I am hoping some knowledgeable folks can give some advice. Is it reasonable to use a half ton pickup to tow a 7,000 pound fifth wheel in mountainous areas? Kind responders will be sharing information with real RV/fifth wheel novices. Any help/insight/ experiences to share would be greatly appreciated.
Please Help - Half Ton Pickup Towing
- Thread starter Altoona
- Start date
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rbell
Well-known member
A lot depends on what your 1/2 ton truck is. I know Ford F-150 have a towing capacity from 5000 to 11,300 lbs.
Marc L
Well-known member
And similar for Chev/GMC.
Would need year, make, model, engine, transmission and gear axle ratio.
Would need year, make, model, engine, transmission and gear axle ratio.
Marc L
Well-known member
And are you talking 7000lbs dry or loaded up to the gills ready to hit the road?
GTS
Active member
I agree that it depends on the 1/2 ton truck. In my opinion, IF your truck was made with a V-8 engine, it most likely will tow a 7,000lb trailer. I always tell my customers to refer to their owners manual and see what it says.
Like others have stated, newer 1/2 ton trucks can be rated to tow up to 11,000 or more, BUT I always say that pulling the trailer is less than 1/2 the job. The most important job of towing is STOPPING. That is why I like at least a 3/4 ton for my trucks. Make sure your truck is rated for any size trailer you decide on.
Like others have stated, newer 1/2 ton trucks can be rated to tow up to 11,000 or more, BUT I always say that pulling the trailer is less than 1/2 the job. The most important job of towing is STOPPING. That is why I like at least a 3/4 ton for my trucks. Make sure your truck is rated for any size trailer you decide on.
I've pulled a 6300 lb TT (actual loaded weight) through the mountains of western Colorado with my Dodge 1500 and was very comfortable doing so. My truck is rated to pull 8200 lbs. The truck had no problems going up or down. I like operating at about 75% of rated capacity, feeling it gives me some performance and safety margin.
I tow a 5th wheel that weighs around 5200lbs with my 98 half ton Chevy. It has the 5.7ltr, 3.73 gears, and the factory tow package. I have so far been very pleased with this setup. I'm mainly in Minnesota so no mountains to traverse, but it takes the biggest hills around here with ease.
I'm no expert, but my basic sense is -- no. We own the high-end (from a towing capacity perspective) 2009 Tundra, and in looking a bit at 5-ers, I couldn't find any that I felt comfortable about trying to tow with our truck. The issue wasn't the trailer weight per se, it was the weight it would sit on the axle of the truck (I forget the correct term, but basically every 5er I could find exceeded our truck's carrying capacity).
On the other hand, we tow a 28' Jayco TT (~7500 lb) very comfortably, including through the mountains on the east coast (haven't made it out west -- yet).
HTH.
-- bogart
On the other hand, we tow a 28' Jayco TT (~7500 lb) very comfortably, including through the mountains on the east coast (haven't made it out west -- yet).
HTH.
-- bogart
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
Good point, bogart. The pin weight is a crucial factor. A 5W carries 20% or more of the total trailer weight on the hitch pin, so the truck's rear axle has to be able to carry it. A large half ton truck is still limited to about 1500-1600 lbs of load capacity and usually somewhat less if there are passengers or other gear (including the weight of the 5w hitch itself). That effectively limits the trailer to something less than 7000 lbs.
GTS
Active member
If a 5th wheel is classed as 1/2 ton towable, the pin weight would be acceptable....
