TV bed length for Fifth Wheel?

[Gm Mike]

Towed 5er's for 20 years with a 6'6" truck bed and no problems. Started with a half ton and that worked at the time but moved to 3/4 ton and have had 3 with each upgrade working better then the previous. Current is a Duramax and will never revert back to gas. Just personal preference I guess as I would never berate my 6.0 vortec. Currently using a Curt puck system with no slider and all is good.

[Burk]

We have changed over to a bumper pull trailer and I have a Super-Glide Hitch for sale, ($250, in Northern California) we used it on our Chevy 2500 2006 crew cab truck with 6'-6" bed. It worked very well for the Chalenger 5th. wheel about 12,000# loaded.
Burk

[hbillsmith]

This discussion wouldn't be complete without at least one nod to Andersen Ultimate.

- If you're thinking 5th wheel, just go 3/4 ton at least
- If you don't think you'll like parking and maneuvering a long bed (8ft) then think about doing an Extended Cab (also known as Double Cab) but not Crew Cab. There are some slight diffs but basically Extended cab is 6ft 5" or 6ft 6" while Crew Cab can be as little as 5ft 5". A Crew Cab on a Long Bed is a long truck all around for that combo you need to see the specs. I believe a lot of folks will say that with the right sculpted trailer nose you can do a no slider on as little as 6ft 5" but not any less.
- Hitch weight and adjustability (main reasons I chose Andersen) will be important factors when you start evaluating your trucks payload capability. For me an Ultralight 5th wheel 11,000# with a hitch weight of ~1600# works just barely on my GMC 2500HD 6.6ft bed.
- I'm in the Diesel camp now after years with a gasser. I will never go back.

[johnruff]

I use a short bed F250 (6 3/4) and have for years (first one a gasser V10, this one a diesel 6.7). Had a slider at one time but never used it. Currently using a gooseneck and can turn 90 degrees with no problem - don't recommend it, however. Started with a GM1500 and almost burned up the tranny before the F250 got here when I pulled to Boone, NC from Atlanta, GA. I would not recommend a F150 or similar if you ever want to pull a 5er.

[sailtrkr]

This thread could open a can of worms. Lots of opinions. We have a 2012 F250 diesel. Camper dealer said I could pull anything on the lot. True. As an old trucker my reaction was "can I stop it?" Bought our 5er and pushing over 15000#. Need to weigh it. No problem stopping. Dealer said no slide needed with my 6 3/4 bed. BS. Have hit both sides. Added the slide kit last week. Sooooo IMHO spend the $$$ and get the 250 diesel with slider hitch. Wish I had gotten a 350 but bought truck 3 years b4 5er. Prepare for the future. I guarantee the BH will want bigger. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt!! Really. It says "How big is yours?"

[iowaborn]

I told my DW that you don't by a TV for your current RV, you buy it for your next RV. I said it in jest, but in hindsight I wish I thought of it before I bought the 150, we now have a 250 diesel when we went to our 5r and are now thinking of a new 5r

[Iwannacamp]

Here is my $.02...
I have a diesel 3/4T 4x4

If you buy a 3/4t truck check the cargo if you want to be legal/correct. If it's less than 2800-3000 cargo keep going. Most 5ers have more than 2000 pin weight... want a big one? You are outa luck. Moral of the story. If you buy a diesel...get the 1T SRL or DRW if that makes you happy. I learned the hard way. It(and my budget) limited my 5er selection.

Good luck with your choices.

Btw....I have the 6.5' bed and used without slider (or equal) and the dents to prove it.

[LLMRPh]

Thanks for all your thoughts! What experience here! I am learning a ton (yes, that was a pun! . I've learned with my current setup of pulling a relatively light (5500#) MiniLite with my Expedition (max tow package and plenty of Ecoboost engine) that the tow-limiting numbers are payload/cargo capacity and rear axle weight rating more so than GCWR or tow capacity. I won't make that mistake again. The type of 5er we would go to is in the less than 30 ft range. The RW UltraLite 2650WS is a good example. It says it has a hitch weight of 1300# but I'm betting it would be pretty far north of that loaded right? So what numbers do you rely on in the truck specs to make sure you have about a 20% cushion built in to the numbers? Unless you weigh the actual truck with usual cargo, how do you know the numbers for sure? I admit it ... I'm a detail person, a pharmacist, and a girl. Three strikes against me living on the edge at all!

