Pompano

This is probably a very easy question for you pros on this Dodge Diesel forum to answer, but it's a tough and important one for me.

I want to buy a fifth wheel...a long heavy one..35-37ft and about 15,000 lbs..that we can use as our home while working in the oil fields of ND. We will be towing it frequently throughout the next 2-3 years if things go according to plan.

I have a 1999 Dodge 4x4 Cummins (6 cylinder 5.9 liter) with lots of miles, 365,000 as of today. I had a rebuilt automatic transmission installed about 80,000 miles ago...other than that I have have had no other major problems with this truck.

My question is: Can I use this old truck to haul a good-sized fifth wheel?...or am I going to wasting time and money? Trade in value on my high miles truck is not much...maybe 5-6 thousand max? Money is tight in these times, so we are on a strict budget and will be saving our pennies for a few years to come.

Hope your answers will help us make the right decision, and thanks in advance, Pompano. This is a great forum to find things out!

ridofpwrstroke

Can you tow it? You bet. Can you stop it? That really isnt out of what your truck can tow. Air bags are a must. Trailer brake controller is a must. Exhaust brake is highly highly recommended. Your truck will pull it just fine. If you dont have any gauges, I would add some.

Carefull, some of the weight police will tell you to never come close to it. You will be fine.

Busboy

I have a different point of view for you. I notice that people that use their trailers for work use travel trailers a lot the kind that goes on the rear hitch. As they don't move every day they don't need the convenience of a 5ver for hooking/unhooking. A travel trailer is lighter, cheaper and there are some that are built especially for living and working out of and because they don't have the taller ceilings that 5vers have they are easier to heat. The other plus features are that they can be moved with most trucks you don't need a 5ver hitch so if your truck is down and you need it moved it's easy. You get to keep your truck bed for tools or put a cap on or whatever. The hitch weight is also lighter, often half of a loaded 5ver. As already mentioned get some gauges.

carl48

stay with the 5th wheel, get the maxbrake controller and a bd exhaust brake your truck is good for at least 1,000,000 miles. sorry to hear it is a auto. some on here will chime in to tell you how to get that pos to lock up for the exhaust brake, i think bd also makes that part. we are going to nd to build a rv park and treatment plant

j_martin

BusBoy don't understand a wife, I can tell. The trailer you're talking would be versatile enough so if you do the chores, she can feel at home most anywhere.

Fiver is no big deal unless you want to haul cargo in the bed at the same time. A Reese hitch comes completely out except for 2 rails in about a minute. You can also quickly throw in a goose neck adapter if you need to pull one, likely if you're doing anything in the oil fields. Finding someone with a fiver to move the trailer in a pinch wouldn't be a tough chore in that neck of the woods either. Pulling something anywhere near that big with a bumper pull would be a chore, if not dangerous.

If yer batchin' it, go with a smaller trailer. You won't do anything there but crash anyway.

I have two kids doing this gig as I write.

Busboy

well to be honest my wife and I have had 5vers for around 25 years and currently have a 2012 Crusader 320RLT 36ft 3 slides washer/dryer 4 door fridge. That doesn't mean I don't see people using trailers to work from and having owned 5vers I know the draw backs when used in cold climates. Sure a 5ver is more open, easier to hook up and handle better but if you are not moving every day and driving great distances that doesn't matter. I have a friend with a large TT that he pulls easily with his Ford. Just offering an alternative.

Fiftygrit

You didnt say if you have a 3/4 ton or 1 ton, I tow a 35ft 8in 5th with a 3/4 ton, only around 12k loaded, I keep all my tanks empty, 2 grey 1 black when towing, 3 slides, we live in it for 5 months in AZ every winter, I have firestone airbags, about 25lbs keeps her nice and level, you will need a good, not cheep brake unit, towing as others have said is not a problem its the stopping, I just keep mine around 60 mph on the interstate and always leave lots of room between you and the unit in front of you, its all good, I only tow around 6k miles every year, south and north, good luck, I have around 2k pound tounge weight, watch that for sure, I wouldnt go over 2500lbs.

Rednecktastic

Like Fiftygrit said, I'd pay most attention to your pin weight and tires/rear axle. When you surpass that it can get dangerous.

I'd go weigh a few trailers hooked to your truck to make sure you are in that limit but I see people pull 15K all the time with 3/4 tons. They are rated pretty close to that.

Rednax

We will be towing it frequently throughout the next 2-3 years if things go according to plan.


I would think the plan would not be to job hop? Or does the work literally move frequently. One can pay a pro to move it for you when needed if there's a little elbow room on stop and start dates between locations.

I also agree about a trailer over a 5'er. Extra hot weather or extra cold it's a lot of cubic air to condition.

Let us know what you do.

.

nkennedy

A 15k lb fifth wheel will have a pin weight of around 3K lbs or more. That's a lot for a SRW truck, and will probably put you over your RGAWR or tire caps. Stay around12K lbs max, and you will be OK.

carl48

we easily pull 25k with our srw 3/4 tons some have over 1,000,000 miles on them. the only difference ours have a real transmission in them. get the exact controller and eb i said. the maxbrake is the only true proportional brake made and is 10x safer than like the prodigy

SOhappy

If you don't have one, you'll need a tranny temp gauge for that 47RE. Keep an eye on it when pulling in 1st & 2nd gear up steep grades (for some reason my 3rd gen with the 47RE never got hot at highway speeds on steep grades, probably because the torque converter was locked). If you hit 210° immediately pull over, set the park brake and let it idle in neutral down to 180°. Change your fluid and filter every 15k, and a total fluid exchange (not power flush) every 30k.

I put 100k hard miles on my 47RE following that advice I got here and it was still strong when I sold the truck.

ridofpwrstroke

The thread reads how much he could tow with his 99 2500 cummins. He has a 3/4 ton. Easy miss though.

nkennedy

Maybe Gooseneck trailers are different than fifth wheels in regards to the ratio of pin weight to total weight. A 3/4 ton truck has a RGAWR of 6080 lbs or less due to the tire caps. My 3/4 weighs 2700 lbs with no trailer. That leaves a little over 3.3Klbs for pin weight. A 15K lb fifth wheel will usually have a pin weight of at least 3K lbs, and could be as high as 3750 lbs. It will be really close to being ilegal if not over. It might do it, but don't get caught.

Rednecktastic

So you'd need to buy higher rated tires to get more on the axle? Or are you going off published numbers?


Also, some of that weight is on the front axles too, not just 100% on the rear right?