ElkRidge - Best Hitch

[Chay]

Hello,
I'm new to the forum and I just purchased a 2013 Elkridge E26 Fifth wheel and I am to take delivery soon.
I am wondering what hitch to buy? There are a lot of choices.
I have a 2014 Dodge Ram 1500 4x4 with 6.5' box. I know about the 88' turning radius but would there be any advantage to paying the extra money for and installing a sliding hitch?

Any forum members like to talk about what hitch they are using?

 

[DW_Gray]

Welcome to Heartland Forum and becoming a member of the family.

I could be wrong or some changes in Canada law have occurred. I thought dealers in Canada where under strict guidelines when matching up trailers and tow vehicles. Rather than talk about hitches, I suspect the discussion needs to be about the towing combination you have. I suspect your new truck load ratings will be exceeded both for the towing capacity and the rear axle load with the Elkridge E26. On the other hand, if you can keep the total trailer weight with all your stuff under 9,000 pounds, you may be okay. Doing so may take some extra effort to keep the weight down. I recommend you read Before You Buy That RV, Truck or Other Tow Vehicle at Fifth Wheel St. for more information about this.

Several use a standard 5th wheel hitch without any problems in short bed trucks.

 

[priorguy]

You should be ok with 6.5' box on the Ram. It's the Ford 5.5' box that has problems.

The E26 (and similar) is marketed toward 1/2 ton truck owners. It's under 10k pounds and under 30' long. I wouldn't want to exceed either of those without stepping up to a 3/4 ton. But then that opens you up to even bigger trailer options.

There was a time that Terry and Bonair made 1/4 ton fifth wheels for micro trucks. They were indeed 20' long and 5K pounds. You could pull it with a ranger, S10, etc.

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[Chay]

Thank you much,

My pickup has a towing capacity of 10450 lbs. and payload of 1930lbs. There is just me and the missus and gear I figured that we wouldn't go over, at the max 9500 lbs. with the e26 and gear.

Comments?

Chay

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Thank you much,

My pickup has a towing capacity of 10450 lbs. and payload of 1930lbs. There is just me and the missus and gear I figured that we wouldn't go over, at the max 9500 lbs. with the e26 and gear.

Comments?

Chay

Your towing weight will probably be OK but the pin weight of the trailer will likely cause you to exceed your GVWR. The E26 specs an 1185# pin weight that will probably be closer to 1300 then you add your goodies. In any case, it will be close and you should do just fine.
I think any basic hitch with at least 14K capacity should be fine. In fact, I don't believe there are any with a lesser capacity.

 

[Chay]

Thank you,

Can you balance the pin weigh by packing the fifth wheel a certain way? Such as putting more weight in the rear?

Chay

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

Thank you,

Can you balance the pin weigh by packing the fifth wheel a certain way? Such as putting more weight in the rear?

Chay

Not too familiar with the layout but I would say yes, somewhat. The front storage compartment and anything stored in front of the axles have an effect on the pin weight. As long as you don't lighten up the pin too much you'll be fine. I'm guessing you'll be mostly weekend camping so only bring what you need. If you boondock, load water when you arrive instead of carrying water in the tanks to keep the overall weight down.

 

[DW_Gray]

Thank you much,

My pickup has a towing capacity of 10450 lbs. and payload of 1930lbs. There is just me and the missus and gear I figured that we wouldn't go over, at the max 9500 lbs. with the e26 and gear.

Comments?

Chay

Based on the lack of detailed information you've provided, I looked only at the minimum load rating for the 1500. Still, with the additional information you've provided here, I haven't found any Ram 1500 with these specifications when using the Ram Towing Guide.

The only truck I found with a 1,930 payload had a towing capacity of 7,150... And the only truck I found with a towing capacity of 10,450 has a payload of 1,704 pounds and it does not match your truck configuration.

The BYBRV app will verify the combination.

 

[Chay]

Thank you Dave

The specs and truck models are different here in Canada. I have a 2014 1500 SXT 4x4 Quad Cab 5.7 hemi with a 6 speed transmission and towing package.
But you are correct about the payloads. Not exactly what the salesman said. I read in the manual 10350 lbs. towing 1470 lbs. payload.

I guess I am at the limits with this fifth wheel.

Should I reconsider and maybe buy a trailer instead ?

