half ton pickup pulling fifth wheel

[the ol farm boy]

Does anyone have knowledge pulling a small 5th wheel with a 1/2 pickup.

[Yarome]

Sure! It depends entirely on the year make model engine of your 1/2ton pickup and the size of your 5th wheel. We would need specific details in order to provide any meaningful answers, though.

[oldbutspry]

A little sag never hurt nobody. 

[the ol farm boy]

6ooo pound 30' 5th wheel 750 tung weight empty.  i used to have a 38' holiday rambler that i pulled with a 3/4 ton dodge v10.  that was 20 years ago.  things have changed.  Now folks are telling me that i can pull small 5th wheels with a 1/2 ton.  i would like to know if it is true.

[TXiceman]

Only 5er I'd consider pulling with a 1/2 ton is the one made by Escapee in Canada.  And the truck would need a big engine or the Ford EcoBoost and 4.10 gears.

 

ken

 

[Big Greg]

6000 pound 30 foot fifth wheel?  That's awfully light weight.  You want to  use the loaded pin weight.   As said above you need the correct engine, transmission, rear end combination and be very careful of the specific trucks towing specs.      Greg

[ms60ocb]

 Back a number of years a friend had a 1/2 T Chevie and a shorter  Aluminum  Fitfh wheel. The weak point was the Auto Trans. Fifth wheel have lots of drag thus the extra heat, after his second transmission failure both rigs were for sale.

Towing spec's and transmission very important

Clay

[Biker56]

A newer F150 can tow a trailer up to 7.600 lb. if it has 17" wheels.

18" wheels can tow 7,850 lb

Both would also require Heavy-Duty Payload Package (Option Code
627) required with F-150
 

[Kirk W]

Welcome to the forums, Russ! As stated above, in today's truck market you have to know the specific make, model, and year of the truck.

[Ray,IN]

FWIW, I have a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado K1500, 5.3L engine, towing package. Nowhere in the owners manual does it address towing a 5er- of any size. It does specify the maximum weight for a travel trailer.

[Kirk W]

Quote

Nowhere in the owners manual does it address towing a 5er- of any size.

You can find a decal on the truck that lists the maximum towing weight, the axle weight ratings, the gross combined weight rating, and the maximum towed weight. From there you can determine the maximum weight that the pin can weigh and the maximum weight for the loaded trailer. But you also need to weigh the truck with it loaded as for travel to determine how much the truck weighs and subtract that from the weight ratings. 

[phillyg]

2004 F150 Supercrew, 5.4, 3.73, tow package, pulling 2002 Cougar, 8300lbs, about five years up and down east coast.  No real towing in the mountains11 though.

[Vladimir]

I towed a 20,000 lb 5th wheel with my one-ton Dodge Ram. It was ok for towing. I paid attention driving.

Now I use the one-ton Ram to tow a Casita trailer at 2500 lbs. I like towing the Casita. It is real comfortable for towing. 

I am not sure why people look for the minimum tow vehicle?? It is ONLY your life that is on the line. Isn't that reason enough to have a extra measure of safety.

Besides, I always appreciate the comments from fellow RV'ers at the gas pump, when they walk by....shake their heads...and ask..." are you sure you have "enough" truck for the Casita?".

[Ray,IN]

On 6/16/2017 at 11:11 PM, Kirk Wood said:

You can find a decal on the truck that lists the maximum towing weight, the axle weight ratings, the gross combined weight rating, and the maximum towed weight. From there you can determine the maximum weight that the pin can weigh and the maximum weight for the loaded trailer. But you also need to weigh the truck with it loaded as for travel to determine how much the truck weighs and subtract that from the weight ratings. 

Ya, I didn't explain that. Every pickup truck I've looked at over all the years we towed 5ers, listed different GCWR/ tow capacities for trailers and 5ers.  My manual lists a max. weight for a trailer my truck is rated to pull, but doesn't mention a 5er. Therefore it's logical, GM doesn't rate a 1/2T Silverado for towing a 5er. The 5er may actually weight the same as the trailer, BUT, the added wind resistance of a high-profile 5er makes the difference.

Most 5ers would make a 1/2T pickup look like that picture in a previous post.

[Optimistic Paranoid]

There are 5th wheel towing specs for 1/2 ton 2013 Chevys on page 3 of this online publication:

http://assets.cobaltnitra.com/teams/repository/export/v/1/e35/9de3044c910058bb900146efa6b30/e359de3044c910058bb900146efa6b30.pdf

[Jimalberta]

Half tons are mainly used to haul a load of trash to the dump or your canoe to the lake. Rv trailers require the use of a real truck.

[chirakawa]

2 hours ago, Jimalberta said:

Half tons are mainly used to haul a load of trash to the dump or your canoe to the lake. Rv trailers require the use of a real truck.

So, you believe that all those popup campers should be towed by 2500 or larger pickups? 

A half ton pickup is more than adequate to tow many of the bumper pull travel trailers out there today.  And, yes, they are very capable of towing some of the smaller fifth wheels.  That being said, I certainly believe that one should tow well within the tow ratings of whatever vehicle they are using.

[bob91yj]

I work at a GMC dealership.  I've seen fifth wheel hitches installed in a few half ton trucks, but it is not something I'd recommend.  The folks that have done it have opted for the 6.0L engine over the 5.3L.  The 6.0L also gets you a bigger transmission. 

It's not just the engine, it's the transmission, frame, brakes(some GM 1/2 tons went back to drum rear brakes), suspension, etc, that determine (safe) tow capacity. 

[Ray,IN]

18 hours ago, Optimistic Paranoid said:

There are 5th wheel towing specs for 1/2 ton 2013 Chevys on page 3 of this online publication:

http://assets.cobaltnitra.com/teams/repository/export/v/1/e35/9de3044c910058bb900146efa6b30/e359de3044c910058bb900146efa6b30.pdf

Four of the eleven models do not have a listing for a 5er or gooseneck; nor does my owners manual.

