Is a 5th Wheel Possible for me?

IBcarguy wrote:
If you take all the published specs and recommended limitations of your vehicle, it might look good on paper but out on the road is a different story. Just take a look at the underside of your half ton then crawl under a 2500 for comparison. Look at the size of the brakes, suspension, driveline, axles, and chassis and it pretty much will convince you that a half ton is simply too light weight to handle that kind of load. In my opinion, it's all about towing control and stopping power.I've towed with both and I feel a lot safer and in control with a 2500 vehicle that was designed for that kind of work.

The truck brakes do not stop the trailer, it has it's own brakes that are rated to stop the trailer weight. Expecting the truck brakes to stop the trailer is just a jack-knife waiting to happen. And yes our 3/4 and 1 ton trucks have bigger brakes, but they also weigh more. A simple look at published stopping distances will show that EMPTY stopping g distance is no better for the heavier trucks. A properly matched 1/2 ton setup is just as safe and reliable as a comparably matched 3/4 ton setup.