2014 crewmax pulling fithwheel more pics

this is my setup installed a b&w patriot fithwheel hitch it allows you to set back a little further than most hitches and i installed a sidewinder pin box on my camper it moves the pivit point back another 21inches with a 5.5 ft bed i still cant make a full 90 degree but close enough i never need to turn sharper than this thought id post this incase anyone ever wonderd how to set a crewmax for fithwheel my fithwheel is a 31ft chaparral bunk house hase one big slide out but it has an aluminum frame dry weight is 6,700 pounds truck handles it great

 

We are currently on our first camping trip with our new 22 ' travel trailer and have been checking out all of the fifth wheel trailers here. What is the gvwr for your fifth wheel? What all is involved in getting the 5th wheel mounted in the bed? Would you say this is easier or harder to back up than a typical travel trailer?

 

Awesome!

 

my camper weighs 6,700 pounds the gvwr is 9,110 backing it up I'd say easyer to me and getting a fithwheel hitch installed ! i installed mine myself its a job but i wanted mine rite they make a b&w companion plugs into a gooseneck but if you use a sidewinder you have to install rails in your bed and unless you have a long bed id use a sidewinder pin box the b&w hitches are great they come apart in 2 peices i can take mine out in 3 min by myself and put it in in 3 min

 

Thanks for the info... It just reassures me that a fifth wheel can be done with a half ton. It'll probably be a few years until we upgrade, but good to know that we can.

 

its definitely do able and safe as long as you dont by one that weighs way more than you can tow happy camping

 

id like to know how im over weight you dont know yea if i loaded everything i can in my camper i pronly would be i dont load my water holding tankes dont haul my camper with stuff in my black tankes or grey no im not over weight sorry you dont know what you are talking about

 

My crew max is rated at 1185 pounds of payload, so...yeah. “Not overloaded” does not equal “good idea”...safety margin, etc.

 

The constraint is usually payload, not towing capacity.

Also, and I’m just telling you this as a favor because it looks like you’re fairly new to the forum, “overloaded trucks” are a guaranteed way to light the fuse of the towing experts on here...of which I can assure @ColoradoTJ is probably the most knowledgeable. He most definitely does know what he’s talking about, and you would be wise to heed his guidance. Ignore his suggestions at your own peril; if we’re telling you that your setup is unsafe (which it is), maybe ask yourself “what if they’re right?”.

Just my $.02....

 

yea reserch and know your stuff before you tell someone there wrong i have had a state trooper check my camper and truck he sed i was fine and not to minchin all the research i did myself before i bought it im legal and in my weight limits sorry you think you know more about my setup than i do but you dont ive pulled more loads than you i would have to guess from half tons to dump trucks with trailers on them im not stupid or would i ever put my family or anyone else on the road at risk i will say this ive owned toyotas and worked on them since i was old enogh to drive all i will tell you is this dont belive anbody else check your weghts youself and never pull somthing biger than your comfortable towing even if you are weighted for it and chaparrel fithwheels have sevral that are half ton towable and since tundras are ratted one of highest in half tons for towing if they aren't weighted for them what is

 

Pretty sure that now the big 3 has higher ratings (payload capacity) than the Tundra does.

 

Payload is the problem dude....what’s the tongue weight on that thing. The guy who broke down all the numbers up there is right, you’re almost guaranteed overloaded...

 

if chaparral says im good and safe. if the state troopers say im good safe. if b&w hitches say im good and safe. if the guys at etrailer say im good and safe. then i realy dont care what a couple of you think ive pulled it pulls alot better than a lighter bumper pull camper truck handles it grate if the law says im legal then thats all i have to anser to

 

Did any of those people ask your tongue weight, the weight of the hitch or your passengers? Lol you’re going off their word now, what about all your research you did that you “minchined”

 

i got on this site to help people with problems on there trucks that ive had and to learn about problems i cant fix or havent experienced not to get in a pissing contest with a few guys on wether my setup is legal or safe when ive done been okayed on that im done with this conversation

 

Its not a pissing contest you’re ignoribg my questions about the facts, real actual numbers that will tell you if it’s safe or not. You want to just believe some guy who doesn’t have a clue either so go ahead, it’s your truck

 

It seems I’m one of the few that thinks towing a 5th wheel with a half ton truck with payload capacity that doesn’t jive with a 5th wheel pin weight and an axle not designed for it isn’t a good idea. I’d say stick with a TT and if you want to spend a lot of money on a hitch system go with a Pro-Pride. I’ve heard great things and plan on getting one when I get a tt down the road.

 

I think you’ll find here that for most of us here on the forum, towing overweight regardless of “it being ok” is a hot button issue. Regardless of what anyone has said, most of us go strictly off hard numbers and if it’s over those numbers or on the numbers exactly, we would consider that “unsafe”. If you’re over your payload capacity and max axle weight (most likely) you’ll put extra wear on your axle bearings and....you’re overweight. Now, will it be a problem, most likely not. Will you get stopped by the law...most likely not. Are you overweight by the numbers....most likely.