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
If you trust what a sales brochure says about towing, you are likely to be in for a rude awakening. If there is some one 1/2 ton truck ever built that could tow the beast, the marketing folks have no qualms at all about putting "half ton towable" in bold print. That doesn't mean that every half ton can tow every variant of that trailer, not by any stretch. The buyer has to "do the arithmetic", for his specific truck and the trailer to be purchased, using real numbers from the vehicles.
jje1960
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2007
- Posts
- 1,556
I remember a guy named jje1960.... he used to tow "within the spec's" with a Ford Explorer, 27QBSS TT.... also remember much white knuckle driving up n' down the interstates. New jje1960 does not play the numbers on the TV, amazing how our last trip was so stress free, could drive much longer without being beat-up and enjoyed the trip much more!
glen54737
Well-known member
My 2005 F-150 supercab 6.5' box 5.4l 3.73 gears. Towed my Dutchman and the rockwood i have now for many miles the dutchman was very near the gawr for the rear axle. i was also able to stop without the trailer brakes on I-55 in illinois when the electric plug became disconnected. The rockwood pin weight is a lot lower and it was great i was getting 11 mpg towing and 17 not.
I love my new F250 Diesel but it seems like a lot to carry me to work. 18-20mpg isn't bad either.
I love my new F250 Diesel but it seems like a lot to carry me to work. 18-20mpg isn't bad either.
GTS
Active member
Gary RV Roamer said:
I have a 5th wheel on my lot right now that weighs less than 7,000lb. The hitch weight is less than 1,500lb. A LOT of (not all) 1/2 ton trucks can tow this. I tell my customers right up, what the weights are.
OK ... but talk me through this. If I remember right (and I may not, but this is hypothetical for me at this stage), our 1/2 ton Tundra's carrying cap is right at 1500 lb. As I understand it, I get to count the truck itself, a full tank of gas, and one 150 lb. driver as weighing "nothing" and then I have to subtract everything else the truck is carrying from that 1500. So if we say that I'm the driver and I weigh 150#, and I then throw DH (200#) our preschooler in his carseat (let's say 50# combined, he's a scrawny kid), and 50# of miscellaneous "stuff" in our truck, I'm down to needing the pin weight on the trailer to be 1200. If another adult, say a grandparent, wants to come along, I'm probably down another 150#, and if it's my mom, she's bringing her 50# dog too, so I'm down to needing a 5er with a 1000# pin weight that will sleep 3 adults, 1 preschooler, and an Australian shepherd.
Definitely not saying no such rigs (half-ton towable 5ers) exist, but my sense based on the searching that I did was that unless one was an individual or a couple planning to travel solo (no one else in the vehicle) and with no large animals, there weren't ... not just because of the pin weight problem but because of the (small) size of the 5ers available that had those pin weights.
Or am I confused about how one calculates these things?
Marc L
Well-known member
GTS said:
Just curious, what's the GVWR on that trailer?
Gary RV_Wizard
Site Team
You are thinking right, bogart. Your Tundra is fine for a modest weight trailer and two people, but as the truck load goes up and the trailer size/weight increases for more "people space", you just run out of tow capacity.One of the larger F150's or a GM 1500HD would give you some breathing room, with maybe an 1800 lb payload and a 10,000+ lb tow rating. So would a Tundra with the 5.7L V8, which also rates in the 10,000+ lb towing category and 1800lb payload.
So, which Tundra do you have, and how big does the trailer need to be? Would you be willing to swap for one of the larger half-tons to get the tow capacity you wish for?
So, which Tundra do you have, and how big does the trailer need to be? Would you be willing to swap for one of the larger half-tons to get the tow capacity you wish for?
GTS
Active member
Marc L,
The GVWR on that trailer is 11,635. It weighs 6,985. Heartland put 5,200lb. axles under it so that is why the GVWR is so high. That means you have 4,650lb of Carrying Capacity. You WON'T need it. You might put 500-700 pounds in this trailer.
With the bigger axles, you have bigger bearings, bigger brakes and are much safer on the road.
The GVWR on that trailer is 11,635. It weighs 6,985. Heartland put 5,200lb. axles under it so that is why the GVWR is so high. That means you have 4,650lb of Carrying Capacity. You WON'T need it. You might put 500-700 pounds in this trailer.
With the bigger axles, you have bigger bearings, bigger brakes and are much safer on the road.
Marc L
Well-known member
With that much carrying capacity, I'll agree with you that it's unlikely that the "average" person will get close to the GVWR. Even me who packs heavy would not.
