Ok so i have asked this on a couple other forums and not had much said. This sight seems to have ALOT more action on it then the other so ill give it a whirl here.

My grandpa has a 20' 5th wheel that he wants to give me, comes with plate and everything. Really nice camper for a late 80's early 90's. Being as this is a free deal i am having a hard time saying no cant do it as im sure anyone can understand.
Here is my dilema.....I have a 06 f150 supercrew with well hate to say a 5.5' bed. I know that there are issues with that and yes have been in and talked to a couple of people at RV shops. Told about a sliding plate and a 5th wheel extention.
Still kinda skeptical.
So wondering if anyone pulls a 5th wheel with my style truck or has suggestions on what i have been told or well really ANY info on this so I can figure out what i am going to do.

Sorry for the long post but thanks to all in advance for ANY and ALL input.

 

I think your out of luck. Take the camper but wait until you have something bigger to tow it around.

 

I also depends on the 5er's upstairs style. Some look like this with huge overhangs:



And some look like this with the hitch kicked out forward and a small bedroom:

 

I hate to say it but you are not going to be able to leagally tow that 5er with your truck the camper is just to heavy. And yes you will need a slider for your truck if you want to be able to jack knive the trailer into tight spots or you risk damaging your upper cab corners and breaking a very expensive piece of glass on the back your truck. Basicly you need a 3/4 ton or better for that camper.

 

You can find out how much it weighs, but it probably is too much, even with a 20 year old RV. You'll probably need a sliding hitch, which generally weigh 200+ pounds. Add you and your family, any more cargo around the hitch, and 20% pin weight, and you run out of 1400 pounds of payload quickly.

 

Without knowing any weights of the trailer or hitch info I don't think anyone can really help much. I know my dad tows a 28 footer with his 1995 1500 dodge, I think it is too much wight for that truck but he does it without too many troubles. I think ours is around 8k lbs but the older one you are getting might be really heavy for its size.

 

Regardless of all the hype in the trailer industry about "1/2 ton towable" 5ers, a 5er in the real world needs a 3/4 ton or better with at least a 6.5 foot bed. Sure, you CAN tow one with less, but it's NOT recommended. The 5.5' bed is a major hassle.

 

Find out what the 5th wheels GVWR is... I'll bet it's #6000 or under... The upper portion on those era/size 5th wheels are just a tad taller then your basic cab over camper I'll bet too...

If you have the 5.4 and the factory tow package, I'd say you would be fine... Yes, you'll be pushing your trucks GVWR number, but who doesn't??

If you want to make a habit of towing the rig, then I'd pop for some LT type tires (Load range C or D) That will help a lot in the stability part of the equation.

You'll need a brake controller and you should make sure the trailer is road worthy... Check it's bearings, brakes and tires.. Even if the tires have lots of tread on it, if they are over 7 years old, they could be cracked and have weaker sidewalls from just plain age...

Good luck and it sounds like a nice deal if it all works out!

Mitch

 

If it's 20 feet long you won't have any trouble with the weight of that 5th wheel... not unless you are mining lead and storing it on the bed in the cab-over portion.

I would bet the pin weight is less than 1,000 pounds.

I think you are on the right track. Go to an RV service department (NOT a sales person) and talk to the guy that installs the hitches for 5th wheels. They should be able to give you the straight scoobie about the type hitch system that will work for you.

 

mine has a 6.5 bed but i think it would work the same in a 5.5 bed. the 5th wheel extender angles down a little and that would hit the side of the bed way before it comes close to the cab. i cant jack knife my trailer but i can still make sharp turns. it does get annoying having to keep an eye on that thing to make sure its not gonna hit the bed when turning or the tailgate when theres a dip in the road.

 

I have a 2003 23ft nash 5th wheel that I pull with my 05 5.5 foot bed. My dry weight is 4200 lbs my hitch weight is 800. It pulls it no problem. I do have to keep my eye on it when backing up, but I bet I can still turn as sharp as a bumper pull. People told me the same thing it won't work, even my local RV shop. You will be fine trust me, I worried about this same thing till I put the hitch in and hooked it up. Just watch sharp turns mainly when backing. Hope This Helps

 

Whenever you have a question about towing with your Ford F150, consult the manufacturers towing guide. Here's the towing guide for your truck and yes, they do show 5th wheel load limits for your truck. But make sure it has the proper hitch or expect issues.
https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/...trp16Jan06.pdf

 

Thanks for all the input. Still not sure what i wanna do about this.
Thumperman do u use a hitch extender on urs or no? Can u maybe hit me with some pics of ur setup?

 

It's a 20' 5th wheel, can't weigh more than 5,000lbs. Your truck will do it just fine. Run a gooseneck hitch like BigChief has and you'll be ok.

 

I don't have any pics right now but my hitch looks just like the second pic on curtis73 post. I would hook it up and post a pic but theres still to much snow in front of the 5th wheel.