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Old 01-25-2019, 06:46 AM   #1
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Fver with a 1/2 Ton

Who Tows a Fiver with a 1/2 ton Truck? I had a Salesman at an RV Dealer in Laughlin Nevada Show me a Grand Design Fiver that I supposedly could Safely Tow with My Truck. What do You Tow and What with? Thank you.
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Old 01-25-2019, 07:03 AM   #2
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He's right - you could safely tow it OFF his lot, then it's YOUR problem. Learned a long time ago RV sales people will tell you whatever it takes to make that sale. I was told once I could pull a 32' TT with the 6cyl SUV I owned at the time. Good for you for questioning first before signing on the dotted line.
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Old 01-25-2019, 08:01 AM   #3
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http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...st-172025.html
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:06 AM   #4
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It all depends on your truck brand, if it’s a Ford 150 you can tow the biggest campers that’s made. I saw a F-150 in Lincoln Nebraska pulling a huge BlueRidge bunkhouse. The owner said the truck pulled the camper great. It didn’t really bother me as I was going into the Cracker Barrel to eat and he was leaving. I have had great respect for Fords ever since
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:19 AM   #5
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It's all about payload. Is the truck rated to carry the weight of the trailer tongue / pin plus any passengers and cargo? If so, your good to go.
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:22 AM   #6
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:25 AM   #7
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You either get a really small 5er (like the fiberglass SCAMP types), or you need a rare F150. The new 1/2 tons can be optioned in such a way to make it work. However, careful planning is required.

Speaking to F150s (because I know them better, but it's probably similar with any other brand), it would be best to get a low-optioned trim level (XLT at most, XL is better), 2WD, 3.5 L V6 ecoboost, HD payload package, tow package, and pretty much no other options. This will maximize your payload and should put you at or over 2,000 lbs payload, 13,000+ tow, and 17,000 GCWR. Then, you can start looking at small to mid-size 5ers. But, it's highly unlikely anyone owns this configuration without ordering one.

If you have a commonly equipped F150 Lariat 4WD Crew Cab (or equivalent), then it's pretty much impossible to put a conventional 5er back there and be within ratings.
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:26 AM   #8
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My brand, Artic Wolf, is marketed as a half ton towable 5er. It is about 11,000k lbs, rear bunks and 35ft long with a pin of 1700lbs..

They do make some smaller 5ers that I'd bet would be fine with with RIGHT half ton.

So after doing the factory tour for our brand in Goshen this past year they talked about the half ton rating.. It is for an f150, extended cab with the max tow package. It is the only truck that would have the tow rating and payload in the half ton truck world to actually legally pull this trailer according to the FR folk.. But it makes it half ton towable, and all the stickers just say "half ton towable" and nothing about the needs of havig a f150 max tow. The places I've been with my trailer, which I to with a 2500, would have killed a half ton had I just read the sticker and used my 1500.
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:27 AM   #9
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There are several real 1/2-tonable 5'vers...

Unfortunately, they are much smaller than what most people buying new campers really want.
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Old 01-25-2019, 10:29 AM   #10
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Never, ever, ever trust what a salesman tells you. If you buy too big a camper for your truck and overload it to the point where you break down in the middle of nowhere, or God forbid, get in an accident... Guess what? He still gets to keep his commission check.

Verify everything yourself. Always.

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Old 01-25-2019, 01:27 PM   #11
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I do, and I'm well within my specs. 500lbs under my rear axle rating and payload, and ± 3200lbs under my GCWR (Unless I'm towing my ATV behind, then I am 22oo below, but that's not often). And my 5er is 27' with ample room. You can easily order the F150 with the HDPP if you'd like, I had a choice of 4 or 5 at dealers to choose from when I shopped for mine.
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Old 01-25-2019, 01:33 PM   #12
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You didn't say which model of 5er. Providing the pin weight, and max weight isn't over the truck limit, you should be, repeat, should be ok. I had a 2013 ecoboost and pulled a 28' 5er from Texas to Florida and back with no issues. I think pin weight was somewhere around 1500#.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:12 PM   #13
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Here's an example of a payload sticker from a properly equipped F150 with the Heavy Duty Payload Package:


If you search for "F150 HDPP," you can find lots of information about how to buy/order a properly equipped 1/2 ton that has payload and specs that rival 3/4 ton rigs. Obviously, still lots of debate about pulling power, wheelbase, mass, and other things. I'll leave those alone and stick to the numbers for the purposes of this thread here.

