towing 5th wheel with 1500

ramffml · Oct 14, 2022

Half ton 5w's are out there, but very very few. Something like this Escape 5.0, it's a 21 foot long with a 650 pound pin weight and a GVWR of 5500 pounds. Short, light, made of all fiberglass.

E5.0 Fifth Wheel

The Escape 5.0 is our lightweight 21-foot fiberglass fifth-wheel trailer. It is easily towed with a mid-size truck.

escapetrailer.com

oldguy2 · Oct 14, 2022

What some of you don't seem to understand is I already have the truck and trailer. My truck has limited marketability so I can't afford to buy a comparable 2500-3500 truck. I don't want to buy something old with a lot of miles. The trailer has the layout that we need. We are retired and don't have a lot of disposable income. Some years ago I helped my friend convert his fairly new IH pickup from 1/2 ton 2wd to 3/4 ton 4wd so swapping chassis doesn't scare me. The only thing that bothers me is possible problems with the electronics. Anyone know how different they are?

Wild one · Oct 14, 2022

oldguy2 said:
What some of you don't seem to understand is I already have the truck and trailer. My truck has limited marketability so I can't afford to buy a comparable 2500-3500 truck. I don't want to buy something old with a lot of miles. The trailer has the layout that we need. We are retired and don't have a lot of disposable income. Some years ago I helped my friend convert his fairly new IH pickup from 1/2 ton 2wd to 3/4 ton 4wd so swapping chassis doesn't scare me. The only thing that bothers me is possible problems with the electronics. Anyone know how different they are?

Even if you buy a wrecked 2500 and swap your cab/box/fenders etc. onto it,you're still up against the VIN not showing the truck as a 2500,and if you ever got in an accident where somebody died,a good lawyer is going to make your life hell.and you'll come to the conculision you should'va bought a 2500. Be realistic man,and either give up the trailer and get something that you can legally tow,or suck it up and get the proper truck.If you're 1500 isn't worth squat on a trade where you live,your trailer is probably easy to swap/trade for something more realistic to tow behind your 1500.You're old enough to know the facts of life,now face them and make the proper decision

mtofell · Oct 14, 2022

oldguy2 said:
What some of you don't seem to understand is I already have the truck and trailer.

Oh, okay..... you're fine then. Never mind everything we said.

Seriously, you ask for advice and don't like the reality and answers. So, just keep asking and hoping for different answers???

dragrazor · Oct 14, 2022

To the op, I do not have the mechanical know how to tell you what you would need to be able to fix your truck to tow your trailer. What I can add is my opinion. Having seen/heard of many accidents involving rv’s, I would strongly suggest you consider a safe route both for yourself and everyone around you. 150 miles is enough to have a really bad day.

GTyankee · Oct 14, 2022

If a State Trooper sees you sway more than once
your 5th wheel will be behind a much larger truck, that is towing it to a Impound Yard.

When you want to move the 5th wheel, try to borrow a larger truck

oldguy2 · Oct 15, 2022

I think asking for help was a waste of time. Most of you are quick to criticize but offer no actual help. There are obviously no hot rodders here who have built a car from scratch and had to get a new vin. You also have way more money to spend. I apologize for wasting your time.

Wild one · Oct 15, 2022

oldguy2 said:
I think asking for help was a waste of time. Most of you are quick to criticize but offer no actual help. There are obviously no hot rodders here who have built a car from scratch and had to get a new vin. You also have way more money to spend. I apologize for wasting your time.

More like you're to stubborn to listen to common sense. By the time you convert a 1500 into a 2500 by buying a wrecked 2500,then spending an ungodly amount of hours swapping your known good engine/tranny/etc onto the 2500's frame,then swap the frame into your 1500,then getting it to run properly,and now you have to find an inspector who'll sign off on the truck so you can get a whole new VIN for you're hybred truck,you'd be farther ahead and probably cheaper to trade the truck off on a legit 2500. BTW it ain't 1970 no more,lol

GTyankee · Oct 15, 2022

Maybe he lives in a town like Bradford NH
Where the Game Warden, DMV, Police, & Post Office is all the same person & a Relative runs the PBX machine

Just kiddin' , but that was how it was in the early 1950s

jawzs2 · Oct 15, 2022

If you think your 2017 isn't worth anything now the way it sits, how much do you think it is going to be worth after you've spent several thousand dollars and man hours cutting it up?

ppine · Oct 15, 2022

People are amazingly stubborn about the obvious.

oldguy2 · Oct 15, 2022

Again the criticism. If you bother to read the post you would see I have TIME and NO money. I am old enough that I will never sell the truck so it's value doesn't matter. What ever happens to it after I'm gone doesn't matter to me. The truck I need with lower miles is going to cost me at least $35K probably more. And by the way, I do live in one of those towns in NH.

Randy Grant · Oct 15, 2022

oldguy2 said:
What some of you don't seem to understand is I already have the truck and trailer. My truck has limited marketability so I can't afford to buy a comparable 2500-3500 truck. I don't want to buy something old with a lot of miles. The trailer has the layout that we need. We are retired and don't have a lot of disposable income. Some years ago I helped my friend convert his fairly new IH pickup from 1/2 ton 2wd to 3/4 ton 4wd so swapping chassis doesn't scare me. The only thing that bothers me is possible problems with the electronics. Anyone know how different they are?

