1/2 ton towable 5th wheel...Ha!

[Road_Phantom]

I have a 1/2 ton towable rth wheel, but pull it with a 2500 ram, Hemi. I would love to downsize to a half-ton truck for the improved ride, lower height and cheaper cost since my present truck has a lot of miles on it.
After looking at the gvwr of the half-tons, it appears that there wouldn't be enough left over for a cup and that cup better be made out of paper.
Most half-tons only carry around 1800 in the bed. Once you add the weight of a 5th wh hitch, your wife, dog, gas and whatever else you might want to carry in your truck, (wife and you estimate of 250 lbs) you already up to around 500 lbs. Now add the hitch weight of your supposedly 1/2 ton towable, 1350 for my cougar, and you're already over the 1800.
Anything you carry in the underneath storage up front adds to hitch weight and so does anything in the wardrobe and under the bed storage.
Am I seeing this wrong or maybe I should stick with a 2500.

[goducks10]

rhagfo wrote:

goducks10 wrote:
I'd tow my 5er with the right 1/2 ton. 1800lb pin, 9000lb fully loaded. 27'10" OAL. Not really that big for an HD F150 with 2500+lbs of payload. FWIW I tow with a 12 Ram 2500 CTD that has a 2176lb CCC. I'm always running over the 9600lb GVW. Upside is my RAWR. At 6200lbs I'm under it by 1400lbs or so. Under my tow rating by 3400lbs. Under my GCVRW 2600lbs. That won't happen with an F150. No upside on one. When you're maxed, you're maxed.
I'm out of popcorn for these types of questions. Been asked and discussed waaaay too many times.

Well I am one that would rather tow over my GVWR with a 2500/250, than tow within GVWR with a 1500/150! While it can eat done and the are 5ers that will be covered within the GVWR of a Max/Max F150,'just not my cup of tea.

I agree. I should've said I'd tow it, but only because it's possible, not because I want to. JMO but I wouldn't want to tow anything over 8-9000lbs with a gasser. Maybe I'm spoiled but towing that heavy and having an exhaust brake is the bomb.

[thomas201]

I did it, but I didn't like it. 2011 chevy and 2011 5th wheel. Over the scales I had 80 pounds of payload to spare for a month long trip. Man could I estimate weights or what? OK on tires and axels and everything (I am an engineer).

Those that say you can pull it are wrong. South Dakota 105 deg. F. and 40 mile per hour headwind. I could only go about 45 mph on the level. I could carry it just could not tow it. Personally that was not acceptable.

Traded for a diesel 3/4 ton, very happy. I would discount all the towing numbers for any older truck by 10%. Not sure on newer trucks if the towing numbers are set by the new SAE spec. Maybe with those numbers you can go right up to max and have a good experience.

[avvidclif1]

I had to laugh. I traded in a trailer on my current one. The trade-in when ready to go camping weighed abt 11,100 lbs with 8600 on the axle and 2500 pin weight. I looked at the dealers website after the trade and it was listed as a 1/2t towable. The GVWR of the trailer was 12k......

I had to laugh...

[rhagfo]

goducks10 wrote:
I'd tow my 5er with the right 1/2 ton. 1800lb pin, 9000lb fully loaded. 27'10" OAL. Not really that big for an HD F150 with 2500+lbs of payload. FWIW I tow with a 12 Ram 2500 CTD that has a 2176lb CCC. I'm always running over the 9600lb GVW. Upside is my RAWR. At 6200lbs I'm under it by 1400lbs or so. Under my tow rating by 3400lbs. Under my GCVRW 2600lbs. That won't happen with an F150. No upside on one. When you're maxed, you're maxed.
I'm out of popcorn for these types of questions. Been asked and discussed waaaay too many times.

Well I am one that would rather tow over my GVWR with a 2500/250, than tow within GVWR with a 1500/150! While it can eat done and the are 5ers that will be covered within the GVWR of a Max/Max F150,'just not my cup of tea.

[JIMNLIN]

You and others are lumping all 1/2 ton trucks in the same pile.
You didn't give any weight numbers but 1/2 ton trucks have had gvwr up to 8600 lbs with 6000 lb axles and over 3000 lb actual payloads in the bed. Trailer mfg know this.

All 1/2 ton trucks can pull a 5th wheel trailer if the numbers match up.


Give us some numbers and their are some members that know how to match the numbers for a safe tow.

[Padlin]

While my F150 could do your FW without any worries, the HD payload pkg is pretty much a special order truck. So yes, it is 1/2 ton towable, but as almost no one has the right truck it's still deceptive advertising.

