Truck Advice - Page 3

Originally Posted by Patriot76

The hitch weight is based on the strength of the axles of the truck and the ability of the truck to maintain level for steering and braking purposes. The hitch weight of the trailer is the amount of weight the tow vehicle must carry and the rest of the weight of the fifth wheel is supported by the dual axles of the trailer. The gross vehicle weight is the weight limit of the vehicle with all fluids, passengers, and the weight on the hitch. These figures are based on the strength of the axles, tires, etc. The gross vehicle tow weight takes into consideration these figures but also considers the control factor. In other words at what point will the trailer control the vehicle more than the vehicle controls the trailer.

On flat straight roads without wind or the need to stop, the gross vehicle tow weight would be a lot higher. Add curves, hills (both up and down), wind, etc. and this figure becomes the safety issue. If you add a gooseneck or fifth wheel hitch to a new half ton they can void your warranty because they are not built for such use. Very seldom do you see 1/2 tons towing goosenecks or fifth wheels across the country. They will handle single axle bumper pulls for the most part.

The picture you posted of the truck and trailer shows the "squat" on the back of the truck. This means less weight on the front axle and less control of the steering. Chances are when you hit bumps the front tires will leave the road. The bottom line is did you feel in total control and safe going over that bridge hauling the trailer? If you have any doubt about your safety or the safety of others on the road, start looking for a new truck.

Thank you. While there is some squat, it wasn't very much. The man selling it commented that the truck held its stance very well when the weight was placed on it. It took a bit to get used to the weight and towing the camper (it has been a while since I towed a large trailer). I guess my biggest fear would be traveling at highway speed and cresting a hill and seeing traffic unexpectedly stop. I did not have to really push the stop button so I really don't know how fast I can get that baby whoa-ed. This is not something I will tow very much at this time and is planned to be towed around Florida for the time. My plan is to visit parks fairly close for long weekends and trips. We would like to take longer trips later on and I will be looking to upgrade our tow vehicle before we commit to longer trips.


We are taking the camper out to the Myakka River State park for a weekend in two weeks to give 'er a test run. State parks are nice except for the fact the do not offer sewer and we will have to dump as we leave.

For whatever it's worth ...

I sometimes haul firewood ( short runs) with my f-150. It's hard to guess the weight but there's a simple thing i keep an eye on as i'm loading it.

I like to check the curve of the rear leaf springs every so often. It's good if they're still cupping up a bit once the truck is loaded. That's why some trucks have helper springs. It's to help keep that shape where the springs are cupping upward.

If they're almost laying flat or bowing down .... that's too much weight. I figure there's a chance that i'll break at least one of the leafs in the stack on the next pothole or bump in the road.

Tires are a factor in the mix too. Right now, i'm just running Load Range D. They aren't much but they give a better ride going over the road.

I was thinkin' .... there are usually weight carrying capacities stamped right on the side if the tires.

How do they compare with the weight that's being placed on the fifth wheel ?

You might want to leave a bit of fudge factor there and make sure the tires are a lot more robust than what's actually needed. You gotta figure that some of the trailer weight is going shift forward onto the fifth wheel during a hard stop.

Well, the camper has been a bit of a mystery. When we bought it, there were no tail lights. Brake lights worked, blinkers worked, but tail lights and marker lights were dark. Look the camper over for fuses... Had domestic cabin 12v light fuses and cabin 110 breakers, no automotive light fuses. Tested the plug to the truck... Some of the pins weren't working, so I had a new one installed and a plug added to the bed so the cord doesn't drape over the tailgate.... Camper lights still don't work. I go to Campbells RV and inquire about what a wiring repair would cost and the woman there says she wants to check the plugs on the truck (the ones I just had installed). She says that her tester shows that the plugs are not working. I take the truck back to Hitch House (they have been very helpful and informative) and they test and tell me their work is good (they have a little cart set up as a trailer light tester and everything works as it should). I get a new pigtail for the camper as all lighting sockets go back to ground except the taillight socket. Still no worky.I finally set up a rig to test continuity and it turns out continuity is lost before the line even hits the camper body. I look where the wire harness goes through he hitch structure and notice the green wire (the one I have been trying to run down) as well as another wire is totally severed and several wires have had their insulation worn through to the copper.Well, I use the old pigtail to reroute the wires back and reconnect everything. Everything works!!! There is a great satisfaction to have fixed the problem and know it will be a lasting fix

I always advise fellow car buyers to get a full history on a used car. I found this Carfax report service through carfax report invaluable. It laid out the entire history of the car I was looking at, including areas I wouldn't even think to check. It made negotiating the price easier since I had concrete information about the car's condition.