Buy a 5th wheel instead or a bumper pull?

[unclelala]

With the caveat I don't tow anything any longer, something to consider is if you ever use your truck as a truck instead of as a tractor. A 5th wheel will make using the bed to carry anything much more difficult. A goose neck splits the difference, in that you can flip the ball upside down and have a flush bed floor again. When I had my Super Duty and did tow, that was the route I went. Without an adapter, there's much less selection for goose neck trailers, though. Maybe even less today than was true in the past.

I bought a bigger TT than I really needed and ended up not enjoying it as much as a smaller one. The extra space wasn't worth the loss in versatility and the extra cost associated with pulling more weight to me. Bigger isn't always better, in other words. If I were to get another, I'd likely go with the smallest I could live out of vs the biggest I could afford. YMMV.

What differences in size are you talking here ?

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Talk to me, please. Would a 5th wheel that weighs 9,612 dry weight... with a hitch/pin weight of 1850... be too much... or towing the line... or reasonable?

Perfect you will have no issue

 

[Pressure_welder]

Personal opinion, but i wouldn't even consider a travel trailer from both a towing, and camping perspective. Fifth wheel gives you opportunity for more space, better layouts, ability to tow a boat or additional trailer and they pull significantly better than a travel trailer. As for you're trucks capacity, again this is personal opinion. But even the newer 3/4 tons are glorified half tons I feel as far as capability goes. Some of their trailer capacities don't even make sense in relation to the payload. But they DO have their place in the smaller fifth wheel world around that 28-32ft range, but they just simply dont have the payload required to haul even campers at that 9900LB rating. By saying this i mean they MAY have just enough but no reserve for things like a hitch, passengers, tools etc. For example a 9900lb GVWR fifth wheels pin weight minimum should be 2000lbs. My uncles 2018 mega cab 3/4 ton is absolutely maxed payload wise on his 9900lb gvwr camper and you can see it when hes hooked up. His trucks payload is 1860lbs

again personal opinion but anyone playing in the camping world unless your hauling a super lite of some sort should be in a 3500 SRW min, i see so many overloaded 3/4 tons at the lake its insane. Generally their response is " i barely knew the camper was there" my salesmen said it would pull a house! as they pull in with their 40ft fiver with the bumper dragging on the ground. I feel having substantial reserve in youre tow vehicle is simply the safest way to tow confidently. Id rather have 1-1500lbs payload remaining, versus potentially exceeding my trucks ratings.

Buying a truck is a big time numbers game if you tow often, know youre payloads, and RAWR ! its far more important than reading a pamphlet that states a high towing number. Again some of these towing numbers make NO sense, some of these 3/4 tons claim 15-17,000lbs towing? but have no where near the payload to handle these weights. I suppose if you load the trailer incorrectly you could pull this off.

 

[bflatcat]

I have a Ram 2500 with the diesel which definitely affects payload capacity due to the extra weight of the engine. I hadn't really researched that aspect but wanted the extra towing capacity. That said, I am right at my limits with my 5ver which had a tongue weight of right around 2g.

There is a GREAT but not cheap option for the hitch, tho. Look into the Andersen hitch. It's only 35 lbs so is very helpful with the payload limits, it's EASY to put in/ take out, and it's made in America.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I have a Ram 2500 with the diesel which definitely affects payload capacity due to the extra weight of the engine. I hadn't really researched that aspect but wanted the extra towing capacity. That said, I am right at my limits with my 5ver which had a tongue weight of right around 2g.

There is a GREAT but not cheap option for the hitch, tho. Look into the Andersen hitch. It's only 35 lbs so is very helpful with the payload limits, it's EASY to put in/ take out, and it's made in America.

and its the most dangerous hitch on the market…. There are cheaper ways to write off a truck and trailer in one shot than using the worst hitch ever made…. I would go with a reese goosebox before going with an Anderson death trap….

 

[Poolmonkey]

If you plan to do much back country camping or boon docking be aware that TTs handle twisty situations (like you would find on rutted or off camber dirt roads) better, as 5ers may hit the bed rails where the TTs would just rotate on the hitch ball.