[Tyler0215]

If you have to ask, your trucks not big enough.

[theoldwizard1]

Go look a some of different payload packages available on an F150. The stock, out-the-door is probably like you said, but they have MULTIPLE different upgrades.

[goducks10]

I'd tow my 5er with the right 1/2 ton. 1800lb pin, 9000lb fully loaded. 27'10" OAL. Not really that big for an HD F150 with 2500+lbs of payload. FWIW I tow with a 12 Ram 2500 CTD that has a 2176lb CCC. I'm always running over the 9600lb GVW. Upside is my RAWR. At 6200lbs I'm under it by 1400lbs or so. Under my tow rating by 3400lbs. Under my GCVRW 2600lbs. That won't happen with an F150. No upside on one. When you're maxed, you're maxed.
I'm out of popcorn for these types of questions. Been asked and discussed waaaay too many times.

[guidry]

Your ride will not be more comfortable! And, expect to refuel gas every couple of hours and white knuckle the towing ride. I've been there. Once I got my 3500 long bed I kicked myself for not doing it sooner! My opinion, get the right tool for the job; you and your family (as well as all the other drivers on the road) will appreciate it.

[Old-Biscuit]

rhagfo wrote:

Road Phantom wrote:
I have a 1/2 ton towable rth wheel, but pull it with a 2500 ram, Hemi. I would love to downsize to a half-ton truck for the improved ride, lower height and cheaper cost since my present truck has a lot of miles on it.
After looking at the gvwr of the half-tons, it appears that there wouldn't be enough left over for a cup and that cup better be made out of paper.
Most half-tons only carry around 1800 in the bed. Once you add the weight of a 5th wh hitch, your wife, dog, gas and whatever else you might want to carry in your truck, (wife and you estimate of 250 lbs) you already up to around 500 lbs. Now add the hitch weight of your supposedly 1/2 ton towable, 1350 for my cougar, and you're already over the 1800.
Anything you carry in the underneath storage up front adds to hitch weight and so does anything in the wardrobe and under the bed storage.
Am I seeing this wrong or maybe I should stick with a 2500.

Well you could look at some of the Max/Max F150's with the 3.5 EB engine. I was a Ford man at one time. The F150 Max/max is what they base the 1/2 ton towable statement on. I still believe some trim nice trim levels get into the mid 2,000# of payload capacity.
This is what the "Yellow Sticker" is for, comparison of "Payload".
The 1/2 Tons are lighter than the 250/2500, so they can carry/tow as much as some 250/2500.
Keep in mind a softer ride come from one place softer suspension, so the towing experience may not be as comfortable.

THIS^^^^^^^^^
2017 F150 3.5 EcoBoost 7850# GVWR 4X2 Supercab 163.7" wheelbase with HD Payload Package/18" wheels---2950# PAYLOAD


OR THIS

[evanrem]

1/2 Ton towable means that it will work nicely with a 2500. I was looking at fifth wheels and you run out of payload pretty quick with a 2500.

[rhagfo]

Road Phantom wrote:
I have a 1/2 ton towable rth wheel, but pull it with a 2500 ram, Hemi. I would love to downsize to a half-ton truck for the improved ride, lower height and cheaper cost since my present truck has a lot of miles on it.
After looking at the gvwr of the half-tons, it appears that there wouldn't be enough left over for a cup and that cup better be made out of paper.
Most half-tons only carry around 1800 in the bed. Once you add the weight of a 5th wh hitch, your wife, dog, gas and whatever else you might want to carry in your truck, (wife and you estimate of 250 lbs) you already up to around 500 lbs. Now add the hitch weight of your supposedly 1/2 ton towable, 1350 for my cougar, and you're already over the 1800.
Anything you carry in the underneath storage up front adds to hitch weight and so does anything in the wardrobe and under the bed storage.
Am I seeing this wrong or maybe I should stick with a 2500.

Well you could look at some of the Max/Max F150's with the 3.5 EB engine. I was a Ford man at one time. The F150 Max/max is what they base the 1/2 ton towable statement on. I still believe some trim nice trim levels get into the mid 2,000# of payload capacity.
This is what the "Yellow Sticker" is for, comparison of "Payload".
The 1/2 Tons are lighter than the 250/2500, so they can carry/tow as much as some 250/2500.
Keep in mind a softer ride come from one place softer suspension, so the towing experience may not be as comfortable.

[camp-n-family]

"1/2 ton towable " is just a marketing gimmick. Very few are capable. They can all pull it no problem, just can't carry the weight.

[Allworth]

Like some other things we have heard recently, "half ton towable" is made up on the spot because it is what the audience wants.