Oh! And I HATE sway!!

[LLMRPh]

Originally Posted by ksmith954

If you want to shell out that extra cost for a diesel- nothing less than 1 ton- 3/4 diesel for the most part have a dismal payload. Our 31' 5er is 9K loaded and we are more than satisfied with our 2016 Chevrolet HD 4x4, dbl cab, gas . It would take 100k to 150k miles to break even if you bought a diesel. I have always liked the Ford but the new 250's are higher (about 4") that would cause a issue with leveling the 5er and would not fit in our garage whereas the Chevrolet fits perfectly.

I just noticed your comment about the increased height of the F250 vs Chevy (Silverado, I assume?). Would that leveling issue be a concern for all 5ers with the F250 or just depends on camper configuration? Didn't see others mentioning that.

[Blender]

Holy cow! I think the biggest thing is defining if you are going to live in it, or use it during weekend/holiday type of outings with the family!

Live in equals a lot of weight!!!
Camping weekend adventures minor weight!

Distance of travel, and elevation during travel..

As sailtrkr said can of worms exploding with mixed feelings.

Look, 5r goes from point a to destinations you will be grocery shopping and sight seeing plus parking at Walmart to buy milk. There are plenty of lite 5rs out there and I do think 3/4 tons are awesome( I'm in love with the f250 power stroke especially the new one). I am so breaking every rule in the rule book and both my wife and I love our adventures, I do keep maintenance 100% to include upgrading rotors and pads instead of just replacing with oem stuff, wheels and tires, airlift suspension.. to me it's like ya just can't drive that well in snow and ice with pirrelli scorpion summer tires. But try it with pirrelli snow tires and the achievement is night and day. Mods do effect the outcome. Most say it doesn't. I beg to differ... on paper anything you change is no longer oem. Better light bulbs, better suspension, better tires, I mean the worms are crawling with opinions.. next what if you don't like the RV experience anymore.. 2 big items.


There is a lot of experience in this forum and we are here to help with different situations. What works for some doesn't for others.

Some prefer being legal meaning you can't have medium tint glass because light tint is the only thing allowed or its chromatic and it weighs the truck down to much. Half tons need lite trailers bumper or fifth. Some three quarter tons need lites as well. 1 tons seem to be the ok I can pull and importantly hold mostly anything.

I do agree with the OP that stated but a truck for your next purchase of a fifth wheel.

Bottom story is I own a fifth wheel that is 40' and I do use a tundra for the haul. I am at sea level and if I were to go home to west Texas more frequently than I do were I do encounter 7% grades I just take my time. You are rving meaning site seeing not racing from spot to spot. Can I maintain speed yes can I stop the load yes! I have tried it. Unplug your 7 way and you will see the difference if a fuse were to pop and u lose you controller. Important things are always be prepared for lightening to strike whether in a 5 ton truck or a half ton.

[ksmith954]

Originally Posted by LLMRPh

I just noticed your comment about the increased height of the F250 vs Chevy (Silverado, I assume?). Would that leveling issue be a concern for all 5ers with the F250 or just depends on camper configuration? Didn't see others mentioning that.

Just quoting several articles (that said 5er buyers would have issues) that I read on the new F250 before I purchased our 2500 HD. I believe the article was referring to the increase in height compared to previous models. I don't know about other 5ers- we have a jayco HT 27.5 RLTS with 16" tires and right now we are running a 1.5 " high. I think if we had purchased the Ford we would be pushing 5" to 6" high, then we would have some real problems.

[gastan]

Since a lot are sharing their preference and opinion, I'll chime in with mine, too.

