Towing a 5th wheel w/a 1/2 ton short box?

Warbirds

I just talked to a guy at a gas station who had a 5th wheel hooked up to a Tundra. It was a 2WD CrewMax (4door).

I asked how he was pulling a 5th wheel- if he could make tight turns & he said he had a special 5th wheel mount called a PullRight that pivots back only during tight turns to allow the 5th wheel on his truck.

Lets assume he was still legal with weight- I think its intriguing.
Anyone out there have experience with this widget?


You can probably skip the 1st 2:30 seconds of this video- which is just explaining the potential problem.
[media] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bugjIXCyzf8[/media]

Smitty500mag

bullshot

Smitty500mag wrote:

Yeah, that didn't happen.

Sig220_Ruger77

There are some custom 5th wheels that are specifically designed for 1/2 ton towing in mind. Besides those, I wouldn't be caught towing a 5th wheel with a 1/2 ton truck. Way too many things that could go wrong.

Then, you throw a short box into the equation and yikes! I realize I'm fairly new to the towing a travel trailer world, but there are situations where I felt I needed to really backdown and drive carefully with my 5,000 lb. trailer and 1/2 ton truck, which has a WDH and trailer breaks.

Jon

JasonV

I know someone with a goose neck ball in the bed of a short box F150. They pull a camper around with it.


Pickups with a bed shorter than 8 foot just don't work for me. They are really just a car with the trunk lid removed.

Smitty500mag

JasonV wrote:

I know someone with a goose neck ball in the bed of a short box F150. They pull a camper around with it.


Pickups with a bed shorter than 8 foot just don't work for me. They are really just a car with the trunk lid removed.

How much time do you spend driving around with your long bed pick-up truck loaded to the gills? Once in a blue moon like most people most likely. The majority of people with pick-ups don't haul anything 90 percent of the time so they don't need to haul around a tractor trailer size bed on their truck for that one time they might haul some 4' x 8' sheets of plywood.

select-fire

I recall the chevy 1/2 ton short bed coming for the 5th wheel I had. Pulls up in a new truck and said the dealer told him it would haul and pull anything. I told him that 36' fifth wheel would crush the bed in his wimpy little truck. I showed him the placard on the door and got out his owners manual. He asked if I would pull it to Texas.. I would never own any truck aside a long bed . It is funny when folks go to lowes and try and load stuff in a 6 foot or now 4' bed.

Sam06

I would think that would be kind of squirrelly especially on a winding road with a down hill grade.

select-fire

Kinda funny some of the dealers consider the short beds long beds now. Some trucks a long bed isn't offered. Ironic that when less of a vehicle are on the roads the insurance is way way cheaper as with my long bed Ford. Punishing the short bed owners.

Mobuck

My opinion is you NEVER have too much tow vehicle. I'm driving a 1/2 ton pickup as a work vehicle for tax purposes. The last 2 work pickups I've bought were short beds(1 crew cab and 1 x-cab) but I don't want one for farm use. During peak use times, even an 8' bed is full of stuff and a shortbed just doesn't have enough space. Another factor is a longer wheelbase makes a more stable towing platform.

toad67

Smitty500mag wrote:

JasonV wrote:

I know someone with a goose neck ball in the bed of a short box F150. They pull a camper around with it.


Pickups with a bed shorter than 8 foot just don't work for me. They are really just a car with the trunk lid removed.

How much time do you spend driving around with your long bed pick-up truck loaded to the gills? Once in a blue moon like most people most likely. The majority of people with pick-ups don't haul anything 90 percent of the time so they don't need to haul around a tractor trailer size bed on their truck for that one time they might haul some 4' x 8' sheets of plywood.

Should the same line of reasoning apply to 4 wheel drive??

JasonV

toad67 wrote:

Smitty500mag wrote:

JasonV wrote:

I know someone with a goose neck ball in the bed of a short box F150. They pull a camper around with it.


Pickups with a bed shorter than 8 foot just don't work for me. They are really just a car with the trunk lid removed.

How much time do you spend driving around with your long bed pick-up truck loaded to the gills? Once in a blue moon like most people most likely. The majority of people with pick-ups don't haul anything 90 percent of the time so they don't need to haul around a tractor trailer size bed on their truck for that one time they might haul some 4' x 8' sheets of plywood.

Should the same line of reasoning apply to 4 wheel drive??

It not worth driving if it isn?t 4x4

toad67

JasonV wrote:

toad67 wrote:

Smitty500mag wrote:

How much time do you spend driving around with your long bed pick-up truck loaded to the gills? Once in a blue moon like most people most likely. The majority of people with pick-ups don't haul anything 90 percent of the time so they don't need to haul around a tractor trailer size bed on their truck for that one time they might haul some 4' x 8' sheets of plywood.

Should the same line of reasoning apply to 4 wheel drive??

It not worth driving if it isn?t 4x4

Agree, was responding to the part about the 8 foot bed. I agree with you 100% on the long bed part..

Horse Plains Drifter

toad67 wrote:

JasonV wrote:

toad67 wrote:

Should the same line of reasoning apply to 4 wheel drive??

It not worth driving if it isn?t 4x4

Agree, was responding to the part about the 8 foot bed. I agree with you 100% on the long bed part..

Yep, those pickups with the piss-ant beds........Those jokers just need to get a car.

Mobuck

"Yep, those pickups with the piss-ant beds........Those jokers just need to get a car."

But then the "pansy pants Dudes" can't say they drive a "TRUCK".

Warbirds

Pretty telling where this forum is.

Nothing pertinent and no experience on the actual topic so instead of keeping quiet the guys who use a truck for a living have to chime in and trash talk everyone who has ever bought a truck for any lessor reason.

NeoBlackdog

Warbirds wrote:

Pretty telling where this forum is.

Nothing pertinent and no experience on the actual topic so instead of keeping quiet the guys who use a truck for a living have to chime in and trash talk everyone who has ever bought a truck for any lessor reason.

Indeed. I lived out of my truck when I was a contractor (24 years) and had nothing but X-cab short beds. Hauled everything I needed hauled, had a lumber rack and trailer for other stuff. Much more maneuverable than the long beds. Pulling a 5th wheel? Yeah, I'd want a long bed, but for day to day working the 6'6" short bed was just fine.

GTRiem2

I have experience with the PullRite slider hitch.
Its a mechanical (automatic) version to the regular manual "slider" 5th wheel hitch.
It does not change towing capacity or anything else as its mounted over axel on rails as other hitches
The problem it solves is the potential for the trailer corner to take out the rear window of the truck.
The tighter the turn the further back the hitch slides, returning to center as you pull back straight.
Hopefully that's enough room to not kink the front of the trailer into the cab.
Being automatic you save getting in and out of the truck to pull pin to allow sliding.
Pretty handy in my opinion.
Probably will see most trucks using these as there really is very little standard's as to front cap shape and pin box placement including dimensions from face of trailer. The truck beds are all over the place lengthwise.
GTR