Escape 5.0 hitch????

[mrpdk]

Hello All,

We are considering moving from our current Escape 19 to an Escape 5.0. Some of your thoughts would be helpful.

1. What is your recommended type of in Truck bed system for towing? (I have read there are several options)

2.Our tow vehicle now is a 2015 4.7 V8 Toyota Tundra. Your thoughts on; if this is enough power to pull effectively?

Thank you paul

 

[Centex]

1. What is your recommended type of in Truck bed system for towing? (I have read there are several options)

Two main types are the traditional 5th-wheel hitch with a large bearing-plate on top, and the Andersen hitch with a ball-connection.

Both of those types can be further subdivided into those mounting to "bed rails" or those mounting to a 'gooseball'; the former rails stay in your truck bed when the hitch is removed, the latter can usually be removed from the bed when the hitch is removed. Both require robust steel assemblies installed between the underside of the truck bed and the truck frame.

Some (IMO) generalizations
Traditional 5th-wheel hitch

• tend to be rather heavy, impacting both useable payload and ease of removal
• some can be 'noisy' due to the number of separate articulated connections in the hitch
• no safety chains required in any jurisdiction

Andersen

• Probably the lightest hitch available
• quiet because the only moving connection is the closely-fitted ball
• safety chains required in most jurisdictions

Rail mount

• tend to be lighter assemblies than removable gooseball mounts
• tend to be less expensive than a removable gooseball mount
• present a permanent ~3/8" high 'obstruction' at two places across the bed when the hitch is removed (many folks don't object to this)
• wide variety of 'bolt-in kit' brands available to fit most (but not all) truck make / model / bed configurations

Gooseball mount

• tend to be heavier assemblies than rail mount systems
• tend to be more expensive than rail mount systems
• with the gooseball removed, the bed is without any obstructions ('flat' like OE with nothing in the bed, desirable for some folks)
• may not be offered as a 'bolt-in' kit for as many truck models as rail mount kits

I mention and advocate the use of a 'bolt-in mounting kit' whenever possible, even if installed by a shop, because they are designed for vehicle-specific fitment and avoid drilling, welding. or otherwise altering the vehicle frame.

There's folks on this forum towing 5.0 trailers with every possible combination of the above and perfectly happy / enthusiastic about their choices. Much depends on your personal preferences, vehicle and / or personal-lifting weight constraints, how you use your truck bed when not towing, etc, etc.

I am among those very happy with the combination of a B&W Turnoverball (removable gooseball) and the Andersen Ultimate Hitch which mates to that. Key attributes of that system which I like for my purposes

• light lifting-weight of the components I remove when not towing
• my truck bed is perfectly 'flat' when the hitch is removed (no obstruction whatsoever for sliding items in / out of the bed)

The e-trailer website is one you may find useful - you can enter your truck-specific data and see options for both mounting systems and hitches designed to work with that truck.

All just FYI, hope that helps

 

[GinoandLinda]

The Tundra should work but I would check the payload capacity and towing capacity (two different but very important specs) to be sure. ETI use to recommend 6' bed or longer but I believe they have moved away from that. There are plenty of folks towing 5.0s with the 5.5' bed with no issues.

Centex summed up the hitch requirements perfectly. All I'll say is I love the Andersen hitch for it's ease of use and quiet operation.

 

[DanandDaphne]

If you were towing your 19 with your Tundra and you were ok with it you will probably be fine with the 5.0. There isn't that much difference in the two except the 5.0 puts a couple hundred more pounds of weight on the truck. Check your door sticker for your carrying capacity and subtract anything you have added to the truck from that.

Does your 2015 have a six speed transmission or the four speed? We towed our 5.0 with our 2002 Tundra and the 4.7 was powerful enough but the 4 speed just wasn't enough gears. There were a lot of times driving in the mountains that we were stuck in second gear, not enough power to hold third and if there was a gear between the two it might have made it more livable. I think they may have gotten a bit more HP out of the 4.7 later on as well.

We now have a 24 Tundra with the twin turbo V6 and 10 speed and it is an amazing tug for the 5.0.

 

[iamunique127]

We tow our 5.0TA with a 2013 Tundra 5.7L. There is no lack of power with that engine. The 5.0TA tows easily and I suspect your engine size will not be an issue. In a 2015 you should also have a capable transmission. Does your truck have a factory tow package and does it include a transmission cooler?

