1/2 tons and 5th wheels

[rjc1024]

here you go

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by W5CI

could someone post a picture of this yellow door sticker I keep hearing about as my 2015 RAM 3500 don't have one that I can find

My 2010 Ram 1500 has 2 stickers. One white showing the GVW and GAWR:



One yellow showing payload and tire pressures:

[Skyliner]

I did it for a year. Towing my 2009 Wildcat 27RL fiver with my 2014 F150 EB longbed with max tow package.

Several things from my experience:

Tongue weights are dry camper weights do not reflect reality.

A good fifth wheel hitch will weight about 125-150 lbs You must take this weight into account in a 1/2 ton

My 950 lb dry tongue weight was closer to 1500 with propane, batteries, and tons of gear stored on board.

My dry weight 7500 lb 5th wheel was closer to 9500 lbs and sometimes more loaded to the gills with full water on board.

I could not take my wife or dogs in my truck or I'd exceed axle and cargo carrying capacity weights. She drove in our SUV towing our ATVs following me but extra cargo carrying capacity would have been welcomed.

F150 EB cons:

6 to 6.5 mpg average when towing. I live in Colorado so the hills really kill fuel economy. I was getting about 8mpg on the flats when towing at 65 mph.

Power: NOT ENOUGH. Got tired of flooring it to maintain 55 and more often lower speeds up steep mountain grades. Tranny and engine coolant temps got pretty darn hot on some of those climbs. I ran nothing but synthetic 5w40 HDEO oil in my ecoboost which I know is more shear stable at higher temps...so what if it shears down to a 30 weight. I towed with it over 12,000 foot mountain passes and that small twin turbo V6 was really working too hard and not able to meet my expectations.

Vehicle stability was ok. Wind and dips in road were felt and occasional tail wagging the dog was manageable with only occasional white knuckle experience. Stopping was ok as long as you didn't lose your electric brakes on your 5th wheel. Engine braking down steep and long Colorado mountain grades was NON-EXISTENT.

Light truck load range E tries really help eliminate squirrelly handling on the road w/ the F150.

If you plan on doing it, a ROADMASTER ACTIVE SUSPENSION is a must. It'll turn your truck into a great handling vehicle when it isn't towing and deals with squat loaded very well. All of my neighbors installed them onto their F150's after they drove my truck and couldn't believe the difference.

I now have an F350. You'll see me in the left lane when I go up to the Eisenhower tunnel passing all of those slow Prius's crawling in the right lane. Fuel economy when towing is about 9.5mpg on the hills and about 12.5 mpg on the flats. Doesn't sound like much but the difference really adds up when you are going on a 1,200 mile trip.
On top of that, my truck never exceeds 2500 rpm when accelerating and often loafs around less then 2000 rpm on the flats on the highway. For the most time, the only time I feel the trailer is if I hit a large dump on the road. Took it up to 95mph in Texas last year (got passed by Semi's which was interesting) and it was stable the entire time and didn't even feel the camper. After a few minutes at 95mph, I slowed down to a more reasonable 80mph. In Colorado on the flats, I usually tow at 70 to 75mph.

Bottom Line: Buy the most truck that you can afford as it will save you money down the road when decide to upgrade. Don't bother with a 3/4 ton truck. Skip it for a 1 ton and be done with it. If you are concerned with how a 1 ton rides unloaded, all you have to do is put several hundred pounds of weight in the back and it'll smoothen things out.

[fredoe61]

What is the draw for 5th wheels anyway? I'd hate having to tow them things around. Must be primarily for full timers who don't move much. It's not really camping if your towing a mobile home behind you lol.

[Skyliner]

I have a 30 foot 5th wheel. It is perfect for us and we are not full timers.

The draw of a 5th wheel is that they two very easy and I have never worried about swap or a big semi passing me.

[Oaklevel]

I towed a fifth wheel for several years behind a 1/2 ton with no issues. But loaded the fifth wheel weighed 6000 lbs it was about 22 feet long.......... Do not remember the pin weight but......... doesn't matter as it was the past......

But it again depends on the truck and the fifth wheel. A statement like fifth wheels can not be safety or legally towed by a half ton are competently false.
I have seen many fifth wheels that weigh lees than 5000 lbs.

