Bumper pull versus fifth wheel

There is a lot of pessimism here but I have seen people tow more with less and do OK with it in certain circumstances. The ratings cover all towing conditions, many of which you may not experience with your trips.

As for the complaint about 1/2 ton truck brakes not being adequate, they aren't supposed to stop the trailer anyway. But you do need to make sure that your trailer brakes are working well and that you have a good controller. And, drive a little slower just in case. I really haven't had good experiences with electric drum brakes.

This is a search for 22'-26' Fifth wheels under 7000 lbs gvwr
RV Trader
Did not go through them all but the little 231 RK Sportsman looked very workable.

Lol, 3.6 Ram and ANY 5ver! Good god, there are 10,000,000 capable trucks out there....
Why?

I'm betting that a Ram 1500 with a NA 3.6 v-6 will not have enough payload capacity for a 5th wheel pin weight, unless it's something like a Scamp or Escape 5th wheel.

I think people are missing that he said it was a TWENTY FOUR (24) foot 5th wheel.

Depending on the payload of the truck, there is a good chance a 24ft 5th wheel is within the weight ratings of a 1/2 ton truck (always need to verify though).

Now the real question is, why?
- Bumper pulls keep the truck bed available to carry stuff.
- Larger 5th wheels have huge basements that make up for lose bed space.

Small 5th wheels sacrifice bed space but have minimal basement space...kind of the worst of both worlds. While 5th wheels tow a little better, bumper pulls shouldn't be a big concern towing, particularly with smaller trailers.

https://www.allencampermfg.com/upload/199%20RB%20Specs%205-4-20.pdf
This is a 4550 gvwr 5th wheel that will work with the small v-6. OP disregard those that say a 1/2 ton truck can't safely tow a 5th wheel trailer. All 1/2 ton trucks are not all the same in fact they have a broader range of gvwrs/RAWRs than any other truck on the market.
Hell we've had 1/2 ton trucks with GVWRS into the 8000 lb range and 4800-6000 rawr and are built to pull GN and 5th wheel trailers.
More than likely your 1500 Ram has a small side of a 6xxx lb gvwr and 3900 rawr....so naturally it requires one of the smaller 5th wheel trailers.
Most folks with 1/2 ton trucks and a low hp engine go with a TT.

Tow capacity on that truck is from 4100 to 7100 lbs at a quick search. So I will say no. Maybe he can get away with a light one if his truck is set up for towing. Otherwise , its not going to happen.

I am not endorsing towing that much with a six cylinder truck but I will say that when my daughter went from a 3 horse bumper pull to a very similar gooseneck horse trailer she said that the gooseneck pulled better. Probably due to being closer to the cab and better protected from the wind. That trailer isn't any taller than the bumper pull though and doesn't have much more tongue weight. It looks like a bumper pull with a longer tongue and a bed over the tongue.

I absolutely would say no to a standup bedroom over the bed of the truck but the right gooseneck could be easier to pull than what you have.

For short trips on level ground you can get away with quite a bit with careful driving habits.

2112 wrote:

ReneeG wrote:

A1ARealtorRick wrote:
This is just my opinion, but I just can't wrap by brain around pulling a 5er with a 1/2-ton, 6-cylinder (269 lb. ft. of torque) truck. Plus (and maybe this is just me) I always like to see dual rear wheels under a 5th wheel. Personally, I'd stick with a bumper pull.

Agree or get the bigger truck as mentioned.

Oh come on guys, stop fear mongering the new guy. The OP would be looking at a Scamp or Escape, 5500lb GVWR, 850lb pin, to make it work. Hardly DRW territory. There are a few that are a little heavier, but I think his 3900lb rear axle would put them out of reach. He would have to do the numbers.

Not fear mongering, just fact-presenting. Scamps and Escapes are great little 5ers -- but just try to find one (I just checked rvt.com, and not a single unit is listed for sale, and that was a nationwide search). Anything more than that I'd want at least a 3/4-ton, and (personally) a DRW, but as I mentioned before, this is just what I would do personally, and should not necessarily be construed as the opinion of the majority.

My 26' is GVWR 7880 with 880 dry pin with a single but large slide.
It will max out your payload so load the trailer not the bed of the truck.
3.6L gasser will be slow up any significant hill.