1500 truck with max trailer package?

I think you will have better luck with this question in the Tow Vehicle forum. I will move it there.
Barney

From what I understand, the max towing packages are different than the max payload packages. You would need both to even consider pulling a fifth wheel with a 1/2 ton truck. You'll run out of capacity on the rear axle with the pin weight before anything else. You can never have too much truck.

Rob

I ordered a GMC Sierra 1500 with the max tow package. The truck pulled the camper fine, 9600lb bumper pull. My tongue weight was 1100lbs. Problem I had was with the stability of the truck. We only make a distance pull twice a year, the rest are about 15 mile trips. Any wind or a passing vehicle had me holding on with white knuckles. I upgraded to a 3/4 ton. No more stability issues, I feel safer with the family in the truck. I would have been the last to say get a bigger truck but I am a believer now. Our truck is a daily driver, a little big for day to day use. But it's there when I need it.

My experience with a ½ ton fifth wheel, on a drive to Yellowstone, from New Jersey. The 2011 Silverado was set up with the 5.3 and 3.73 gears, along with the towing package. It is a standard bed and rated for a 9600 pound trailer. Trailer was a new 2011 Wildcat.

Over the Cat scales at Flying J exit 2 in Jersey with a full freshwater tank, and loaded for a long camping trip:

Truck only:
Front 3320
Rear 2360
Gross 5680

Truck & Trailer:
Front 3180
Rear 3740
Trailer 8000
Gross 14920

Calculated:
Truck 6920
Pin 1240
Trailer 9240

So, with the truck rated at 7000, and the combined at 15000 and the trailer at 9600, I ain’t no bricks shy of a full load. This was a little high to me, so for our first journey we decided to not go to Alaska. So we dropped a second spare tire for the truck and the fresh water. Thus we dropped 400 to 450 pounds of gross weight all out of the trailer. The cost to weigh was $10.50, cheap to know as opposed to guessing.

So over the mountains we went. It pulls fine on the flat lands along the Atlantic coast. At 65 mph the transmission saw 180-190. Even with the fairly low pin weight it handled well, no swaying, just a well behaved load. Crossing the eastern continental divide from the town of Seneca Rocks, WV I had my first worry moment. Outside temp was about 80 at the bottom of the mountain. The truck pulled this steep mountain at about 30 to 40 mph, mostly in 2nd gear, with an occasional drop to 1st in the tight turns. The coolant peaked at about 240 or so, and then the temperature dropped to 220. I guess the electric fan has two speeds. Transmission fluid also hit 250 for just a moment, before dropping into the 230 to 240 range. The truck did not give a warning light. Anyone know the temperature to throw a warning and drop into the limp mode?

The tow/haul mode works sweetly going down the mountains, only an occasional use of brakes was necessary. The rest of the mountains pulled with no real drama. Topped most of them in 3rd at 40 to 50 mph. Got about 8.4 mpg on this leg from Jersey to Elkins WV.

Continuing on across the plains all was fine until the long constant pull against a strong headwind in South Dakota. With an outside temp of 105 the truck began to heat up on any extended grade. Four times the temp of the coolant climbed to 240 or so, and the transmission fluid also climbed to 221. Each time this happened, I shut down the A/C for 15 minutes and cooled everything down. The truck spent most of its time in 3rd gear under these conditions, at about 55 to 60 mph. The big headwind (maybe 40 mph) killed my mileage down to 8 even. A bigger truck would be needed to keep up with traffic. The strong headwind limited me to 4th and about 65mph on the downgrades. It would not stay in 5th, unless dropping into a river valley.

Easier pulling from Rapid City, SD to Gardiner, MT with no real headwinds. With temps in the mid 90’s the tranny held 190 to 205. Got about 9.2 mpg. Truck made it West, but I will be shopping for ¾ ton in either gas or diesel for more performance in the mountains.

On the trip East, I normally had a tailwind and cooler temperatures. Across North Dakota and through the Michigan UP, and on down to WV, mileage was in the middle nines with one whole day at 10.1. Plenty of truck for this driving.


After this trip I upgraded to a 2012 F250 with the 6.7 diesel. In 15,000 miles of towing in 13 and 14 no drama at all. The bigger brakes only were needed after the loss of trailer braking between Durango and Silverton Colorado. Ford replaced the trailer brake controller under warranty in Steamboat Springs. I like the F250 with a 10k door sticker since it gives me the towing limits I need (I like to de-rate the manufactures about 10%) and it allows me to use the left lanes and some parkways in the Northeast without the camper.

I recommend stepping up to a 2500/250 truck.

Half tons and Travel Trailers can work very well.. It gets a lot harder to stay in capacity with a fifth wheel with a half ton.

Not saying its impossible to tow a fiver with a half ton truck... its just that things can get sideways on you really quickly.

Travel trailer tongue weight gets heavier in the couple hundreds of pounds increments... Fivers can get into the several hundred to thousand pound increments.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

"IF" you go with one of the 7500-8500 gvwr high payload 15's with a reg cab, no issues. If you go with a 25 series, fully loaded leather etc, diesel.....you may not have the payload for a 10K 5w either! A gas CC with a 2500 fully loaded 25 series, no problems. Reg cab or ext cab diesel 25, moderatly to fully loaded for the reg cab, no issues.

As noted, 2000 -2500 lbs of potential hitch wt, a couple of people at 500-700 lbs including hitch etc......Your needing 2500-3500 lbs of payload. Tow capacity be danged. That has NEVER been my issue towing, even if over the gcwr of the truck. As LONG as I am UNDER the gvwr of the truck, I have towed without white nuckles, even if over gcwr assuming the truck with a higher powered motor has the gcwr to tow the trailer. Yes I am slow....but I still get there!

Marty

If you are spending money do yourself a favor and get 350/3500 single rear wheel for that trailer.
Go used if you must.

to pull a 5th wheel, most 1/2 tons don't have enough payload capacity for the pin weight.
it's the Achilles Heel of 1/2 tons.

and you don't say which 1500 truck you're asking about.

look at the pin weight of the 5th wheel you're looking at. then find a truck that has enough payload to handle it.

payload is more important that towing capacity, when looking to tow a 5th wheel.

payload aside, its the rear axle that you will most likely overload very quickly - the F150 with the 8200lb GVWR had about the stoutest 1/2 ton rear axle in the game and it only had a 4800lb capacity when compared to most 3/4 tons with 6000lbs +.

jserv61 wrote:
Has anyone had experience with this truck? We need a truck to pull our 9800lb 5 th wheel? It was a recommended option from a couple of dealers. We would only need the truck to pull the 5 th wheel, maybe once or twice a year. Mostly the truck is needed for everyday transportation. Not sure whether to get a 2500 or 1500 with pkg.

I'll repost your question.
The NHT package from GM for their 1500 trucks is the highest package for towing. You get a 7600 GVWR with a 4600 RAWR which will be short on load carrying ability for your 9800 lb 5th wheel trailer which may have 2000 lbs pin weight. Now add a 200 lb hitch and another 100 lbs over the rear axle and your looking at 2300 lb load. The truck may weigh 2700-2800 lb on the rear axle = 5100 lb on the rear axle. Severe overload condition
I would look at a 250/2500 truck. They're good for around 3000-3200 lbs on the rear axle and built to tow/haul day in and day out but still make a good daily driver.