Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
Jeffrey, I believe all the current North Trail 5th wheels offered by Heartland should be towed by a 3/4 ton truck. The lightest model available is 6300# empty.
thanks for responding
We are new to the camping world. My truck is a ford f1504x4 5.4.rated to tow 9000. So would the Northtrail 6300 5th wheel be too heavy to tow & stop?
should i get a travel trailer? weight help! dealers act like you can tow /stop anything?
We are new to the camping world. My truck is a ford f1504x4 5.4.rated to tow 9000. So would the Northtrail 6300 5th wheel be too heavy to tow & stop?
should i get a travel trailer? weight help! dealers act like you can tow /stop anything?
Last edited by a moderator:
The tow capacity is not the only thing to consider. Some of the things you need to know are the GVWR of your truck, the weight of your truck and the pin weight of the coach. I believe that a lot of sales people do not have a clue about weight ratings. Very few that I have talked to actually knew about weight ratings. Also IMO pin weights are not real accurate. They also do not include any gear you may have aboard so take all that into consideration. Familly in your truck and fuel all add weight and detract from your TV GVWR A different truck would be the ticket. Good luck.
Peace
Dave
Peace
Dave
Ray LeTourneau
Senior Member - Past Moderator
Jeffrey, 5th wheels actually tow better and easier than travel trailers. In the 3/4 and heavier trucks, the tow rating for 5th wheels is actually higher than travel trailers. What cookie said in the previous post is right on the money. There are many more things to consider when matching a truck and trailer. Everything in the truck counts towards the GVRW of the truck including the hitch or pin weight. Then there is a rating called gross combined vehicle weight rating. This is the total weight of the truck and it's contents plus the weight of the trailer and it's contents. Lots of numbers eh? Good luck with your decision, many things need to be considered.
Jeffery:
there are a lot of opinions out there, and the more you read the more you will get confused. We are in the same boat as you. WOW have I been doing a lot of reading. Bottom line. find a dealer with years of being in business that you can trust. He sees many more people that tow with all type vehicles. It is in their best interest to set you up wit the correct weight and camper for you. Of course you also have to do your homework. Get the literature from your truck dealer that pertains to your specific truck and find all the ratings INCLUDING the gears in your truck. you say you have an f150 5.4 rated at towing 9000 lbs. you fail to say crew cab or standard trans that will also make a difference in what you tow. remember there is no difference in the engine size ex. 5.4 is a 5.4 same as getting a diesel. f250 has a 6.0 f350 is still a 6.0 just a difference in the weight of your vehicle and the suspension, (springs, shocks ETC...)
enough ramblin on here... Good luck
there are a lot of opinions out there, and the more you read the more you will get confused. We are in the same boat as you. WOW have I been doing a lot of reading. Bottom line. find a dealer with years of being in business that you can trust. He sees many more people that tow with all type vehicles. It is in their best interest to set you up wit the correct weight and camper for you. Of course you also have to do your homework. Get the literature from your truck dealer that pertains to your specific truck and find all the ratings INCLUDING the gears in your truck. you say you have an f150 5.4 rated at towing 9000 lbs. you fail to say crew cab or standard trans that will also make a difference in what you tow. remember there is no difference in the engine size ex. 5.4 is a 5.4 same as getting a diesel. f250 has a 6.0 f350 is still a 6.0 just a difference in the weight of your vehicle and the suspension, (springs, shocks ETC...)
enough ramblin on here... Good luck
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