Safe travels to you!

Also, as I said it’s a hot button issue for a lot of us. Please don’t judge the forum based just off talking about towing. Lots of great guys and gals here, we just want you to be as safe a possible and we all point it out when we disagree.

 

If this is the dealer, every one I've gone to oversells the trailer for the vehicle used.

Did the state trooper put you on scales to verify that?

So you had a conversation with the hitch manufacturer and they had all the info to ascertain safe margins for you?

Until you put it on scales, you don't know if you are overloaded or not. My CM only gives me around 1300lbs for payload. If my hitch pin weight is 750lbs (which would be 10% of 7500lb trailer) then that only gives me 550lbs for everything else carried in the truck and/or to cover the possible extra pin weight if the trailer is loaded to more than 7500lbs.
Many people haul over-weight... the only way you know for SURE that you aren't is to put your trailer/truck on scales. Have you done that?

As an example... was camping out with our Winnie 1790 (using our Tundra to pull) and a couple in the site across from us had an RPod 19 foot trailer. It had been towed with a Jeep Wrangler with a lift kit, oversize tires and he had 2 kayaks mounted to the hard shell roof rack. From talking to him he commented that he had "no problems" with towing the trailer using the Jeep and the dealer had told him he'd be fine.
The empty tongue weight on his trailer was 365lbs. Once he had it loaded it was around 500lbs. His Jeep (that he was told by the trailer dealer was fine to use) was overloaded with an empty trailer and the kayaks and lift kit/oversize tires robbed more of the tow rating capacity of his Jeep. The Jeep tow ratings are 2000lbs to 3500lbs (which typically grants a 200 to 350lb toungue weight) and he had already killed that pretty much with just an empty trailer on tongue weight.

 

So tense... It’s Friday y’all. Relax. Enjoy what God has given you.

 

“Math” says you aren’t safe, and if you’re choosing to ignore math then...well, idk. The only tools I have in my toolbox are facts and reason.

Either way, I’m too old for this s—t, and I’m done with this one...happy trails.

 

It is a nice 5th wheel setup but without knowing all the information on the trailer, I will not discuss whether its safe or not.
I will say however that safety is what's important. Here in the north east, it's uphill, downhill, uphill, downhill and I've seen my share of accidents due to hauling/towing at max or greater. I just hope you have a great time and doing it safely. Keep trucking

 

I think the biggest problem here is your telling a forum that its safe and there wont be any issue. Some other new person is going see this post and think they can do the same. TSS Crewmax has a payload of roughly 1400lbs(this is generous). 15% of 5ver weight (6700) is 1005 lbs. 20% is 1340lbs. . Even at 15% that only leaves you with 395lbs. This is bare bones from the dealer without adding anything to the trailer........nothing. Can you argue with that math? Your overloaded bro. You wanna be overloaded fine your truck. But please dont post this kinda stuff here so other people can follow suit.

 

Exactly, don’t encourage others who maybe are looking to be 100 percent safe and see this fuckery and assume they’re safe as well. You’re overloaded period

 

you have to get trash mouth bet your one of those big talkers that cant back his mouth

 

dont worry gonna delete accont if i wanted to put up with trash mouths inother words teenagers or people who never grew up i dont have to talk bad to prove im a man grow up or to try and make me look big

 

No need to leave.... most of us are just trying to relate factual information. As I said earlier... once you do the weight analysis I'm pretty sure that you are going to find that you are over. There is a reason that you normally find 3/4 to 1 ton trucks hauling the 5th wheels. It has to do with their higher payload capacity. If you had viewed that link I provided you would see that the Tundra is actually in last place in payload capacity. But there is some question on whether the other manufactures payload capacity are correct.... from what I read somewhere Ford is currently on the hot seat for overstating their tow/payload capacity.
The big issue is you have a 31 foot 5th wheel. That size usually has a higher pin weight than say a 22-24 foot unit. It also usually needs a longer wheel base TV due to the effect that cross winds can have on it.
Pretty sure once you start hitting some really hilly areas you are going to find that the truck is not fully up to the task.

Heck, back in the 50's almost ALL travel trailers overloaded their tow vehicles. Classic case is the movie "The Long, Long Trailer". That was pretty much what people towed and the vehicles that they used. And even at that, the movie had to switch out the TV as it was going up the mountains because the original TV they were using only had 125HP and the replacement one had 205HP. Back then there wasn't the breadth of units available for camping nor TVs that were what would be considered in todays market as safe..

Further, you need to realize that if you are overloaded and get into an accident, you will have a large proportion of liability placed on you since you were outside the design parameters of the TV.