Hello from San Diego!

1/2 ton error

I towed over weight with a GMC 1/2 ton (the mid 80s). Worked fine for awhile. Eventually I had grease in my rear brakes. On mechanics review it was discovered I had crushed the rear bearings. $2000 CAD to re& re a used rear end. Traded for a 3/4 ton ford....
 
I towed a travel trailer for 13 years and a 5th wheel the past 4 years. No way would I ever go back to a travel trailer if they are equal in size and weight (8,000-10,000 pounds). I also use the Andersen Ultimate hitch to tow my 31MB and have been very pleased with it. Wayne and Deborah should try the 5th wheel for a few short camping trips and see how it goes. They will figure out if the towing experience is comfortable or not. It only took me a few camping trips with a 1/2 ton pulling my first travel trailer to figure out it wasn't working and traded for a 3/4 ton diesel. But, I have a good friend that pulls a heavy travel trailer with his F150 and is OK with it because he never tows in hills or interstate speeds.

Do you think the Anderson hitch would be best for a 1500 because it's lighter and adds less to the payload or do you think it provides the most comfortable towing experience overall? We were ... leaning toward the Curt because of the reviews on towing, less 'chucking' etc., but we may need to pay equal attention to the weight of the hitch at this point, any thoughts?
 
Do you think the Anderson hitch would be best for a 1500 because it's lighter and adds less to the payload or do you think it provides the most comfortable towing experience overall? We were ... leaning toward the Curt because of the reviews on towing, less 'chucking' etc., but we may need to pay equal attention to the weight of the hitch at this point, any thoughts?

Irregardless of the hitch you will be way overweight

The first thing you should do is load the truck up with the gear ,people and pets that will be going camping and take it to a scale and weigh it
Scales are everywhere. There is a cat app to locate them
I can almost guarantee you will be shocked at what little payload you have left over
 
Do you think the Anderson hitch would be best for a 1500 because it's lighter and adds less to the payload or do you think it provides the most comfortable towing experience overall? We were ... leaning toward the Curt because of the reviews on towing, less 'chucking' etc., but we may need to pay equal attention to the weight of the hitch at this point, any thoughts?

The only reason I went with the Andersen is the ease of removing the hitch to free up the bed of the truck for normal use. I have a B&W turnover ball installed so the bed returns to a flat floor when not towing. Everyone's situation is different so do whatever works for you and how you use the truck when not towing. Many great options out there. If I started over, I would strongly consider the Reese Goose Box (or similar) on the camper and the B&W turnover ball in the truck.
 
Do you think the Anderson hitch would be best for a 1500 because it's lighter and adds less to the payload or do you think it provides the most comfortable towing experience overall? We were ... leaning toward the Curt because of the reviews on towing, less 'chucking' etc., but we may need to pay equal attention to the weight of the hitch at this point, any thoughts?

It sounds like you're still intent on towing a fifth wheel with a 1/2-ton truck despite all the good advice given. Again, everyone here has advised against it. Not a safe choice.

Rob
 
Thank you! We have a 2023 Ram Bighorn 1500 with tow package and 3.92 axle ratio.

We know we’ll need to keep it light, slow and avoid the Rockies … admitting that we’re newbies and have never towed before �� do you have any advice?

Uh-oh...here it comes, you're gonna get crushed by the weight police.
 
I would not consider myself the tow police, but I would say if you want to stay within posted limits you'll need a 2500. My 270BN is advertised as "1/2 ton-towable" but it actually just fits withing the posted limits of my RAM 2500 when all loaded down.
 
Do you think the Anderson hitch would be best for a 1500 because it's lighter and adds less to the payload or do you think it provides the most comfortable towing experience overall? We were ... leaning toward the Curt because of the reviews on towing, less 'chucking' etc., but we may need to pay equal attention to the weight of the hitch at this point, any thoughts?
IMO, if you're concerned with the weight of the hitch impacting your truck's carrying capacity, you need to look for a truck with more capacity. But JMO of course.
 
IMO, if you're concerned with the weight of the hitch impacting your truck's carrying capacity, you need to look for a truck with more capacity. But JMO of course.

My opinion on that would be, if the numbers work, then they work. I don't see anything wrong with a "maxed out" truck. To me that means you have the right amount of truck. Someone on here once said you can never have too much truck...well I get the sentiment to some extent, but you really can too much in that you just don't need it. Otherwise, why not just buy a Peterbilt or KW to tow the 5er? The limits they design should have a buffer, but even if they don't it's still within the limit.
 
My opinion on that would be, if the numbers work, then they work. I don't see anything wrong with a "maxed out" truck. The limits they design should have a buffer, but even if they don't it's still within the limit.