We have a rail mount system and, although the rails are in the bed permanently, I find I can work around the obstructions with no problems, even when carrying various building and other materials in the box. I have a heavy rubber bed mat I put over the rails in the off-season.

In these parts a Tundra with a 4.6L engine is a double cab with a 6' box. If that is the case with your model you should be able to find a universal rail mount kit that will bolt on but you may want to check for yourself.

You don't mention the cab configuration or whether your truck is 2x4 or 4x4. That will influence the towing and payload capacities. Our 2013 is a CrewMax and, although it has plenty of towing capacity, it has limited payload. We started out with a traditional fifth wheel hitch (as described by Centex above) but it was quite heavy and really cut into our payload. This year we switched to a rail-mount Anderson Ultimate hitch for the weight savings. I have to be quite careful of what I carry in the cab and the box to stay within the payload rating. Your payload should be listed on a sticker on the driver's side door jam.

I hope this is of some use to you.

 

[mrpdk]

Thank you all so far for the information.

 

[Scambo1]

I tow my 5.0 ta with a 2021 tundra 5.7 using the anderson hitch. I have a 4” setback ball that mounts to the underbed gooseneck assembly because I have the crewmax and short bed. It all works well and my tundra doesnt even know the camper is back there.

 

[SkipperClyde]

I towed my 2016 5.0 with a 2006 4.7L Tundra for years with no problems including the mountains in Colorado. I also used an Anderson rail mount hitch system. I like the lightweight design reducing the weight in the bed and ease of removal.

 

[Michael.Chadwick]

Hello All,

We are considering moving from our current Escape 19 to an Escape 5.0. Some of your thoughts would be helpful.

1. What is your recommended type of in Truck bed system for towing? (I have read there are several options)

2.Our tow vehicle now is a 2015 4.7 V8 Toyota Tundra. Your thoughts on; if this is enough power to pull effectively?

Thank you paul

We have a 5.0 and love the way it tows, there are times when I forget its attached. We use an andersen 5th wheel hitch and tow with a dodge ram 1500.

 

[mrpdk]

Thank you

 

[Chris&Maureen]

This is all very good information. Our current configuration is as follows: We have a 2021 5.0TA with a Reese Goosebox installed instead of the standard kingpin to the Lippert frame. Our current truck is a 2020 RAM 1500 EcoDiesel 3.0L turbo crew cab. Installed on the truck is the B&W Turnover ball and we are using the 4" offset. The truck bed is the 6½ foot bed. The 4" offset was helpful to make sure the tailgate could open and close when hitched up.

The main reason for going this route versus using the Anderson hitch was seeing some Anderson frame failures if there ever was an accident. I realize this is an expensive solution, but not having to put anything in the back of the truck like a conventional kingpin hitch saves my back. BTW, our previous truck was a 2006 Tundra 2WD with the 6 foot bed. At that time, we had a Bigfoot 5th wheel with the conventional kingpin hitch and rails for that truck. Since the Tundra only had the four-speed transmission there were a few times my RPMs would be over 4K going over the Rockies. The Ram has an eight-speed transmission and even when towing I get around 18MPG.

The challenge I overcame with this current configuration was the hitching process. I use a plumb bob connected to a magnet that I attach under the Goosebox socket, so I know my clearance height to raise or lower the fifth wheel. I then use the two magnetic "tennis ball" on telescoping rods to help with my side-to-side alignment. Lastly, I use a wireless magnetic back up camera that I stick to the wheel well hump so I can see the turnover ball for my alignment front to back. With this method, I can get hitched up by myself very quickly.

 

[Chris&Maureen]

Here is a photo of our current setup

 

[JumpinJoe]

I towed my 2016 5.0 with a 2006 4.7L Tundra for years with no problems including the mountains in Colorado. I also used an Anderson rail mount hitch system. I like the lightweight design reducing the weight in the bed and ease of removal.

Hi SkipperClyde!
Interesting I have the exact set as you do. Year, make and model of trailer, truck and hitch. Also loved how it all performed in the mountains of Colorado! Nice to meet you here... cheers

 

[jjdeluca]

Hi Paul (mrpdk)
We've also been using the Andersen Ultimate Hitch (rail mount version) to tow our 5.0 and have been very happy. I can't speak to the Tundra (we're towing with an F150 short bed) but if you'd like, I'd be happy to show you our set up & how easy it is to install/remove (I see you're in Folsom, not too far from us).

 

[iamunique127]

Here is a photo of our current setup

Nice simple set up.