What Is The Best Truck To Use To Tow A 5th Wheel ?

by Anonymous

I am looking for recommendation for tow vehicle for 31 foot Travel Supreme trailer. Official plate inside trailer indicates 11,500 lbs empty, about 12,200 lbs with water and propane, and GVWR of 14,500 lbs. Family member recommends one ton diesel pickup with dual rear wheels. As not sure just how much RVing we'll be doing, wonder if single rear wheels would work OK so that truck would be narrower and lighter for non-towing use.

Thanks,
Ron King

ANSWER Greetings Ron thanks for submitting your question on our Ask An RV Question Page.

OK I have done some research for you and here are some trucks that meet your 5th wheel towing requirements. They are all current year models and some have duals and some do not. They are listed in no particular order.

Ford
F-350 Super Duty - No duals
Super Duty 450 - has duals

Chevy
Silverado HD - no duals

GMC
Sierra 2500 HD - no duals
Sierra 3500 HD - has duals

Dodge
RAM 3500 - has duals

Don't forget that you not only need a truck, but you will also need a 5th wheel hitch installed on the truck like the Curt Manufacturing 16115 16K 5Th Wheel Unit.

The most important things to remember when purchasing a truck to tow a 5th Wheel is that towing capacity of the truck must exceed the GVWR of your 5th Wheel for safety reasons. You also need sufficient power to pull the trailer up hills etc. The trucks above should do the trick. Now it is just a matter of you deciding which one you like the best.

I am not going to enter into the debate on whether having dual rear wheels on your tow vehicle is better or not. If our visitors have an opinion on this subject they can express it by adding a comment by clicking on the add a comment link near the bottom of this page.

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Congratulations on getting your 5th Wheel and Happy RVing.

RVing Al

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Comments for What Is The Best Truck To Use To Tow A 5th Wheel ?

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Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		Great forum for everyone
by: Mr. 5th Wheel

I will be pulling a 5th wheel toy hauler with toys in it. the dry weight is 18,000 lbs and my 2 toys (golf cart/bike) together both weigh in at 1000 lbs. "Do i have to use a Dully F350 or is there something else that i can use? Personally, i don't care for the wide load when not pulling the TH. However, my wife will be doing the majority of the in and around miles once we settle in to our selected sites. thanks

Mr. 5th Wheel
Rating
starstarstarstarstar 		lowered 1998 dodge dually
by: Joleen

I'm needing help. I have a 1998 lowered dodge dually I tow a gooseneck horse trailer but I have a 36 foot Montana 5th wheel. First I need too no if my truck needs air bags for the towing of that size 5th wheel and what is the best kind to get. And is there an adapter to put over my gooseneck hitch in the bed of the truck that converts 5th wheel hitch in it so I can use both but safely tow both.I'm not sure what to do.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Great Feed Back
by: Anonymous

We are also looking for a truck to pull a 5th wheel 36 ft with 4 slides and we will be living in it and traveling around the States. I wanted to see if we could do it without purchasing a dual and I was hope that we could get a F350 with cab and medium bed.
Thanks for all the information it helps
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starstarstarstarstar 		Looking for feedback as starting our research
by: Anonymous in EdmondsWA

We have not purchased either a truck or a 5th wheel as yet, but have seen plenty of options in Everett and Mt Vernon, WA. We are looking for a truck for long trips with at least a 5th wheel of 28 feet to live in while exploring our great country while still having our health. All your comments so far have been very helpful. With two dogs, bicycles, and the love of mountains, rivers, etc., we do not plan to just park in Arizona, but plan to tour. Several days in a row of 300 plus miles towing a minimum of 11,000 pounds from our 5th wheel research. A big enough package with low stress for people who have only had tiny trailers!
Thanks,
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starstarstarstarstar 		Dodge
by: Anonymous

We use a one ton dodge cummins to pull our 42 1/2 5th wheel
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starstarstarstarstar 		truck
by: Anonymous

I wouldn't buy a dual wheel truck unless your moving livestock. A 7.3 liter Ford would be your best option it would be best to find a F350 7.3 single rear wheel. I pull both cattle trailers and fifth wheels for a living and I have never had a problem with my F250 7.3 liter. it is the most reliable of all my trucks. don't buy a Ford with the 6.0 liter it is terrible. don't buy any Chevy or Dodge buy a new 3500hd GMC dually if you want but that would be way too much truck.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Size of truck question
by: Anonymous

I agree that the F350 Super Duty SW is a good choice however please note that Ford offers several versions. The truck engine size and other factors determines the truck's towing capacity.