Well of course but in this case they wont imo

My truck ,GMC Sierra crew 1500, has 1800 lbs posted payload the same as the op and my much smaller 2400 bh has my truck maxed out
It tows it great but without any experience towing like the op mentioned I would not push the envelope
 
I have towed a 40’ Weekend Warrior 5th w/a 2500HD Duramax/Allison - I realized later I was overweight (20 yrs ago), w/o airbags the truck was bottomed out. At 46,000 miles, the Max was leaking fuel into the oil, sold both truck & trailer. I have upgraded trucks twice due to payload calcs. Two questions - is it within the payload limit of the truck? Is the truck big enough to handle the trailer safely? (You’ll know when in wind, hills, etc even if on paper it is able to handle it, a combination of brakes, power, & suspension). IMO the bottom line is legal - if you are involved in an accident & found to have exceeded the payload of the truck, your out of pocket cost could easily exceed what an upgraded truck would cost. At 70yo, I want my risk factor as low as possible - 2021 F350 7.3 gas towing an Imagine 2500. Plenty of braking, power, & payload = safety & peace of mind. I have no desire to risk the equity in our home etc by trying to push the envelope. Beyond payload is safe speed - I used to tow at the the posted speed limit if no trailer speed was posted. Now I tow at the truck limit. We’ve all seen a lifted truck towing a boat or trailer in the fast lane above the speed limit, sometimes with the trailer swaying. If that idiot causes an accident that involves me or my family, I’m going after everything he’s got. Bottom line, it’s like everything else in life - a personal choice.
 
My opinion on that would be, if the numbers work, then they work. I don't see anything wrong with a "maxed out" truck. To me that means you have the right amount of truck. Someone on here once said you can never have too much truck...well I get the sentiment to some extent, but you really can too much in that you just don't need it. Otherwise, why not just buy a Peterbilt or KW to tow the 5er? The limits they design should have a buffer, but even if they don't it's still within the limit.
I agree...to a point. When you are concerned about a possible 150 lbs. or less putting you over your payload, and you personally don't want to exceed the payload, then that's cutting it too fine. It just all depends on how comfortable you are exceeding the payload of the truck. I think if you are concerned, you make sure you have a cushion for eventualities. I don't worry about payload, but I have about 2,000 lbs. to play with. :)
 
Hi You might have to install air bags on the rear axle to keep your truck level when the trailer is attached. My concern would be the brakes on your 1/2 ton pickup overheating when braking hard. My suggestion would be at least a 3/4 ton or 1 ton duality and still put air bags on. Enjoy retirement and good camping experience!
 
IMHO you need a bigger truck to pull that trailer. Either that or a smaller trailer. I did hours of research on trailer weight and truck capacity before I bought my truck and trailer. I also wanted a 5th Wheel but decided that a 1/2 ton truck wouldn't safely pull it despite what truck and trailer salesmen might tell you. I would suggest you take a look at the Imagine XLS 22RBE or 23KDE. Both are considerably lighter and even when fully loaded will put a lot less strain on your truck and give you the ability to carry stuff in your truck to help balance your load. When I tow I keep stuff that I'm unlikely to use but feel the need to carry like emergency tools and an air compressor in the bed of my truck. Then I'll throw in folding chairs, leveling blocks, a folding table, outdoor grill and some miscellaneous stuff and the bed is pretty full and between the tongue load, my wife and I and all that stuff in the bed we come pretty close to maxing the trucks payload capacity. I've weighed my truck and weighed my trailer each loaded for a trip and neither exceed their payload capacity and together they don't exceed the trucks towing capacity.

The 5th Wheel you want weighs 7204 pounds empty. Add in food, clothing, dishes, pots and pans, utensils, water in your tanks, full propane tanks, and all the other little things you think you need and things you probably haven't thought about yet but should carry with you and you will could quickly exceed your trucks towing capacity but most likely exceed your trucks payload capacity. There are numerous YouTube videos on the subject as well as discussions here and elsewhere. I suggest you take a serious look at the subject before making a final decision.

Having said all that you have the final decision. I've seen people pulling 5th Wheels with a Toyota Tacoma. Can they do it? Sure they can. Is it safe? IMHO no.

Whatever you decide have fun. After all that's what this type of travel and being retired is all about. Being a retired seasoned citizen I speak from experience.
 
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It sounds like you're still intent on towing a fifth wheel with a 1/2-ton truck despite all the good advice given. Again, everyone here has advised against it. Not a safe choice.

Rob
Hi Rob, no we really are taking in all the excellent input that’s been given on this topic and we are looking at several other options. Sometimes understanding all sides of an issue is helpful but no worries, I will avoid posting about the topic again. Much thanks,
 
Hi Rob, no we really are taking in all the excellent input that’s been given on this topic and we are looking at several other options. Sometimes understanding all sides of an issue is helpful but no worries, I will avoid posting about the topic again. Much thanks,

You should not be hesitant to post if you have questions on this or any other topics. I think everyone here just wants you to have fun a be safe.
 

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