5th wheel with 1/2 ton

Spurshot · April 17, 2015

Toss in all your gear and supplies for a trip, water, 4 people, etc., then put it on a steep winding hill. Not uphill. Downhill. If you aren't done with a 1/2 ton and at the dealer buying a 1 ton, you are a brave man.

nards444 · April 17, 2015

I certainly don't disagre that pin weight is likely to be the issue, but 1/2 ton tow ratings assume there will be two front seat passengers, but no allowance for cargo. 3/4 assume driver only.

From the 2015 OM:

Trailer weight rating (TWR) for 1500

series trucks is calculated assuming

the tow vehicle has the driver, a

front seat passenger, and all

required trailering equipment.

Weight of additional optional

equipment, passengers, and

cargo in the tow vehicle must be

subtracted from the trailer weight

rating.

Trailer weight rating (TWR) for

2500 and 3500 series trucks is

calculated assuming the tow vehicle

has only the driver but all required

trailering equipment. Weight of

additional optional equipment,

passengers, and cargo in the tow

vehicle must be subtracted from the

trailer weight rating.

You sure I m pretty sure half tons accounted one driver at 200lbs.

TJMaine · April 17, 2015

Why dance on the line of towing capacity?? It's just not worth it. Before my family and I buy our next truck we also take into account the possibility of trailers being towed, new home purchases that may require we have a plow to plow our own road, things we may have to put in the back of the truck for the house. Sorry PPP=PPP ( piss poor planning = piss poor performance )

Silverado4x4 · April 17, 2015

Came across this thread and its funny because I was coming up from Tennessee on I-81 in Virginia and saw a 1/2 ton Chevy truck pulling a 5th wheel camper and it was pulled over by the Police and a VDOT truck behind the Police car. The truck looked tiny compared to the camper.

sahls01gmc · April 17, 2015

Bottom line.....get a bigger truck, or a smaller trailer.

calgator73 · April 17, 2015

Came across this thread and its funny because I was coming up from Tennessee on I-81 in Virginia and saw a 1/2 ton Chevy truck pulling a 5th wheel camper and it was pulled over by the Police and a VDOT truck behind the Police car. The truck looked tiny compared to the camper.

Can you tell what body style truck?

Silverado4x4 · April 17, 2015

Can you tell what body style truck?

When I drove by it was a 08 on up. Was one of those double slide out 5th wheel campers

JUSTINASS · April 17, 2015

no way i would pull a 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton...

hell sometimes my 26' jayco regular camper trailer scares me while pulling..

Jon A · April 17, 2015

But that's just not using your brain. Pulling "a 5th wheel" that's the same weight as a bumper pull is SAFER in every measurable way. If you care about SAFETY, you should want to pull a 5th wheel instead of a bumper pull any time you possibly can.

Of course many 5th wheels are simply too heavy for 1/2 tons, but many are well within the ratings of the better equiped 1/2 tons. And in these cases, it's actually a much SAFER setup than a bumper pull of equal weight.

The knee-jerk generalized notion that pulling "a fith wheel" with "a half ton" is somehow less safe on its face than pulling a bumper pull trailer is simply FALSE.

poncho62 · April 17, 2015

I know mine is older, but just thought I would pipe in....The trailer weighs 4770 lbs dry, so about 6000 lb loaded. I am not sure of the pin weight, but it only drops the truck about an inch. The former owner told me they put heavier springs in it, has 5 leafs.

Truck is a K1500, has a 350 with the trailering package. I added a trans temp gauge and it rarely gets over 200F. I also use the Tekonsha P3 brake controller

It seems to tow fine, stops good....I know its back there and wouldnt want to go much heavier

Conky Conky · April 18, 2015

Aw shit I tow my 32 ft 5 th wheel with 3 slides washer and dryer and with all my shit the truck and trailer weigh in at 18 980 pounds at the scale I think my truck has a 6000pou d curb weight. I only got a 5.3 with 6spf and 342 fears and it pulls the loaf really well 2300rpm on flat ground will keep its spread even up nasty hills can still keep it at 110km/h

Conky Conky · April 18, 2015

And my truck is a 2013 chevy 1500 I'll post picks of my camper tomorrow it weights my truck down tills there's only half an inch left before the ass end bottoms out. But that 5.3 pulls and pulls hard and stops on a dime with the load. I seriously need 1 ton springs and air bags.

calgator73 · April 18, 2015

Aw shit I tow my 32 ft 5 th wheel with 3 slides washer and dryer and with all my shit the truck and trailer weigh in at 18 980 pounds at the scale I think my truck has a 6000pou d curb weight. I only got a 5.3 with 6spf and 342 fears and it pulls the loaf really well 2300rpm on flat ground will keep its spread even up nasty hills can still keep it at 110km/h

Wow....best of luck!

peejaykay · April 18, 2015

Aw shit I tow my 32 ft 5 th wheel with 3 slides washer and dryer and with all my shit the truck and trailer weigh in at 18 980 pounds at the scale I think my truck has a 6000pou d curb weight. I only got a 5.3 with 6spf and 342 fears and it pulls the loaf really well 2300rpm on flat ground will keep its spread even up nasty hills can still keep it at 110km/h

Geez you're pulling a 12k 5'er with a 3.42 geared truck non-nht . let us know when you blow your trans.