I am currently researching new tow vehicles and plan on purchasing in the next 12 - 18 months. New or used is still open. Gas or diesel? Still undecided. May depend on what's available in the used market at the time. 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton or 1 ton? Definitely at least 3/4 ton. Bed length? DEFINITELY 8' long-bed.

I do not understand why anyone would choose a short bed truck. For most of us, the ratio of tow vs everyday use is far and away weighed on the everyday use side. When I go to the lumber store for sheet rock or plywood or lumber or similar stuff, I want ALL of it (or as much as I can get) in the bed - - not hanging out the back-end. When I pick up bark dust or gravel for the yard, I want to get as much in a trip as I can.

If all you use a truck for is towing - - I guess a short-bed is okay. But anyone that actually uses a truck? They don't make sense.

[LLMRPh]

Originally Posted by ksmith954

Just quoting several articles (that said 5er buyers would have issues) that I read on the new F250 before I purchased our 2500 HD. I believe the article was referring to the increase in height compared to previous models. I don't know about other 5ers- we have a jayco HT 27.5 RLTS with 16" tires and right now we are running a 1.5 " high. I think if we had purchased the Ford we would be pushing 5" to 6" high, then we would have some real problems.

The open tailgate to ground distance for a 2015 CC F250 4x4 is 35.1". On the 2017, the same measurement is 38.1". So it has indeed gotten 3" higher. What is your Chevy? And would that make a difference for the 5er leveling? Interesting.

[Gm Mike]

I have lifted my Rockwood 3.5" to achieve a level ride with my 2017 GMC 2500HD.
My buddy who is pulling the same trailer with a 2017 F250 also has done the lift as towing nose high with torsion suspension is not good. Also over weight on rear axle is an undesirable situation.

[LLMRPh]

Originally Posted by Gm Mike

I have lifted my Rockwood 3.5" to achieve a level ride with my 2017 GMC 2500HD.

My buddy who is pulling the same trailer with a 2017 F250 also has done the lift as towing nose high with torsion suspension is not good. Also over weight on rear axle is an undesirable situation.

This may be a silly question but how do you lift the trailer?

[rovinglion]

So far I've had no problems with the 6'9" bed on my F350 SD Crew Cab and my Crusader 5'er. I do use a sliding Reese hitch and everything works together just fine. Not sure how it would work with a shorter bed, but I've seen a few rolling down the road.

2010 F-350 V10 SDCC4X4
2011 Crusader 320rlt

[Bama Rambler]

Originally Posted by LLMRPh

This may be a silly question but how do you lift the trailer?

They make Blocks or brackets that go between the axle brackets and the frame. They usually make 2" to 4" lifts.

I just went through the ordeal of finding a new truck. They have raised the heights of new 3/4 ton trucks so much that it isn't funny. I have no idea why they do that, except of course that it looks good at the local McDonald's!

I finally settled on the GMC in my sig for a couple of reasons.
1. GM's aren't as high as Ram or Ford.
2. There are lowering kits for the GM 3/4 ton trucks. Rumor has it that you can lower a FORD, but I could never confirm that. And there's no way to lower a new RAM truck yet.

I had it worked into the deal for the dealer to add a 2"/3" lowering kit (2" front & 3" rear) when I bought the truck and now it's only slightly higher than the last truck I had.

Our 5er is already high enough, so I certainly didn't want to raise it any.

[Gm Mike]

I lifted using a kit purchased from FR. This kit installs between the Alko axle and the frame thus giving me the added clearance .

[rjshiflet]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Myths......

Yep. But let 'em go with gasser if that's what they want...and they'll never experience the joys of pulling with a 440 hp diesel like I do. [emoji851]

[gastan]

Originally Posted by rjshiflet

Yep. But let 'em go with gasser if that's what they want...and they'll never experience the joys of pulling with a 440 hp diesel like I do. [emoji851]

What does HP have to do with it? Most of the big rig semi's on the road have only 300-400 hp and they're pulling 60 to 80 thousand pounds. HP isn't so important - torque is important.