*Truck and Towing thread........ask your questions here.*

[tiggerdad]

Not so much hooking up with tailgate down, but what about turning? Just to be sure as turning put tailgate closer to jack. I could hook my f-250 up with tailgate down, but could not turn hardly any.

 

[peg110]

I think these are some fair points. Before you head out on your trip, you probably want to hook it up completely and take it for a drive around the block or so to make sure you can do exactly what you need to do. Nothing worse then trying to be on a timeline and have a huge wrench thrown into your plans.

Hope it all works out though and that you have an awesome time.

 

[tltay2005]

Not so much hooking up with tailgate down, but what about turning? Just to be sure as turning put tailgate closer to jack. I could hook my f-250 up with tailgate down, but could not turn hardly any.

Husband took it around the block, so I am assuming it turned ok. Will have to ask him tonight. Good thought.

 

[DJCPITTS]

So much useful information and some funny stuff.. i can not wait to be able to show a picture of my tv and tt... coming in 2017 lol

 

[Teamubr]

i can not wait to be able to show a picture of my tv and tt... coming in 2017 lol

What are you planning on?

j

 

[DJCPITTS]

Not to sure yet. I really like the hybrid but than again i like the larger tt's too. We will see what kind of truck the husband picks out and I will go with what i can tow. Maybe ill get lucky and he will get a big enough truck so i can get a 5er lol. I need something that will fit the 4 of us and my 3 little pups.

 

[peg110]

Well, you can get a 5er for the 150/1500 series trucks, but it's not as big a 5er as you can get with a 350/3500 series especially the dually.
We have looked at 5ers and the ones we like (besides being obnoxiously expensive) are still too heavy for my 250 SRW. Maybe someday though. Whatever you get, I hope you have an awesome time and enjoy it.

 

[DJCPITTS]

Thank you! I will be happy with whatever i can get..as long as it fits us the pups and has ac!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hi, everyone!

Just starting some research in trailers and all, and I have a question:
what size truck would you recommend for hauling a Keystone Cougar lite?
Shipping Weight 7135
Carrying Capacity 2865
Hitch 1285
Length 28' 11"
Height 11' 11"

 

[peg110]

Are you going to be carrying it to capacity? (10K pounds)

The key is to find a vehicle that can tow the weight based on the specs. If you aren't going to tow to capacity, you can get a smaller vehicle, but I would advise NOT to do that because at some point you may want to get closer to capacity. Also many will advise to have a TV that can tow the entire GVWR of your TT PLUS 10% more. That way there is no issues.

I used to have an F-150 towing our Coachman Capri 27TBS which had a GVWR of just over 7K pounds. The F-150 had a Tow rating of 9,500 (the way it was equipped) and it towed it just fine. We did however, upgrade to the F-250 and it did a much better job towing it (and even better fuel economy).

Is your TV going to be a commuter/Daily use vehicle too? For us, my Truck is also my daily vehicle. So buying the Diesel wasn't really ideal for me. If you are going to be doing a LOT of travel, I would say the diesel is worth it. Dual rear wheels are probably not needed unless you are going to be looking at a 5er in the future, then I think it would be nice.

With your Hitch weight, I am thinking you are going to need to be in the 250/2500 or higher models. Even at a 10K GVWR you would be pushing the limits of the best equipped 150/1500 models.

Now to address my "Insecurities" (@bama_ed), I wasn't going to get a Ford. In fact when we were looking I refused to look at them. I was just NOT a big Ford fan at all. I was going to go with the Chevy 2500 but my DW convinced me that if I was going to make a good comparison, I had to be "honest" and check out Ford. I ended up choosing FORD for one reason. We needed a Crew Cab. My kids are too big for an "Extended" cab. While the major truck makers all had descent Crew Cabs, Fords just had sooooo much more room for the kids. If you have ever traveled any distance with kids who are cranky and uncomfortable, you know that it makes your ride miserable too. So it ended up being a no brainer. That said, I have been happy with my Ford F150 XLT and now my Ford F250 Lariat. I can say, however, that I did like the Chevy too except for the space in the back seat (compared to Ford). Both DW and I didn't care for the Dodge. Nothing specific, it just didn't "Do it" for us.

Good luck in your journey.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Are you going to be carrying it to capacity? (10K pounds)

The key is to find a vehicle that can tow the weight based on the specs. If you aren't going to tow to capacity, you can get a smaller vehicle, but I would advise NOT to do that because at some point you may want to get closer to capacity. Also many will advise to have a TV that can tow the entire GVWR of your TT PLUS 10% more. That way there is no issues.

I used to have an F-150 towing our Coachman Capri 27TBS which had a GVWR of just over 7K pounds. The F-150 had a Tow rating of 9,500 (the way it was equipped) and it towed it just fine. We did however, upgrade to the F-250 and it did a much better job towing it (and even better fuel economy).

Is your TV going to be a commuter/Daily use vehicle too? For us, my Truck is also my daily vehicle. So buying the Diesel wasn't really ideal for me. If you are going to be doing a LOT of travel, I would say the diesel is worth it. Dual rear wheels are probably not needed unless you are going to be looking at a 5er in the future, then I think it would be nice.

