1/2 Ton Towable 5th Wheel

[rollindownthero]

Hello:

Does anyone have a 5th wheel that they say can be towed by a 1/2 ton truck? Are you actually towing it with a 1/2 ton truck and what kind of truck do you have?

I had originally thought that when I retire I would get a motorhome with a toad. However, I wasn't planning on "traveling" all the time. Was going to find a location and be there for a month, then move to the next spot and stay a month or two. The more I thought about it the more a 5th wheel or TT made more sense to me. Wouldn't have to worry about another engine to maintain, additional tires to replace, and gas for two vehicles. I had a Jeep that could be towed 4 down, but would need to get a truck for a 5th or TT.

I looked at trucks and my budget (or what I was willing to pay) was for 1/2 ton. Found a 2019 F150, XLT, 3.6L ecoboost, 4x4, 145" wheelbase, 20" tires, 6.5 foot bed, 3.55 rear axle ratio, pay load of 2,030 lbs. I did look at RAM, Chevy and GMC but the Ford had the highest tow rating.

After researching and scrolling though numerous websites and Ford's website I can conventional tow 12,700 lbs. with this truck. Ford says 13,200 with the Max Towing package, which I don't have. The only thing I don't have in the towing package is the transmission cooler. From what I found so far for a 5th wheel it says 10,000 lbs.

Wondering what kind of experience you have towing the 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck. I know the majority are going to tell me to get a bigger truck, but again the budget dictates a 1/2 ton. I know a TT would work well for me, but just investigating the possibility of a 5th wheel.

[bid_time]

valhalla360 wrote:
Yes, the motor can put out those numbers but doing so really limits the duty rating.

That must be why you see so many reports of dead ecoboosts everywhere - Oh Wait - I haven't seen any such reports - must be a bunch of malarky.

[camp-n-family]

patperry2766 wrote:

rollindowntheroad wrote:
Ok I finally give!!! I understand that I wouldn't be able to tow a 5th wheel. With calculations I've come up with the max I could even tow a travel trailer is 7,000 lbs. A far cry from what Ford advertises.

That's not correct either. Per the 2019 Ford trailer towing guidelines and based on the info from your original post, max tow weight is 10,700 lbs

2019 Trailer Tow

look on page 19

Yes, that's the listed "tow rating". What the OP is saying, and what most don't understand, is that once you load the vehicle with gear and passengers etc he only has enough payload left to support the tongue weight that a 7k trailer would have. Rarely will you ever get to anywhere near a vehicles tow rating without exceeding 1 or more other ratings first.

A travel trailer weighing 10,700lbs would have an average tongue weight over 1300lbs! That would exceed the receiver rating and nearly max out many 1/2 ton trucks on payload without anything else in the truck.

[ppine]

Just don't go anywhere with long steep grades. Stay out of the Rockies.

[valhalla360]

mt1729 wrote:
Just to add a little bit more information. The ford 3.5 v6 ecoboost puts out 375 horsepower & 470 foot pounds of torque. How a little mostly aluminum engine of that size can handle twin turbos and that much power is mind boggling. However they seem to be holding up as well as any other gas engine that's out there.

I think it comes down to very few tow at the max ratings or even tow much at all (ie:90% or more of miles are running empty).

If Ford was comfortable towing 10k on a regular basis, they would be putting it in the 3/4 & 1 ton trucks.

Yes, the motor can put out those numbers but doing so really limits the duty rating.

[patperry2766]

rollindowntheroad wrote:
Ok I finally give!!! I understand that I wouldn't be able to tow a 5th wheel. With calculations I've come up with the max I could even tow a travel trailer is 7,000 lbs. A far cry from what Ford advertises.

That's not correct either. Per the 2019 Ford trailer towing guidelines and based on the info from your original post, max tow weight is 10,700 lbs

2019 Trailer Tow

look on page 19

[The_Painting_Te]

I have a '14 GMC with a 5.4 engine and 3.55 rear end. It gives a tow weight of 9,700 lbs. I pull an 30' 2011 Flaggstaff 5th wheel with a weight just under 7,000 lbs. I've gone from Cape Cod to St. Augustine, New Orleans, up through Kansas, and return to Cape Cod for 5 years. I've had no problems whatsoever over 3 - 4 months of travel in the last 5 yrs. Don't tell me my 1/2 ton can't do the job.

