BEFORE Buying a Half Ton Towable 5th Wheel, Read This!

There are some 5th wheel manufacturers out there claiming that the 5th wheel they are marketing is actually towable via a half-ton truck. Whether that truck be a Ford F150, Ram 1500, Chevy Silverado 1500, GMC Sierra 1500, Toyota Tundra, or Nissan Titan, these RV manufacturers are targeting the half-ton towable market.

Why are RV manufacturers marketing for half-ton trucks? Simple. These trucks are the most purchased trucks in the USA, according to business insider. The more people that can tow the 5th wheels, the bigger the market for the 5th wheels.

Before you get all excited and go out and purchase a RV from a dealer claiming any half-ton truck can tow their 5th wheel, or a truck that a dealer says can haul any half-ton 5th wheel, read this. I apologize if this may read more like a book than an article, but there is a lot of information you need to know. Read some of the article, absorb it, then come back and finish the rest later if you need to.

Separating Facts from Fiction

Before anyone gets upset or might be a fanboy of their amazing truck or 5th wheel, some half-ton trucks can in fact tow some “half-ton towable” 5th wheels based on manufacturer specifications. All the information I have prepared to show you below will hopefully better help you make an educated choice in your (hopefully future) purchase.

Now for the truth that may hurt. Not all half-ton trucks can tow every 5th wheel marketed as a “half-ton towable.”  This isn’t based on the brand of either the truck or the RV, but more so to the specifications and configurations possible in both the trucks and 5th wheels themselves.

Lucky for you, I’ve already went through the process of purchasing a “half-ton towable” 5th wheel. I’ve also been in the boat of buying a trailer that was too big for the truck we owned at the time.  So I do apologize for anyone that falls into the category I was in at the time (initial denial) after realizing these facts. If you are planning to purchase either a half-ton truck or a “half-ton towable” 5th wheel, this may save you a lot of money and regret.

Half-Ton Trucks

Let’s first look at half-ton trucks. In all my examples today I am just going to use Ford because I just so happened to buy a Ford truck. I’m not a Ford fanboy and I do not have any affiliations with Ford or its products. (Although I’d be willing to take a new truck in exchange for a video review. 😉 )

Good and Bad Dealers

I’ve dealt with both good and bad car dealers in the past. You always hope for an honest and reputable dealer that knows their stuff, but sometimes that is just not always the case.

Based on my past experiences, some dealers will tell you what you want to hear in order to buy the product. Plain and simple.

• Many dealers know the general tow capacities of a type of truck, but some don’t always tell you the EXACT numbers for the truck you are specifically looking at.
• For example, Googling tow capacities for a 2015 F150 I get somewhere between 5,000 to 9,100 lbs. That is an AWFULLY big range to be messing with. Depending on your dealer, they may lean towards the 9,100 lbs when trying to sell the truck regardless of specific engine or configuration.

Bottom line, don’t let the dealer tell you what you need or want. Some dealers you can rely on, but it is really best that you do your own research before spending thousands of your hard earned money on a truck that might not be configured correctly.

It is ALL About The Configurations

When you see a truck commercial on TV, they are all about throwing numbers at you. Numbers that show it is the biggest, baddest, most efficient road/dirt eating machine known to man.  Turns out, those numbers they are showing you are the best possible outcome the truck can produce when configured properly.

What are all these configurations I speak of? Well, depending on what you are looking to get out of a truck, these days they can be configured to suit many of your needs. For newer trucks, dealers try to bring in trucks they think they can sell to their market in their particular area.

For example, if you live in a rural community that gets a lot of snow, turns out 4×4 can be quite beneficial. If you only ever take your truck to work in a city with reasonably dry weather, maybe 4×2 would be a better option for you.

LIST OF CONFIGURATIONS THAT PLAY A ROLE IN TOWING/PAYLOAD SPECS

• Year/Manufacturer/Model (maybe a bit too obvious)
• Style (Whether be Regular Cab, Super Cab, Crew Cab, etc)
• Bed Length/Wheel Base
• Engine
• GCWR
• Axle Ratio
• 4×4 vs 4×2
• Single or Dual Rear Wheel (usually applies to Heavy/Super Duty Trucks)

I only listed a few of the configurations above that apply to a truck’s towing/payload specifications because these are the configurations that can apply to all manufacturers. There are other options to consider like towing packages/camper packages, or really anything that can impact weight, suspension, or power of the vehicle.

