Thinking about a 5.0

[lcseds]

Greetings community!

My wife and I are pondering the purchase of a 5.0. Couple of questions.

Will Escape set up a fifth wheel hitch for an F150? What brand do they use if they do? Or do I need to find some place to install this before pickup?

Will the 11,000 A/C hold up in southern US heat and humidity? Seems small.

Does anyone experience the bucking or chucking while driving with this fifth wheel?

Thanks in advance. We are all over the place in trying to decide what to buy. I currently have a diesel F350 long bed dually. I would like to downsize for sure if going with the Escape 5.0.

 

[cpaharley2008]

Welcome Ed, to our Escape world. There is a hitch place near Escape in Chilliwack, called Trademasters that do most of their work. If you are not picking up then Escape can give the info needed. As fas as air conditioning, with the insulation and thermal windows the 11,000 btu can handle the heat, anything bigger would cycle on/off too much. BTW, there are several 5.0 owners with Ford trucks, good combo....

 

[C&G in FL]

Ed....the 5.0TA is a good choice, as is the F-150. The 250 and 350 could be considered “overkill” for the TA, and provide a less comfortable ride when not towing. You can get almost any 5th Wheel hitch, but I would recommend you get one with “jaws” that surround the king pin rather than the sliding bar. Almost any RV repair facility can install a hitch. If you use a rail system they are bolted through the bed to brackets which are themselves bolted through preexisting holes in the truck’s frame. Some people prefer the Anderson hitch, which essentially converts the king pin to a ball which fits in a coupler. The Anderson requires safety chains. Anderson has multiple configurations. But there is no reason that you cannot have the hitch installed before leaving to pick up the trailer. ETI will check the height (best to tow level) and adjust the hitch height if necessary while you are going through your orientation. Also, if you are installing the television wall bracket, make sure you bring the TV. Unless ETI has changed its policy, they will not install the bracket unless they have the TV.

 

[marsman]

C&G is correct, last April we showed up with a bracket and no TV and they would not install the bracket alone. We bought an Anderson Ultimate Hitch for our TA and Trademasters in Chilliwack a few minutes down the street from Escape installed it the day before we picked up our 5th wheel. I tow with a 2015 Ford F150 with the V8; we towed our new 5.0TA from Chilliwack back home, a distance of about 2600 over the Rockies and it towed really nicely!! Honestly at 60 mph on flat highways I kept forgetting it was back there, over the mountains the tranny would switch gears on the steep climbs and descents but it never felt like the engine was working very hard. Going across the prairies we had one exceptionally windy day with strong crosswinds from the south, the rig felt really stable and my steering wheel did not wobble. We absolutely love travelling with this thing!!

 

[UncleTim]

Dori & Mena

Check these guys out. They have a 2015 5.0TA and "They Love It". Several good videos there.

We pick ours up in May right before the rally.

We are using TradeMasters and installing the Anderson Hitch (not the goosenceck). And we are also installing air bags.

We drive a Toyota Tundra. Trimming out the sag seems like a good idea. You probably don't need this because of your very high pin weight tolerances. F150's pull nicely, I have heard.

I hope this helps.

 

[Doug2000]

Here watch this video by Dori and Mena

After owning an Escape 17B for 4 years, we ordered a new Escape 19. Best trailers on the market.

As for the AC unit, I'm sure they use the same unit on much larger trailers and motorhomes.

 

[Tford]

A Texas and south traveling owner....Don’t worry about the A/C unit, it’s fine and keeps up with heat and humidity. And while you’re thinking about it, if the ol F350 is still a reliable truck with no payments, just hook up that 5.0 and go, you’ll never know it’s back there! Whatever the payments or cash you’re gonna plunk down for a new truck will buy a lot of campground stays and diesel! Just because these trailers CAN be towed by smaller vehicles doesn’t mean they have to!

 

[Jim Bennett]

Hi Ed, welcome to the community.

We love using our 5.0TA. Had the 19 for over 6 years and it worked good too, the 5.0TA is just a bit bigger.

As mentioned, you will need to have the hitch set up before picking up the trailer, either before you get to town or by Wagonmasters in Chilliwack Escape does install the coupler on the pin.

The A/C seems to work well for those in the deep south, I only go their in the winter myself.

It tows great. Absolutely no sway of any kind, even in strong crosswinds or heavy traffic. There is a wee bit more bucking when towing it, but it really is not bad at all.

I had an F350, having had only F250s and F350s with a Power Stroke diesel for 25 years due to needing it for work (before that it was the original Dodge Cummins 3/4 ton), but was VERY happy to move down to an F150 for more comfort and the bigger pickup would have definitely been overkill. That said, check with Escape, you may be able to use your truck, the rail height will be the main limiting factor, as this trailer was designed more with the half ton in mind. If downsizing is not an issue on your end, I would recommend it regarless whether it would work or not.

Anyway, all the best with your search and decisions. Do arrange a viewing with a customer in your area.