Making the switch from 21' to 5.0TA

[Don W.]

Well, After much debate,

We have decided to forgo our July 21' production date. Instead we will wait till 2015 and get the 5.0 TA!!!!!!!!!!!!1

"Family Affair" Yes I like Sly and the Family Stone, is going to be used by me and my wife, and for as many trips as she can handle, Mom, who started me camping herself.

The layout just seemed to be a better fit for it all, and I am really interested in the 5th wheel hitch setup for stability, ease of connection, and turning ability. So our wait will be longer, but I feel in the long run it will be worth it.

Now, some questions on Hitches and weights.

1. It seems that with the pin weight, weight of hitch itself, and us, we are getting close to the payload of my Toyota Tundra....Seems wierd, but maybe I am miscalculating.

2. with the rails in the bed, does anyone find them annoying if you are a carpenter? I was just going to build a little platform over them

3. The above could be mitigated, by getting a Ford F250. Plenty of payload, towing, and the 5th wheel hitch rails are below the bed. You just hook in a nifty setup and you have your hitch

Thoughts? I love my Toyota Tundra and the reliability but the tow mirrors and those below bed rails for the hitch are appealing.

Donna D. and Alf, I will be asking you lots of questions.

Alf, you can have my site at the fall Escape rally...I wont have a rig.....

Thanks again

Don and Brenda

[MarksAlot]

Congrats Don. I looked hard and long at the 5.0 and thought about waiting for a 5.0 TA. Really nice and a great floor plan, storage and amenities.

I owned a 30' Keystone Everest (GVW about 12,000 lbs) and our TV was a 2005 Ford F250 4WD with a Triton V10. It towed wonderfully. The ride was better towing the trailer and I had little problem backing it into spots, but most times we got a pull-through spot. The big drawback was the gas mileage. Towing, I got about 7 MPG and 9-10 w/o the trailer.

Not sure what the MPG would be with a 5.0 TA. There's less weight, but the 3/4 ton trucks aren't known for their fuel mileage.

The 5th wheel king pin in the bed was a 16000 lb Reese and worked great. Easy to hook up and disconnect. The F250 we had was a long bed, which made it easier to maneuver. It was left in the bed most of he time, as it was heavy and took 2 of us to remove if we wanted to use the full truck bed.

All in all, the 5th wheel setup is superior in towing. You just have to have a pickup and the kingpin in the bed.

Best of luck. You'll be very happy in 2015.

[paulw]

I read the title and thought CPA Jim started this thread.....

[Not so Big Al]

Hi Don and Brenda.
I noticed at ETI that Reace had one of those thick truck mats in his truck bed with a section cut out where the rails are. I'm thinking of going this route myself.
Al

[elongest]

Don
I put rails in my pick-up a couple of weeks ago. Two days later I needed to haul 20 sheets of sheet rock. I laid 2x4 in the bed to level things up. E-trailer has a video about trimming up a bedliner to fit around the rails, but I like the stall mat suggestion.
Eddie

[padlin]

I've got a rubber bed mat, installed my rails last week, will be cutting the mat to fit the rails when I get to it. Been thinking about picking up a 4x8 of the pink or green styrofoam insulation. If I can get the right thickness, cut into 3 to fit under the rubber when I need the truck bed might work.

Won't know about payload requirements till someone actually weights one, hopefully soon.

[MarksAlot]

There's also some good spray in bed liners that hold up very well in day-to-day pickup truck use. It may cost a bit more, but it depends on what works best for you.

Your only limitations are your imagination and your budget.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Don W.

1. It seems that with the pin weight, weight of hitch itself, and us, we are getting close to the payload of my Toyota Tundra....Seems wierd, but maybe I am miscalculating.

Curious as to the numbers here, both the expected loaded weight of the 5.0, as well as the carrying/towing capacities of the truck. I don't know what the capacities of the Tundra is, but I sure would have thought it to be adequate.

[Donna D.]