With all these configurations that can change the truck’s towing/payload capacity, odds are you will want to figure these out before making a purchase rather than regretting it later.

Tow Ratings

Luckily, truck manufacturers are legally obligated to have that information handy so you aren’t towing something that is too big for your truck. Here is another example via Ford (oh relax, your truck is still cool too) of a brochure they provided on a 2015 F150.  (Image of Page 33 from the Brochure below)

As you can see from the above spreadsheet, not even google was correct on this particular search (sorry google). The lightest configuration you can get in this spreadsheet is down to 5,000 lbs and the largest is actually 12,200 lbs. I hope this portrays the importance of researching before buying well enough!

Not only is there a chart showing the varying options/configurations leading to different tow ratings, but there are even more clarifications linked at the bottom of the image based on payload/tow packages required to get those higher ratings.

Other Important Terms To Know

• Curb Weight – Weight of the vehicle sitting on the curb with all standard options, no people, no cargo, no load.
• GVWR – Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. Maximum allowable weight your truck can carry.
• GCVWR – Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating. Maximum allowable weight your truck and trailer combined can weigh.
• Payload – Max weight you can put in/on your truck without exceeding the GVWR.

Payload Capacity

When first looking at 5th wheels to pair with our truck, I too made the same mistake many make, concentrating on max tow rating rather than also considering payload capacity. It turns out, 5th wheels sort of put a heck of a lot of weight (pin weight) on to the bed of your truck.

Payload capacity is where a lot of “half-ton towable” 5th wheels fail to fall within the actual manufactured specs of many half-ton trucks. We saw earlier how a F150 can drastically have different tow ratings based on its unique configuration, but what about payload? Could it really be that different within the same model of truck?

Let’s look again at the same 2015 Ford F150 brochure I shared with you earlier. On page 32, it shows the payload specification chart for that model/year of truck.

The lowest payload configuration looks to be at about 1,600 lbs compared to the highest (with many modifications) at 3,270 lbs. There you have it. Depending on your exact truck configuration you can literally double the amount of payload as specified by the manufacturer in this example.

What tends to hurt payload capacity?

Just by looking at the same chart you can see trends in what helps/hurts the payload, but it really comes down to many of the same configuration details that limit a truck’s tow capacity.

• Engine Size (a heavier engine may provide more power for towing, but in some cases it actually reduces
  the amount of payload)
• 4×4 vs 4×2 (generally speaking, 4×4 is a heavier setup thus reducing max payload capacity)
• GVWR (depending on how your truck is set up, it can have a higher or lower GVWR)
• Cab Style (Regular Cab, Super Cab, Crew Cab, etc)
• Wheel Base (usually goes along with Cab Style + the length of your bed)
• Bed length (the longer the bed, the longer the wheel base)

Essentially, but not always, this comes down to any configuration that adds weight to the chassis/axles/suspension of the truck. Usually the more weight carried by modifications, the less the base of the truck can hold safely going down the road. Seems like common sense right?

Can you make aftermarket modifications to increase payload?

Technically yes. However from all the research I have done, these aftermarket adaptions may make your truck capable of carrying more weight, but they do not increase the GVWR set by the manufacturer. If you were to get in an accident due to carrying excess weight without the proper paperwork, that may end up falling on your shoulders.

“Half-Ton Towable 5th Wheels”

Now that we have talked about the different ratings the half-ton trucks can handle such as tow capacity and payload capacity, let’s look at some examples of some actual 5th wheels marketed as “half-ton towable.”

One thing to also note before going into this, I am not affiliated or sponsored by any trailer manufacturing brand. I am simply using these 5th wheels as examples because the manufacturers are claiming these can be towed by half-ton trucks.

Heavier “Half-ton Towable” 5th Wheel as Marketed by Manufacturer

Let’s go with some bad news first with an example I see as generally too heavy to be towed by most half-ton trucks. For the first example I am just going to pick on Jayco with one of the heaviest half-ton models I see on their 2019 listing.

SPECS (these are just averages, they can differ per specific 5th wheel being purchased)

Here is the 2019 Jayco Eagle HT 30.5MBOK 5th wheel.

This is a 36′ long 5th wheel by Jayco with 3 slides, where they are marketing that this can be towed by a half-ton truck. Looking at the specifications, here are a few numbers that shoot out.

