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.

[Hammerboy]

I see this every time we go to the rv shows at one particular dealers section. There will be a large fifth wheel on display with a sign showing a Chevy 2500 hd with the caption underneath saying "You can tow this!"

There's a difference between the ability to pull and the ability to carry the weight. It used to be you would run out of power before you run out of truck, now days we run out of truck before we run out of power it seems.

Dan

[robrose1]

I tried it once and after a white knuckle 4 hour trip sold the 1500 gas and bought a 2500 duramax. At the time the rig was only a 25 ft Jayco.

[kellertx5er]

avvidclif1 wrote:
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...

Some day, someone will make a dealer PAY for such gross misinformation.

[LIKE2BUILD]

Road Phantom wrote:
I have a 1/2 ton towable 5th 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.

Am I seeing this wrong or maybe I should stick with a 2500.

Have you driven a '14 or newer RAM 2500? If not, then you need to go take some test drives. My old truck was an '04 Chevy 2500HD with crew cab and 6.5' bed. For the longest time I thought GM HD trucks were supposed to have the best ride due to the IFS and torsion bars. Man, were my eyes ever opened after test driving my new '14 RAM 2500 :E

Granted my new truck is a full 8' bed so it is longer than my old one. However, the 5-link coil spring rear suspension gives a ride that is FFAAARRRRR smoother than the GM with leaf springs. Also, with the 5er attached (or even goosenecks I've recently pulled) the coils support the load very well and it rides just as smooth or smoother than unloaded.

If it's just you, the wife, and a dog you could probably find a reasonably priced '14 or newer club cab 2500 with 8' bed. You are correct, the 4X4 trucks set REALLY high. My buddy has a 2010 GMC 2500HD and the rear corner of my bed sets 4" higher than his truck. So if you need 4X4 that would be one negative for the RAM. But, if 2X4 is okay for you, the RAM 2500 2WD is about the same height as most other trucks.

KJ

[2112]

Yes it can be done with a F150 EB MAX but with a cost.
I have a Max Tow, not Max Payload and it tows and carries my KZ well, most of the time!

Strong headwinds suck, I'm in 4th or 5th gear for hours. I have to count cargo weight like counting calories while on a diet. Full gray and black tanks puts me WAY over payload and RAWR. I have a 200 mile range.

On the pro side I get 21mpg as a daily driver, I have the smooth 1/2 ton ride, the EB can pull the FW up a grade just as well if not better than a diesel. I can park my truck in the parking garage at work, most taller 3/4 and 1 tons don't fit, they have to park on the street when they can find parking.

Cougars were the first FWs we looked at but we didn't find what we liked with a low enough pin weight. We had to shop for over a year to find a floor plan we liked that was within the TVs capability.

Don't get me wrong. We really like and enjoy what we have and have no intentions to change at this time. The combo works great for us as we use it but would I hitch up, pack up and take a four month 4000 mile road trip with it? Probably not.

[tdsxt51]

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.

Jeez. Sometimes you guys really get me. Half tons are lighter so they carry/tow as much as a 250/2500?!? Come on, man! You can't be telling people that- somebody might believe you! :E The F150 MAX is what they base the half ton thing on? Again, where did you get this little factoid?

[SabreCanuck]

Padlin wrote:
4 years ago when I was looking, an F350 gasser was only 2K more then the F150 Ecoboost. The big difference was mpg when not towing. When I asked on the forum mpg folks were getting with the F350's it was about 12 mpg, reportedly the Ecoboost was 18 mpg. In reality the 18 was a bit high.

Don't worry, historically speaking the 12 mpg of the truck you didn't pick was probably a bit high too. LOL

MPG is directly related more to the driver than what is under the hood. ALWAYS..

[Padlin]

4 years ago when I was looking, an F350 gasser was only 2K more then the F150 Ecoboost. The big difference was mpg when not towing. When I asked on the forum mpg folks were getting with the F350's it was about 12 mpg, reportedly the Ecoboost was 18 mpg. In reality the 18 was a bit high.