 

[Snow]

Your ? Was the best hitch you caint go wrong with the B&W 15000lbs great hitch easy hook up , no mess in the bed when you want to haul something in the bed nice clean hitch about 1200 $ ⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️⛄️

 

[DW_Gray]

Thank you Dave

The specs and truck models are different here in Canada. I have a 2014 1500 SXT 4x4 Quad Cab 5.7 hemi with a 6 speed transmission and towing package.
But you are correct about the payloads. Not exactly what the salesman said. I read in the manual 10350 lbs. towing 1470 lbs. payload.

I guess I am at the limits with this fifth wheel.

Should I reconsider and maybe buy a trailer instead ?

I began to wonder if the Rams for Canada were rated different. I guess I've got additional updates for FWS since about 11% of the visitors are from your side of the border. I wonder if Chevys and Fords are also different. I just don't get it. As many people who use FWS, not one has ever mentioned this until now. I'll be searching for and downloading Canadian towing guides this week.

Yep, payload will be the problem. At most (25%), the E26 should be 2,498 pounds on the pin. At the average pin weight of 20%, the pin weight could be about 1,998 pounds. I don't know what Canada transportation laws will allow you to do. If legal, you could add aftermarket overload springs and or air bags just to keep it level.

This is the problem with 1500s and most 2500s. They have high towing capacity but give you nothing for the payload.

Now that you're better informed, it's up to you how you wish to proceed.

 

[caissiel]

You do not go over the rear tires capacity is what is required. And the truck capacity is licenced for it and axle total capacity. Most cannot reduce it neither.

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[Chay]

Thank you Dave,

I want to be safe on the road so I will look at a lite weight trailer. I liked the idea of a fifth wheel but I guess there is not much out there that this truck will tow safely. I don't really need anything big. around 26' with a slide out. It's just the two of us.
I am a little bit irked at the adds that say"half ton towable" and the Dodge salesman who says it can tow 10,000 lbs. , no problem.
I appreciate all your help.
I already put a small down payment on the e26 which I will probably loose. Maybe he will take it against a smaller unit.

This is a great forum. A wealth of information.

 

[priorguy]

Not sure about the laws in your area but most jurisdictions there's a cooling off period where you get your downpayment back. Plus if you don't actually take delivery it's almost fraud for them to keep your money. Any reputable dealer should return your money or at the very least let you switch units. Best of luck to you.


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[westxsrt10]

Just within the limits for you truck....you will want drop-in coil type air bags and a differential cooling cover, your truck bed will drop 5-6 inches. (been there done that)

 

[JWalker]

Thank you Dave,

I want to be safe on the road so I will look at a lite weight trailer. I liked the idea of a fifth wheel but I guess there is not much out there that this truck will tow safely. I don't really need anything big. around 26' with a slide out. It's just the two of us.
I am a little bit irked at the adds that say"half ton towable" and the Dodge salesman who says it can tow 10,000 lbs. , no problem.
I appreciate all your help.
I already put a small down payment on the e26 which I will probably loose. Maybe he will take it against a smaller unit.

This is a great forum. A wealth of information.

Look at the Sundance XLT line. They have very light fifth wheels with slides. Also light pin weight

http://www.heartlandrvs.com/index.p...i=SD+XLT+245RL&view=floorplans&fcmd=showfplan

 

[DW_Gray]

Thank you Dave,

I want to be safe on the road so I will look at a lite weight trailer. I liked the idea of a fifth wheel but I guess there is not much out there that this truck will tow safely. I don't really need anything big. around 26' with a slide out. It's just the two of us.
I am a little bit irked at the adds that say"half ton towable" and the Dodge salesman who says it can tow 10,000 lbs. , no problem.
I appreciate all your help.
I already put a small down payment on the e26 which I will probably loose. Maybe he will take it against a smaller unit.

This is a great forum. A wealth of information.

You're welcome, Chay.

Leaning from personal experience, I hope RV buyers will discover what they need to know before it's too late. At the very least, they'll know enough to make an educated decision.

One other bit of information, and I was reminded of it last night when reading the 1500 owners manual, is that there is no towing information listed for 5th wheels. It shows only conventional towing guidelines. In the 2500/3500 manuals, it lists the 5th Wheel and conventional towing information.

I hope you find the right RV soon. The dealer is not completely wrong. The truck can still tow 10K, but you may have get a conventional trailer instead.