New to 5th wheel, have questions !!
I've been RVing for 20 years all in Class A's, mostly diesel pushers. I'm planning on selling my current 38 ft diesel pusher and downsizing to a smaller 5th wheel. I'm thinking something in the 2...
Forum Discussion
Do you have the F150 already? If so, what does the payload sticker say?
A 7000lb GVWR trailer is going to eat up 1400-1800lb of your payload as pin weight. Add in a couple hundred pounds for the hitch and anything else in the truck (including passengers)...You are likely going to need a payload north of 2000lb and a lot of 1/2 ton pickups don't have that.
It's possible you can stay within specs with a 1/2 ton but really have to keep a close eye on the numbers and you will always have to be on about throwing something extra in the truck bed.
If you don't have the truck, consider jumping up to a 3/4 ton (or even a 1 ton SRW), then the payload issues for a small 5er go away.
If you are set on a 1/2 ton truck, I would be looking travel trailer. Instead of 20-25% of the trailer weight on the pin, you are at 12-15% on the hitch, so payload doesn't get eaten up as quickly.
As far as mileage, depends what the power train is and how hard you push it. If you feel the need to do jack rabbit starts and keep it at 75mph on freeways, don't be surprised if you are down in the 6-7mpg range. If you take it easy and run at 55-65, 8-11mpg is possible but to hard to say with certainty.
Pandemic prices are a bit crazy but I would expect something closer to 2010-2015 with your price range. Bigger issue is under about 28ft, not many 5ers kicking around because below that size, travel trailers make a lot of sense, so there may be limited selection.
A 7000lb GVWR trailer is going to eat up 1400-1800lb of your payload as pin weight. Add in a couple hundred pounds for the hitch and anything else in the truck (including passengers)...You are likely going to need a payload north of 2000lb and a lot of 1/2 ton pickups don't have that.
It's possible you can stay within specs with a 1/2 ton but really have to keep a close eye on the numbers and you will always have to be on about throwing something extra in the truck bed.
If you don't have the truck, consider jumping up to a 3/4 ton (or even a 1 ton SRW), then the payload issues for a small 5er go away.
If you are set on a 1/2 ton truck, I would be looking travel trailer. Instead of 20-25% of the trailer weight on the pin, you are at 12-15% on the hitch, so payload doesn't get eaten up as quickly.
As far as mileage, depends what the power train is and how hard you push it. If you feel the need to do jack rabbit starts and keep it at 75mph on freeways, don't be surprised if you are down in the 6-7mpg range. If you take it easy and run at 55-65, 8-11mpg is possible but to hard to say with certainty.
Pandemic prices are a bit crazy but I would expect something closer to 2010-2015 with your price range. Bigger issue is under about 28ft, not many 5ers kicking around because below that size, travel trailers make a lot of sense, so there may be limited selection.
