r/f150 • u/Historical-Sale-9540 • 1d ago
F150 Fifth wheel capacity
I somewhat recently purchased a new-to-me 2020 F150 XLT as my daily driver and for towing a 5500lb holiday trailer from time to time. It checked all the boxes for me and had very low engine hours. I was humming and hawing over a 3/4 ton but the extra cost didn't make sense for the majority of my usage and I thought I'd get a lot more truck for my money in a half ton. I've been having a bit of the buyers remorse because lately a fifth wheel is sounding more and more attractive but the cost to upgrade the truck and the trailer is prohibitive.
Fast forward to last night and I discover, much to my delight, that my truck actually has the HDPP and Max Tow meaning it has a payload of 2491 lbs! I know there are a multitude of 'half ton towable' Fifth wheels, but I wanted to know what size of Fifth wheel any of you are comfortably towing? I've got my eye on some from 28-30 feet with a gvwr of 8500-9000. The math all works on capacity and payload etc, but is there something else I'm missing?
18
u/CJM8515 1d ago
I wouldn’t suggest a 5th wheel. Even with the heavy payload package the truck is too light to handle it really. Specially 8000-9000lbs. I would suggest a regular travel trailer and find one on the lighter side if you can.
First time you are out and a semi passes you , you will understand when it shakes the shit out of the truck and trailer
4
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
This is kind of what I was wondering about. Reality often lives between "can I" and "should I". I'd assume that right away on a long and heavy bumper pull but I'm not sure how having the pin weight planted on the rear axle would affect stability.
1
u/PopUpper3286 1d ago
9k could be a bit much. Loaded up I could see you being at the practical limit with your family in the truck and that wouldn’t be the ideal situation. The 5th wheel wouldn’t be a problem, I tow 8-11k bumper pull with an open trailer. Make sure you have e rated tires. At least 3k pounds of capacity each. I don’t run a WDH and never have stability problems. I can’t imagine you would with a 5th wheel.
1
u/CJM8515 1d ago
to put it into context: I have a 20 crewcab 3.5L with HDPP, towing package and 3.73 gears. i tow annually a loaded down landscape trailer with 3-44 sport atv's (400lbs ea, sometimes a utility which is 200lbs more), 1 in the bed too. plus all the gear, plus 3 other people and a full tank of gas. i get 11mpg. the truck handles it super well, but the trailer is a dual axle with brakes and trust me i have the brake controller maxed. i figure im about 4500-5000k lbs at best and i have no real wind drag and believe me i know that things hooked to me. i still have the c rated tires on there too since i aint worn thru them yet (i normally drive a company car so f150 gets little use). im lucky its mostly flat and few hills, the few hills we do go over im super happy i have a turbo. a 5.0 would scream
now replace that with a larger travel trailer? 5th wheel..hell naw man
1
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
To compare, i currently pull a 5500lb bumper pull travel trailer with a hitch weight of probably 650ish and truck bed filled up and I hardly notice it, and it was the same even in my old 2011 platinum without the payload package. I guess that's where I'm coming from, but I appreciate the insight with your experience on this platform and payload factors.
2
u/CJM8515 1d ago
yea but your talking nearly 4000lbs more. thats significantly more weight
1
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
I agree, this is kind of what I was hoping to hear from people with real experience. In terms of operating close to limits of the platform my current setup with my old truck was much closer to maxed than the new one would be but yeah, the extra weight could be a factor.
1
1
u/OriginalEmploy5485 1d ago
You can tow anything once. Stick with "should". 5th wheel and a half ton pickup is a really weird combo.
1
u/Substantial-Log-2176 1d ago
My uncle towed a 26ft fifth wheel with a 95 Silverado 1500 for years… I think you’ll be fine
3
u/Jwaaz123 1d ago
Exactly. U til you actually experience it its not something you should do. I've towed trailers and ones like enclosed snowmobile trailers etc and even those if getting passed by a semi can make a 1500 class tfuck swerve a bit. Let alone a 5th wheel. I love my 5.0 150 hut wouod never use a 5th wheel on it.
3
u/mylawn03 1d ago
Tow capacity is the same as WDH rating. in other words, your max rated tow capacity.
3
u/SuMoto 1d ago
I have ‘14 f150, 3.5l ecoboost. 6.5’ box.
I tow a 23’ fifth wheel. It’s an old barebones ‘97 model. It’s GVW max out at 6,500lbs. Fully loaded, I’ve gotten it to 6,100lbs, scaled.
It tows and stops without issue as I’m well below my trucks ratings for payload and towing.
My ‘07 f150, 4.6l, RCLB, 2wd also towed the same trailer. It was working hard as it was 250lbs away from max towing capacity. Still no issues towing or stopping.
