I have a 2001 F-150 4x4 Supercrew with a short bed, 5.4 engine with 3:55 gears and 20" wheels. The GVWR is 6,750. I want to buy a 31' 5th wheel trailer. Will the 5th wheel work with my short bed.
I also have a factory tow package and have added overload springs, how much weight can I tow. The trailer weights 7,490.

 

That's not a good idea. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating is the total weight - truck and trailer together. If the trailer alone weighs more than the GVWR than that makes it a terrible plan. Plus your truck will struggle with any descent sized trailer with 3.55s.

 

yeah, 31' is pretty big and is sounds like you don't even have the tow package not to mention your less than optimal gearing. My tow capacity (highest avaliable of any 4x4 150 pre '09) is 9,200 lb. that trailer would be pushing even my limits when fully loaded with gear, water, etc. Do you have a trailer brake controller already?

 

Respectfully, no one in this thread (so far) is looking at towing correctly.
Towing is a gross combined weight issue and not just the spec for the truck as you may know it.
GCW is the total of the truck, the trailer and all loads.
Most F150s are in the gross combined weight class of about 11,600 lbs +/-.
A 31 footer loaded, would put your gross way over legal spec.
On a short bed, you need to look at the front trailer overhang for hitting the cab in sharp turns as well as where the 5th hitch sits in the box for weight distribition plus the absolute weight in the box due to the trailer.
You don't have much room to move it.
.
On gross combined weight:
Ex. if the truck weighs 6000 lbs dry and you include passengers or any other loads, the truck total may go to 6500 lbs or more.
Now add to it the weight of the trailer say 7000 lbs loaded with water, fuel, food etc. You now have a combined weight of 6500 + 7000 = 13,500 GCW.
You can begin to see the puller in combination is way over the limit.
Plug in the real world weights and see for yourself what you would end up with.
Saying a truck will pull the weight is not an answer just because it can.
It's safety, reliability, for everyone that's involved.
Even at the truck's rated GCW, reliabilty on transmission etc gets taxed.
Better to go with an F250 HD/F350 with the rating needed for the trailer size plus some rating reserve.
A larger truck rating means a lot of things. Tire rating, axle rating, braking capacity, cooling capacity, gear ratio, a different transmission etc.
And no, a trailer dealer usually does not know all the details for every combination so you have to be awhere of it all and make the right decisions.
All this goes for any make of truck.
A last note; in many states, passengers are allowed to ride in a 5th wheel trailer but::::: if you are already towing a dangerious combination, I would never allow anyone to ride in the 5th wheel.
Good luck.

 

Totally disregarding weight and towing here....

There are sliders just for short bed pickups, both manual and auto sliding, for pulling 5th wheel trailers. The manual sliders are a pain the the butt and easy to forget to move, and the auto sliders are a bit on the expensive side but cheaper than repairing the back of the cab and the corner of the 5th wheel.

 

You need to buy a heavier duty truck to tow that trailer is the bottom line. If you are determined to pull it with yours, you should seriously consider going to 4.10 gears or 4.56 gears.

 

f-250

 

I've never thought towing a goose neck with a short bed 1/2 ton has been a good idea. I've seen many a stock trailer bust out the rear glass and crimp the cab. The why I offer to turn our customers trucks around.
If I'm thinking right, when towing dont you want a longer wheel base anyway?
I've pulled loads like that before, BUT:
1. I'm alone
2. It's ussually under 30 miles
3. It's ussually the same road and I move at times when there is little traffic

I dont think its a good idea. I've just started beefing my truck up to handle the heavy loads.

 

well.... idk about the long wheelbase thing.... ive never used a super short wheel base, but i think of it like this... say you had a bronco and put a goosneck in the back of it think about how tightly you could turn that thing around opposed to say a long bed extended cab 350. that aside, going down the road, the 350 is obviously going to ba a more solid and stable tow vehicle.

but as has been mentioned before, just get a bigger truck. the 150 will do in a pinch or if you have to move it around the house... but i wouldnt want it to be my primary tow vehicle for a load like that. i haul a 6000 pound tractor with my 97 and i only do that because it dosent happen more than maybe 3 times a year for only about 10 miles or so. if it were more id go find and old 2 or 350 and use that. there is sooo much you would have to do to the 150 new rear axel, beefier front and rear breaks, stiffen the frame, that right there is enough to make you go, "ill just by a new truck."

 

not to mention the itty bitty brakes on the F-150 aren't going to like STOPPING that HUGE trailer

 

It's not just 1/2 tons that have short beds, some 3/4 ton units do as well and I believe that's why they came out with the sliders. That stops those nasty cab crimps, if the driver remembers to stop and slide the manual slider.
I personally feel the long beds do a better, more stable job of towing.

 

Great information everyone, thanks

 

Great information everyone, thanks.

 

^agreed!
Last man to screw his truck up here had a 2004 king ranch screw. I offered to turn it, even offered to help the kid by watching him, he said didn't need help, and CRUNCH!!! Hurt to watch..

 

yea. dont pull a 31' 5th wheel with an f150. get a f250..the 5.4 would work but the suspension and transmission and rear end are alot better.

and yea, alot of people dont pull the weight they are suppose to, lord knows i dont!!! haha