Crap-o-la, I can't answer any questions. My new truck has exactly 38 miles on the odometer, but is "supposed" to be able to handle in excess of 10,000 lbs towing.

If you own a Tundra, I'm betting you're close to the same. Those are NOT wimpy trucks. Check your owners manual first. Everything else is speculation.

Exciting times ahead!

[MarksAlot]

Hey, if you saw a Tundra tow the space shuttle on TV, you know it can handle a 5.0.

The thing with a 5th wheel setup, the weight is over the rear axle, not the rear bumper, so it can handle more weight and is more stable.

[padlin]

Would think payload is the issue, not towing capacity. Donna, yours should be on the yellow tire pressure and load sticker on the door jamb.

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by padlin

Would think payload is the issue, not towing capacity. Donna, yours should be on the yellow tire pressure and load sticker on the door jamb.

Yeppers Bob. I could tow nearly any trailer currently built. And it's a V-6! Moving from a Triton V-8 to a V-6 I expected a drop in power from acceleration. OMG it feels like moving from a four cylinder to a 12 cylinder. Doing the happy dance! Don't worry. I'm buying an all molded towable, not a brick on wheels.
When I find the dang camera, I'll take a pic of the door jam sticker and post it. Stand by...

[7th Heaven]

With all the challenge around hitch rails why haven't more folk adopted a goose neck hitch system?

Ultimate 5th Wheel Connection

[padlin]

The only negatives I can see are you need either rails or a Gooseneck in the bed. You have the addition of safety chains to get to, no idea if that's a hassle with the higher truck beds. If no one has, it should be run by ETI to verify it does not effect the frame warranty.

Sure would be nice to have the lighter weight though.

[Don W.]

Okay here are my tundra weights.
Door sticker said truck capacity is 1255

Manual said 1400

My calculations
Pin weight 500
People 440
Hitch itself 150
Dog 65
Misc stuff 100

Total 1255

Seems odd. That is one reason I am considering an upgrade to a larger truck. Did I miscalculate?

With my casita tongue load of 350 or so I wasn't far from this but that thing felt like a toy behind the tundra.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Donna D.

Crap-o-la, I can't answer any questions. My new truck has exactly 38 miles on the odometer, but is "supposed" to be able to handle in excess of 10,000 lbs towing.

If you own a Tundra, I'm betting you're close to the same. Those are NOT wimpy trucks. Check your owners manual first. Everything else is speculation.

Exciting times ahead!

Donna,
You maybe confusing tow capacity versus carrying capacity. They are called "1/2" ton
trucks for a reason, they were originally designed to carry 1000 lbs. My Ram hemi can pull close to 12,000 pounds, but it can only carry about 1/10 of that amount. Check your specs, with a heavy pin weight, 4 passengers, fuel, you maybe also approaching the limit.

[cpaharley2008]

Don,
It looks like you maybe needing another $35k for an upgrade, so now you package is close to $70K. It is these things that keep the economy growing, spoken by a "7 trailer in 6 years" owner.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Don W.

With my casita tongue load of 350 or so I wasn't far from this but that thing felt like a toy behind the tundra.

Using your numbers, you will only be adding 300 lbs to the load (extra 150 from the trailer, and extra 150 from the hitch, plus it would be a better loading in the middle of the truck bed.

I would talk to your dealer, and see if a factory tow package adds and capacity as well, I know with Ford it does.

[onetim]

I believe the pin weight of the 5.0 single axle is closer to 600 pounds. The 5.0TA is unknown but I'm guessing it will be heavier.

The capacity of my Frontier is 1160 pounds. Towing capacity is 6300 pounds. The cargo capacity is the limiting factor for these 5th wheels.

Originally Posted by Don W.

Okay here are my tundra weights.
Door sticker said truck capacity is 1255

Manual said 1400

My calculations
Pin weight 500
People 440
Hitch itself 150
Dog 65
Misc stuff 100

Total 1255

[cpaharley2008]

I'm guessing 700 to 800 lbs for the 5.0 TA. "wet"