Indeed…#1 reason not to 5th. They can’t get anywhere cool enough but the same for big TTs IMO. Anything over 16” without a spring over isn’t getting there, mostly.
Second is no truck topper/shell. We can drag a second bumper pull here and I do.

 

[unclelala]

Indeed…#1 reason not to 5th. They can’t get anywhere cool enough

What do you mean, I get into Walmart no trouble.

 

[Pressure_welder]

and its the most dangerous hitch on the market…. There are cheaper ways to write off a truck and trailer in one shot than using the worst hitch ever made…. I would go with a reese goosebox before going with an Anderson death trap….

110% agree here, resse goosebox is a game changer! Best setup ive ever owned. Also ran a B&W companion for a while in the factory pucks, also an awesome hitch but super heavy. As a pipe welder. For the love of god stay away from andersen ultimate

 

[Blythkd1]

I would go with a reese goosebox before going with an Anderson death trap….

I think Reese Goosebox is the only gooseneck adapter approved by Lippert (major rv frame mfr) to not void the frame warranty, if I'm not mistaken. That was the last I knew anyway.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

I think Reese Goosebox is the only gooseneck adapter approved by Lippert (major rv frame mfr) to not void the frame warranty, if I'm not mistaken. That was the last I knew anyway.

Approved or not any pin box replacement is fine its not changing anything on the frame of the trailer. Except for the adapter garbage

 

[Poolmonkey]

What do you mean, I get into Walmart no trouble.

I gotcha and know that everybody does different. If I were actually “living” out of a trailer for months or full time instead of just extended camping, something big and a different truck would be in the driveway. But for now, two weeks is about the limit and the lil’ canned ham that will go radical places behind the PW for that time is the ticket.
My buddy Gary and his wife just made the switch to actually living and traveling always in theirs, bought a monster and a diesel Ram but still meet up with us for deer etc…sometimes we can look down in the valley and see them in their camp, their “leper camp” I call it because they aren’t with the crew anymore. They do have a sweet setup, though.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

110% agree here, resse goosebox is a game changer! Best setup ive ever owned. Also ran a B&W companion for a while in the factory pucks, also an awesome hitch but super heavy. As a pipe welder. For the love of god stay away from andersen ultimate

I have an ezrider air ride hitch its 365lbs its the best hitch i have ever owned

 

[RichM752]

Perhaps this will be of assistance.

https://www.fifthwheelmagazine.com/new-tow-calc.aspx

 

[Greenhills]

I would rather tow my 44 foot, 17k lb Montana 5th wheel versus my 5000lb 19 foot bumper tow. Every day of the week.

 

[unclelala]

I would rather tow my 44 foot, 17k lb Montana 5th wheel versus my 5000lb 19 foot bumper tow. Every day of the week.

Well to each their own and what turns ones crank. Im kinda in the middle, my Cougar 5th wheel is a stubby at 28.5 ft. at 10,000 lbs GVWR and I first thought it was too small but now Im glad its under 30 ft. It has opened more opportunities having the short size and sometimes is still a pain in the ass getting in the tight places.

 

[Brutal_HO]

All the talk of Gooseneck pinboxes, just keep in mind that if it's a "1/2 ton towable" it's likely to have a turning point or similar and I don't think anyone makes a replacement pinbox for those as they have a different pinbox mounting frame/system.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

All the talk of Gooseneck pinboxes, just keep in mind that if it's a "1/2 ton towable" it's likely to have a turning point or similar and I don't think anyone makes a replacement pinbox for those as they have a different pinbox mounting frame/system.

Fair point they are nice to use though and no need for a slider its a win lol

 

[bflatcat]

and its the most dangerous hitch on the market…. There are cheaper ways to write off a truck and trailer in one shot than using the worst hitch ever made…. I would go with a reese goosebox before going with an Anderson death trap….

Nonsense, Andersen is quality and it's been around for years. There's always nay sayers for everything.

 

[H3LZSN1P3R]

Nonsense, Andersen is quality and it's been around for years. There's always nay sayers for everything.

Except for the many many failures all over the web?
Aluminum is not proper for a hitch holding that much weight

 

[Brutal_HO]

Yea, super safe.