What is best Fifth Wheel Brand to purchase in Canada - Have Truck GMC 2500 HD

[Dave and Kelly]

Well after reading a few posts I should have looked at the 5th Wheel before purchasing the truck.  Looking for pointers on brands that are good and ones to avoid

Location Canada
Truck:  2014 GMC Sierra 2500 HD: Crew Cab, Standard Box, Vortex 6 engine, towing Capacity 14,500 lb (I think), pin weight 2200 lb (I think)
Family configuration:  Myself, Wife and our two small Dogs

Usage Intent:I will be retiring in 5 years and I am planning to keep warm down south touring US for 6 months a year no plans on where just planning to move and stop where the whim finds us.

Floor Plan:  I have decided that I am looking for a Centre Kitchen with Rear Living and from what I have seen I am looking at higher end models.  Have looked at the Sabre and Rockwood Signature to get an idea of our needs.  Model we liked was the Sabre 33 CKTS.

  My concern is as I do not trust dealers because in our researching of floor plans we found there was a different answer to questions with every dealer with my key concern in that I will be pulling full time with my 2500 I don't want to over tax the truck and have to replace it sooner than desired.

  So I am hoping that I can get some help to narrow down the search to:
- Good Higher end quality 5th wheel lines available in Canada
- Getting a sense of what I should be considering my actual limitation in good weights to pull as well as PIN Weight to help with providing the dealers what I want and not what they want to sell me.

Thanks for your help in getting me to retirement properly understanding from what I have read you seem to indicate that I should have purchased a 3500.

Dave and Kelly

 

[donn]

Honestly there are maybe one or two fifth wheels your truck might work with.  None of them I would consider.  Just not enough truck or motor. If you really want a decent sized fiver for extended traveling you need to consider a 3500 SRW diesel at the absolute minimum.  Dually will get you bigger trailer options

I just have to add a foot note here. The fivers your looking at are  not considered by most to be anywhere close to high end.  Mid level, yes, but no where near high end.  If you want something higher level, look at Montana, Cardinal, and Cedar Creek among others.  These are definitely a couple of steps up from what you listed.  And for either of those, you really need a 3500 SRW diesel to work.
BTW what part of CA do you live?  Because as I understand BC has some pretty restrictive weight laws that they enforce.  You truck would be ticketed and parked if you traveled to BC with one of those fivers.

 

[keymastr]

Donn is correct. You can tow more with a TT than you can with a 5th wheel due to the much lower tongue weight but you will still struggle pulling in any mountains with that engine.

 

[steveblonde]

Donn and keymastr are both correct - when are you in this great vast country we call home

 

[Dave and Kelly]

Thanks for the info. Looks like I may need to think middle of the road for brands and deal with a smaller Fifth Wheel. Like I thought mistake made on truck that I need to deal with.  Your thoughts on fully loaded weights I should consider I can pull  I am now thinking 10000 or 11000 lbs fully loaded with water propane, etc.

We're planning on starting our short trips to the U.S. Next year while I am still working. We have a small TT now and I am hoping to go fifth wheel for a smoother pull.

Thanks again

 

[Mopar1973Man]

I highly suggest you go for a diesel power plant. I've got a 3/4 ton as well long box and pull a 8,000 pound (scaled) trailer and no issues going over grades I still maintain near speed limits. (55-60 MPH) Fuel mileage is excellent over a gasoline power engine (12-14 MPG w/trailer).

 

[Ole Tom]

kandddumond,

Check into Open Range Light.  Other than that kind of tought trying to pull with a 6.  The new F150 ecoboost are pulling 5er all over the place.  Go onto Open Range Owners Forum and ask the question.  I see many there pulling with new 6's.  But they are the new versions.

 

[Daryl B]

Look at the Cougar lineup as well. They have some of the lighter fifth wheels on the market.


NOTE: One of the posts says you can pull more with a TT than a fifth wheel. Isn't the opposite true?

 

[RoyM]

The big issue with the fifth wheel is pin weight, usually about 20% of the gross. A 10,000lb trailer puts 2,000 lb on the hitch, add 250lb for the hitch and you are really pushing the limits on a 2500. A properly loaded tt normally puts 15% on the hitch which allows a heavier trailer keeping the max towing weight in mind.

 

[Southernsally]

Well after reading a few posts I should have looked at the 5th Wheel before purchasing the truck.  Looking for pointers on brands that are good and ones to avoid

Location Canada
Truck:  2014 GMC Sierra 2500 HD: Crew Cab, Standard Box, Vortex 6 engine, towing Capacity 14,500 lb (I think), pin weight 2200 lb (I think)
Family configuration:  Myself, Wife and our two small Dogs

Usage Intent:I will be retiring in 5 years and I am planning to keep warm down south touring US for 6 months a year no plans on where just planning to move and stop where the whim finds us.

Floor Plan:  I have decided that I am looking for a Centre Kitchen with Rear Living and from what I have seen I am looking at higher end models.  Have looked at the Sabre and Rockwood Signature to get an idea of our needs.  Model we liked was the Sabre 33 CKTS.

  My concern is as I do not trust dealers because in our researching of floor plans we found there was a different answer to questions with every dealer with my key concern in that I will be pulling full time with my 2500 I don't want to over tax the truck and have to replace it sooner than desired.

