5th wheel towable with Silverado 1500

[Dairyman64]

I have a 1/2 ton silverado looking at the 1/2 ton series wildcat fithwheels we go to the slopes often and will be staying in the rv , anybody have one of these ?

[Dave_Monica]

Welcome to the forum!

In my opinion, the manufacturer uses the term 'half ton towable' only looking at the max towing rating of the truck. The limiting factor is the payload capacity to carry the pin weight of the camper, not the max tow rating.

The best way to determine you true payload capacity is to weigh the truck, full fuel. all passengers, gear and 5th wheel hitch (estimate if you don't have one installed) and compare to the specs for your truck.

With dry pin weights of 1280 - 1560 lbs, that's a lot for any 1/2t truck outside the F150 with max payload option.

Sorry, probably not you want to hear or what the dealer would say.

Dave

[BarryD0706]

Here's some good information (from one of our members) about the details of doing the calculations for your specific situation:
http://learntorv.blogspot.com/p/what-can-i-tow.html

[OldCoot]

According to the wt police, 1/2T trucks are barely able to hold 4 adults and a tank of gas before being over loaded according to the lawyer stickers on the inside of the doors.

[Dave_Monica]

Great advice Old Coot to pass along...I'm sure that it answers their question.

I've always have been of the opinion that whatever you do, you do it knowingly...I guess you have a different idea.

Dave

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Dave_Monica

Great advice Old Coot to pass along...I'm sure that it answers their question.

I've always have been of the opinion that whatever you do, you do it knowingly...I guess you have a different idea.

Dave

Having dealt with lawyers in the design field for years, I put absolutely no faith in the stickers on the trucks. Trucks are manufactured with a safety factor and I can guarantee them to be significantly greater than what is on the stickers. As I have said numerous times on this forum, they have nothing to do with the limits of the truck's load capacity and every thing to do with protecting the manufacturers from legal repercussions.

Exceeding the stickers by a significant amount is not a wise thing to do, but by the same token, saying they cannot be exceeded is likewise unwise which brings up the same folks say you cannot exceed such and such a sticker but will pull a trailer on st tires in excess of 65 mph and swear it is ok. Go figure.

JMO. Sorry to hijack the thread.

BTW, I have no trouble whatsoever towing a 2012 Flagstaff 8528RKWS with a 1500 Silverado with a 5.3 and a 3.23 rear end. I really don't know what I would gain with a 2500 or 3500 other than a faster acceleration, harsher ride empty, higher fuel consumption and an empty rear pocket.

[BarryD0706]

Originally Posted by OldCoot

...
As I have said numerous times on this forum, they have nothing to do with the limits of the truck's load capacity and every thing to do with protecting the manufacturers from legal repercussions.
...
BTW, I have no trouble whatsoever towing a 2012 Flagstaff 8528RKWS with a 1500 Silverado with a 5.3 and a 3.23 rear end. I really don't know what I would gain with a 2500 or 3500 other than a faster acceleration, harsher ride empty, higher fuel consumption and an empty rear pocket.

And perhaps with protecting the operator of such a vehicle from legal repercussions, should they be found at-fault in a collision.

As someone famous once said, just because you feel comfortable doing something you've been doing for many years doesn't mean that you should necessarily recommend the practice to someone without your experience.

[Frank1]

Originally Posted by Dairyman64

I have a 1/2 ton silverado looking at the 1/2 ton series wildcat fithwheels we go to the slopes often and will be staying in the rv , anybody have one of these ?

Here is the 2012 Towing Guide!

[rlreed]

Its a shame that the lawyers have put so much fear in people....

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by BarryD0706

And perhaps with protecting the operator of such a vehicle from legal repercussions, should they be found at-fault in a collision.

As someone famous once said, just because you feel comfortable doing something you've been doing for many years doesn't mean that you should necessarily recommend the practice to someone without your experience.

Would not recommend anyone to go over 1200# pin wt on a 1/2T with LT E rated tires and not over 800# especially if they are on P tires. JMO.

[dcheatwood]

I just traded in a 2010 wildcat 29rlbs on the rock wood 8282ws. Pin weight is of major importance and rock wood is lighter. I have airbags on my 08 tundra 1/2 ton and could not have survived the wildcat pin weight without the bags. Can tell a big difference with the rock wood.