With your Hitch weight, I am thinking you are going to need to be in the 250/2500 or higher models. Even at a 10K GVWR you would be pushing the limits of the best equipped 150/1500 models.

Now to address my "Insecurities" (@bama_ed), I wasn't going to get a Ford. In fact when we were looking I refused to look at them. I was just NOT a big Ford fan at all. I was going to go with the Chevy 2500 but my DW convinced me that if I was going to make a good comparison, I had to be "honest" and check out Ford. I ended up choosing FORD for one reason. We needed a Crew Cab. My kids are too big for an "Extended" cab. While the major truck makers all had descent Crew Cabs, Fords just had sooooo much more room for the kids. If you have ever traveled any distance with kids who are cranky and uncomfortable, you know that it makes your ride miserable too. So it ended up being a no brainer. That said, I have been happy with my Ford F150 XLT and now my Ford F250 Lariat. I can say, however, that I did like the Chevy too except for the space in the back seat (compared to Ford). Both DW and I didn't care for the Dodge. Nothing specific, it just didn't "Do it" for us.

Good luck in your journey.

Thanks for the questions. I'll hand them off to my husband, for his research. Right now, I think he's leaning toward a 250. But we're not real sure about the actual vehicle we're towing yet. That's mostly because we went looking at some fifth wheelers today and (of course) the dealer showed us something we hadn't researched yet.

One question - "unless you are going to be looking at a 5er " what's a 5er?

 

[2goofycampers]

One question - "unless you are going to be looking at a 5er " what's a 5er?

Another name for fifth wheel. My 2 cents. Get the camper and truck you want the first time. It gets expensive moving up. Been there done that.

 

[Teamubr]

Just starting some research in trailers and all, and I have a question:
what size truck would you recommend for hauling a Keystone Cougar lite?
Shipping Weight 7135
Carrying Capacity 2865
Hitch 1285

With the specs you posted, I'm guessing this is a 5th wheel. A travel trailer generally has a hitch weight about 10% of the trailer weight. I would expect a hitch weight around 700 lbs empty and up to about 1000 at the trailer limit.

Fifth wheels (5ers) run much more weight on the "pin" (hitch in the bed of the truck). Usually 15-20%.

If this is a 5th wheel and money isn't a big consideration, I'd go with a 3/4 ton pickup. (Ford F250, GM/Chevy/Dodge 2500). If it's a travel trailer (TT) that hooks to a hitch at the rear of the truck, I think any of the properly equipped 1/2 tons will do fine. This opens it up to bigger SUVs and Toyota and Nissan.

Why the difference between a TT and 5er? TTs are generally lower than a 5er and have less wind resistance. That resistance is a big strain on the tow vehicle. Also, 5ers usually have a lot more storage space and it's easier to load them up with more stuff. My 2nd trailer was a 33 ft TT. I only put about 6-700 lbs of stuff in it. I get well over 1000 lbs of junk (most I don't need) in my 5er because I can.

3/4 ton trucks are more expensive, but have several advantages. The first obvious one is they are heavier and built stronger... Literally from the frame up. The transmissions are also much stronger than a typical 1/2 ton. This help with longevity. IN a 3/4 ton, you also have the option of a diesel engine. Diesels are a lot more expensive. $6000 + for the Ford I think, but they tow incredibly well. Twice the torque of a gas engine. (Torque is what you want to pull heavy weights. It is what you feel when you accelerate despite all the marketing talking about horse power). They also get much better fuel mileage than a gas motor, especially when towing.

You know how you plan on using the trailer. If you are towing a lot and will use the truck a bunch, I'd go for a 3/4 ton diesel. It will be overkill for an 8500 lb 5er but it will do it with ease and pay for it self in reliability and resale (diesels typically resell very well)

If you won't be towing far or often, go for a 1/2 ton. Much cheaper and very capable for 8000 lbs. Put the money difference into options on the trailer or accessories.

For what it's worth, my 5th wheel I just traded in January after 13 years, weighed about 8-9000 lbs (same as where the Cougar will end up with you stuff in it.) I towed it all over the midwest and south with an F250 diesel. It was a great match. The truck was also my daily driver for much of the time. (Actually had 3 trucks in the 13 years- 2 F250s and my current F350 dually to tow a 20,000 lb race car trailer)

My 2 cents. Get the camper and truck you want the first time. It gets expensive moving up. Been there done that.

I'll second what Denise says! It took 3 trailers in 3 years to get the one I should have bought first. Kept that 3rd one for 13 years.

j

 

[PrincessShmoo]

With the specs you posted, I'm guessing this is a 5th wheel. A travel trailer generally has a hitch weight about 10% of the trailer weight. I would expect a hitch weight around 700 lbs empty and up to about 1000 at the trailer limit.

Fifth wheels (5ers) run much more weight on the "pin" (hitch in the bed of the truck). Usually 15-20%.

