Ive got some questions on towing an RV with my 2004 F-150. It is a Supercab, 2wd, 5.4L, 3.55 gears. RV has a claimed dry weight of about 7000 lbs and is a fifth wheel. Will my truck handle the weight ok? Who makes a 5th wheel for these trucks? I cant seem to find one. I can find goosenecks, but not fifth wheels. Its my in-laws RV so I will only be towing it maybe once or twice a year and wont be towing it great distances. Probably just an hour or two from home. No mountains just local hills.

 

You are playing it reeaaly close with the weight. It also depends a lot on wheelbase and wheel size as to how much you can handle. If you have your manual, check in the towing section to find out what you can handle. Keep in mind the dry weight of the RV doesn't include a tank full of water, any waste you bring back, and all the stuff you will be throwing in. Water is 8 1/3 lb. per gallon so a full 50 gallon water tank will add roughly 417 lb. Even if you don't fill the tank until after you get to where you are going, it will be easy to add 1000-2000 lb.

You also have to factor in the weight of the truck with all passengers aboard, a full tank of fuel (30 gallons of go juice is roughly 250 lb.), and anything else you load in it. A fifth wheel hitch will also add quite a bit of weight.

Try searching online for the fifth wheels.

 

If you have 17'' wheels it states 8500 so your on a tight leash with 7000 trailer your set up is same as mine

 

Yeah i am gonna be cutting it close on weight. I have a lead on a fifth wheel hitch. Its a used reese unit out of a 1999 f-150 for $200! Im wondering if it will fit or can be made to fit my 2004. As far as weight i think i will be ok no more than i will tow the RV and the fact that I'll probably never go very far with it.

 

As far as a fifth wheel hitch....the 1999 one will not fit your vehicle...the frames are completely different.

One other option is to see if they make the B&W turnover ball gooseneck hitch and then get the B&W companion 5th wheel hitch that attaches to the gooseneck setup. (I believe that this will work and that they do make these products for our trucks.

 

Im wondering how different the frames are? My FIL runs a machine shop, we may be able to make it work.

 

boxed vs channel. They did a complete frame re-design for the 2004+ trucks

 

I personally would not want to pull a 5'er weighing that much with an f150 without max payload and max tow packages. When you drop a 5'er on a truck, all of the weight is going directly to the rear axle and not distributed throughout the suspension like a tag with weight distribution bars would. Without at least 5 leaf rear springs and E rated tires, it would probably handle squirrelly. Not to mention the strain on the tranny and rear wheel bearings. I would recommend an F250 or F350 for pulling a 5'er, especially in the hilly terrain of Tennessee. I do know people who do this, but I would not if it were me.

 

Actually, if the fifth wheel is mounted correctly, some of the weight will be transferred to the front. It should be mounted a little forward of the rear axle (same as semis). Shorter beds may have a problem accomplishing this because the front of the trailer needs a certain amount of space between it and the truck cab and that can limit how forward the fifth wheel can be placed.

 

I was going under the assumption that the truck is a 6.5' box and the 7,000 5'er would weigh in at around 9,000 lbs. when ready to travel. That would be more weight on the rear than I would want on my F150. Based on that, I would opt for a SD with at least a V-10.

 

I'm gonna go for it. I picked up the used 5th wheel this morning. I just need to get it installed in my truck now and see how it handles the RV. I'll let yall know how it goes.