[luvmyota]

My father recently purchased at 26' RLS Jayflight (by Jayco) travel trailer with a slide out. Very similar to the trailer you specified luvmyota. The trailer comes in at 6300 lbs empty (not dry), we figured a rolling weight of about 7200lbs. His '08 DC SR5 4.7 is rated to tow 7700 lbs. He has a regular hitch, with a weight distribution setup and a sway bar and trailer brakes. We ran at 90% GCVWR (truck + trailer + passengers + cargo) all the way from Hampden MA to Wilmington North Carolina (17 hours driving time) without a single hiccup from the truck. Seems like it might be a good setup for you to look at. You would get similar interior space, but with a much lighter tongue weight.

Floorplans - Jay Flight Travel Trailers - Jayco

The 26RLS is the exact one we have. Check it out.

trying desperately to stay with a fifth wheel and not a travel trailer, not looking to good. Lots of great towable TT options though:banghead:

 

[reubenray]

I have the Keystone Cougar High Country 291RLS and my Tundra pulls is great. There are several others that have the Tundra and this fifth wheel and go over the mountains with it. I looked at a lot of fivers including the Elkridge models.

 

[luvmyota]

I have the Keystone Cougar High Country 291RLS and my Tundra pulls is great. There are several others that have the Tundra and this fifth wheel and go over the mountains with it. I looked at a lot of fivers including the Elkridge models.

Any ideas from your research on fivers with a bunkhouse that are 1100 lbs hitch/pin weight or less?

 

[jetboy1975]

I have the Keystone Cougar High Country 291RLS and my Tundra pulls is great.

As mentioned earlier, I'm sure it tows great but I can guarantee that you are overweight.

Specs;

Dry Weight (lbs/kg) 7123 / 3231
Payload Capacity (lbs/kgs) 1877 / 851.4
GVWR (lbs/kgs) 9000 / 4082.4
Hitch Weight (lbs/kgs) 1155 / 523.9

You've got to be easily 8000lbs with options and gear. Since fivers have most of there storage space up front the pin weight will easily exceed 1600lbs and put you over payload.

To each his own I guess but op was looking for max numbers WITHIN ratings.

 

[TysonTY1]

Cheer up buddy! I ran into the same feeling two weeks ago.

I towed with a Dodge 2500 and now switched up to a Tundra. For me I knew downsizing would affect my towing capacity of a camper but since I only did it 4-6 times a year, I liked the idea of a lighter truck with better gas mileage. The only thing that I do not like on the Tundra is the GVWR. But all 1/2 ton trucks are in the same class.

http://www.ramtrucks.com/en/towing_guide/pdf/RAM.2500.3500.Towing.Specs.pdf

Here is a PDF of Dodge 2500 towing specs. Yes it would probably be better suited for what you want to do but overall it is a heavier more expensive truck. My friend gets a solid 12 MPG.

So perhaps the compromise is you need a smaller trailer. With today's options there are a lot of lightweight trailers that a 1/2 ton truck can safely tow.

I was in your same boat. 2500 vs Tundra. 2500 drives really stiff and not something I wanted for a daily driver + it was 7 to 10k more for a diesel in a comparable trim to my SR5 4x4 w/ leather.

Sent from my SPH-D710 using AutoGuide.Com Free App

 

[reubenray]

As mentioned earlier, I'm sure it tows great but I can guarantee that you are overweight.

Specs;

Dry Weight (lbs/kg) 7123 / 3231
Payload Capacity (lbs/kgs) 1877 / 851.4
GVWR (lbs/kgs) 9000 / 4082.4
Hitch Weight (lbs/kgs) 1155 / 523.9

You've got to be easily 8000lbs with options and gear. Since fivers have most of there storage space up front the pin weight will easily exceed 1600lbs and put you over payload.

To each his own I guess but op was looking for max numbers WITHIN ratings.

The secret is to not load everything you pack in the front. The heavier items are in the rear (past the axles). My posted dry weight on the door was a little less that the brochure posted dry weight.

 

[reubenray]

Any ideas from your research on fivers with a bunkhouse that are 1100 lbs hitch/pin weight or less?

I can't help here - I avoided all bunkhouse models being it is only two of us.

 

[jetboy1975]

The secret is to not load everything you pack in the front. The heavier items are in the rear (past the axles).

Been there, done that. When you have to worry about what you pack, and how you load it usually means you have the wrong tow vehicle.

 

[Tyotayoda]

To the op, I know you want to stay away from tt, but you will be hard pressed to find a 5er that has bunks. I have a 2013 Catalina 30bhs that has bunks and a slide. Just under 7000lbs. Tundra pulls great, stays out of 6th gear, but pulling it home gas mileage was bad 8mpg. Gonna take it to the beach on labor day, hoping to slow down and get 10mpg. Just go for tt. Reese straight line wdh w sway control works really well.


Sent from my Autoguide iPhone app

 

[luvmyota]

Found one...Keystone Cougar Xtra Lite 271 SAB, 7kLBS delivered (I dont roll with water), under 1100 LBS Pin weight:lol5:

 

[warsw]

Been there, done that. When you have to worry about what you pack, and how you load it usually means you have the wrong tow vehicle.

If your smart you will always think about what you pack and how you load it no matter what you tow or what you tow it with. It is just part of safe towing.