If this is a 5th wheel and money isn't a big consideration, I'd go with a 3/4 ton pickup. (Ford F250, GM/Chevy/Dodge 2500). If it's a travel trailer (TT) that hooks to a hitch at the rear of the truck, I think any of the properly equipped 1/2 tons will do fine. This opens it up to bigger SUVs and Toyota and Nissan.

Why the difference between a TT and 5er? TTs are generally lower than a 5er and have less wind resistance. That resistance is a big strain on the tow vehicle. Also, 5ers usually have a lot more storage space and it's easier to load them up with more stuff. My 2nd trailer was a 33 ft TT. I only put about 6-700 lbs of stuff in it. I get well over 1000 lbs of junk (most I don't need) in my 5er because I can.

3/4 ton trucks are more expensive, but have several advantages. The first obvious one is they are heavier and built stronger... Literally from the frame up. The transmissions are also much stronger than a typical 1/2 ton. This help with longevity. IN a 3/4 ton, you also have the option of a diesel engine. Diesels are a lot more expensive. $6000 + for the Ford I think, but they tow incredibly well. Twice the torque of a gas engine. (Torque is what you want to pull heavy weights. It is what you feel when you accelerate despite all the marketing talking about horse power). They also get much better fuel mileage than a gas motor, especially when towing.

You know how you plan on using the trailer. If you are towing a lot and will use the truck a bunch, I'd go for a 3/4 ton diesel. It will be overkill for an 8500 lb 5er but it will do it with ease and pay for it self in reliability and resale (diesels typically resell very well)

If you won't be towing far or often, go for a 1/2 ton. Much cheaper and very capable for 8000 lbs. Put the money difference into options on the trailer or accessories.

For what it's worth, my 5th wheel I just traded in January after 13 years, weighed about 8-9000 lbs (same as where the Cougar will end up with you stuff in it.) I towed it all over the midwest and south with an F250 diesel. It was a great match. The truck was also my daily driver for much of the time. (Actually had 3 trucks in the 13 years- 2 F250s and my current F350 dually to tow a 20,000 lb race car trailer)


I'll second what Denise says! It took 3 trailers in 3 years to get the one I should have bought first. Kept that 3rd one for 13 years.

j

Thanks, everyone. This is really great info. Yes, it's a fifth wheel we're thinking of getting.

 

[peg110]

Thanks, everyone. This is really great info. Yes, it's a fifth wheel we're thinking of getting.

That explains it.... I thought the "Hitch Weight" you listed was "High" for a travel trailer. As Teamubr pointed out, 5er is short hand for a "Fifth Wheel" and generally speaking, even though it "Hitches" up with the Truck, it's generally referred to as a "Pin Weight" on the 5er. Hitch weight is typically reserved for those that hook up to the hitch on (or rather near) the bumper.

There is often a significant difference in capacities of towing when comparing the towing from the Bumper versus towing from the "Pin" (in the bed of the truck) because of how and where the weight gets distributed. (The weight on a PIN in the Bed is generally right over the axle and is better supported).

I also agree that if you can get what you want (even though it may be more money) up front you are better off. The downside here is sometimes you don't know what you want until you have it. Sometimes you have something that you thought you wanted but find out.... maybe you don't need, like or want it. We are on our second TT, and this one has an oven. I was so excited, but now that we have it at home and I can better look at it, it doesn't impress me. Despite how large it looks on the outside, the useful space inside is limited. I might be able to make muffins in it. I think you can get more space out of a descent toaster oven.

Anyway, good luck with the camper hunting.

 

[jbrostek]

Peg you pegged it. On a standard TT you have to worry about Tounge weight and its limitations. On a 5th wheel you have pin weight and that is based on you trucks cargo AND RAWR (Rear Axle Weight Rating.) It is not uncommon to take 20-25% of the GVW of a 5th wheel as the pin weight. My trailer is closer to 25-28% due to the front storage areas being larger then the rear.

If you go look up the towing guides for what you are looking at truck wise and they can tell you more information on max 5th wheel.

 

[tltay2005]

Finally got around to seeing if our cart would fit in the bed of our new truck, and it does! Fits great, the rear wheels are inside the bed, so we can remove the tail gate if needed. Our only hick-up was that the rear seat foot rest scraped the ground, had to move truck forward down the slope of our driveway to load with out scraping. Depending on the angle of the site , may have to make some adjustments in loading and unloading. No biggie, just glad not to be making two trips to the fort anymore.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

and generally speaking, even though it "Hitches" up with the Truck, it's generally referred to as a "Pin Weight" on the 5er.

Well I just copied those specs directly from the Forest River website. That's how they had it listed.

 

[peg110]

Well I just copied those specs directly from the Forest River website. That's how they had it listed.

No worries. Technically speaking it's correct so you weren't wrong. Just gets confusing sometimes, which I am sure you already know, especially when talking about all the different "Weights". Combined..... Gross.... Combined Gross..... Registered..... Axle Weight.... Dry Weight.... Hitch, Tongue, Pin, and on and on and on....

 

[peg110]

Peg you pegged it