1/2 ton or 3/4 ton to haul fifth wheel

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
H

hammer01ta

Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Posts
8
We currently have a 23B Jayco TT that we haul with a Ford F150, we would like to upgrade to a fifth wheel and have been told several variations of yes your 150 will pull a fifth wheel and no - you need a 250 -  what is the truth??  we have 5.4 Triton XLT 4x4 if that matters with crewcab.  I think we have to upgrade our truck as well and would like to know what size to look for - also  diesel or gas?  We would like to stay with Ford.
any info would be much appreciated.
Thank You
 
It probably depends on the 5th wheel you choose.  There are some smaller, light weight 5th wheels trailers that can be towed with a 1/2 ton truck.  But the majority of 5th wheels trailers are too heavy for a 1/2 ton truck.
 
As stated above, there are a few smaller 5ers that you can tow and even some medium ones will work on paper but let's face it, you are moving up because you want something larger and probably more luxurious/better built. That makes it likely that you will need a bigger truck or will forever be white knuckleing and deciding what to leave at home.

There are some who will tell you that you can tow 11,000 pounds with your truck and according to the numbers maybe you can, but you will not enjoy the experience. 7500 to 8000 is really about the limit for 1/2 ton trucks.

Oh, and as far as gas or diesel that depends on how much you tow. If you tow all the time get the diesel. If you tow 200 miles a month and the rest of the time it is used as a second car go with gas
 
You need the payload of 3/4 ton for the weight over the rear axle.
 
I don't know that the percent of time that you use it is of much consideration when choosing between gas or Diesel. First, there is nothing wrong with using a Diesel as a daily driver. Second, Diesel gets a lot more mpg, and lately, the cost of Diesel has fallen below that of gasoline.

If the vast majority of your driving is on flatland, then the terrain will not be a consideration. Most 5ers of suitable weight will (at least barely) be capable of being towed by either. However, when you encounter your first mountain pass, you will be so happy that you didn't get a gasser.

Joel
 
you're right there is nothing wrong with using diesel as a daily driver. I just feel that the extra purchase cost as well as extra maintenance costs are hard to justify if you don't need the towing power often. And as of this morning diesel was $.20 a gallon higher for me.

There is no right answer, just the right answer for you. I think we all know someone who has the biggest, baddest truck and never tows anything with it and that's ok too as long as he doesn't mind paying for all that wasted potential.
 
If you upgrade, I would encourage you to look at the chevrolet and especially the Ram trucks.  This is particularly important if you go diesel, I am not sure Ford can compete.  That should open up a big can of worms but read some of the truck forums and I think the duramax/allison is very good and the cummins/aisin is IMO the very best of all worlds. I bought a Ram 3500 dually about 6 months ago and couldnt be happier with the product.  Ford doesn't seem to have made a robust product in the diesel line since 2003.  Not trying to start a fight just my views.
 
      Pop, here goes the can of worms. I have towed bumper pull trailers in my business for 36 years, primarily with the Ford. All of my trucks have been diesels. The 2004 Ford did have issues, most of which was the bolt pattern on the heads causing blown head gaskets. The rest of my Fords provided great service in the 250,000 to 335,000 mile range. I had one '93 Dodge with the 6 cylinder Cummins. The motor was awesome! Power and fuel economy. The truck was a lightweight compared to the Fords. Although both were 3/4 r ton rated, The Ford had a much heavier frame and suspension. The Dodge had issues. In less than two years the Dodge's driver door was sagging on the hinges. I couldn't unlock the door with my key because of the bind. I had to open the passenger door and crawl in to the truck to reach the drivers side lock.
    I also had a 2008 Chevy Duramax. The power was good but fuel economy was a little disappointing. I attributed this to the ever changing epa regulations so I didn't hold the truck accountable for that. However, after 32000 miles, the fuel pump and fuel filter assembly went out and I was stranded and had to be towed in. It was covered under warranty. At 61000, I had the same problem and got towed in. This time I had to pay because it was out of warranty (60000) miles. Plus according to the service manager they couldn't get me the parts because the parts were on intergalactic back order.  Those were his words, not mine. He said it was a recurring problem all across the country ,but not a recall item.  So they gave my stuff a good cleaning and put the parts back in $350 plus my tow bill and my commercial truck rental. In just 2500 more miles  it happened again. This I time I had it towed to the Ford dealer, traded it in on a  real truck and now life is good again. Your experiences may vary. If you want to get there, get a Dodge or a Chevy. If you want to get there and back, get a Ford.
 
