Hey guys. Ive been looking into getting a 5th wheel and was wondering if any of you had some recommendations. Such as brand, quality etc. I'm looking at used items, preferably under $25k However, if you refer to my sig, my truck's 5th wheel capacity from what i could find was around 10k lbs. Will this be an issue? Or is my info incorrect? 2001 f350 2wd 4.10LS 5.4 SRW CC LB. Thanks in advance!

 

I believe your total weight limit is BELOW 9,700..... That 5.4 will have a problem with hills.....of ANY size. One of the NEW ultra-lights might work for you tho..... Don't let a dealer say you can pull it..... say OK, hook me up for a test drive before I slap my money down. Then find the biggest hill around......

 

Here is the 2002 towing guide...couldn't find the 01, but it should be pretty similar.

I have a buddy that tows with a CC SWB 4x4 5.4. It does fine. He tows a 30' 5th wheel. He did end up supercharging the truck though.

 

I think you'd be better with a TT as they can be lighter.

 

Rather than shop by brand or model, which can get you in trouble fast, it may be helpful to learn how to go about inspecting a used RV. Naturally, as suggested above, be mindful of your weights and a test pull is always a good idea.

Quality control varies immensely, even in models from the same manufacturer.

Steve

 

First off I see that the 5.4l you have is the 2 valve edition. For F series they went to 3 valve I believe in 2004 which had some major power improvements. Pulling a 5er will be a chore, the motor will scream to make the power. I pulled a TT that weighed in at about 9k loaded with an 07 F-250 5.4 and it was OK and I mean just ok, but the RPMs made me cringe everytime. The fuel mileage was 4-6 mpg on a good day pulling. I will say, you can do it, and if your are only going to use the 5er on a limited basis thruout a year, then it will probably work. But if major trips are involved or you are headed to mountains with some long steep climbs. I would look at something a lot lighter.

 

Thankfully where I live is very flat, no mountains for literally thousands of kilometers. RPMs, noise and going slow don't bother me either. We also have a 35 foot sailboat which we spend a lot of time on so it's not like we are going to use the trailer all summer. More of an occasional hobby.

As for 9700 being my limit... the stock ford ball hitch is rated at 10k. Also, the reason for a 5er is because we get some NASTY winds here, and TT would be all over the place. I only paid 2k for the truck, although it only has 116KM now, runs like new, so if it breaks, not a big deal.

Regardless, could you guys give some weights on the lighter 5ers? Thanks!

 

Jayco, and Keystone are two of the most popular. I prefer Keystone myself, check into Cougar High Country, and Montana High Country. You can get a pretty large trailer before you run out of capacity, also if you don't carry water you can save a considerable amount of weight. I would go off the door tag numbers for your truck for capacities; front axle and rear axle. Go find yourself a CAT scale and see what you can really do as far as numbers, anything else is just wild guessing.

 

Regardless, could you guys give some weights on the lighter 5ers? Thanks![/quote]


I have not weighted my 5th wheel but the sticker in the kitchen cabinet says 7800 lbs empty. My best geuss would be 9000+lbs. ready to go for a 2 week trip. It's a 2004 Crossroads Cruiser 28ck with two living area slides. They call it 28' but as with most 5ers it's longer at a little over 31'

This is one of the smaller Cruisers but their 2004 brochure claims that the Cruiser line is 1/2 ton towable

 

That's exactly what I was looking for! THANK YOU! 7800lbs dry would suit my needs perfectly. REALLY need the 5th wheel setup for our crazy Canadian winds though!

 

When you are looking at fifth wheelers its also important to consider the pin wieght. Most TTs have a tonque wieght of 10% while a fivers pin wieght is 15 to 20%. I had a 4500 lb TT and I now have a 4500 lb fiver. The TT had tonque wieght of just under 500 lbs and my fivers pin wieght is 850 lb. The fiver is much easier to pull on secondary roads and the handling is great. I had no issues with TTs and was actually looking for one when I found my Cobra ( made by Salem). You can haul a heavier TT versus a fiver.
My wife likes the Cougers and Montanas. A friend has a Crossroads and its a very nice unit.
Check out the fifth wheel section at rv,net for info about the different frame and tire issues common to fifth wheelers.
Regards
rikard

 

Thank you for the advice! My payload is quite high, around 4500lbs I believe, with E rated tires. Do any of you have experience with a TT vs. 5er in bad crosswinds? That is really my primary concern. Are the sway controllers that are built into load leveling hitches (friction) any good? I don't want the tail to wag the dog.

Thanks again for all the input guys, really helps!

 

Many years ago I had a 25' 4500 lb Prowler TT hauled by a 2wd 1/2 ton Suburban with a 350. I had a Reese WD hitch and a friction type anti sway device. It was a good setup. I had to cross the Tappen See bridge in New York with cross winds of 30 to 45 mph. There was a wind warning and several light vans were turning around but I was allowed to go after tighteneing the sway control as hard as I dared. I felt the wind all the way across but it was controllable.
Although I haven't driven the fiver in high winds I have driven a lot on two lanes and the turbulance from oncoming semis is much less dramatic than with the TT. I also get better gas mileage but that is probably more the tow vehicle. My fiver is a low profile unit but its still taller than the Prowler and the hitch is centered right over the rear axle. The biggest difference is the ride and handling is much more comfortable. I'm still getting used to backing up which is much different but being an experianced hauler I avoid situations where I have to back up.
Regards
rikard

 

Exactly the input I needed. I think it's settled then, a lighter fiver it is!

Thanks guys!

 

Agreed. After hauling both, there's no comparison in hauling both types. The TT jerks back and forth while hauling, the 5th wheel pretty much goes up and down for a much smoother ride.

In wind, the 5th wheel is much more stable and tracks much better.

The 5th wheel can be a little more challenging to manuever backwards in tight places with the pivot point further forward. Not a big deal once you become familiar and adjust.