Who is towing a travel trailer with their 5.0?
06-12-2015, 11:26 PM
#31
Is everyone ok?
what class of plates do you have on the truck?
What is the truck rated to pull?
How much did that camper laying on its side up there weigh?
These were some of the first questions the state trooper asked when she showed up.
Camper weighed 6800
tow rating 9400
rease straight line 1200
7 semis? and a expansion joints
So what's the story here?
06-13-2015, 01:34 AM
#32
I guess what I need is a little advice from from you guys that have towed alot with 1/2 tons. What weight should I stay under while looking at trailers. This is the first 1/2 ton I've had in years so I'm not used to having to really worry about it. As my passed 3 trucks were 3/4 ton diesels. Thanks for the feedback so far.
06-13-2015, 01:41 AM
#33
^^^^ this guy has a good idea!!
06-13-2015, 05:48 AM
#34
NEGATIVE!!! Been there and done that and it's a PITA!! Not to mention. The reason for having your own, is all your stuff is already in it and waiting. Hook up to it and go.
06-13-2015, 07:58 AM
#36
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Who is towing a travel trailer with their 5.0?
When you really want a supercharged 1/2 ton it sounds great. If you want to tow a large trailer frequently... Then I would want a tuned diesel for the combined power and mpg.
On a serious note. Can't you just go to the camper dealer and ask what they would recommend for you current set up? The right trailer, hitch, and airbags/helper springs with gears would be the prudent decision.
On a serious note. Can't you just go to the camper dealer and ask what they would recommend for you current set up? The right trailer, hitch, and airbags/helper springs with gears would be the prudent decision.
06-13-2015, 09:24 AM
#37
Puppet King, Sock Master
OP, we're just putting forth advice we believe is accurate and will keep your family safe; not bagging on your truck/gears/camper choices. You should consider spending a fair amount of time in the towing forum. There is a great deal of good information there.
06-13-2015, 06:30 PM
#38
In hindsight I polly was not set up properly, the semis passing was causing the camper to move around, I had slowed to about 50mph on a long sweeping curve. There was a dip in the concrete that had been repaired and it unloaded the rear of the truck,the camper then jack knifed us into the gard rail and the truck and camper seperation. We rolled over the guardrail and down a long embankment, we landed on the wheels after about 4 rolls, my wife broke her pinky from bracing herself against the roof,me and my 18 month daughter got out unscathed.
There were a number of things wrong here, the first was the low camper tonge weight,only about 400-500 for a almost 7k camper
P rated tires
And I may have had the wd hitch to tight, transferring too much weight in my attempt to make the camper behave better.
There were a number of things wrong here, the first was the low camper tonge weight,only about 400-500 for a almost 7k camper
P rated tires
And I may have had the wd hitch to tight, transferring too much weight in my attempt to make the camper behave better.
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thrifty biil (06-13-2015)
06-14-2015, 01:45 AM
#39
In hindsight I polly was not set up properly, the semis passing was causing the camper to move around, I had slowed to about 50mph on a long sweeping curve. There was a dip in the concrete that had been repaired and it unloaded the rear of the truck,the camper then jack knifed us into the gard rail and the truck and camper seperation. We rolled over the guardrail and down a long embankment, we landed on the wheels after about 4 rolls, my wife broke her pinky from bracing herself against the roof,me and my 18 month daughter got out unscathed.
There were a number of things wrong here, the first was the low camper tonge weight,only about 400-500 for a almost 7k camper
P rated tires
And I may have had the wd hitch to tight, transferring too much weight in my attempt to make the camper behave better.
There were a number of things wrong here, the first was the low camper tonge weight,only about 400-500 for a almost 7k camper
P rated tires
And I may have had the wd hitch to tight, transferring too much weight in my attempt to make the camper behave better.
Well I'm glad everybody was OK. That could have been much worse.
06-15-2015, 10:38 AM
#40
I tow a 27' Jayco (24FBS) TT which weighs 5500 dry, 7500 gross. It probably weighs 6500-7000 when loaded with our gear and water (85 gallon fresh water = 700+ lbs).
The truck has the 3.71 gears. I've never found it lacking for power, and we've towed it all over the west coast including up to Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies last summer, and Crater Lake the year before that. The 6 speed transmission really helps. Most hills the truck just shifts down into 3rd or 4th and I hold a steady 55 MPH or so at 3000-3500 RPM. Easy as you like. On flats, I lock out 6th gear and cruise in 5th at about 2000 RPM and get about 10 MPG average.
My real complaint with the setup has been the suspension and tires of the truck. I've never had any real sway, but it gets blown in the wind more than I prefer. I've got Bilstein HD shocks and Firestone airbags, which have helped with the fore/aft bouncing, but it's still not ideal. I think some of the side to side "wiggle" is down to the P rated tires. I plan to switch to LT tires after this season when the stock Goodyears are about toast. We use an Equalizer 4 way 10,000 lb hitch.
The truck has the 3.71 gears. I've never found it lacking for power, and we've towed it all over the west coast including up to Banff and Jasper in the Canadian Rockies last summer, and Crater Lake the year before that. The 6 speed transmission really helps. Most hills the truck just shifts down into 3rd or 4th and I hold a steady 55 MPH or so at 3000-3500 RPM. Easy as you like. On flats, I lock out 6th gear and cruise in 5th at about 2000 RPM and get about 10 MPG average.
My real complaint with the setup has been the suspension and tires of the truck. I've never had any real sway, but it gets blown in the wind more than I prefer. I've got Bilstein HD shocks and Firestone airbags, which have helped with the fore/aft bouncing, but it's still not ideal. I think some of the side to side "wiggle" is down to the P rated tires. I plan to switch to LT tires after this season when the stock Goodyears are about toast. We use an Equalizer 4 way 10,000 lb hitch.