Personally, I like my Chevy.  If you want a Ford, go Ford, but definitely go 250.  Gas or diesel is another question.  A diesel will have a lot more power and may get better mileage.  You may not need it, but gas will be slower going up hills.  Good luck on your search and travels.
 
As the others have said, the 5W limitation on your F150 is the truck's payload capacity and rear axle rating rather than its ability to pull. A 5W places 20-25% of its total weight on the bed of the truck, just forward of the rear axle. A 10,000 lbs 5W trailer is the equivalent of dumping 2000-2500 lbs of stone into the truck bed! Almost surely far more than your F150 can even dream of carrying.  You may also have to deal with a very short pick-up bed in your Supercrew F150. Many of them are only 5.5 ft long, which puts the front of most 5W trailers dangerously close to the rear of the cab. If you have the very short 5.5 ft bed instead of a 6.5, you will definitely need a slider type 5W hitch to avoid hitting the cab when backing into a campsite. Plus, a longer wheelbase truck is a more comfortable and more stable towing platform.

You need to learn the payload rating (carrying capacity) and rear axle GAWR for your truck and then get it weighed, axle by axle,  with your normal passengers onboard. That will tell you exactly what is left over for a 5W trailer and 5W hitch (another 100 lbs). Use that amount as the maximum GVWR for any 5W you are considering. It will probably be around 7500 lbs, which might get you into a 26 foot 5W.

I'm a diesel truck fan myself, but there's nothing wrong with a gas V8 if that's what you want. Maybe even the EcoBoost V6 in the new 150. But if you need a crew cab truck and want a 5W, you should step up to a longer wheelbase vehicle to get a longer bed size and better towing manners. My personal choice would be an F250 diesel.
 
Personally I think that 1/2 ton truck shouldn't be used for towing because of there light duty nature. It's not that it can't do it but just unsafe and going to enhance the wear and tear on the tow vehicle. Then the whole enjoyment  of driving / towing is much lower and white knuckle trips are more common.  Full sized 3/4 ton truck do much much better for towing and far better for stability. As for the power plant and drivetrain they are typically beefer over the 1/2 ton design.
 
I have a 2013 3500hd gmc duramax/Allison combo. Engine brake 23,500 5th wheel towable. Just did 2200 mile trip to eastern oregon and back and averaged 16mpg the whole way. Towing 279 cougar 5er 9500 lbs. best truck on the market. Crew cab short box w/ curt q20 hitch. No need for slider hitch w/ new cougar nose cone. Awesome. Turn over 90degrees. Single rear wheels. Best truck for towing anything. Built in sway control sensor in the truck 4x4 front and rear locker. Not a better truck out there.400hp 800 ft lbs torque
 
My new Ram 2500 diesel should be here Wednesday. Glad you guys like your GM products but I'll probably never buy another after GM screwed us on warranty issues sometime ago... Heck, I won't even go looking at them, but I wouldn't badmouth those that make that choice. I really liked the Ford as well as the Dodge but not for the extra $6K price. I waited too long to find a '14 Ford 250 and the dealers are not dealing on the '15s yet. I need my bed space so I will not be going to a fifth wheel. The new truck gets a topper as soon as I can get one here. We will be upgrading the camper to a larger one with opposing slides in the living area, an outdoor kitchen, and a bunkhouse. We're upgrading the truck first, and the camper in a couple of years...

I am not one that likes to push things to the limit. Many say my F-150 pull tow much more than I am pulling, but I am not comfortable doing it.

Best of luck, and... Happy trails!
 
You will want a 3/4 ton or better for a fifth wheel as the others have said, if for no other reason than the pin weight.  My personal recommendation is that if you tow a heavy trailer in the mountains, a diesel is a no brainer.  If you tow mostly on flat lands in low elevations, a gas truck may be all you need and it is much less expensive than a diesel.  No right or wrong answer, just what works for you and your situation.  All three brands are great....pick whichever you like best.

