xcntrk

Welcome to that shocking revelation where it becomes clear your 1/2 ton pickup can barely haul anything due to a major limitation in payload. What Ford says you can tow behind the trailer is irrelevant when your payload won't support the tongue or pin weight.

smokeywren

Nobody tows a dry trailer. What is the GVWR of the trailer? If it's around 10,000 pounds, then count on having about 2,000 pounds of hitch weight when wet and loaded on the road.

Various people pick out a weight rating they use to decide if they are overloaded. Most like to use the "tow rating", which is silly, but it allows you to tow a much heavier trailer than if you used a more reasonable weight limit. You'll be overloaded over other weight limits long before you reach the tow rating. Others like to use the GCWR, because it allows a lot heavier trailer than the most restrictive weight rating. Same song, different verse - you'll be overloaded over other weight limits long before you reach the GCWR. And even the so-called well-informed worry about the rGAWR. But again, you'll probably be overloaded over other weight limits before you reach the rGAWR.

Ford say you should NEVER exceed any of the weight limits of your F-150. The most restrictive weight limit is usually the GVWR - the weight on the 4 tires of the pickup when on the road with a wet and loaded trailer.

Because of the higher percentage of hitch weight on a fifth wheel trailer than a "bumper pull" trailer, you can tow a heavier TT than 5er without exceeding any of the weight limits of your F-150. Most TTs have hitch weight of about 12.5% to 15% of gross trailer weight, and most 5ers have about 17% to 20% of gross trailer weight. For estimating purposes (so you won't be surprised at being overloaded in the middle of your RV trip) use 15% for TTs and 20% for 5ers. So a 10,000 pound TT would have 1500 pounds hitch weight, while a 10,000 pound 5er would have 2,000 pounds hitch weight. That 500 pounds difference in hitch weight is the reason you see very few people dumb enough to try to tow a mid-rise or full height 5er with a half-ton pickup.

I'm pretty sure you'll be overloaded over the GVWR of your F-150, even if you skrimp on loading the 5er with the normal stuff we all haul when on the road, and travel with empty holding tanks.

My 25' Keystone Sprinter 25RKS (rear kitchen with slide) mid-rise 5er with one super-slide has GVWR of 7,900 pounds, and it usually grosses about 7,900 to 8,000 pounds when on an RV road trip. Hitch weight is about 1,550 to 1,600 pounds. I've towed it with my F-150, but I was severely overloaded. Your F-150 has a coupla hundred pounds more net payload available for hitch weight (plus 500 pounds because of max tow pkg, but minus 300 pounds because of 4x4) than my F-150, but that 25' 5er would probably overloaded your F-150 too. With the longer and heavier 33' 5er, you don't stand a chance of being on the road with a wet and loaded trailer without being overloaded.

What to do? If you want trade up in RV trailers, look at TTs with GVWR less than 10,000 pounds, hooked up with a ProPride hitch. With the ProPride hitch, a TT will tow as good as a comparable 5er. TTs cost less than comparable 5ers, but the ProPride hitch costs more than the good 5er hitches, so the total investment is about the same.

acadianbob

Generally a 5er is a payload problem for a 1/2 ton unless it is an incredibly light trailer (and lightly loaded) or you have the HD payload package.