I understand this may not be conventional and ideally I should buy a bigger truck:

I have a 2015 F150 XLT with 2WD yes 2WD. I have a 34ft fifth wheel waying in at 9200 lbs.
I only want to tow it about 30 miles max. I know these trucks can tow up to 11600 if equipped correctly.
My thought is add the 5000 lb air bags, E rated tires and put the fifth wheel hitch in the back which in theory should hold the load for short trips.
I also understand that the 2WD can tow more because its gross weight as a truck is lower because it does not have the weight of the transfer case.
Can anyone confirm this setup will allow me to tow this camper, do you have any experience with a setup like this.
its the 5.0 Flexfuel V8 the payload/ tongue Hitch Weight 1,995 lbs.
Or if there is another setup recommend please advise.
TIA

 

Engine? Payload?

 

its the 5.0 Flexfuel V8 the payload/ tongue Hitch Weight 1,995 lbs.

 

I missed that it was a 5th Wheel. Most put around 20% of their total weight on the pin.

On a 9,200lb trailer that would be almost 1,850lbs. No I wouldnt tow that /w any 1/2 Ton truck.

 

You may want to read through some of the threads in this section of the forum regarding 5th wheels. In short, it's not recommended for nearly all 5th wheels without the HDPP (heavy duty payload package). https://www.f150forum.com/f82/how-ge...-150-a-430455/

Does your yellow payload sticker really say 1,995 pounds?

Assuming it does, and assuming you weigh 200 pounds and your family weighs another 200 pounds, that's a remaining payload of 1,445 pounds. Assuming 20% pin weight, you could have a 7,225 pound trailer. No where near 9,200 pounds.

 

How often do you intend to move the 30 miles? Twice a year, spring and fall? During the camping season several times. If you plan right you could swing it.

 

Axle ratio?
Cab style, regular cab, crew cab, or supercrew?

All of that matters too. A 4X4 truck weighs about 180 lbs more than a 2wd and everything else being equal gives you about 180 lbs more payload. Regular cabs and crew cabs weigh less than supercrew cabs and as a result have more payload.

Depending on Cab style and your axle ratio your truck is rated to tow somewhere between 8000-10,000 lbs. That info is needed too.

 

Know anybody with a F250/5th wheel combo that could pull it for you???

 

Maybe if you dont plan to do it a lot, and take it easy and slow on the way and back. You will likely be overloaded. Will it break the truck to do it a few times a year no. You will be close on the weights. If you have a 3.55 gear set, you have a 10k tow rating and with 1995lbs of payload you can be very close to 2k on pin and hit 10k towing. Dont use anything but an aluminum hitch, or a gooseneck hitch with the 5th wheel converter to save on weight of the hitch itself in the bed. Have your family follow you since it's a short trip and have them take all the luggage and heavy items in the car. With careful loading you might get a pin weight down to 1750 or 1800 which leaves you enough room to be very close to at GVWR and GCWR. Keep an eye on RAWR as you will be close if not a hair over.


Your truck sounds like the same scenario I had on my 13, high for model payload and light options. I pulled a GN horse trailer that weighed 8 to 9k all over the midwest and Appalachians with it. I was always inside my payload and axle limits, but right at them. The GCWR was the one I was over and usually by 1000 to 1500lbs. It was a great truck and handled the load very well.

 

You do NOT want the 5k airbags. The bags are rated for what they can handle, this is in addition to what the suspension can handle on it's own. Ex. If you have 1500lbs remaining before hitting the rear axle rating, adding 5k bags bumps that to 6500lbs (not that the axle or bearings could handle that).

2k bags are the biggest anyone with a 150 should get, if someone were to produce 1k bags, that would be plenty.

But this does not solve any issues of being over over an axle rating, payload, or combined weight.

Ridiculously large trailers... how about those two story TT's?