I tow a conventional trailer just shy of 8000 lbs.  I tow in very steep terrain at elevations approaching 10,000' above sea level.  I just bought a 2014 Ram 2500 with the Cummins turbo diesel.  I should have done this years ago.
 
Gas and diesel - naturally aspirated gas engines are measured at sea level. As they go up in elevation, they lose 3% of their power per 1000' rise. So if your at 5K feet, your down 15% in engine. 10K (in the Rockies) your down 30%. Hmmm... climbing a hill and let me take 30% of your engine away.

Diesel, I have a turbocharger (air pump) shoving air into the engine. Up to 10K I have my full engine power. Now the bad side, above 10K the turbo starts to back off.. What??? At about that point, the air has become thin enough that the turbo will overspin, so to protect it, they start o bleed off the exhaust (which powers the turbo).

Diesel daily driver --- '99 F350 (dual) 7.3L 300k miles 22 in the summer and 21 in the winter (they use a different blend of diesel in the winter for cold operation) --- 100K towing 12k trailers - low (Rockies) 6.5 going down 16 - average towing 12.7
 
It has been my experience that a modern large gas engine has no discernible power loss up to around 7500 ft. The engine computer is able to adjust the air/fuel ratio across a fairly broad range of operating conditions and maintain good usable power. Perhaps the peak horsepower is reduced somewhat, but few people run a gas engine at the high RPMs needed to produce the peak HP anyway. This is based on my experience driving a 2002 coach with a GM 8.1L V8 engine all over the US and Canadian western mountains; loss of power simply wasn't a concern. However, not all engines may be as adaptable as that one.
 
OP, look at Keystone. The Cougar 1/2 ton series. It's the only 5r I know that's designed to be towed with a 1/2 ton.


Goldfish said:
      Pop, here goes the can of worms. I have towed bumper pull trailers in my business for 36 years, primarily with the Ford. All of my trucks have been diesels. The 2004 Ford did have issues, most of which was the bolt pattern on the heads causing blown head gaskets. The rest of my Fords provided great service in the 250,000 to 335,000 mile range. I had one '93 Dodge with the 6 cylinder Cummins. The motor was awesome! Power and fuel economy. The truck was a lightweight compared to the Fords. Although both were 3/4 r ton rated, The Ford had a much heavier frame and suspension. The Dodge had issues. In less than two years the Dodge's driver door was sagging on the hinges. I couldn't unlock the door with my key because of the bind. I had to open the passenger door and crawl in to the truck to reach the drivers side lock.
    I also had a 2008 Chevy Duramax. The power was good but fuel economy was a little disappointing. I attributed this to the ever changing epa regulations so I didn't hold the truck accountable for that. However, after 32000 miles, the fuel pump and fuel filter assembly went out and I was stranded and had to be towed in. It was covered under warranty. At 61000, I had the same problem and got towed in. This time I had to pay because it was out of warranty (60000) miles. Plus according to the service manager they couldn't get me the parts because the parts were on intergalactic back order.  Those were his words, not mine. He said it was a recurring problem all across the country ,but not a recall item.  So they gave my stuff a good cleaning and put the parts back in $350 plus my tow bill and my commercial truck rental. In just 2500 more miles  it happened again. This I time I had it towed to the Ford dealer, traded it in on a  real truck and now life is good again. Your experiences may vary. If you want to get there, get a Dodge or a Chevy. If you want to get there and back, get a Ford.
Click to expand...
dude, really? Your gonna use a 93 dodge to compare to more modern fords and Chevys?
 
Getinaway said:
OP, look at Keystone. The Cougar 1/2 ton series. It's the only 5r I know that's designed to be towed with a 1/2 ton.
Click to expand...
There are several brands that claim to be 1/2 ton towable if you spend a few minutes looking. Look in the new issue of Trailer Life magazine if you want a good laugh. They feature a new Artic Fox and claim it is 1/2 ton towable. LOL I believe the claimed pin weight to be around 1,800 lbs and a gross weight of around 13,000+ lbs. Heartland, Jayco, Keystone and a couple others offer 1/2 ton towable 5ers. I don't feel any 5th wheel should be pulled by anything less than 3/4 ton trucks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 872 (members: 34, guests: 838)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,966
Posts
1,388,375
Members
137,718
Latest member
urnwholesaler
Back
Top Bottom