Hi all another newbie 'just about' seeking advise - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Hi all another newbie 'just about' seeking advise

surfsupirate · RV-Dreams Community Member

Hello folks... first post and hope it lands correctly. Just back to the good 'ol USofA after a long vacation in C/America and decided to try something I've had on my radar for a long time. Will be purchasing a used 5th wheel within a week and looking for some advise. Have been eyeballing this forum/site for a while and decided it was definitely the most informative and friendly out there.

Here's my situ: Will be driving-5th wheel towing/camping/wifi-working around the SWest for a few months til I find a spot that I fall for.

My issue is I don't want to upgrate my truck this year til I've done this for 6 or so months and the truck is a 1999 F150 Factory 4x4/tow package and the Triton V8 5.4 with auto transmission (yeck).

If any of you can spare a moment to advise on what my reality is in terms of MAX 5th size/weight I would REALLY REALLY appreciate it! I'm installing a 5th hitch in bed this Saturday and will drive around So Cal over the next few days eyeballing 5ths from San Diego to Venture/Inland Empire til I see one I just have to hook up to.

This will be my first experience as a mobile/towing camper as I've been a tent guy forever so don't be shy in telling me I'm nuts with what I've been looking at..need a reality check!

What I'm looking at next week is:

1999 26' Wildwood 5th UVW ~6500 lbs

1998 27' Komfort UVW `7000 lbs

1999 27' Coachman Catalina 6700 lbs UVW

2002 Wilderness 27' ~7000 UVW

AND the one I really really would like but don't know if it's too much weight is a friends Alpha 5th wheel, 1997, 29RL 30' that has a dry weight of 8500 lbs.... I mean I really like this one's setup but am I dreaming with what my tow vehicle is?

So that's the short list I've got so far and thank anyone and everyone here in advance for any advise on this!

Hope to see ya's on the road!

Steve d

CO/CA/Costa Rica

surfsupirate biggrin

VanMar · RV-Dreams Family Member

Steve

Just my two cents. My experience is pulling a 25' TT with a UVW of 4800 lbs. with a 5.3L Chevy half ton. The truck was struggling up all but the slightest hills. Aren't FW hitches around $1500 - 2000 installed? My advice....save your money! Check the manual for your trucks max towing capacity. Then get a travel trailer with a GVWR (forget the UVW) that doesn't exceed that figure. Also, make sure it has GOOD brakes!

BTW, the A/T gives the truck a higher tow capacity.

Good luck with the decision making and like Mike said, Keep it safe!

Vance

surfsupirate · RV-Dreams Community Member

Thanks Mike..... from what the manual lists :

looks like the 7700 lbs figure for my 5.4L is max for the 5th wheeler including tv, clothes, chow etc. safe to say I need to keep the dry weight to 6700 lbs? or am i missing something? no problems on tongue/axle weight of any of the vehicles I'm looking at. I am open to any modifications recommended.

F-150 4x4 automatic transmission

Engine Rear axle
ratio
Maximum GCWRkg (lbs.) Maximum trailer weight-kg (lbs.)
Regular Cab F-150
4.2L 3.55 4 530 (10 000) 2 449 (5 400)
4.6L 3.55/16 in 5 209 (11 500) 3 084 (6 800)
4.6L 3.55/17 in 4 983 (11 000) 2 852 (6 300)
5.4L 3.55/16 in 5 753 (12 700) 3 576 (7 900)
5.4L 3.55/17 in 5 753 (12 700) 3 531 (7 800)
SuperCab F-150
4.6L 3.55/16 in 5 209 (11 500) 2 993 (6 600)
4.6L 3.55/17 in 4 983 (11 000) 2 761 (6 100)
5.4L 3.55/16 in 5 753 (12 700) 3 492 (7 700)
5.4L 3.73/17 in Maximum GCWR kg 5 753 lbs (12 700) Maximum trailer weight-kg (lbs.)3 492 (7 700)

surfsupirate · RV-Dreams Community Member

thanks Mike selling truck buying a Dodge 2500 4x4 w Cummins diesel. Going with the Wildwood 26'
http://inlandempire.craigslist.org/rvs/3174844940.html as I'm going to be spending significant time in it and its floor plan is adequate with super slides. I work a lot in the Rockies so taking into consideration your experience's and advise, I would rather not find out the hard way on the 160 zipping thru Wolf Creek pass or I70 that I towed underpowered/capabilities etc.

Thanks again and maybe see ya out there when I " If I make a fool out of myself I can just sneek out in the nite and in the morning I have a new set of people in a new land, with a new Sunrise...." which sounds all too familiar....

Steve out

Edit by moderator: Activated link. Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Thursday 4th of October 2012 03:01:18 PM

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Right off not knowing the year of your truck, a transmission cooler and oil cooler is in order.....if your truck has an ED04 transmission your going to have problems with it.......because your 4 wheel drive all 4 tires will have to be changed to a load range that will handle the weight.......if your truck is a short box it will require a slide hitch......and you will be living small or very lite weight....

by the time you figure all the mods up it is going to be cheaper to find a nice used 3/4 ton or 1 ton that will do the job......I know this kind of puts a damper on things but better to start out right rather than find out the hard way $$$$$$$$$$$.....that its not going to work correctly.

if you are just weekending and not touring the country with all your belongings I guess a 1/2 ton would travel the short distances required..........but to fulltime even using a featherlite type unit its going to be small and your going to have to be very weight smart about it...

it is doable, its just from exspierience and seeing what has happen to others and myself it will definitely cut into the budget as you go along.........This is only my opinion ,some are good and some are bad.....but thats why I live in an RV......If I make a fool out of myself I can just sneek out in the nite and in the morning I have a new set of people in a new land, with a new Sunrise.....................Life is good!!!!!!!!

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Not bad for the price........nice set up for just starting out, keep your eye out as you get going steve , a small generator and add another battery to your system and lite duty boondocking will be nice.......

hope to see you out there....I have a few more months stuck up here in New hampshire until the doctors let me go But we will see you out there this is just one big backyard!!!!!!!

As you surf around the internet you will always find yourself back here.......the people on this site Just become Family very Quickly and the knowledge and helpfulness just want to make you be here to absorb and become part of it!!!!!!!!

Welcome and enjoy the dream .....We are all here for the same reason and glad to help you become part of it!!!!!!