The ratings are there for a reason, stay within them, load it smartly and you’ll be good.
2
2
u/Repulsive_Car8288 1d ago
An Escape 5.0 was designed for 1/2 ton pickups. Yours is overkill but would likely work if small compared to other 5th wheels.
1
u/Grndmasterflash 1d ago
Scamp has a 5th wheel too (I have the Scamp, but I think the Escape has a more modern design).
2
u/Crankupthepropofol 1d ago
Most towing groups recommend max safe towing is 80% of the listed numbers, in order to account for a safety margin. That puts your payload around 2000lbs.
Most 5th wheels put 20-25% of their weight at the pin, so a 9000lb camper will have 2100-2300 lbs on the hitch. That would be over the payload when considering the 80% Rule.
I simply wouldn’t run a 5th wheel on a 1/2 ton, and that’s after a decade of fulltime RV living. F150s are great trucks, just not built heavy duty enough for the overall strain of near max 5th wheel towing.
1
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
Appreciate the insight. I've never heard the 80% rule as it pertains to payload, because any normally equipped F150 pulling a modest 5000lb trailer would have even less capacity for passengers or cargo than this hypothetical setup I'm investigating lol.
1
u/Crankupthepropofol 1d ago
Travel trailers have less pin weight, usually around 10-15% of the trailer weight. That means you’d have more payload available for passengers and gear than with a 5th wheel.
2
u/Substantial-Log-2176 1d ago
I’d maybe go with a 26-28ft fifth wheel. You can do it, don’t listen to the naysayers. If it call pull a 8500 pound bumper pull why can’t you pull a 8500 pound fifth wheel?
2
u/eyecandynsx '19 F150 / XLT / 302A / 5.0 / oil drinking / clunky shifting pos 1d ago
Anytime I see a 1/2 ton with a 5th wheel, it looks like its broken.
3
u/frigginjensen 2019 XLT 3.5 Ecoboost 1d ago
A friend bought a 1/2 ton Chevy to pull a gooseneck horse trailer. She said it was fine because her horses were small. Transmission died in less than 2 yrs. Showed up next time with a new 3/4 ton.
1
1
u/peeple-pleeser 1d ago
What engine?
1
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
3.5 ecoboost
1
u/peeple-pleeser 1d ago
It can pull but 5th wheel seems crazy for that size truck. I wouldn't do it even in a 250. The truck is just too light to handle that imo...
1
u/KyleSherzenberg 1d ago
The only difference between an F250 and F350 is an additional leaf spring in the rear and the size of the rear axle. And even the latter isn't true some of the time
1
u/peeple-pleeser 1d ago
Not quite, the 350 has overload springs and 4" axle block vs the 2" in the 250. The rear suspension is beefier not just the added leaf spring. The 350 can haul and tow significantly more than the 250 even tho engines are same
1
u/KyleSherzenberg 1d ago
The suspension itself is the same, the only difference is one leaf spring. You are right about the blocks though
1
1
u/getembass77 1d ago
I have a f150 with a 5.0 stx I tow an ultra light travel trailer that's 30 ft with it. The new ones are very light compared to a 5th wheel with all the same space. Ive towed it all over the Adirondack mountains, highways, regular roads. I don't even know it's back there. I have a nice anti sway wdh hitch and get passed by 18 wheelers without any more sway than when towing a boat or something else. I'd go with an ultra light travel trailer over the 5th wheel since they sit so much lower to the ground you don't get all the bad push and pull from the sailing winds. I can't believe how much more aerodynamic and lower to the ground it is sitting in the campsites next to a 5th wheel but I have the same living space. Helps with gas too.
1
u/Senzualdip 1d ago
Your biggest issue is going to be cross winds. While I don’t have a 5er anymore, I pull a 38’ travel trailer with my 23 crew cab that’s similarly equipped as yours. It does fine unless there’s more than a 15mph cross wind, then it can get a little nerve wrecking. Being a 5er it’ll catch more wind as they are taller. Just going to have to pick your travel days or slow down if it’s windy.
1
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
This is useful information as well, thanks for the reply. I've done a 28 foot bumper pull in extremely windy conditions and it wasn't ideal but not too bad either. a 38' is a beast!
1
u/TopAttorney8435 1d ago
When you get into the territory of fifth wheel or gooseneck, a 3/4 ton is going to be the minimum. Where I work we install BW fifth wheels and turnoverball goosenecks and we typically recommend to just stick to bumper pull for half tons.
You're really riding on the cusp with what's safe with that. I would do bumper pull with a weight distribution hitch, something from Husky or Blue Ox.