[Yarome]

16 hours ago, Jimalberta said:

Half tons are mainly used to haul a load of trash to the dump or your canoe to the lake. Rv trailers require the use of a real truck.

Speaking in general terms... I agree with Jim. There is a difference between "it's possible" and being "capable".

14 hours ago, chirakawa said:

So, you believe that all those popup campers should be towed by 2500 or larger pickups? 

A half ton pickup is more than adequate to tow many of the bumper pull travel trailers out there today.  And, yes, they are very capable of towing some of the smaller fifth wheels. 

Note that Jim said "travel trailers".. TT's and 5er's. Popups are a different animal.

I have to disagree to some extent. Is it possible within the published weight ratings... yes. Are they, in most cases, "adequate"... typically, no. My F150 V8 w/tow package (rated for 9.9k tow) towing my rig dry (5.5k) up a VERY gradual 3 mile rise on the interstate (actual experience) has two options. Maintain gear just under the RPM threshhold and drop to 40-45mph, or kick it in to overdrive and "scream" my way up to maintain normal flows of traffic... @7mpg.

"Capable", to me, means being able to maintain a normal flow of traffic within normal operating ranges of my tow vehicle. Having to max my RPM's and tranny just to maintain a reasonable flow of traffic... not so much.

There are a few tow configuations where you can get away with it for a weekend hop a few times a year, but "more than adequate", IMHO, does not generally apply to the greater majority.

Sure enough.. someone is going to chime in and say there is nothing wrong with doing 40-45mph, but I just don't like being "that guy" that's content to be a moving road hazzard and have 20 cars stacked up behind me for 10 miles while moving up a 2-laner w/few turnouts. Let alone enjoy being cussed out by every vehicle that passes me when I finally "can" turn out.

[chirakawa]

3 hours ago, Yarome said:

Note that Jim said "travel trailers".. No, he didn't.  He said "RV trailers" of which popups definitely apply.  And, there are several small travel trailers on the market which can easily be towed by half ton pickups or even small SUV's.  TT's and 5er's. Popups are a different animal.

I have to disagree to some extent. Is it possible within the published weight ratings... yes. Are they, in most cases, "adequate"... typically, no. My F150 V8 w/tow package (rated for 9.9k tow) towing my rig dry (5.5k) up a VERY gradual 3 mile rise on the interstate (actual experience) has two options. Maintain gear just under the RPM threshhold and drop to 40-45mph, or kick it in to overdrive and "scream" my way up to maintain normal flows of traffic... @7mpg.  Kick it into overdrive?  If it's "screaming", it won't be in overdrive.

"Capable", to me, means being able to maintain a normal flow of traffic within normal operating ranges of my tow vehicle. Having to max my RPM's and tranny just to maintain a reasonable flow of traffic... not so much.

There are a few tow configuations where you can get away with it for a weekend hop a few times a year, but "more than adequate", IMHO, does not generally apply to the greater majority.  The greater majority only RV a few weekends a year.  The OP didn't claim to be a full timer.

Sure enough.. someone is going to chime in and say there is nothing wrong with doing 40-45mph, but I just don't like being "that guy" that's content to be a moving road hazzard and have 20 cars stacked up behind me for 10 miles while moving up a 2-laner w/few turnouts. Let alone enjoy being cussed out by every vehicle that passes me when I finally "can" turn out. I towed an 6,500 lb. fifth wheel with my '89 Chevy half ton with a 5.0 V8 for several years with no issues at all.  I would much prefer it to a one ton towing a 20,000 lb. trailer like I see many of these full timers doing today.  I certainly don't recommend it nor did I use it in the mountains, but it was more than adequate and safe in the areas where I did.

 

[noteven]

I'm convinced it's usually flatlanders who think heavy vehicles climbing grades are "in the way..." 

The rest of the world seems to understand "gravity, and it's effect on large clumsy rubber tired vehicles..." 

[Yarome]

6 minutes ago, noteven said:

I'm convinced it's usually flatlanders who think heavy vehicles climbing grades are "in the way...

Nope. I'm a westerner and regularly traverse our little hills (aka, The Rocky, Cascade, Pacific, Sierra mountain ranges).  But you're probably right in that perceptions may be selective. There is somehow a difference in an 18-wheeler moving slowly up over the hills engaged in industry vital to our economy. There is no alternative and they have no choice so it's easier to have patience.

On the flip side, it's difficult to have patience getting stuck behind an RV'r with a woefully underpowered TV (by choice), passing turnout after turnout,  just so he can go fishin.  

[chirakawa]

23 minutes ago, Yarome said:

 

On the flip side, it's difficult to have patience getting stuck behind an RV'r with a woefully underpowered TV (by choice), passing turnout after turnout,  just so he can go fishin.  

I'm with you on this one, but rude and inconsiderate driving is a different issue, isn't it? 

[bruce t]

These threads make me wonder how the world worked when tow vehicles were much less powerful. Or maybe the hills have gotten steeper and our patience has gotten shorter!!! Semis may be slow up hills and we accept that. But an RV? We go all crazy. And what about that farmer in his old pickup tootling along the highway? Do we get mad and say he should be driving a 1 ton, 400hp pickup? Granny going to church at 30mph each Sunday. Do we get mad at her to? Or should we get mad at everyone who is not doing what we are doing? And on the flip side what about the 'loonies' doing 90mph towing a 45ft 5th wheel behind a 1 ton dually? Do we get equally enraged about going over the speed limit?

As long as it's legal I think we should all calm down and take another patience pill. Now lets talk about the sanity of triple towing.

regards