A 1/2 ton truck, that could tow a 5er.

[Reformed_Stockbroker]

Towing guides say 1/2 ton trucks max out about 11K lb, when it comes to towing. Not enough for a 5er. I noticed the Big 3, do not put a 3.92 or 4.10
rear axle in their 1/2 ton PUs. Even some 3/4 ton PUs still only tow about 14K lb, not very much. So, I would really need to buy a full 1 ton truck, to pull a 5th wheel, big enough for 2 people, dog & kitty. I'm thinking at least 30 feet, plus a slide would work for us, to travel around the country. However, that would cost a lot of money. I notice 5th wheels and HD PU trucks have increased in price, quite a bit over the past 7-8 yrs. The Big 3 have no competition. Toyota's Tundra can only tow about 10K lb, and that the most truck you can get from Toyota. Nissan is 9500 lb, so even less. However, the titan can be purchased for less than most other comparable PUs.

New only, the only way I would buy used is like from friends or family. Any other suggestions on a PU truck/5er rig, at least 30 ft long?

[Mtelkman]

Lots of people on here tow Flagstaff/Rockwood UltraLite 5th wheels with the Ford F150 ecoboost and stay under max tow weights. You certainly don't need a one ton truck to pull a 5er.

[Markwie]

You could probably get away with an F150 with max tow and max payload packages. Coupled with an Ecoboost motor and power wouldnt be much of an issue. Fuel economy would suck when towing but be pretty good when unladen.

I love my F150 and if I had it to do over I would still buy it but would have got the max tow/payload package. Even with my axle ratio I can pull my 268RKS at any sane speed up any hill.

That said an F350, Ram 3500, Chev/GMC 3500 would all be a better choice. Diesels are a pain with DEF and their increased maintenance but will always get better mileage when loaded.

Toy and nissan are planning to run a diesel in the coming years but it's a bit foolish to latch onto a wholly new product like that and expect it to have all the bugs worked out in the first few years.

[B and B]

I have a 32 ft Rockwood and towed it with a F 150 EcoBoost for 2 seasons. Many tow Flagstaff and Rockwood with half tons, Ford EcoBoost certainly best suited in the half ton territory. Chevy made in Mexico now.

Got a sweet deal on a F 250 so I upgraded.

[Wayne Joan]

I am pulling a Flagstaff 8528IKWS with my F-150 ecoboost "Boostie". This 32 foot 5er pulls better than my 27 foot TT and my overall length is less. Rockwood and Flagstaff Ultra Lite fifth wheels were designed to be pulled by properly equipped 1/2 tons.

[itat]

If you do some research here on the forum, you'll find lots of members using a half ton to pull a 5th wheel but I think most are pulling 28 foot models, not 30 feet or more. As you may have figured out, the shortcoming of 1/2 tons is payload more than towing capacity.

For a 30' 5er, personally I wouldn't want anything less than a 3/4 ton pickup. If you want to tow a 5er around the country on a regular basis, a diesel would be a good choice.

Are you certain you have to have a 5th wheel? When I was upgrading my camper early this year, I considered a 5th wheel for a short time but decided I wasn't going to upgrade my truck (again) so I stuck with a TT. Mine is a 29' model, about 32' from coupler to bumper. Lots of room for 2 people a dog and cat. With the Equal-i-zer hitch it tows very well.

[Big Rig]

I towed my Rockwood with a half ton Chevy for a while,but never felt safe. I purchased a GMC 3500 Duramax and it feels so much better. I am not a Ford fan but was leaning towards the EcoBoost but after pricing them I went with the Diesel. I didn't see the longevity of a six cylinder and wanted something I could hang onto for a while without limiting my next purchase of a fifth wheel. For the safety of yourself and everyone else on the road think about buying more truck than you actually need.


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[phillyg]

I'll probably get flamed, but some 1/2t trucks will pull lighter FWs. Many people are stuck in the past where nothing can pull anything but 3/4 or 1t trucks. I pulled an 8400lb 30' FW with a 2004 F150 Supercrew (5.4, 3.73, 5-1/2' bed, Pullrite 12k auto slider). I never had any issues and braking was not a problem. However all my towing was up and down the East coast and never on any serious grades. Since I was maxed out I can only venture a guess that my combo would be tested in the mountains. But, there are now available even stronger 1/2 trucks and lighter FWs available for your search.

[acadianbob]

Just be careful of your payload capacity versus the "loaded/wet" pin weight of the 5'er. The HD payload package is pretty much a necessity.