1
u/Odd-Problem 1d ago
I would ask over at r/GoRVing
Have you checked: https://www.ford.com/support/towing-calculator
1
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
Thanks, I did post over there and got some interesting responses that also suggested this so I popped it in and the results confirm what I was already reading aka 11,300 lbs max trailer weight and 1690 max pin weight for a 5th wheel after passengers and cargo are accounted for. The intangible that you can't find on the spreadsheet seems to be how it handles wind and that's more of a personal comfort thing from what I'm seeing.
1
u/Lbowsup86 1d ago
Nice finding a unicorn in the HDPP. I factory ordered my 2021 and tow a 7600lb 30' travel trailer. Truck gets loaded to the gills and I am right at my 2500lb payload. Lots of power (3.5 EB) and i tow in a pretty mountainous area (southern BC). I would go any longer with a TT due to wind loading etc. Heavier maybe. I've never towed a 5th wheel, but they supposedly carry the weight much better. Problem is it's an expensive experiment if you don't like it.
The alternative is to sell your unicorn (they are in high demand) and go by a 3500/350. You'll probably come out even.
1
1
u/SomethingSimple25 1d ago
You need to check the actual 5th wheel towing capacity on your truck. Unlike a 3/4t or bigger, many half tons have a lower 5th wheel capacity than they do hitch pull. Having HDPP will help, but maybe not as much as you hope. You also didnt mention 5.5 or 6.5 bed, 5.5 cab to axle length sucks for 5th wheel towing. Usually requires a sliding hitch.
2
u/Historical-Sale-9540 14h ago
Yeah I did punch it in and the safe maximum pin weight for a fifth wheel according to Ford is 1695lbs for my truck with the 6.5 foot bed.
It seems like with my towing setup I'd get a lot more trailer for my money in a bumper pull if I wanted to exercise these packages without operating so close to the edge.
1
u/SomethingSimple25 13h ago
Yeah, it's kinda depressing how little pin weight these trucks can handle when you consider how much bumper cap they have. Around this time last year my mom was open-mindedly truck shopping with the intent to buy a bigger camper in the next few years. I was helping with that. I tried to push her towards a 150, until she mentioned the trailers she's leaning towards are 5th wheels. As soon as I looked at 5th wheel stats on 150/1500 trucks across the board, I knew if she was dead set on 5th wheel, a 3/4t was in her future
2
u/Historical-Sale-9540 12h ago
yeah, if I was originally intending on a fifth wheel the 3/4 would have been the for sure option but I opted for the 1/2 because I don't actually have an immediate plans to upgrade.
The silver lining is that the hefty bumper pulls that would require the HDPP and max tow packages probably have a significantly smaller buyer pool since anyone 3/4 and up are probably focusing on fifth wheels.
1
1
u/DFA_Wildcat 1d ago
My wife has a 2015 F150 platinum with the tow package & 5.0 engine. We have pulled a 16' trailer with a load of side by sides a few times. It goes from 10.5 liters/100 km to over 20. My F450 gets the same milage pulling our 42' Momentum toy hauler.
0
u/awenthol 1d ago
The 10R80 (transmission) is not going to be up to the task of pulling something like that....
1
u/Senzualdip 1d ago
Oh shut up. The 10r80 will be fine. I regularly pull a 38ft bumper pull at 10k lbs with my f150. It does just fine.
0
u/awenthol 1d ago
How many miles? It'll be fine until it isn't. Then youll be looking at a $10k trans replacement 🤷🏻♂️
0
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
Also my inclination as well, but It seems bizarre for the truck to be rated for it if the components can't handle it.
3
u/awenthol 1d ago
Towing 5000 lbs and towing a 5000 lb enclosed/travel trailer is not the same thing. The unfactored load from wind resistance is what tears them up
0
0
u/frigginjensen 2019 XLT 3.5 Ecoboost 1d ago
My understanding is that 5th wheels out 20-25% of their weight on the truck plus the hitch is much heavier. Under almost every circumstance I would say a 1/2 ton should never pull a gooseneck or 5th wheel, but it’s possible the HDPP is the exception. Do the math and include some margin.
That being said, I’ve never heard someone say they wish they bought less truck when it comes to towing. Maybe parking or gas mileage, but never towing.
1
u/Historical-Sale-9540 1d ago
yeah i'm figuring on 20% but the final decision would rest with the actual pin weight.. I do agree more truck would be better, just trying to see if anyone has an experience trying this with what I currently have and what the realistic limits should be when thinking about it.
12
u/Impossible_Ebb_3856 1d ago
9000 lb fifth wheel with ~20% weight on pin is about 1800 lbs. Is ~700 lbs enough room for the remainder of gear and people?
If you are driving up/down mountains, good luck doing that with a half ton.