Hello,I have a 2019 F-150 with the towing package and and considering getting a small fifth wheel rated as 1/2 ton towable. Does anyone have experience with this combination? If so, would you recommend or discourage? Pin weight, UVW, GVW all seem within specs for vehicle. Just don't want to make a mistake and have a problem with either the truck or the 5th wheel.

Did you confirm the specs? Or did the seller or RV salesperson say all ok? Rare to see any 1/2 ton with a 5er.

There are some trailers that might fit your criteria, never use UVW as it means no propane, battery or filled water tanks or stuff. Plus you need to a drink all of the passengers weight. Some of the newer half tons are very capable and it's not all about the engine pulling it is also about the stopping and controlling. It depends on the terrain also hills mountains or flatland and some salesmen will lie. From a F350 owner and a city wheel.

Gvw will not be your worst problem, pin weight will. Take the gvw for the trailer and figure on 23 to 25% as pin weight. Ignore dry weights and published pin weights as they are not real world. Take the number you got and add the weight of a hitch, passengers, equipment you added to the truck and anything else you carry and there is a good chance you will be way over your payload capacity that is on the white and yellow sticker by your door. Even with a lot of travel trailers a 150 runs out of payload before it runs out of max tow weight. Get more truck or less trailer.

When their lips are moving salesman are............. I have tested them for fun and when bored with my experience of many years but acted like a newbie. Their mostly all the same Truck, RV, boat, etc. etc.In case you are new to this beware of towing in this high heat of the west and the high mountains. Not same as flatlands in moderate temperatures. You will receive good advice from others with 5th Wheel experience as I towed TT with 1500 and 2500 Dodge Rams.As a famous actor said in a movie "worms have got to eat"

If the specs are OK I would go for it. Have you loaded your people and stuff in the truck and ventured to a scale to verify the available capacities?

1/2 ton towing a 5th wheel | Good Sam Community

2112
Explorer II
Jul 24, 2021
OP has left the building
LITEPHIL
Explorer
Jul 24, 2021
I know I would end up with a 3/4 ton. I don't want to be near my limits but most the towing in Az is extreme. I went from 3/4 ton down to a new 1/2 ton and am towing 6,000 lbs and it works well but I'm ordering a 3/4 ton next year. It's so much more relaxing with the bigger truck and I'm not talking about power wise. Full floating rear axles are so much safer too.
Thermoguy
Explorer II
Jul 24, 2021
To the OP - there is some good advice on this tread. The ones you need to pay attention to go regardless of trailer. Get a trailer that is not too much trailer for your truck. If a fully loaded (full tank) trailer is under your weight limits, then go for it. There are plenty of small 5th wheels that can be towed by a 1/2 ton truck. Not all the 1/2 ton towable models meet the actual requirements, but some do. Just get your actual truck specs and start shopping - remember, brochures and websites under size everything or don't show the whole picture. You need to look at real world weights and weight limits.
Thermoguy
Explorer II
Jul 24, 2021
Groover wrote:
LowRyter wrote:
If you're within weight limits, it should work. Be prepared to get 5 mpg when towing. Keep it under 65.

My daughter gets about 11mpg towing her 3 horse gooseneck with living quarters behind her 2013 Ecoboost at 70mph. You can figure about 85% of what a diesel would give under the same situation.

A 3 horse trailer with living quarters could have a pin weight of under 2000 lbs or over 4000 lbs - not enough information here to think an F150 is OK towing a 5th wheel. I have a 3 horse no living quarters and the pin weight is OK for a 1/2 ton, but for stability, emergency braking, etc, the 3/4 ton is much better. I have looked at living quarters, but my 3/4 ton diesel is not enough truck... that is living quarters with water, waste, etc. Something you can actually use. Some living quarters are not much more than a bed and some cabinets.
Groover
Explorer II
Jul 24, 2021
LowRyter wrote:
If you're within weight limits, it should work. Be prepared to get 5 mpg when towing. Keep it under 65.

My daughter gets about 11mpg towing her 3 horse gooseneck with living quarters behind her 2013 Ecoboost at 70mph. You can figure about 85% of what a diesel would give under the same situation.
mkirsch
Nomad II
Jul 23, 2021
Sure you can buy stouter tires and jam sections of well casing between the frame and axle to keep the truck from squatting, but you may never get things to where you will be happy with the results.

It's a very expensive guess. The whole point of looking at things on paper is so you can get an idea of what you're in for BEFORE you spend the money. I'm glad these guys who are just telling you to go for it and prop up the truck have infinite money and can just keep throwing cash at the problem, but most people don't. Not everyone is made of money. Some of us have one shot to get this right.

Right now, 1660 payload vs. 1375 EMPTY pin weight, it's not looking good. I don't consider GVWR a stone wall not to be breached, but F150s don't have the "hidden" payload capacity of an F250 or F350. It's more like 400lbs vs. 1000lbs+ on an F250 and a ton or more on an F350. You're going to be into your "hidden" capacity just towing the empty trailer home from the dealer with the family in the cab of the truck.
mooky_stinks
Explorer
Jul 23, 2021
LowRyter wrote:
If you're within weight limits, it should work. Be prepared to get 5 mpg when towing. Keep it under 65.

You lose all credibility when you make a statement like that.
time2roll
Nomad
Jul 23, 2021
LowRyter wrote:
If you're within weight limits, it should work. Be prepared to get 5 mpg when towing. Keep it under 65.
Even my old dog gets 8 mpg ;)
LowRyter
Explorer
Jul 23, 2021
If you're within weight limits, it should work. Be prepared to get 5 mpg when towing. Keep it under 65.
blt2ski
Moderator
Jul 22, 2021
Grit dog wrote:
OP.
Tires wheels suspension is easy. Slap some good E load tires on any OE or similar quality rims. Suspension, you have multitudes of options.
Any 9.75 axle 150 is good for 5klbs so the afformentioned 2500lbs payload is about right and a practical limit iMO.

Grit generally good thoughts.
BUT some 15 series rigs like my new to me GM, it has a 10 bolt 8.5" RA. NOT the 12bolt 9.5" like my son's 05. I believe in GMs case, the 6 cyl get the smaller RP setup. The V8's the 9.5" setup.
Like ALL things great and small, one needs to look at actual parts to see if you have the X or Y version.
Im not recalling OP saying engine, probably did, I would swag small eco boost and NA V6 could have smaller axles vs the larger EB and 5.0 V8.

Marty