"The Myth of the 1/2 Ton Towable 5th Wheel" - Trailer Life Magazine

[JohnD]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

Correct GVW is the actual weight, published GVW is the catalog weight with no options.

Any spec with an "R" is a "rating" and is a maximum.

So what do you think?

Would you tow this Sundance in question comfortably with a Ford F150?

 

[iaflatlander]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

Being the Sundance and Ford are mine, here are some facts: the truck is rated on the Ford towing specs site to be rated at 11,300 lbs and the trailer was weighed on a CAT scale, loaded as we were headed out at 7,643 lbs.

This thread is getting too personal for me so this is my last post. Just wanted our "baby" to be fairly described.

Hope you all have a great day. We love our Sundance and this site.

 

[racinjake]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

Being the Sundance and Ford are mine, here are some facts: the truck is rated on the Ford towing specs site to be rated at 11,300 lbs and the trailer was weighed on a CAT scale, loaded as we were headed out at 7,643 lbs.

This thread is getting too personal for me so this is my last post. Just wanted our "baby" to be fairly described.

Hope you all have a great day. We love our Sundance and this site.

my sundance is the 265rk 28.5' long the brother to the 245.
booked specs are....

Specifications for Model SD XLT 265RK
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR)	9,900 lbs
Dry Weight	6,778 lbs
Hitch Weight	1,270 lbs

my curb weight is 7032 actual.
my 2014 f 150 tow capacity is 11,300 lbs and a payload of 3400lbs.
i run at 8250 loaded, well within specs of either vehicle.
maybe someone from heartland needs to join this thread and tie this all together.

 

[branson4020]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

Some of these these newer F150s have mind-boggling payload capacities - more than my older dodge 3500. I like it! But I'm still not switching.

 

[JohnD]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

Some of these these newer F150s have mind-boggling payload capacities - more than my older dodge 3500. I like it! But I'm still not switching.

I think it is more sales hype than it is reality . . .

 

[racinjake]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

I think it is more sales hype than it is reality . . .

would'nt it put ford liable for billions in damages if this was "sales hype"?? not reality.....

 

[JohnD]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

would'nt it put ford liable for billions in damages if this was "sales hype"?? not reality.....

I prefer to use common sense . . .

 

[jnbhobe]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

I was just glancing at 15 F-150 towing specs, 11,500 towing. 17K + GCWR

 

[GOTTOYS]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

would'nt it put ford liable for billions in damages if this was "sales hype"?? not reality.....

I have to think the Ford engineers, their Marketing Department along with their Legal Department maybe know a bit more about what their vehicle is capable of and how they should present it than a few naysayers on some RV forum. It might even haul more than a Chev 2500 gasser who knows? The weights are all printed on the tag on the doorpost. Nice and legal, just as it should be. They've been building this combination for a few years now.....I wouldn't hesitate to use it the way it is advertised...JMHO...Don

 

[caissiel]

I was at a festival with over 800 RVs parked and everyone was having fun. There was 3 Duellies and maybe a maximum of 5 Heavy duty trucks pulling trailers the rest were all pulled with 1/2 tons. To me 95% of campers having a great time camping are driving 1/2 tons.
By my experience its a myth that a heavier truck can stop a camper properly or better then a 1/2 ton. Most1/2 tons have larger front tires then any Duellies on the road. And when the brakes on a trailer fails the front brakes will let go first due to front wheel lockup and the antilocks will come on loosing the front wheel capacity.
I keep hearing that line and it scares me to think that some think like that. The only safe way to pull a trailer is use the transport method of driving and leave the proper spacing and drive defensively.
Just because you drive a big duelly pulling a 26ft trailer I will not think you drive more safely then anyone else. Remember that you need to change both rear tires if you drive any distance with a flat on one wheel due to overloading of the overloaded smaller tire.

