the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 that came in my Freightliner with a Tekonsha Prodigy P3

Those are both great controllers. I ran the P2 for many years and was very happy with the control it gave, especially on long grades.

I currently run the Max Brake, which is hydraulic over electric. I find it has a little better control on slow dirt/gravel roads where washboards are present and would mess with the proportional P2.
wirenutz
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
ah64id you are probable right, as I am new to the fifth wheel towing world, I am always adjusting mine, I replaced the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 that came in my Freightliner with a Tekonsha Prodigy P3
AH64ID
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
wirenutz wrote:
there is a slight delay between your truck breaks and the trailer breaks kicking in, and thats the time your truck is doing all the work in slowing down

If the delay is enough to push the truck around then my statement is still true. Brake controllers can be set to react very quickly, faster than the trick brakes if desired, in normal stopping.

Emergency stopping is different, but that isn't normal stopping.
wirenutz
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
"The trailer should slow/stop itself. If it doesn't the brakes or controller aren't doing their job. " there is a slight delay between your truck breaks and the trailer breaks kicking in, and thats the time your truck is doing all the work in slowing down
AH64ID
Explorer
Mar 20, 2014
A DRW would be more apt to handle that in 1988. A 3500 SRW is often nearly identical in build to a 2500, the tires often being the single biggest limit.

wirenutz wrote:
stopping/slowing down is going to be your big issue.

The trailer should slow/stop itself. If it doesn't the brakes or controller aren't doing their job.

Truck brakes are designed to stop GVWR not GCWR...

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Can my truck handle this 5th wheel?

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