Fifth Wheel Trailer weight

[Sailorman3]

I'm thinking about buying a new Cruiser fifth wheel. I have a half ton Ford truck rated for 11000lbs. The dealer is trying to convice me to buy a 34 foot that weighs in a 9500 lbs dry, that he says is 1/2 ton towable. I think that that trailer is to much for my truck. AmI correct in that assumption. Thanks in advance.

[Stan]

Don't trust Dealers! Published trailer weights are often wrong and that only leaves 1500 lbs for cargo, water,food, hitch, etc. Sounds like you would be pushing the limits. You probably would not like the towing performance either. Unless you are planning on upgrading the truck, keep looking for a similar floorplan but less weight.

[martinstwopopfarm]

[martinstwopopfarm]

I agree with Stan. Years ago I started out with a 1/2 pickup pulling a 5th wheel. I would not want to pull the trailer you mentioned with anything less than 3/4 ton.

[avvidclif]

The brochure said my CF285RL is half ton towable. My question is how is a half ton pickup going to handle the 1900 lbs of tongue weight? My 1 ton squats 2.5 inches down to the overloads and does fine. Try putting 2000 lbs of cement in the bed of your truck and see what happens.

[r2millers]

I pulled a similar weight trailer with a 5.4l Expedition which is on a 1/2 ton frame. It was a chore to haul, not to mention, pushing it to the limit. Now I pull an even bigger trailer 32' Cross Terrain 5th wheel with a PSD 3/4 ton Ford F-250. Wow! You can't even imagine the difference.

Do it right and go big. You will have fun towing vs it being a big PITB.

[MONTE1214]

- I used to pull my 28RL with a GMC 1500 and it killed that truck.

- It was a lease though, and my dealer is my cousin, so he didn't ask any questions when I returned it.

- I'd hate tobe the guy that got that truck.



- I now have a GMC 2500 and it pulls that trailer like a dream!

[hhh]

You will have to look on the door sticker on your truck but it will have somewhere less then 2000 lb cargo capacity. That is figure with a 1/2 tank gas and a single 150 lb driver. Add in more gas, a 150 lbs hitch, a couple hundred pounds for additional passengers plus and cargo in the bed and you'll be down to well under 1500 lbs excess capacity. A 5th wheel trailer typically has 20% of the weight on the pin, so even empty the pin weight will be 1900 lbs. My CF285RL was 8000 lbs when weighed on the way home from the dealer (empty) with a pin weight of 2010 lbs. This is already over your truck's capacity. I had to put air bags on my old 2500 RAM to level the truck (dropped 3 1/2"). I figure loaded I'm now at 10K pounds with 2500 pin weight (most of the storage is forward of the trailer axles). It would have been a pushing the old Dodge Hemi 2500 at those weights.

Bottom line, you won't be very happy.

[joescuba]

I wouldn't do it,had 27 ft roadrunner(no slides)and it was too much for my 03 dodge 1500 hemi,especially when pulling in the mountains. Most dealers just use a chart or other reference and dont have real world experience traveling with these rigs.

[scott]

My 30CK actually measures around 33' long and it's all my 2500HD gas wants. There is no way I would go with a 34' trailer and a 1/2 ton truck. Whoever told you a 1/2 ton will pull it is not worried about the life span of your truck.

[greyeagle]

This has been argued back and forth so many times it's not funny.

First off don't listen to those ill informed sales folks at the RV dealership. They'll say about anything to make a sale. This is Physics 101, plain and simple, and I doubt that any of these guys have any working knowledge of weight and balance formulas or physics.



One sure fire way to prove it to yourself is load up 19 bags of #80 sakcrete in the back of that little 150. That's will get real close to the pin weight of the unit you're looking at.

And- if - you get off the parking lot, take it for a spin on one of the local freeways. If you get back in one piece you'll have your answer. If you really want to get some stain in you shorts, try a moderate to heavy braking scenario.



Don't confuse the towing/hauling capability of any size truck. I always use the analogy of you can pull (tow) alocomotive with a F-250, but you can't put one of the locomotive wheels in the bed and haul it very far.



Remember the old adage of "a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link". In the case of a 1/2 ton truck or any make, will be the transmission, rear axle, brakes or a combination of all three.



Bottom line, the pin weight (assuming a 5th wheel)are the tell-tell numbers you need.The only way to get that is from a reliable weight scale such as a CAT Scale. Ag scales at your local feed store won't cut it. The CAT scales will give you the individual weights for the steering axle, drive axle (s) and the axles on the 5ver.



Also, another key factor to take into consideration will be the power loss of the 1500/150 size truck. For each 1000 feet above sea level, you lose approx 3.5% of engine efficiency.

Trying to cross a meager 7500 ft pass, you'll lose approx 26% engine power. On any normally aspirated engine (non-turbo charged) you'll need a minimum of 65% just to maintain towing ability. If the ambient temps across the pass are above normal, which they are 95% of the time, then you lose more power as the temps increase above normal.

[hhh]

Also, are your tires P rated or LTs?

[geondebi]

Sales people, well most of them, do not care after the trailer leaves the lot and the cash is in their pocket. They will tell you anything to get the sale. Like everyone else has talked about control and power to tow note this. If you pull a trailer with a weight more than your truck can tow you could be a fault in any accident. Insurance companies will find any reason not to pay and bingo this is one of them.

If you go by the gross weight that would be a better guide and not the dry weight.

[carl]

The 1/2 ton will not only be overloaded, underpowered andunderbraked but in a windy situation will be very out of controll! They are more acceptable as passenger cars! Do your own calculations and research instead ofbelieving a truck or RV salesman.

[seabee]

My '06 RK dry weight is approx. 8000 lbs. My dealer advised me to get a 250, 2500 series 3/4 ton with a tow package for the reasons that Carl stated.
Sure am glad I listened to him.

[Principal]

I towed my pop-up with a vehicle at it's limit. When I went out and purchased my new fifth wheel, I purchased a 3/4 ton capable of towing 14000 lbs. Dry weight of my CF30QB is 8000+. The truck is well below it's limit, tows well, but the engine still struggles at times. Would not want to be atthe 14000 lb. limit even with my new truck. If you are at the towing max, you will always worry. Go with a smaller camper and have less stress when towing. I hook mine up and don't worry at all. Quite a difference from my last set up. Do yourself a favor and tow below your limit.<div id="myWatcherDiv" style="display:n&#111;ne;">

[gossamar]

Sailorman3, as others have said, that trailer is way too much for the 150 and probably even a 250. It is always better to have too much truck than not enough. You can probably get some good deals on some 2011 Fords right now...the new diesel is pretty much like a locomotive...tows my 11K travel trailer with ease....