 

[Birchwood]

I just finished traveling to Florida with a couple diving a 1/2 ton short wheelbase Dodge hauling a 32 ft(approx.) fifth wheel with 3 slides.
The rear tires on the truck were suppressed by half.They never drove over 55 mph and always stayed back.It was a long drive at that
speed but they made it to Cocoa .It was their first trip south and they were very excited.

 

[JanAndBill]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

I posted a picture of an accident I ran of a 1/2 ton, 5th wheel combination on this forum awhile back. Both were in the ditch, wheels up. In looking at the accident and talking to the driver. He got off the edge slightly and over corrected when he came back on the highway. As he described it, there was pendulum effect as the top of the trailer swung over, causing him to over correct the other direction. At that point the top of the trailer swung back the opposite direction taking him over. I'm not saying that having a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton would have totally prevented this, but it would have been less likely. Manufacturer's load capacities are based on equal distribution of weight. When you're loaded near the capacity of the tow vehicle there is no room for a sudden shift in load. I have no doubt that I could drive a 1/2 to, 5th wheel combination, but wouldn't want to. When I get to the point that I can't afford a proper combination I'll either go down in size or quit.

 

[Bohemian]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

By my experience its a myth that a heavier truck can stop a camper properly or better then a 1/2 ton.

Really????

 

[jnbhobe]

If RV mfg would offer disc brakes on their rigs it would make a difference in the truck you need to have.

 

[oreo4772]

Re: That 'I can tow it with...' link on Heartland's website is bogus . . .

Well I have a 2005 F-150 4x4 with 5.4 engine tow package and 9 1/4 rear end with 3.73 gears. I pulled my 2011 265RK Sundance and it seems to handle it fine. I will be heading from Mi back to AZ end of august. Will drive a respectable speed and I should be fine. Truck is rated to pull 8100lbs I believe a 1650 payload my hitch weight is 1260 on my 5th wheel. I drove tractor trailer for 28 years over the road and only one accident and was not my fault. I'm retired now and use common sense and take my time and leave every trip with ample time to get there.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[nfa1eab]

I think the bigger issue is this . . .

Somebody out there is doing trailer hitch installations that are nowhere near up to the task of pulling today's RV's!

Sooner or later . . . somebody will get killed . . . then maybe . . . just maybe . . . some government agency will look at it and tell us it

My heavens, who on earth needs the government to tell them what is right. Wake up and make responsible decisions for your self and don't rely on others to tell you what is right or safe!!

 

[BLHFUN]

my heavens, who on earth needs the government to tell them what is right. Wake up and make responsible decisions for your self and don't rely on others to tell you what is right or safe!!

love it!

 

[caissiel]

Re: "The Myth of the 1/2 Ton Towable 5th Wheel" - Trailer Life Magazine

I think the bigger issue is this . . .

Somebody out there is doing trailer hitch installations that are nowhere near up to the task of pulling today's RV's!

Sooner or later . . . somebody will get killed . . . then maybe . . . just maybe . . . some government agency will look at it and tell us it

My heavens, who on earth needs the government to tell them what is right. Wake up and make responsible decisions for your self and don't rely on others to tell you what is right or safe!!

My 5th wheel hitch is 23 years old and much stronger then any frame on my 5th wheel. After repaires to my unit I no longer worry about the trailer hooked to my hitch. In an accident the trailer hitch frame will fall apart before any damage to my truck cab. It just 1/8" tubing that I feel it's made to crumble. Of course my frame is now much stronger but I will just need the be aware of the frame limits being stronger then the original.

 

[JohnD]

My heavens, who on earth needs the government to tell them what is right. Wake up and make responsible decisions for your self and don't rely on others to tell you what is right or safe!!

Yeah . . . right . . .

By the way, I did make the right decision, but every single day I see trailers being pulled by vehicles that shouldn't be pulling something half the size it is.

Maybe one of them will find you one of these days . . .

Oh wait . . . maybe you are one of those!

 

[nfa1eab]

JohnD, Sorry my post offended you but you really believe that the our government should make decisions about what you can drive or pull, and that it will make the roads safer? Sounds pretty naive to me. The less they do the better off we all are.