[5er_tom]

My F250 is rated to tow 17,000#'s. I have 6.7 diesel and tow a 33' 5th wheel rated at almost 14,000#'s.
It is very comfortable and does a great job even in the mountains. I did add air bags to help keep the unit level.
I would not use a 1/2 ton unless you get a light trailer and keep mostly in the flat lands. Flame away folks!


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[Goat Man]

I saw a Ford Eco boost towing a Mountain Fox fifth wheel up the passes from Montrose, Co. to Silverton. I don't know how legal he was, but the truck was towing pretty good as far as I could tell. This was in July.

[RubberNail]

You'll find a lot of heros pulling 40 footers with with S10 pickups. Most of us who have pulled 5th wheels for a long time are going to tell you that above 25' (most everything, but not all), go for a 3/4 ton absolute minimum. There's are reason they make them! 1/2 tons are made to be commuter vehicle first. 3/4 ton and above are made to haul and tow as comfortable as practical.

[wnelsonfl]

We traveled the whole country this summer and ran into several half tons pulling fivers. Like others have said the lightweight Rockwood or Flagstaff pull fine. Most I have talked to use air bags at the rear.

[dicky1243]

Originally Posted by wnelsonfl

We traveled the whole country this summer and ran into several half tons pulling fivers. Like others have said the lightweight Rockwood or Flagstaff pull fine. Most I have talked to use air bags at the rear.

none they don't have the braking power or suspension!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Clark Anklam]

I bit the bullet and bought a 2013 f350 2 years ago. It's the diesel, King Ranch, and I am so happy with it. I pull a Montana 3150rl, about 37 feet long. Went from Wisconsin to Wyoming this spring, bucking 35 mph sustained winds with gusts up to 50mph. Averaged 10.3 for the trip, empty around 20. Not a single complaint, and I bought it out of the dealer's lease fleet with 11,000 miles on it. Couldn't be happier. This baby will pull up any mountain at any speed, but I limit my speed to 65 mph due to the stt on my fifthwheel. Also put tire minders on, as I blew a rear tire on the trailer and someone flagged me down. The truck has so much power I didn't notice a change in mileage. WHEN Flagged down the tire had only the bead and sn inch of sidewall left.

[Bobisgolfing]

My fifth wheel Rockwood ultra light 8289 weights 8004 empty. I pull it with my short box 5'6" bed Toyota Tundra with trailering package and 16k hitch. The beauty is the revolution (sidewinder) hitch on the Rockwood, even with short box I can turn as sharp as I have ever needed with at least 6 inches to spare. Plenty of power and tows great. Other than Rockwood dealers no one seems to know anything about the revolution hitch.

[Crockett]

if your touring the country and durability and longevity are an issue for you, avoid light trailers with foam composite floors. get a little more trailer and a little more truck...

[BusyRetirees]

We had 29' Rockwood Signature Ultra-lite that weighed in at a loaded weight of approx. 8800 lbs. At the time we had a 2012 RAM 1500 with 3.73 axle, Hemi and rear airbags with a towing capacity of 10,250 lbs. Drove to Arizona, through Virginia, Blue Ridge and Smokey Mountains with no problems towing or braking. Traded in for a 32' Rockwood Signature Ultra-lite with loaded weight of approx 9200 lbs. RAM towed and braked with no problems. Now have a 2015 Ford F150, Eco, max tow package, rated to tow 11,900 lbs. Have only towed the fiver twice so far with no problems. Mileage while towing with the RAM was about 9.5 to 10 mpg. You appear concerned about costs so you may want to look at Kijjiji.ca and RVtrader.com where I have seen several decent truck and fiver combinations for reasonable prices. Good luck in your endeavours.

[kcdelan]

Had a Ram 3500 diesel pulling a short (26ft) Triple-E Topaz 5th. with GVWR around 9,000 lbs. (loaded we never went over 8,000). Traded in truck on 1/2 ton Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi. Pin weight of 5th was 1,090 lbs. Trucks max. towing was 10,000 lbs but max. payload was only 1,320. This left only 230 lbs. for the hitch/passengers/freight. We increased the rear coil springs capacity by 25% and added Firestone's "Coil-Rite" air helpers. All this helped but still the 5th. did not tow that well. Traded 5th. in on a Flagstaff V-Lite TT. all this works well but would go back to a Ram Diesel and 5th. in a heartbeat if I could afford it.

Lesson here is to check out the max. permissible payload of your 1/2 PU (including passengers/freight/hitch) and the Pin Weight of the 5th.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by dicky1243

none they don't have the braking power or suspension!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BS, that's why trailers have brakes also.