[Campingwith2kids2dogs]

We had a '09 Tundra Rock Warrior 5.7L v8 pulling a 29 ft Sundance 5er, then bought a new Wildcat 312 BHX-OK & added airbags soon after. After hauling on a hilly, curvy rd in PA & smelling our burnt brakes, DW started researching weight limits. We now have a 2013 2500 Sierra HD Turbo Deisel. There is no comparison. The air brake makes a big difference too.

[Herk7769]

The original poster is not being helped here.

As Old Coot implied, in his typically cryptic way; not all 1/2 ton class trucks are created equal.

Available payload, tow rating based on truck options, and driver experience all play into making a safe decision. As a new driver looking at towing a beast like a 5th wheel, staying closer to the ratings will allow a more pleasant vacation experience.

Arriving white knuckled and scared to drive it home does not make for a great trip.

[Cajun Po-Boy]

OP...do the numbers as math doesn't lie and go from there. ( no add on equipment like airbags is going to help with pin weight & stress on TV's rear axle & frame)

IMO...pair up your equipment accordingly (tow vehicle that can handle the camper), there are a lot more lightweight TT's to buy for 1/2ton trucks vs fifth wheels.

[OldCoot]

OP, I would limit the pin weight to a max of 1200# loaded and make sure I had load range E tires on the truck. The airbags will not increase tow capacity, but will let you get the rear of the truck back to level with the trailer attached. 5ers are available with 1200# or less pin weight and are much easier to tow than a tongue trailer. I would never consider going back to a tongue trailer after towing our present Flagstaff 8528RKWS.

[Filthy Beast]

Originally Posted by Dairyman64

I have a 1/2 ton silverado looking at the 1/2 ton series wildcat fithwheels we go to the slopes often and will be staying in the rv , anybody have one of these ?

I towed a Rockwood ultralite with a 2004 Silverado 1/2 ton, 5.3 liter, 3.73 rear end. The numbers all looked good and as I have heard lots of times on here, "it seemed to tow well" until I moved to New Mexico and started towing in the mountains. I even went so far as to buy a tuner to try and help but it wasn't near enough.

The straw that broke the camel's back was towing into a head wind and the truck was doing all it could to maintain 40 - 45 mph.

All I can say is be careful and do you homework on the numbers. Personally, I would not do it again.

Good luck.

[OldCoot]

Have to agree with Filthy Beast, I would not use a 1/2T of any make to tow anything over 3000# in the Rocky Mountains. We do 100% of our travel east of the Rockies.

[Filthy Beast]

It's not just the Rockies, to the East we still have the Ozark and Appalachians and I am sure other areas with large hills.

[OldCoot]

Originally Posted by Filthy Beast

It's not just the Rockies, to the East we still have the Ozark and Appalachians and I am sure other areas with large hills.

Have towed from NC to Nova Scotia and to Weslaco, TX and all thru the Smokies and the Ozarks with no problems. In fact, we are headed down thru the Ozarks next week and then back to NC. Will then head to FL in Nov for 3-4 months.

[Wildcat Chris]

This discussion comes up fairly frequently and always seems to get more heated than it needs to. The problem is there's a lot of variables (not all of them strictly weight related) that factor in to towing a trailer and so there's a WIDE variety of opinion on which facts or data really matters.

Rather than a suggestion of what you can or cannot do with a "half-ton" truck (really, at this point, a misnomer), your best bet is to take a look at the information available. Remember that not all "half-tons" are created equally (with regards to towing and payload capacity both). Here's some helpful links to check out:
Forest River RV Customer Service
Trailer Towing Guides | Trailer Life Magazine
Ford Towing Guides | The Official Site of Ford Vehicles | Ford.com
Towing Capacity Chart | Vehicle Towing Capacity | GMC
Trailering and Towing | Vehicle Towing Guide | GMC
Trailering Guide - HOME
Dodge Towing Guide
Tow Ratings Database - Tow Vehicle Ratings | Camping Life Magazine
Truck Ratings for RV Towing

Always remember the basic rule of thumb for safe and happy towing: you want more truck than trailer!

Good luck!