Does anyone have any experience with towing a 5th wheel style camper with an 04 Supercrew Lariat 4x4 with the 5.4 liter??? I am considering buying a lightweight 5th wheel and would like to have some feedback as to how much I can handle? My truck has the 2" leveling in the front. Is the rear suspension heavy enough to handle the load, or how much can it handle? Thanks

 

Most 1/2 tons are exceeding a weight capacity when hauling with an in bed hitch like a 5er or goose-neck.

Will it tow it.. sure, you bet.

The only way to know for sure is to run over a set of scales and get your axles weights. When calculating what you can tow don't forget to subtract an additional 250-300lbs for your hitch that you will need to install from your rear axle or pin capacity. Pin weight on a 5er or GN should be 20% of the total trailer weight for proper balance.

You will probably find that you can haul a very small 5er or GN, small enough that you are probably better off with a bumper pull. 5er's and Gn are usually best hauled on 3/4 ton and bigger trucks.

 

Gooseneck and 5th wheel trailers inherently tow much better than a bumper pull of the same size. Large bumper pull trailers pull like crap, and they will push the truck around. If I had to pull a heavy camper, and had a choice between the two, I wouldn't even consider the bumper pull.

A large gooseneck/5th trailer will pull better than a small bumper pull.

Think of it this way... If you are going to pull a 8,000 lb trailer with your f-150, than you should have 20% of the trailer's weight on the truck. That's 1600 lbs.

1600 lbs is a bit much for the toungue of the truck (even with a W/D hitch), but its nothing for the bed. Bed hitches also put the weight in front of the rear axle, so it helps hold the front of the truck down during heavy braking and manuvering.

People think that just because you have a F-150, you don't need a bed hitch. But getting that weight on the front tires helps the smaller trucks more than the bigger ones.

Your rear suspension will probably not be the limiting factor when pulling a 5th or gooseneck. You'll probably be too heavy to stop way before you bottom out the suspension. haha

FYI.. The gooseneck hitches in my F150 and my F350 are welded to the frame... Not bolted to the body.

 

Except on the OP's truck because of the SCREW ... the bed is too short. The hitch will be positioned above the rear axle, not in front of like most GN or 5er applications.

NEVER use a hitch that bolts just to the body. Get one that bolts on to the frame. (exception is cars that don't have a frame, class I,II) Don't weld on the frames if you like your warranty. I see many weld on hitches that are welded on incorrectly causing weakening of the frame inducing stress cracks on the truck frame.

If you must get a GN - B&W is the only way to go. Most of the 5er set ups are about the same as far as frame mounts go.... not referring to the in bed hitch portion.

 

Not quite. Bumper pull trailers are designed for 10-15% tongue weight. Fifth wheels are 15-25%. So while a the hitch position is favorable, the truck needs to support more weight. Half ton trucks inherently are already payload limited, so putting a higher percentage of weight anywhere on the truck is not better. And you need a 150-250 pound hitch in the truck bed too.

Weight distribution and sway control help with putting 1000 pounds 4 feet behind the rear axle.

 

I'd be more concerned about the 5.5' bed - you would need a slider hitch. You will also probably be over GVWR and GAWR long before you get to the published towing limit due to the heavy pin weight.

 

The pin weight is the largest concern on a half ton. Be sure to get the published pin weight on any trailer you look at and note the fresh and waste water tank locations. If they're towards the front, remember it'll only add to the pin weight.

For the hitch you'll probably want to wander over to pullrite's website and look at the 12k slider hitch. I saw these upclose at an RV show and they are pretty darn cool.

http://www.pullrite.com/superglide_12.htm

 

I have been towing a 5th with my 08 SCREW 5.4L for 3 years with no problem. Trailer is small, 23.5' and 4500 lbs dry. I also pully my 1600 Lund Pro Sport behind that. Depending on your trailers hitch and shape of the neck, and your box length you may not need a slider hitch. You never said your box length, one of the above posters said 5.5', but mine is a 6.5' and I do not use a slider for my trailer, and I have no issues with corners. Was the 6.5' an option in 04?

 

http://tinyurl.com/f150towsa5er. This guy pulls a 5th wheel with his F150. Ya its a newer truck and has a higher GCWR but follow the way he found his tow ratings and do that if you want to full a 5th wheel.

 

Yep, he chose to ignore GVWR. Lots of people do.

 

Yep, he chose to ignore GVWR. Lots of people do. His first scaled weight was about 800 pounds over GVWR and 350 pounds over rear axle rating. He made some changes which should lower both, but not enough to stay under all the OEM ratings.

 

I have been towing a 12000 5th wheel on my 04 f150 4x4 5.4 6 foot bed for 2 years. I have air bags on the rear and a sliding hitch but it does fine. I’m sure I’m exceeding the truck limits but it does well other than long hills.