5th Wheel Towing w/ 2001 F150 7700

[behing19]

Hi all,

My wife and I keep going back and forth between a smaller 5th wheel or a TT. We want to make sure we make the right decision as we will be full timing. It's the battle between space and towing safety.

If my number are correct, we can handle a 27-foot TT (bumper pull) with a dry weight of less than 5K (assuming we have less than 2K of stuff to go into the TT). We are minimalists so we may have much less.

I also believe we can handle up to a 25-foot Fifth Wheel (previous owner pulled one, but only a few times a year) with a weight under 5K. I believe we have a payload of about 2,300 as the truck weighs in at just under 5500 with people, gas and stuff.

Ideally, we don't want to push our limits, but we also don't want to limit ourselves when it comes to our options.

If anybody has experience with pulling a fifth wheel with a 1/2 ton truck or with a truck like ours, any advice would be helpful. We are trying to make a decision within the next day or so and either get a 5th wheel hitch ready to go or order a good TT hitch with sway bars.

Thank you for the help in advance.

[time2roll]

I have a 2001 F150 Supercrew pulling a 7880 GVWR 26' fifth wheel for almost 12 years.

Been up/down the West Coast, over the Rockies, through the 115F heat in the Southern deserts, long 10 percent plus grades plenty of times without any issues. OK while traveling I have replaced a start battery, alternator and a fuel pump but I think that is all in the normal course of 190,000 miles. Original transmission is still working great. Yes I slow down and hang with the truckers at times. Never any trouble controlling speed going down the hills.

Headed to Glacier this Summer. Sounds like you will have more truck and less trailer than I.

[behing19]

Old-Biscuit wrote:
I owned a 2001 F150 7700

I towed a 19" 5th wheel with it.

I really knew it was back there and on 6% grades I had to run it HARD to maintain 50 MPH.

Several camping trips per year but NIT something I would want to do FT unless you FT by staying for months before traveling.

That year/model F150 better suited to TTs

Thank you! That was exactly what we were looking for. I think we are going to go with a TT and the only reason we were going back and forth was the previous owner used it to tow a 25 foot fifth wheel, but they only did it a couple times a year.

Your real world experience is very helpful for us.

[bfast54]

I'm going to pursue some different point of view

if you're going full time-- you're going to want a bigger unit (even though you said you were in the motorhome I don't recall you saying what size it was )

if you're looking at full-time I really think anything under about 29 foot travel trailer or fifth wheel--- is going to be too small ---even with your being minimalist people need space occasionally.

I Encourage you to think over a space of time---- don't rush into anything because it could be very costly (now if you're buying a used trailer that you get for a steal and decide it's not big enough then you're good )

but if you buy something fairly new and pay a ton of money and then decides not big enough you're going to lose on Un loading it..

I started out with about a 26-foot fifth wheel then move to a 30-foot and now I'm at a 40-foot.....(And I've been RV ing most of my life).. popups travel trailers truck campers you name it.:W
( Yes I know I'm towing with a seventeen-year-old truck however it is a 1-ton diesel dually long bed crew cab with an engine that has proven and reliability ---it has a brand new transmission in it and a brand new clutch and it's a stick-- so I know this truck is going to last me quite a while --and on top of that I'm looking for a Volvo in the next couple years yes a Volvo)

[kerrlakeRoo]

Let me put in a vote for the TT, and heres why.
You apparently just bought the truck after giving up the Class A, and you bought a 17 year old truck that while in good condition was marginal for your needs. With the age and mileage you may well be looking at another TV in a year or two. A TT will give you more flexibility at that time as well as now.
Just my 2 cents.

[MFL]

behing19 wrote:
Okay, to get specific, there is a 22-foot says it weights 4870 we have considered. I think this is pushing our abilities a bit, but from what others have said, it would be fine.

Just trying to cover all our bases here and make sure we are towing safely. Don't want to be limited to only flat states and don't want to be out there putting our lives or other's lives in danger because we bought something too big for us.

If yours is truly the 7,700 version with 7-bolt wheels, it would carry the 4870 lb FW, even this likely being the dry wt. I think for full-time use, a 17 yo truck, with a good, but under powered 5.4 2V engine will be the weak link, whether towing TT, or FW. In my experience a FW of similar wt as a TT, pulls easier, due to catching less wind.

As to safety, and towing, IMO, a FW will normally be the safer tow. If your wife would be happier with the upstairs bedroom of a FW, well, enough said.

Enjoy your travels, whichever RV you choose! Just keep in mind, an older truck, like an older person, works best when not pushed hard.

Jerry

[Old-Biscuit]

I owned a 2001 F150 7700

I towed a 19" 5th wheel with it.

I really knew it was back there and on 6% grades I had to run it HARD to maintain 50 MPH.

Several camping trips per year but NIT something I would want to do FT unless you FT by staying for months before traveling.

That year/model F150 better suited to TTs

[behing19]

Okay, to get specific, there is a 22-foot says it weights 4870 we have considered. I think this is pushing our abilities a bit, but from what others have said, it would be fine.

Just trying to cover all our bases here and make sure we are towing safely. Don't want to be limited to only flat states and don't want to be out there putting our lives or other's lives in danger because we bought something too big for us.

[time2roll]

25' on an F150 7700 s/b fine. Maybe even a bit bigger if you watch the pin weight and keep the trailer GVWR within the tow rating.
You will slow down some going up any hill 6 percent or steeper.

[behing19]

Okay. Let me clarify a couple things. We were full timing last year in a Class A, but had issues and decided truck and TT or 5er would work better for us, so full timing isn't new to us.

While we are trying to make a decision between TT and 5er very soon, it's not because there is one or the other we want to buy tomorrow (unless the perfect one or near perfect one was available). It's more because we have a cap on the bed and if we decide for sure to go 5er, that has to go and we need to get the rails for a hitch installed, too.

In addition, while the truck is older, we got luck and were able to buy it from the original owner who ordered it from the factory when it was new. He also did all the necessary maintenance on it and basically treated it like it was a member of his family.

My biggest concern is the 5ers with more space are heavier and I don't want to push it on our weight. My wife loves the stairs to the bed, however. Personally, I could care less about that part of it, but that's just me.

The 5ers I see that seem like we could handle seem very crowded and small. Seems like we'd get more room with a 25 or 27 foot tt.

[Lwiddis]

Don, I'm always concerned when an older person (as I am) needs to rush an RV decision. Much more so because they want to fulltime with a 17 year old truck pulling a TT or 5ver...because they can't decide. Set a course for disaster and 99.9% of the time you will reach your destination.

[Terryallan]

you got a 7700lb GVWR. Isn't that a F150 HD. you might be ok with a small 5er

[donn0128]

Your making a LOT of assumptions. None of them likely will turn out to be true. With a 150 you will be lucky to have 1,000 pounds of payload. That is before you fill the gas tank, add wife, or other stuff. Dry weights are a false number designed to sell unsuspecting people more than they can actually handle. Read, read, READ. Then READ some more. In the real world most 150s are capable of handling TTs with a total load of around 7000 pounds.

[Lwiddis]

Fulltime? Select the TT or 5ver first that will make you happy fulltiming, then determine if your current 17 year old truck can handle it. I'm betting you will need a bigger TV. 17 years old? Pretty old. "a decision within the next day or so.." Why are you rushing?