which is best truck for 5000Lb trailer
I'm buying a 25 ft trailer(exterior length), 5000lb dry weight. Looking at used trucks .. any recommendations .. engine size and gear ratio.. may steer away from dodge as i heard bad things on suspens...
Forum Discussion
Dry weight is interesting info to get you looking. You are not going camping with it empty, so all it does is give you something to look further into.
Assuming a 5000 lb dry trailer, add about 1000 or so lbs loaded. Call it 6200 lbs loaded. Need to figure if you will be traveling solo (or you plus spouse), or a family of "x". Figure weight of passengers. Lets say, for the sake of argument, you have passenger weight of 600 lbs. Add to this 600 lbs, about 100 for the WD hitch, and assuming 12% of total trailer weight for tongue weight, that is 744. So, you would need a truck with AT LEAST 1444 cargo carrying capacity. Preferebly more because if you stop for a Big Mac along the way, you would be overweight.
I know folks might say your loaded weight would be more than 1200 lbs above dry. I'm sitting at 1000 lbs above dry weight (all actual weights), and I have more stuff than I really need. So, I think 1000-1500 over dry is a reasonable estimate to start with.
Thing is you don't want to cut it close. But, all things considered, you can find a 1/2 ton to do the job. I have a GMC Sierra 1500 with tow package and I tow my Forest River 2640 RLS very comfortably and below all my weight numbers. Now, I will admit, it doesn't leave me a huge margin. I recently went to a campground about 40 mins away, and took three grand kids, and five bikes in the back. I ended up slightly above my truck GVWR, but actually still below my axle weights (I weighed it all with that load). So, you definately need to be careful and be aware just how much weight your truck is capable of carrying.
Mike
Assuming a 5000 lb dry trailer, add about 1000 or so lbs loaded. Call it 6200 lbs loaded. Need to figure if you will be traveling solo (or you plus spouse), or a family of "x". Figure weight of passengers. Lets say, for the sake of argument, you have passenger weight of 600 lbs. Add to this 600 lbs, about 100 for the WD hitch, and assuming 12% of total trailer weight for tongue weight, that is 744. So, you would need a truck with AT LEAST 1444 cargo carrying capacity. Preferebly more because if you stop for a Big Mac along the way, you would be overweight.
I know folks might say your loaded weight would be more than 1200 lbs above dry. I'm sitting at 1000 lbs above dry weight (all actual weights), and I have more stuff than I really need. So, I think 1000-1500 over dry is a reasonable estimate to start with.
Thing is you don't want to cut it close. But, all things considered, you can find a 1/2 ton to do the job. I have a GMC Sierra 1500 with tow package and I tow my Forest River 2640 RLS very comfortably and below all my weight numbers. Now, I will admit, it doesn't leave me a huge margin. I recently went to a campground about 40 mins away, and took three grand kids, and five bikes in the back. I ended up slightly above my truck GVWR, but actually still below my axle weights (I weighed it all with that load). So, you definately need to be careful and be aware just how much weight your truck is capable of carrying.
Mike
