rmorris1953

You should consider the Anderson gooseneck hitch. Only weighs 50 lbs and is a fantastic hitch. I use it with my 30' Rockwood 8280WS. Axle weights are perfect.

ryeboy

In response to my earlier post: My 2011 F150 XLT with 5.0 V8 and 3.55 rear end pulls/tows my Cougar XLite 27RKS super fine. I really don't know if I'm overloaded, under loaded, at the maximum weight, have too much weight on my truck bed and or rear suspension or even know about imagined potential lawsuits that may or may not happen in my future. Barely know if I even **** my pants! What I DO KNOW is this: I purchased my 5th wheeler in Chelsea, Michigan and then towed it to central Illinois to my home, it towed like a dream, in fact it towed a lot better than I expected. Three weeks later, I then took my trailer down to Fentress, Texas where I keep it under roof in storage (about 28 miles from the RV park we use), and once again it towed exceptionally well. I even thought about contacting "Trailer Life" magazine and letting them know how well my F150 towed my 2012 trailer which I bought for a bargain due to diligent searching and shrewd dealing with a dealer that tried to crank $700 plus dollars out of me at the end of our "dealing." I did not budge and I got it for our original deal, I have a feeling most would have just given in and paid for the "documentation" fees and also to have a "3 year preventive polish" applied to the outside. NOT ME!!! A deal is a deal and I didn't pay a dime more. When I have my rig, trailer hooked to the truck, on an even concrete surface like at a rest area, the truck and trailer look perfectly even, no sag at all that I can see. I have pulled/towed up some steep hills I-57 in southern Illinois and also towed in southern Arkansas on steep hills - my truck towed just fine, shifted down once before I got to the top, I was impressed. Last winter I had two old timer RV guys tell me how I would ruin my axle bearings by using a 1/2 ton pickup, in fact, so far I have been told many things by "more experienced" by the RV camping crowd, but mostly I just keep doing what I'm doing and smiling - Sort of like the guy that was told by his brother in law that he could not afford a new John Deere, but he bought one. All I can say is this, my F150 seems to tow my Cougar XLite 27RKS just fine, so far no problems, and I tow about 62 to 65 mph. By the way, Platinum Sean, aren't you also towing with an F150? I'm not trying to be difficult but won't my pin weight probably be very similar to your pin weight? And if I am over the gvw and gawr by a big margin, won't your rig also be over the gvw and gawr by a big margin too? From what I have read, I think your 5th wheel trailer is about the same size/weight as mine. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm just asking. You've been doing this longer than me. In fact when I first read your posting here, you are what inspired me to buy a light weight trailer and pull it with my 1/2 ton truck. I'm getting excited, getting close to the time we head to TX for the winter. :-)

Platinum_Sean

The Cougar 27SAB, mine, was 1050 lbs on the pin. 6600 pounds dry. Rear axle was 2750. (weighed) Rating is 4050. So 2750+1050 = 3800. 250 below max. GVW is 6600 + 1050 , or 7650, below the 7800 GVW rating.

The Cougar 27RKS is 1230 pin, 7200 dry. (2012 specs, Cougar X-Lite website). Assuming your truck = mine as far as GAWR and weight goes, you are now 2750 + 1230 = 3980. 70 lbs to spare before at GAWR max.

If your GVW is 6600 (assumed truck + 3/4 gas + you), + 1230, or 7830. GVW is 7800 if I recall.

ryeboy

By the way, I am using timbrens on the rear axle and have a Superchips programmer for extra horsepower and torque, but don't really need the programmer. However the timbrens work nice.

ryeboy

Yeah I probably am right up to the max or somewhat over for a 1/2 ton, but each "camping season" which last from the 3rd or 4th week in October to the middle of April, about 5 to 5 1/2 months, I now tow my 5th wheel trailer a distance of about 28 miles one way - from Fentress, Texas to just a little south of San Marcos. All in all, if you count round trip, I probably only two about 56 to 65 miles per year. It's not like I'm towing all over the USA or for that fact, Not even towing all over Texas. I think I should be fine for this short towing distance, do you not agree with me, Platinum Sean?

DieselDawg

Pics!!!

Platinum_Sean

Yikes. Me? Ah shucks...

I know Texas is pretty hot. My concern with heat is the trailer brakes overheating. I carry a laser thermometer, every once in a while, I shoot all 4 wheels, see if 1 is much hotter than the others, make a note to tweak that one next change (loosen or tighten). As well, engine heating would be a concern.

Yah, no F150 is going to explode being 5 lbs over GVW. Take it easy, watch the heat/tranny temp.. ENjoy

Technobody

Greetings All:

I'm another strong advocate that a 1/2 ton can pull a 5th wheel. I'm also doing it and very easily I might add. My trailer is a 2005 Arctic Fox which weights 9,800 lbs. The only change I am going to make is to add a pair of Timbrins next week. In short the Ecoboost engine is every bit as good as it's meant to be.

Platinum_Sean

But- what is the PIN WEIGHT? 9800 total would mean almost 1800 pin, which combined with the dry weight on the rears, I think you might be over the axle and maybe, tire rating.

?

ryeboy

Hi Dawg, We will be heading for the New Braunfels / San Marcos area in about a week. Sorry have no pics right now, but, my 2011 F150 is Tuxedo Black and my 5th wheeler is a 2012 Cougar XLite 27RKS. I'm sure you are familiar with Canyon Trail RV Park which lies adjacent to I-35 just a few miles north of New Braunfels. The 5 liter gasser V8 seems to be more than adequate to tow our 5th wheeler, but sometimes I do wish I had a bigger trailer and an F250. However, we do "ok" living in our 30 footer for the 5 to 5 1/2 months we are in central TX. Winter weather in Texas beats the hell out of winter weather in Illinois, plus I like Texas gun laws a whole lot better than the Commie gun laws of Illinois. Illinois is a liberal state, so guys like me can have a tough time living here. TX is for me. But have grandkids here so the wife wants to be here in summer months.