Having said that, I did purchase a new F350, Super Duty. singe axle, crew cab, 6 ft. 8 inch bed with Ford's heavy duty towing package, Reese Elite 18K Slider 5th wheel hitch and a sliding cover to protect the hitch when not in use. My RV 5th wheel fully loaded and accounting for the additional weight of the hitch, cover, clothes, food, liquids, propane, generator and other goods brings the total to about 15,100 lbs. The 6.7 L diesel is more than enough and the handling is very smooth. I have been RV'ing for 33+years (accident and ticket free) and the current rig and truck are by far the best.

Wishing you a great time at RV'ing.
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starstarstarstarstar 		best truck
by: Anonymous

i pull as a transpoter with a 2000 ford f250 powerstroke diesel with a molded exhaust and a short bed i have never had trouble pulling except a toyhauler full of metal i average 15 miles a gallon if you get a short bed buy the slider for your frame mount i also advise to put airbages in the back end with a air compresser i also recommend to put an extra 50 gallon tank in the back i would reccomed a ford or dodge diesel with out a double back tires
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starstarstarstarstar 		Just ask the Salesman!!
by: Anonymous

Any truck will pull your RV! Just ask the truck or RV salesman. The main question is "What truck will stop it". I drive a Dodge 3500 dually and I am very happy with it. The transmission has an emergency stop function, never used it but nice to know it is there. And an Engine brake is a MUST Have!!
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starstarstarstarstar 		Safety first
by: Anonymous

I am a single female driver of a Ford f-350 King Ranch Duelly Diesal truck. I haul a 25 foot fifth wheel, not sure on the weight, but many people have told me it's too much truck. I beg to differ !!! I had parked the fifth wheel at home and noticed i was missing a tire. Wow.... to think I drove over an hour at 70 mph and hadn't felt a thing. The tire missing was my front trailor wheel on the right side. I believe the duelly was the safety factor and when you have loved ones, it is worth the cost.
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starstarstarstarstar 		TOW VEHICLE
by: Anonymous

Hello,
I have a 2006 5th wheel 36ft Jayco Designer. weight is 11,700 loaded around 12,800.
I use a 2005 Silverado 2500 HD Diesel Duramax. This engine is awsume. I get 10 to 13 mpg with plenty of power. I can go from 0 to 60 mpg in 22 seconds. Not bad for pulling 18,000 Lbs. Truck plus 5th wheel. This is a single rear wheel 4x4. I have never had any problems had it for 5 years. Good luck on your choice.
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starstarstarstarstar 		the dually difference
by: Anonymous

I have towed a fiver with similar weights with a single rear wheel set up and dually. The single will likely do if you are not traveling significant distances, but when you get to traveling 300-500 miles a day for several days in succession, the single wheel requires a lot more effort. With the dually I found I didn't get so tired, because it was less stressful. It's just a more comfortable ride, in my experience.

The real issue may not be what you can haul/tow, but what can you stop? more tread on the ground may be helpful.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Truck to Tow?
by: Anonymous

I disagree with the suggestions on the lower end trucks. also what about the safety buffer that is needed? Just from what I read the 450 is probably the smallest to do the job. You might want to contact RVEDUCATION101.COM for his excellent information about this subject, Good Luck
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starstarstarstarstar 		Tow Truck
by: Anonymous

This info helped me but I also heard that you should not use a short bed truck to pull a 5th wheel. Any thoughts?
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starstarstarstarstar 		best truck
by: Anonymous

My comments are based on years of experience with all types of rv's and combinations . We currently own a 2007 raptor 3612ds fully loaded it weighs in around 15,500 pounds ,the truck of choice was a 2008 F450 and yes it is a dually . Now for the consideration , ever had a rear tire blow out while pulling one of these heavy fifth wheels going 65 MPH or faster, You don,t want it to happen ,Havoc is the word to use here.Trusting your pull vehicle to pull it is one thing ,but stopping it is another.If you pull something that places your tow vehicle near the max there is no room for error.Our rule of thumb , if the towed rv weighs more than 14,000 pounds we automatically are looking at a dually for safety.
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starstarstarstarstar 		Keep looking for another fifth wheel
by: RVeCafe.com

Al:

I think you should have pointed out that with a weight of 12,200 essentially dry and a GVW of 14,500, this fifth wheel does NOT have much cargo capacity. My fifth wheel is about the same empty weight and GVW of 16,500. As for a truck to pull it, with all those you mentioned you are right at the limit. If you don't want to be on the "edge", then you should be looked at the new Dodge 4,500/5,500 or Ford F450. If this driver insists on the smaller truck, disk brakes on the trailer would be helpful.

Dale

From RVing Al Dale thanks for your great comments. Based on his question, I have to assume that he already owns this 5th wheel trailer. All of the trucks I recommended to him have towing capacities above 15,000 pounds. I agree with you on the disc brakes and I also agree with the premise that "bigger is better".

Happy RVing

RVing Al

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