1. Unloaded Vehicle Weight (or dry weight) of 9,820 lbs.
2. Dry Hitch Weight of 1,875 lbs.
3. GVWR of 11,950 lbs
4. Cargo Carrying Capacity of 1,840 lbs.

Using the 2015 F150, does the Tow Capacity Cut it?

Looking back at the F150 spreadsheet listed above/earlier, the unloaded vehicle weight of this 5th wheel immediately eliminates 2 engines based on tow capacity. Bye bye 3.5L Ti-VCT V6 and the 2.7L EcoBoost V6. Then depending on your configuration, even many of the 5.0L V8 options are not viable based on manufacturer specifications.

It looks like the safest bet would be a configuration using the 3.5L EcoBoost Engine thus far in our research. This Jayco already rules out many of the F150s built out there just on DRY WEIGHT (nothing in the trailer) tow capacity alone.

Another thing to consider is how much do you plan on taking with you? Don’t forget you have to factor in cargo, people, pets, and any modifications you made that exceed the factory numbers.

If you manage to get anywhere close to the GVWR of 11,950 lbs for this trailer, you are just BARELY within the max towing capacity of the F150 for maybe 2-3 specific configurations listed on that spreadsheet.

Using the 2015 F150, does the Payload Capacity Cut it?

Why even look at payload for this example? Just to prove the point. Payload is the killer for many half-ton trucks out there because unless special ordered, most half-tons are not ordered with all the proper configurations to get the highest payload possible.

This example has a dry hitch weight of 1,872 lbs. This is the weight from the king pin that will be resting in the bed of your truck as you go down the road.

You may be looking at that payload chart and start saying, well this one doesn’t look as bad. There are plenty of F150 configurations that exceed that 1,875 lb mark. Again, this is the dry hitch weight. Factor in the 5th wheel hitch itself, any of the weight you load in the front of your 5th wheel itself and that number keeps going up.

Depending on the layout of the 5th wheel, there is more than likely a pass through storage and battery bay area up front that folks use as a primary storage area. Load that thing up and just imagine how many lbs you are adding to the pin weight. Fresh water, grey tank, black tank up front? Do any of those have weight in them? Tack a % on to your hitch weight.

Don’t forget about yourself, passengers, and any items you have laying around in your truck ALSO add to the payload.

Even the biggest and baddest configuration of this 2015 F150 with 1,872 lbs of pin weight coming down on it, can rule this tow vehicle as unsafe. Quick math, and please don’t use these numbers as your baseline. I am literally randomly throwing some numbers together to help paint the picture. 1,875 pin weight, 300 lbs passengers, 100 lbs cargo in truck, 100 lbs 5th wheel hitch, 200 lbs of extra pin weight due to cargo in the trailer and you are looking at a hitch weight of 2,575 lbs. Those are just some random numbers, but you get the idea. Things add up fast.

Lighter “Half-ton Towable” 5th Wheel as Marketed by Manufacturer

Lets go now to the opposite side of the spectrum. This particular half-ton 5th wheel can technically be towed by some half-ton trucks. For this example lets look at the Grand Design Reflection 150 series 230RL.

SPECS (these are just averages, they can differ per specific 5th wheel being purchased)

This is a 28′ 5th wheel by Grand Design with 1 slide, being marketed as “half-ton towable.”

1. Unloaded Vehicle Weight (or dry weight) of 6,945 lbs.
2. Dry Hitch Weight of 1,195 lbs.
3. GVWR of 9,495 lbs
4. Cargo Carrying Capacity – Unlisted but lets say GVWR – Dry Weight = 2,550lbs.

Looking again using the 2015 F150, does the Tow Capacity Cut it?

Well folks, this one at least looks a heck of a lot better with dry weight than the previous example. Again, this does immediately eliminate the 3.5 Ti-VCT V6’s Axle Ratio of 3.55 with a dry weight of 6,945 lbs, but beyond that “technically” it makes the cut with an unloaded 5th wheel of this size. UNLOADED.

Filling this thing up to the brim at a max GVWR of 9,495 you can easily see the first two engines as before are eliminated and only some configurations with the 5L V8 is technically capable of pulling this load based on tow capacity.

Looking again using the 2015 F150, does the Payload Capacity Cut it?

Again, this example has a dry weight of 1,195 lbs which is significantly less than the heavier example I showed previously. With just the dry weight alone and nothing loaded, the F150 holds this weight fairly well.

