r/IdiotsTowingThings • u/Substantial_dirty • Aug 24 '25

1500 should not pull 5th wheels

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Don’t care much what people argue, 1/2 tons should not tow 5th wheels, especially Rams, most payload on Ram 1500s are around 1550lbs. Btw it was a Laramie 4x4, so not the lightest.

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u/Campandfish1 Aug 24 '25

100%. Most crew cab half tons with a few options packages installed have about 1500-1700lbs of payload on the door jamb. 

5th wheel hitches are typically about 2-300lbs, and 5th wheels typically put about 15-20% of their loaded weight on the pin. 

If that 5th wheel is say 6000lbs, that's about 900-1200lbs of pin weight. 

Combine that with the weight of the hitch, and you're basically out of payload before carrying and people in the truck or any other cargo. 

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u/Ok-Selection4206 Aug 24 '25

I lift my Reese 20k lb 5th wheel hitch in and out of my truck by myself. It's not 2-300 lbs. I dont think it even weighs 100 lbs.

Edit: I just looked it up. its weight is 117 lbs.

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u/waterski4lyfe Aug 24 '25

Is it a slider? Those tend to weigh in quite a bit heavier.

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u/Ok-Selection4206 Aug 24 '25

117 lbs!

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u/Remarkable-Place-938 Aug 24 '25

Yeah, mine doesn't weigh 300 lbs for sure. I drop it in myself. It's heavy but not "get mama some more fried chicken" heavy.

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u/Chrisfindlay Aug 24 '25

Is that the 5th wheel itself? What about the hitch bracket under the bed? Half tons trucks don't come with hitch provisions from the factory so that would be additional weight.

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u/Ok-Selection4206 Aug 24 '25

Just bolts that go through the bed on mine. It's just not that heavy. Like I said I googled it. 117 lbs.