1500 Towable Fifth Wheel

[DatonPlace]

I own a 2014 Ram 1500 Crew Cab with the RamBox 5'7" bed. I have factory installed towing, and the 5.7 Liter Hemi engine. I want to get a Fifth wheel toy hauler to tow two Harley Streetglides weighing approx 1600lbs combined. The GVWR is 10300lbs, Max Payload is 1625lbs...Do they even make a Fifth wheel toy hauler that would work? I cannot seem to find anything. I was told that I could get the AirLift product that would increase my GVWR by 1000lbs, but still I am having trouble finding a fifth wheel that meets those requirements. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Daton

[N-Trouble]

There are lightweight 5ers out there that can b towed by 1/2 tons but not in the TH segment. I have what could be considered one of the smallest/lightest 5er THs on the market and no way would I feel comfortable towing it with a 1/2 ton even empty let alone loaded.

3/4 ton is a minimum for any 5er TH available today.

[Dirtclods]

DatonPlace wrote:
I own a 2014 Ram 1500 Crew Cab with the RamBox 5'7" bed. I have factory installed towing, and the 5.7 Liter Hemi engine. I want to get a Fifth wheel toy hauler to tow two Harley Streetglides weighing approx 1600lbs combined. The GVWR is 10300lbs, Max Payload is 1625lbs...Do they even make a Fifth wheel toy hauler that would work? I cannot seem to find anything. I was told that I could get the AirLift product that would increase my GVWR by 1000lbs, but still I am having trouble finding a fifth wheel that meets those requirements. Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
Daton

AirLift product that would increase my GVWR by 1000lbs. NO..... I have air bags on the same truck just to keep it level and so it rides better. I tow a 19" ft attitude toy hauler Dry weight is 5800 after gear dirt bikes and water it's 7200 even at that it's working going up some passes in Calif.

[atwowheelguy]

I have a '13 F150 Ecoboost, GVWR 7100#, RGAWR 3850#, payload 1607#.

After searching for 53 weeks to find a nice used one near home, I bought a FunFinder Xtra XT-245.







Max axle weight: 7000# (2 x 3500#)
GVWR: 7765#
Brochure weight: 4650#
Yellow sticker "as built" weight: 5025#
Actual weight with two dirt bikes (~550# total bike wt.):6740#
Axle weight with two dirt bikes: 6000#

Towing this trailer loaded for camping with two dirt bikes, with two people in the truck, the truck is only 180# under GVWR and only 50# under RGAWR.

I liked the FunFinder XT-276 that I have seen touted as "1/2 ton towable", but it would have significantly overloaded my truck.

A fifth wheel toy hauler just doesn't work with a 1600# payload.

[camp-n-family]

The GVWR is 10300lbs, Max Payload is 1625lbs

Just curious where you got these numbers from? A 1500 Ram has a GVWR around 6800lbs and the payload with a rambox shortbox (crewcab?) is likely less than 1625lbs. A crewcab Laramie 4x4 with the rambox for example is only 1120lbs. What does your actual door sticker say?

As for the TH fiver question, you need a bigger truck. Even a conventional bumper pull TH that won't be over that trucks limits will be tough to find. Very few 1/2 tons are suited for towing fivers. Even fewer for a fiver TH.

[CKNSLS]

The only half-ton fifth wheel towable is in the mind of the RV salesman. The payload is not enough for fifth wheels on half tons.

BTW-this is coming from a half-ton owner.

[ChooChooMan74]

kaydeejay wrote:

ChooChooMan74 wrote:
........... First, you can increase payloads or GVW. ...........

Please explain how this is done for the average guy. (Not Coachbuilders who CAN recertify units)
Thanks

Typo on the phone. Edited. Thanks for correcting.

[Strabo]

When i had my 05' F150 4x4 SC shortbed, i towed a 2003 Jayco Talon ZX 24' bumper pull toyhauler, i had firestone bags, CAI intake and catback exhaust system. I towed with that setup for several years, brakes were my biggest issue, the hauler weighed in at 10,000 fully loaded....

Worked for me but i drove like an old lady with that rig and truck combo. I hauled my rhino in the hauler.

All my friends in here called it the "Barbie Truck Starter Kit"....Friends are priceless!!

[souraider]

KZ toy hauler

[2112]

Google Palomino Puma Toy Hauler

[kaydeejay]

error corrected so comment removed

[ChooChooMan74]

Welcome to the forum.

I was (and may still be if the Nissan is not what I expect it to be) in the market for a Ram 1500 diesel, so I have done my research on them. First, you can't increase payloads or GVW. There is a big cushion between axle ratings and GVW on the rams, though.

2nd,you got a shorter than short bed with a rambox. A convebtional fifth wheel will not work because of the narrower beds. Guys with 2500 ramboxes have used reese revolution pinboxes with success.

My opinion, look for a conventional ball trailer that the 1500 will handle or get more truck.

[2112]

Toy Haulers (TH) by nature are heavy pin/tongue weight empty but that weight will lessen when toys are placed in them by a percentage of the toy weight because most if not all of the weight is being placed behind the axles. That is why they have more DRY pin/tongue weight.

Your two hogs weigh 1600lbs. Putting them in a TH will remove about 400lbs OFF the pin/tongue. A travel trailer (TT) TH may work for you if you only tow with the toys.

More experienced TH owners can confirm or correct me on this.

On Edit: I see you're in Houston. I saw a small TH TT last spring at Ron Hoover down I45 in La Marque that might work for you. No idea what it was but they may be able to help.

[TucsonJim]

When I was getting started towing, I had a 1500 Chevy 4x4. The RV dealer said no problem, you can easily tow a fifth wheel. Back then, there was no internet to do research with. I fell for the sales pitch hook, line and sinker. I bought that FW, and took a couple of trips with it. On the third trip, the transmission gave way and had to be completely rebuilt. The truck had 34,000 miles when the trans failed. I was fortunate that the Chevy dealer fixed it under warranty. As soon as I got it back, I traded it in for a much more capable truck.

[Y-Guy]

Daton welcome to RV.net - I hope you understand the suggestions shared are not an attack at you at all, but rather a learning experience for many owners here. I can't even remember how many owners go out buy a bigger trailer only to find their truck really can't handle it safely then they are forced to upgrade their truck before they were really ready to.

As mentioned nothing will increase your limits, they will just provide better handling. No manufacturer will ever state that they will increase your specs in writing, though some unscrupulous sales guys will tell that to your face.

Toy Haulers, both 5er and Bumper Pull tend to have very high pin/hitch weights. Those weights can quickly outpace the limits of a 1500 truck. The other factor is that most weight ratings are based on a single person in the vehicle weighing 150# - once you add in a few people you can find yourself well beyond the limits. While you might tow just fine, if you get into a dangerous situation you can find your ill equipped to get out of it, and you're putting a lot of extra stress & strain on your truck.