However, just as the previous example, lets add in those same weights. Quick math, and again please don’t use these numbers as your baseline. I am literally randomly throwing some numbers together to help paint the picture. 1,195 pin weight, 300 lbs passengers, 100 lbs cargo in truck, 100 lbs 5th wheel hitch, 200 lbs of extra pin weight due to cargo in the trailer and you are looking at 1,895 lbs.

The good news is that these numbers bring you up to the unloaded dry weight of what the bigger Jayco “half-ton towable” model showed you previously. The bad news is that this once again limits your options on what you can use to tow this particular 5th wheel.

Why you SHOULDN’T MAX OUT the tow capacity and payload.

All the numbers I’ve shown you thus far are based on the manufacturers’ MAXIMUM allowed ranges. They set those maximums because anything beyond that is no longer safe for you, or those around you.

Here are 8 reasons you SHOULDN’T MAX OUT the tow/payload capacities on your trucks.

1. Safety.
2. Weight can often shift when going down the road while towing.
3. Your truck/trailer do have limited braking capabilities as well.
4. Fuel Economy. You may forget the meaning of it.
5. Extending the life of your truck. Tow a lot? Tow something the truck has no issues with.
6. Liability. If you are towing unsafely and cause an accident, guess what evidence may be used against you?
7. Weight varies on trip to trip. Adding/removing items from your truck and trailer consistently? The weight might not be the same as what you initially calculated so give yourself a large enough buffer.
8. SAFETY.

What do we use to Tow our “half-ton towable” 5th wheel?

First off I need to mention that my wife and I live full-time in our 5th wheel as we travel around the United States. We both work remotely while traveling, so we do have a fair amount of items with us compared to your average weekend warrior.

Our current home is our 2019 Grand Design Reflection 150 Series 273MK. It is about 30′ long with 1 slide out of the living room area. Dry weight is about 7,416 lbs and the hitch weight is about 1,328 lbs. GVWR is 9495 lbs.

Due to the fact that we live in this full-time and have more than the average weekend warrior, we tow our 5th wheel with a 2015 Ford F250. We have a SRW 4×4 Crew Cab, GVWR of 10,000lbs, with a 156.2″ Wheel Base. According to Ford’s Brochure that brings us close to around 3,250 lbs max payload and a tow capacity of around 12,100 lbs.

I however took my research one step further as this brochure doesn’t distinguish between engine types on the F250. On Ford Fleet’s 2015 brochure it goes into greater detail, using a Maximum cargo weight with a slide-in camper.

That took my payload number down from 3,250 lbs to 2,426 lbs. That is quite a significant difference in capability, but like I said previously I prefer a buffer. Are my dry weight payload capacity numbers higher than 2,426? Yes, that factors in the camper package and also a 150 lb passenger (a weight I haven’t achieved since high school).

Part of the reason we use a F250 to tow rather than a F150? Well, we already had the F250 because we wanted to leave a bit of buffer room with our next trailer/5th wheel. Can you tow this particular 273MK 5th wheel with a F150? Debatable depending on your exact specifications and configurations of the truck.

Summary

In this article I covered how to read/research your tow capacity and payload capacity for your truck. I also showed some examples of 5th wheels marketed as “half-ton towable” and used the truck manufacturers’ numbers to see if they truly are.

My opinion whether you should tow a 5th wheel with a half-ton truck? In most cases with the “half-ton towable” 5th wheels out there today, no. Are there exceptions with specific configurations that could technically tow the 5th wheel, absolutely.

Good news however, as technology gets better, materials get better, the term half-ton becomes more and more meaningless. As years progress the tow ratings and payload capacities keep exceeding previous models, so it is really up to the person purchasing the truck and 5th wheel to follow through with the research.

My advice to 5th wheel manufacturers? Although “half-ton towable” is catchy and gets the point across that it is a lighter trailer, it insinuates that it is a blanket statement. As proven above in my research, it really depends on the particular configuration of that truck and that information needs to be shared with the consumer.  “Ultra-light” 5th wheel or “super-light” seems to be more accurate rather than putting a definite truck type on the 5th wheel itself. Marketing can help bring in consumers, but can also negatively impact your reviews if they find out things the hard way.

If you take only one thing away from this article, just please do not rely on a truck dealer or RV dealer to tell you everything you need to know. Do your own research and arm yourself with as much knowledge and facts that will help purchase the truck or 5th wheel you will feel confident towing safely.

NOTE FROM THE WRITER

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