 

[reubenray]

Found one...Keystone Cougar Xtra Lite 271 SAB, 7kLBS delivered (I dont roll with water), under 1100 LBS Pin weight:lol5:

Great!!!!!!

 

[homeyclaus]

Found one...Keystone Cougar Xtra Lite 271 SAB, 7kLBS delivered (I dont roll with water), under 1100 LBS Pin weight:lol5:

Another one to consider is the Koala 27RBH 5th wheel. 2 rear bunks, hitch weight of 975 lbs when empty. GVWR around 6700 lbs. We have a 20RB travel trailer from them, which has not had any issues in 3500 miles+.

 

[luvmyota]

Another one to consider is the Koala 27RBH 5th wheel. 2 rear bunks, hitch weight of 975 lbs when empty. GVWR around 6700 lbs. We have a 20RB travel trailer from them, which has not had any issues in 3500 miles+.

I'll check it out

 

[Airstreamhauler]

5th Wheel Towing Not Legal

Sorry to chime in on this thread so late. I will make a general statement here- You just can't tow a fifth wheel trailer with a 1/2 ton truck (legally). You will be over the rear axle max rating (4,100 lbs) and the GVWR for the truck (6,900 lbs).

You need to load up your truck as if you are ready to go camping, then go to a scale and weigh the truck, the front axle weight and the rear axle weight. You then need to subtract the rear axle weight from the RAWR (rear axle weight rating)(4,100 lbs). This is the amount of pin weight that you can carry on the bed of your truck. For example, I suspect once you load people, gear and gas in your truck I suspect the weight on the rear axle will be in the neighborhood of 3,200-3,500 lbs. This means that you can add pin weight from a loaded fiver of no more than 600 to 900 lbs.

My suggestion is to look at travel trailers. The tongue weight is much lower than the pin weight for fivers and the weight distribution hitch will tranfer some of the tongue weight from the rear axle to the front axle.

Good luck, Dan

 

[luvmyota]

Sorry to chime in on this thread so late. I will make a general statement here- You just can't tow a fifth wheel trailer with a 1/2 ton truck (legally). You will be over the rear axle max rating (4,100 lbs) and the GVWR for the truck (6,900 lbs).

You need to load up your truck as if you are ready to go camping, then go to a scale and weigh the truck, the front axle weight and the rear axle weight. You then need to subtract the rear axle weight from the RAWR (rear axle weight rating)(4,100 lbs). This is the amount of pin weight that you can carry on the bed of your truck. For example, I suspect once you load people, gear and gas in your truck I suspect the weight on the rear axle will be in the neighborhood of 3,200-3,500 lbs. This means that you can add pin weight from a loaded fiver of no more than 600 to 900 lbs.

My suggestion is to look at travel trailers. The tongue weight is much lower than the pin weight for fivers and the weight distribution hitch will tranfer some of the tongue weight from the rear axle to the front axle.

Good luck, Dan

Appreciate the feedback, but you are incorrect based upon an erroneous assumption. The weight on my rear axle when i am hauling my camper is closer to 2800 lbs and the pin weight of my Xlite Cougar is less than 1,100 lbs (bought the 2011 27 SAB). I dont roll with water or waste in my fiver and due to the specific way in which I use this camper I dont haul much more than a full tank of gas and total passenger weight of 450lbs. Delivered weight of this fiver is less than 7,000 lbs. It is not that difficult to tow this rig well within spec

 

[warsw]

Appreciate the feedback, but you are incorrect based upon an erroneous assumption. The weight on my rear axle when i am hauling my camper is closer to 2800 lbs and the pin weight of my Xlite Cougar is less than 1,100 lbs (bought the 2011 27 SAB). I dont roll with water or waste in my fiver and due to the specific way in which I use this camper I dont haul much more than a full tank of gas and total passenger weight of 450lbs. Delivered weight of this fiver is less than 7,000 lbs. It is not that difficult to tow this rig well within spec

X2......There are actually quite a few 5th/Wheels that can be towed and stay well within specs.

 

[markbrit]

luvmyota congrats on the purchase, post a pic!

Have you gone to a CAT scale yet to get each axle weighed? 2,800 lbs on the back axle while loaded with camper and payload seems very light.

Good luck and enjoy the new rig!

 

[luvmyota]

luvmyota congrats on the purchase, post a pic!

Have you gone to a CAT scale yet to get each axle weighed? 2,800 lbs on the back axle while loaded with camper and payload seems very light.

Good luck and enjoy the new rig!

No scale but the 2800 estimate is without the fiver and thx!!

 

[aehjr]

Keep in mind in PA, it is unlawful for a dealer to allow you to haul away a camper in a truck that is not rated to pull it.

Any thoughts???

Concur with the poster that said "don't trust a dealer." They aren't being evil but they can easily sell you something that won't be legal once you load up for the road. Even with a travel trailer, you can get into trouble if you are looking at anything larger than the trailers advertised as designed for 1/2 ton towable.

A number of dealers here said, "your truck is rated for 9800 lb so you'd be fine with a trailer weight up to 9000 lb." Doing the math (that I learned here on the forum), showed me quickly that I'd be over truck payload based on hitch weight and having wife, a minimum of tools and full tank of gas aboard the truck.