  So I am hoping that I can get some help to narrow down the search to:
- Good Higher end quality 5th wheel lines available in Canada
- Getting a sense of what I should be considering my actual limitation in good weights to pull as well as PIN Weight to help with providing the dealers what I want and not what they want to sell me.

Thanks for your help in getting me to retirement properly understanding from what I have read you seem to indicate that I should have purchased a 3500.

Dave and Kelly

If you're still looking for a 5th wheel, may I recommend the Reese Elite? They have one for 18k that's stationary #30142 or round tube slider #30144. Hitchweb is a Canadian company and they sell this product here: http://www.hitchweb.com/category/HD-A-1/5th-Wheel-Hitches

You will also need an install kit #30868: http://www.hitchweb.com/category/HD-A-2-2B/Fully-Custom-Install-Kits

This one is an underbed mounting system and is custom to your truck. They have wiring for this model as well. I'm sure if you contacted them they could help you out.

Hope this helps and good luck on your travels!

 

[steveblonde]

there are several hitches out there Reese Curt B&W just to name 3 but before you buy a hitch sort out the truck issue first - you may want ttrade up and if so do it before installing the hitch because while the hitch is transferable the rails may not be.
cheers

 

[longhaul]

Your thoughts on fully loaded weights I should consider I can pull  I am now thinking 10000 or 11000 lbs fully loaded with water propane, etc.

We're planning on starting our short trips to the U.S. Next year while I am still working. We have a small TT now and I am hoping to go fifth wheel for a smoother pull.

Thanks again

Ran some numbers on a 2014 2500 LTZ 10000 GVWR  6.0 engine 3.73 gears 2wd crew cab std bed on GM weights calculator. This calculator figures all options as equipped.

Shows a 5th wheel/GN trailer with 9700 tow rating and 3.73 axle.
And a 14200 lb tow rating with  the 4.10 gears

The weight calculator say this truck has a 3400 lb rear axle payload or 3804 lb GVWR payload.

The truck has plenty of chassis for its load carrying ability but the 6.0 engine will be better suited with a 10k lb wet trailer...especially in the mountains.
  And the 4.10 axle is preferred for more towing performance with a small block gas engine.

 

[steveblonde]

almost sure it will be 4x4 its a canadian truck 2 wheel drives are scarce here

 

[Dave and Kelly]

More great info and yes the Truck is 4WD, Crew Cab with Standard Box.  From what I am reading it looks like a 10,000 Lb trailer and not greater than 2000 lbs for pin weight.

So I understand the truck has a 3400 lb rear Axle Payload or a 3804 GVWR when you subtract the weight of the pin and the hitch it leaves me with:

3804 - 2000 - 225 = 1579 lbs for the remainder of pers and cargo in the truck or is it:

3400 - 2000 - 225 = 1,175 lbs for remainder of pers and Cargo in the truck.

Thanks again for all the suggestions and comments.  Plan is to try and find the right fifth wheel for my truck.

Dave and Kelly

 

[steveblonde]

here you go play with this site ive found it to be the best

http://www.chevrolet.com/silverado-2500hd-heavy-duty-trucks/specs/trims.html# and it says
with a 4.10 rear end which i s the only available one

14000lbs max trailer 5th wheel and 3152 pay load thats trailer people and all 2014 and 12015 are the same
cheers

 

[Steve44]

One day I was searching for posts about towing trailers on this forum and I saw an interesting post where the member said a half-ton truck can tow X amount, three-quarter ton X amount, SRW full-ton X amount, and Dually full-ton X amount.  I mention this because I have searched and searched for that post again and I can't find it.  I thought it was a good summary if anyone knows where it is.

 

[longhaul]

Yeah I've seen posts like that.
1/2 ton trucks can have a GVWR from 6500 on up to 8600 lbs and 3600 RAWR up to 6000 RAWR .

3/4 ton trucks can have 8600 tpo 10000 GVWR with 6000 to 6500 RAWR.

One ton SRW can have 10000 up to 12400 GVWR and 6500-7050 RAWR.

one ton DRW trucks can have 10000 up to 14000 GVWR with 8200 up to 9700 RAWR.

All depending on brand and year model trucks. It would impossible to say any size LDT will tow a particular amount of weight as there are so many options for any size pickup truck today.
 

 

[Steve44]

Long haul, thanks for the feedback.  That sounds about right.  I was checking the specs on a Ford F350 (I think that's a 3/4 ton SRW) and it was rated to about 12,000 so that's consistent with what you posted.

 

[steveblonde]

Long haul, thanks for the feedback.  That sounds about right.  I was checking the specs on a Ford F350 (I think that's a 3/4 ton SRW) and it was rated to about 12,000 so that's consistent with what you posted.

An F350 is a 1 ton available in a long box or short box, single,crew or super crew cab, single rear wheel or dually, gas or diesel, hd trailing or not. each config has a different trailer capicty and rating.
Cheers

 

[Steve44]

Steve, you're right.  The F350 is a 1-ton pickup.  I knew that, but I got my numbers mixed up.  I did not know that Ford makes trucks even larger than the F450.  Wikipedia says they make F650, F750, and even an F950, Oh My!