First of all, hook up and take it to a scale. Get the truck dry weight, then weight with trailer hooked up, and look up what your capacities. Then we'll talk.
PM me

06 Dodge · Oct 15, 2022

oldguy2 said:
I think asking for help was a waste of time. Most of you are quick to criticize but offer no actual help. There are obviously no hot rodders here who have built a car from scratch and had to get a new vin. You also have way more money to spend. I apologize for wasting your time.

I used to drive OTR a lot during the 80's in the south and saw enough of trucks like your talking about that were built in the back yard that were involved in accidents that took lives, so Please listen to what's everyone is telling you what you want to do is not safe, what you could do prior to the early 80's is over due to the fact many lives were lost due to back yard builds that were unsafe an why current law have gotten strict when it comes to home build projects...

Your best bet if you insist on a project is to put your 2017 running gear into a 2500 rolling Chassis (with no or blown engine) and hope you can get your current engine, trans & computers to work in the donor truck, oh and make sure the donor truck has 4.10 or lower gears...

dhay13 · Oct 15, 2022

Something I don't think was mentioned, if you 'build' your own backyard truck and am involved in an accident you could lose anything you have left and possibly do jail time for intentionally building an unsafe tow vehicle.

I used to race cars and have built a few. This is a different ballgame. In my opinion you would be further ahead buying a proper tow vehicle. I know it isn't what you want to hear but aside from that, nobody on a public forum is going to tell you what to do and then get dragged into a lawsuit if you ever get sued.

Wild one · Oct 15, 2022

oldguy2 said:
Again the criticism. If you bother to read the post you would see I have TIME and NO money. I am old enough that I will never sell the truck so it's value doesn't matter. What ever happens to it after I'm gone doesn't matter to me. The truck I need with lower miles is going to cost me at least $35K probably more. And by the way, I do live in one of those towns in NH.

If swapping the truck is out,get rid of the trailer and buy something a little more reasonable to tow behind a 1500.Yea /Yea i know you said you already own the trailer and it's what you like,but if you get in an accident and somebody is badly injured or worse killed,you won't own squat by the time the lawyers are done with you.

nekkidhillbilly · Oct 16, 2022

ya know i knew a guy that had a f150 crew and was legal with a 5 th wheel he had. idk what kind. i didnt think a half ton crew had the room in the bed for one. but he had it. im not a towing nanny like some people are on forums but 5th wheel seems a bit much for a 1/2 ton. just saying there is apparently some out there. me id look for a 3/4 or something. buy an old cheap hd truck just to tow.

mtofell · Oct 16, 2022

nekkidhillbilly said:
i didnt think a half ton crew had the room in the bed for one

They make some pretty slick auto-sliding hitches. The problem is most are really heavy and eat into your payload. Up until a few years ago Ram 1500s had ridiculously low payloads (A buddy had a loaded one with 1070#). I know Fords had some pretty decent payloads up over 2000# and a 5th wheel could be used within the numbers but it's usually going to be close.

LouM · Oct 16, 2022

oldguy2 said:
What some of you don't seem to understand is I already have the truck and trailer. My truck has limited marketability so I can't afford to buy a comparable 2500-3500 truck. I don't want to buy something old with a lot of miles. The trailer has the layout that we need. We are retired and don't have a lot of disposable income. Some years ago I helped my friend convert his fairly new IH pickup from 1/2 ton 2wd to 3/4 ton 4wd so swapping chassis doesn't scare me. The only thing that bothers me is possible problems with the electronics. Anyone know how different they are?

These forums are not going to get you answers you want to hear. You sound like you are fairly competent so you know you need heavier spindles and brakes in the front end, that is the end that will be the hardest to beef up. The rear axle can be swapped out for a full floating 3/4 or 1 ton. (Oh and by the way many 3/4 ton these days are on semi-floating rears NOT the good full floaters) As far as the legality of towing with a truck of less then the designed GVW on a non professional basis I have no idea as to who is going to pull you over and check you out, heck throw a couple of 2500 fender decals on her and go.
To many posters going on about lawsuits and shysters.

dhay13 · Oct 16, 2022

LouM said:
These forums are not going to get you answers you want to hear. You sound like you are fairly competent so you know you need heavier spindles and brakes in the front end, that is the end that will be the hardest to beef up. The rear axle can be swapped out for a full floating 3/4 or 1 ton. (Oh and by the way many 3/4 ton these days are on semi-floating rears NOT the good full floaters) As far as the legality of towing with a truck of less then the designed GVW on a non professional basis I have no idea as to who is going to pull you over and check you out, heck throw a couple of 2500 fender decals on her and go.
To many posters going on about lawsuits and shysters.

Yeah you aren't likely to get pulled over but if you are involved in an accident you will wish you took the proper steps to be legal. As soon as they run the VIN they will know it is overloaded and not legal. Even if the insurance company does cover damages there may be a civil suit from the other vehicles family members. Chances may be slim that this would happen but it does happen and I know I wouldn't want to be that guy. Hope that hacked up 1500 has a comfy rear seat cause you may be sleeping in it after you lose your house in a lawsuit

towing 5th wheel with 1500

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