[bid_time]

2112 wrote:
So you're saying I can't do what I've been doing for the past 5 years? I'm shocked! Should I leave the FW at the beach and drive home without it? Rush to the dealer and pick up a 1 ton?

No one here can answer that question, only you can. But I'll give you my assesment. A reasonable estimate would be that 5th wheel has 1600 lbs ( give or take) of pin weight. If everything else in the truck weighs less than 400 lbs, per manufacturer's ratings you're good to go. If all in you're over your payload rating, it's up to you to decide if you're safe or not. In any event, it all won't crash an burn the minute you turn the key. Ulitimately, time could take a toll though.

[2112]

So you're saying I can't do what I've been doing for the past 5 years? I'm shocked! Should I leave the FW at the beach and drive home without it? Rush to the dealer and pick up a 1 ton?

Get the right tool for the job. But 1st you have to define the job.

[rollindownthero]

Ok I finally give!!! I understand that I wouldn't be able to tow a 5th wheel. With calculations I've come up with the max I could even tow a travel trailer is 7,000 lbs. A far cry from what Ford advertises.

[mt1729]

Just to add a little bit more information. The ford 3.5 v6 ecoboost puts out 375 horsepower & 470 foot pounds of torque. How a little mostly aluminum engine of that size can handle twin turbos and that much power is mind boggling. However they seem to be holding up as well as any other gas engine that's out there.

[coachman05]

I'll put my 2cents in. I've been towing a 5er for a better part of 12 years with my 1/2 ton chevy silverado. I haven't had a problem and I even tow a boat behind the 5th wheel. Having said that I'm just a weekend warrior type of camper and don't travel outside the state in mountainous or hilly terrain. There are definitely a lot more people towing 5ers with 1/2 tons now than there were when I first got my 5th wheel but, you have to have the right setup. The truck you mentioned I don't think is no where near powerful enough to tow even the smallest of 5th wheels.

[patperry2766]

rollindowntheroad wrote:

Bionic Man wrote:
If you haven’t bought the truck yet why are you so set on an F150?

Because those are in my price range. I don't want to spend $65,000 + on a truck.

Ram 2500

The thing is that Ford's 1/2T trucks are way overpriced, and this was coming from a previous Ford salesman. I am a recent Ram convert to a truck very similar to this when my 6 year old F-150's engine cratered. Mine didn't have the EcoBoost nor 4x4, but it did have the 5.0 V-8.

The main reason that I went with the RAM was price. I could get into a 4x4 diesel 3/4 T for less than I could have gotten into another 1/2 T Ford 2WD. Sure the RAM is the Tradesman level, but it has all the basic needs met for me, the seats are less comfortable than the F-150 and there is more hard plastic on the interior vs the step-up package levels, but it gets me from point A to point B, plus it tows my trailer better.

2nd reason is that we're probably gonna upgrade in a couple of years camperwise, so now my new truck gives me way more option than the 1/2T that I had.

If you don't have the truck yet, maybe look for a new `18 Ram on the lot somewhere near you, or you can fly into Texas, still plenty of them left on the lots here.

[troubledwaters]

Bionic Man wrote:

You have a much more reasonable approach - with the truck being a daily driver. OP is asking about a dedicated tow vehicle that he will full time in.

F250/2500 is a better choice, even if it is a little more.

That's your opinion, I've had both, in my experience I respectfully have a different opinion.

[JRscooby]

Bionic Man wrote:


You have a much more reasonable approach - with the truck being a daily driver. OP is asking about a dedicated tow vehicle that he will full time in.

F250/2500 is a better choice, even if it is a little more.

I'm not sure about this point. How often does the full timer move? And how much time is the TV used for non-towing?

[Bionic_Man]

troubledwaters wrote:
Actually I did just that in March. Depending on incentives in effect, the price is within a couple thousand dollars of each other. However, at least in March, the incentives for the F150 were $8500 more (cheaper) than the F250. And besides that, I have the 3.5 ecoboost and a 10 sp transmission, a combination that is far and away superior (in my opinion); And especially so if you are using it as a daily driver. I dumped my V10 F250 and couldn't be happier.

You have a much more reasonable approach - with the truck being a daily driver. OP is asking about a dedicated tow vehicle that he will full time in.

F250/2500 is a better choice, even if it is a little more.