[Oaklevel]

Originally Posted by fredoe61

What is the draw for 5th wheels anyway? I'd hate having to tow them things around. Must be primarily for full timers who don't move much. It's not really camping if your towing a mobile home behind you lol.

They all are not huge many are in the 20 - 30 foot range. But once you tow one you will never want to go back to a bumper pull. and most are not used by full timers

Even switched my car hauler for a fifth wheel flat bed and I have been towing trailers for close to 40 years........

[cavie]

Originally Posted by fredoe61

What is the draw for 5th wheels anyway? I'd hate having to tow them things around. Must be primarily for full timers who don't move much. It's not really camping if your towing a mobile home behind you lol.

Removes 6 to 8 feet from the total length. Puts the weight over the truck axels. Kinda a no-brainer.

[timfromma]

Originally Posted by fredoe61

What is the draw for 5th wheels anyway? I'd hate having to tow them things around. Must be primarily for full timers who don't move much. It's not really camping if your towing a mobile home behind you lol.

I do not camp. I simply bring my own small apartment with me wherever I go.

[acadianbob]

Originally Posted by goduc

And 98% of them are either maxed out or over weight with a 5th wheeler.

What percentage of diesel 250/2500 trucks do you think are over capacity? And 350/3500 for that matter. I'd suggest that many to most are overloaded.

All of this comes down to the right match between truck and trailer.

[timfromma]

As long as the following equation is true you are fine.

(Pin weight + passenger weight + truck cargo) - truck's cargo capacity < 0

[ronheater70]

My only issues with 5th wheels is the truck bed is pretty much unusable.

[Kaadk]

Originally Posted by ronheater70

My only issues with 5th wheels is the truck bed is pretty much unusable.

I agree, but that's not much of a concern to me, as I've rarely used my truck bed when pulling anyways. Once I learned just how much weight the trailer was already putting on the truck I then made sure everything like the kids bikes, etc, that most people would put in the truck bed went in the trailer instead. About the only thing I would have put in the bed of the truck before that I wouldn't be willing to put in the trailer was firewood, and with the various firewood bans in place around here, there's very limited places I can even bring it with me anyways.

[ronheater70]

I went from a 6 foot bed on my ford to an 8 foot bed on my ram, I would go bigger if I could!
I place everything in the bed of the truck, bikes, firewood, game boards, extras etc..

[BandJCarm]

Here we go.

The statements made as 'truth' about trucks, on this site, just amaze me. Literally.

I haul probably more in my truck bed than most 1/2 ton gassers. I know, because I own one of those too. And I don't need or want a small hitch that's easily removed to do it. I don't remove my hefty hitch.

My trailer is 40 feet, about 32 behind my bumper or so........and sometimes I camp, and sometimes I travel with my house behind me. This setup, truck and trailer, pulls better, sets up better, lives better, handles better, gets better mileage, just does better, than my previous setup with the 30 foot bumper pull. To say otherwise is just wild conjecture.

My pin weight is high, and my truck can handle it. And I drive it daily, short distances and long. It works flawlessly, and has for several years. It is quiet, clean, and smooth riding without the trailer.

I don't really care about resale value, BUT.......I will get more 'bang for the buck' with my dually than I ever will with my 1/2 ton gasser. And so far, my diesel is costing less in maintenance too.

SO there.

[Ejs4029]

Did anyone see the the new issue of Trailer Life ? A Grand Design 5th designed to be towed by half ton trucks is featured it's being towed by a Ford F150.

The hitch weigh is listed at 2,030lbs not sure if that's just the 5th wheel or if it's loaded for travel with people and gear their are no spec's listed on the F150 and what it's payload is.

[timfromma]

The term 1/2, 3/4 or 1 ton is almost meaningless. Ive seen so called 1/2 tons that can tow more than some 3/4 tons. Go by the door sticker and forget number on the truck's side.

[moose074]

Originally Posted by ronheater70

My only issues with 5th wheels is the truck bed is pretty much unusable.

My 5th wheel takes about 5 minutes to remove no rails completely flat except hole where goose neck hitch should go but I don’t install it when I pull the 5th wheel

[doc73]

Mine is easy to remove as well if needed.

[ddmoyer77]

It all depends on the size (weight) of the 5th wheel.