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I apologize if this specific topic has been discussed on another thread, but couldn't find an accurate answer..
I have a 2016 F-150 5.0 SuperCrew with 145" WB, 7000# GVWR package, 3.55 electronic locking rear axle, and 36 gallon tank (if that matters). I am trying to figure the feasibility of pulling a Grand Design Reflection 260RD (fifth wheel camper). Specs are about 7500# unloaded with a 1270# hitch weight.
Anybody have experience with this or a similar setup? Is the truck capable and how is the ride going to be?
The truck is capable of towing a battleship - just not at highway speeds, and braking distance will be longer. Same for any trailer - as it gets heavier, it affects the truck more. Physically, there is no line-in-the-sand where it can't be towed. That's a legal distinction, between the driver/owner, the cops/DOT, and the warranty/insurance company. Since you didn't put your location in your profile or signature, we can't guess what will happen if you take it out on a public road.
Handling will depend primarily on how the trailer is loaded; i.e., tongue weight & the sway moments (how far the weight is from the tires). Even if a long trailer is balanced with the perfect tongue weight, it'll beat the truck to death if all the trailer weight is at the front/top/back, vs. centered & concentrated low over the axles. Again - that's up to you. We can't guess.
For better answers, you should put ALL the truck's details & history (as much as you know) into your signature so it shows with each post, as this page explains:
Phone apps don't always show signatures, so you may need to switch to a real browser in desktop mode on your phone, or just use a desktop/laptop computer. Put your location (nearest city) in your profile & upload an avatar of the truck. The more pics you post (NOT in your sig) of the truck, engine, wiring, labels, & undercarriage, the more likely we can help you. Not all its details are relevant to these issues, but you don't necessarily know which ones are relevant, so just put everything in now.
Is there even enough space in the bed of an SCREW 145" WB to effectively turn with a fifth wheel attached? Even with one of those sliding hitches I'd think clearance would be an issue even if within weight limits.
Grand Design say's that is a half ton towable. The problem for the half ton truck is not the weight of the fifth wheel, but the hitch weight. Any gear you add in front of the wheels will add additional weight to the trailers hitch. Add two batteries to the front compartment of the fifth wheel and you've just added 100lbs. I wouldn't even think of doing it unless I had the Heavy Duty Payload Package and even then I probably would not do it. By the time you add all the gear's weight are you exceeding the trucks maximum payload?
I own a destination Campground and I have only had one 1/2 ton truck come in towing a fifth wheel in the last five years. He was actually an F150 with a Grand Design 150 Reflection Series. I spoke with him for a while and he said it towed ok, but it was only his second camping trip. Every fifth wheel that's come into the campground has been towed with an F250 or a GMC Heavy Duty, etc.
With my 2016 Lariat 3.5EB, 3.55 I towed a Imagine 2600RB with a loaded weight of 6,600 Lbs and a hitch weight of 725lbs. The truck towed it with no problems and plenty of power
I'd be shocked if your pin weight is that. Usually 20% on 5Rs. My guess, it will weigh 8500#, 20% = 1700 #; add some humans and beer in the truck, you'll need 2200#s of available payload just to start. Don't be fooled by brochure gimmicks. A HDPP F150 probably could do that trailer, nothing else. What is the payload of your specific truck, per the yellow sticker in your drivers door?
(2) Vehicles equipped with 5.5' box will accept a 5th-wheel hitch, but current 5th-wheel trailer designs are not compatible with this model (145" wb. SuperCrew).
This same footnote does not appear in the 2022 guide....whether that is due to current trailer designs, or the design of the F150, I don't know.
As mentioned previously, when considering if a 5th wheel is safely towable with a short bed 1/2 ton, it's just as much about the design of the front of the 5th wheel as the weight of the thing. I tow a 36 ft, 2018 Highland Ridge Open Range Light, 8515 GVWR, 1235 hitch weight 5th wheel with a 2019 F150 Max Tow. It tows very well and is much less affected by passing semis and cross winds than the 7500 lb., 30 ft bumper tow I previously towed. But the way the trailer is designed, I can back it up at nearly a 90 degree angle (if needed) and not touch the cab. Rest stop in Tennessee
Notice the truck does not squat more than an inch with this trailer attached
Fifth Wheel Capability