[Kevin_O_]

To the OP, Even though there are specific 1/2 ton trucks out there that will tow your trailer and be within it's ratings. It will probably be the same amount of money or even cheaper to stick with a 3/4 ton....

[GPG52_]

CWSWIN
EXCELLENT VIDEO... AND WEBSITE.
THANK YOU FOR SHARING
GPG :C

[camp-n-family]

keiferbassGoingWest wrote:
Hello. I'm a newbie here

I'm getting educated for a future purchase of a TT or 5er.
Much of what I've read here is dissuading me from considering a "1/2 Ton towable 5er" though I believe 5ers are generally more stable (less likely to be swayed by winds or those 18-wheeler flybies). But I've been dissuaded from TTs because I've read some horror stories of TTs that were well under the TVs numbers get out of control with cross winds.

Many recommend applying an 80 rule so I've been looking at TTs that are that, 7100 lb GVWR or under (80 of 8900 lb, my RAM Ecodiesel). I haven't found a 5er that meets that criteria but if I do I'd be included to go with it assuming I could get enough payload weight headroom.

I haven't found any discussions about a trailer's "weight to length" or "weight to side surface area" affecting sway. Any thoughts or observations? Again, I believe that a 5er will not be swayed so easily.

Oh...
2016 RAM Ecodiesel
GVWR 6950 lb
Payload 1600 lb
GCWR 13,750 lb,
Max. trailer weight 8900 lb.

Here's an interesting video on the Ecodiesel's towing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcJJxhvPWU&t=2s

Payload is your issue, especially with the ecodiesel or any 1/2 ton for that matter. Your 1600lbs (which sounds high to me) will get eaten up quickly with the weight of a fiver hitch in the bed and any passengers. You'll likely have less than 1k of payload left which pretty much even the smallest fiver will exceed once loaded.

Just curious where you got the payload number from? Brochure or actual door jamb sticker? I haven't seen an actual Ram 1500 that high, most being less than 1100lbs to as low as 850lbs! As a newbie, don't get fooled by unrealistic brochure weights. Get the actual weights from the actual vehicle and trailer stickers or go to a scale.

[CWSWine]

keiferbassGoingWest wrote:

Oh...
2016 RAM Ecodiesel
GVWR 6950 lb
Payload 1600 lb
GCWR 13,750 lb,
Max. trailer weight 8900 lb.

Here's an interesting video on the Ecodiesel's towing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcJJxhvPWU&t=2s

You might want to watch this video on how to match you Truck to your RV.

Matching your Truck to your RV

[keiferbassGoing]

Hello. I'm a newbie here.

I'm getting educated for a future purchase of a TT or 5er.
Much of what I've read here is dissuading me from considering a "1/2 Ton towable 5er" though I believe 5ers are generally more stable (less likely to be swayed by winds or those 18-wheeler flybies). But I've been dissuaded from TTs because I've read some horror stories of TTs that were well under the TVs numbers get out of control with cross winds.

Many recommend applying an 80% rule so I've been looking at TTs that are that, 7100 lb GVWR or under (80% of 8900 lb, my RAM Ecodiesel). I haven't found a 5er that meets that criteria but if I do I'd be included to go with it assuming I could get enough payload weight headroom.

I haven't found any discussions about a trailer's "weight to length" or "weight to side surface area" affecting sway. Any thoughts or observations? Again, I believe that a 5er will not be swayed so easily.

Oh...
2016 RAM Ecodiesel
GVWR 6950 lb
Payload 1600 lb
GCWR 13,750 lb,
Max. trailer weight 8900 lb.

Here's an interesting video on the Ecodiesel's towing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpcJJxhvPWU&t=2s

[DannyA]

Don't claim to know as much about weights as others do but did tow with a 150 before trading for 250. Never had any problems and see many others towing with 150's but mileage is very little different as is ride.
I feel much more comfortable having a heavier truck and it makes the towing experience much more enjoyable. Would never go back to less truck.