Around here, the HDPP isn't very common the last time I looked. The reason is that it is not compatible with the various luxury packages. Most dealerships want to stock trucks that have navigation and other bells/whistles. While you can add many (not all) of those options a la carte, the packages are locked out.

Again, the other brands probably have similar configurations. I'm not pushing Ford or the F150. I just happen to know more about that and am using it as an example.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:13 PM   #14
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towed this trailer with my 13 and 16 Ecoboosts with max tow and airbag suspension.
Sundance Bunk House and it handled better than the bumper tows we had.

I am now running a a 2018 F20 and a 38 foot toy hauler just because it has better everything for trailer control.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:15 PM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by G.O.D. View Post
Who Tows a Fiver with a 1/2 ton Truck? I had a Salesman at an RV Dealer in Laughlin Nevada Show me a Grand Design Fiver that I supposedly could Safely Tow with My Truck. What do You Tow and What with? Thank you.
Towing flat roads...up hill...down hill...down hill on wet roads in traffic...really fully loaded when on a trip...don't do it brother.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:16 PM   #16
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Here are some real world numbers that you can use to compare to various 5th wheel trailers you might be interested in:

Quote:
2018 F-150 SCREW 4x4 XLT 301A, HDPP, Max Tow, 3.5EB, FX4, Tow mirrors, Tailgate step, Fixed running boards, bed lights, Sync 3




And here's a guy who preaches the merits of a properly equipped 1/2 ton being able to handle a large 5er, as least per the published specs:
Quote:
My HDPP and my trailer.
My dry weight WAS 11,000lbs even. Removed 700lbs from the trailer. New dry weight 10,300lbs. Hitch pin WAS 2,010lbs. New dry hitch 1,880lbs after weight removal. My payload is 2,523lbs. Leaves me over 600lbs of payload for anderson hitch, my 170lb ***, my wifes 125lb ***, & room for stuff.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:18 PM   #17
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2017 GMC Sierra 1500 running a 6.2 gas, towing a Rockwood 2440 5er.
The truck is rated at 12500 towing, the 5er is 8000.
Tows great on flat or hills.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:27 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 67L48 View Post
Here are some real world numbers that you can use to compare to various 5th wheel trailers you might be interested in:


And here's a guy who preaches the merits of a properly equipped 1/2 ton being able to handle a large 5er, as least per the published specs:

I believe in a properly equipped 1/2 tons ability to handle a 5er, but this is way too much trailer for a 1/2 ton.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:43 PM   #19
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As many are saying. Maybe. You are responsible for the engineering related to your problem. If you use the right materials in a way they were designed to work, your solution will be successful. Use the wrong materials or the right materials in a way they weren't intended to be used, and you will have trouble.

There are trailers that can not be safely towed by a 1 ton. There are trailers that can be towed by a 1/2 ton if you have the right truck. Do your homework, then decide if you have properly engineered your solution.

I almost bought a GD trailer. Salesman and GD regional manager told me it was 1/2 towable. I did some more homework and decided that the trailer we were looking at was more than what MY 1/2 ton could handle safely. After further searching, we found our current trailer and are very happy with the way my solution works.
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Old 01-25-2019, 02:56 PM   #20
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We've towed a Forest River 8528RKWS at 9,000 lbs and a 1,525 pin load for 35,387 miles through every mountain range in the country with a 2012 Tundra. Our highest point was 12,126 feet at Rocky Mountain National Park. We get 10MPG on Florida roads, 9MPG on most other roads and 7MPG at 80MPH on Utah highways. We had no problems, probably because of 14" brakes, a 4:30 rear end, a 6 speed transmission and a 381HP V8. I know, I know, you can't tow a 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton pickup... "YMMV"!
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