Can You Put a 5TH Wheel on a Ford F-150?

Of course, a huge upside of truck ownership is their ability to tow loads. 

But what about when it comes to putting a fifth wheel on a Ford F-150?

Can the truck handle that big of a trailer? 

You can safely put certain fifth wheel RVs on your Ford F-150. You just need to make sure your fifth wheel does not exceed your truck’s towing capability and payload capacity. Also, you should opt for a fifth wheel with a curved front end for easier maneuverability. 

Are Fifth Wheels Over the Towing Capability Weight for an F-150?

In some cases, fifth wheel RVs are over the towing capability weight for an F-150. 

Depending on the model and engine, an F-150 can pull between 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) and 14,000 lbs (6,350 kg). 

Fifth wheel RVs, meanwhile, usually weigh between 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) and 16,000 lbs (7,257 kg) and have an average weight of 12,700 lbs (5,761 kg). 

So, as you can see, F-150s can tow fifth wheels in certain circumstances, but in others, they can’t. 

Thus, if you want to tow a fifth wheel with your F-150, you need to know both the weight of the RV and the towing capability of your truck. 

What F-150 Has the Highest Towing Capability?

Generally, the F-150s with the highest towing capability are those with a 3.5L GTDI V6 engine. 

With these trucks, you can tow between 10,300 lbs (4,672 kg) and 14,000 lbs (6,350 kg). 

Also, note that when looking at the difference between the regular cab, SuperCab, and SuperCrew, there isn’t much difference in towing capability between them. 

What F-150 Has the Lowest Towing Capability?

Trucks with a 3.3L PFDI V6 engine can only tow between 5,000 lbs (2,268 kg) and 8,200 lbs (3,719 kg). 

Does Towing a Fifth Wheel Affect Payload?

Your payload capacity is the total weight your truck can carry in its cabin and bed. 

And unfortunately, you do need to think about payload when pulling a fifth wheel. 

You see, a fifth wheel has “tongue weight,” which is the amount of weight that presses down on the bed of the truck from a trailer. 

So, you do need to factor in the tongue weight of a fifth wheel to make sure you do not exceed the payload capacity of your F-150. 

How Much Is the Tongue Weight of a Fifth Wheel?

In general, the tongue weight of a fifth wheel is 15 to 30 percent of its poundage. 

Thus, if your fifth wheel weighs 12,000 lbs (5,443 kg), the tongue weight will be between 1,800 lbs (816 kg) and 3,600 lbs (1,633 kg). 

And you should always use the higher estimate when considering tongue weight so that you don’t overload your truck. 

Additionally, remember that your fifth wheel’s tongue weight won’t be the entire payload weight. 

Payload counts the weight of everything in the bed and cab of your truck, including passengers. 

Therefore, you need to factor in this weight as well to make sure you don’t exceed your truck’s payload capacity when you tow a fifth wheel. 

What Is the Payload Capacity for the Ford F-150?

In the 2021 F-150s, the payload capacity ranges from 1,705 lbs (773 kg) to 3,325 lbs (1,508 kg). 

The 2021 F-150 variations with the highest payload capacity are the regular cab trucks with 5.0L Ti-VCT V8 engines and a payload package. 

The 2021 F-150 with the lowest payload is the regular cab LARIAT 4X4. 

According to Payload, What Is the Heaviest Fifth Wheel an F-150 Can Tow?

According to the maximum payload capacity, no F-150s can tow a fifth wheel that weighs more than 22,167 lbs (10,055 kg). 

However, you will notice that this weight is over the towing capability of every F-150 variation. 

Maneuverability Problems With Fifth Wheels on Ford F-150s

Since a Ford F-150 is a short bed truck, towing a fifth wheel can be difficult since the front end of the RV will have to sit pretty close to the cab. 

And this fact can make turning tricky.  

You see, when you try to make a tight turn with a fifth wheel on your truck, the RV’s front end may bump against the back of your cab. 

This occurrence can cause damage to both your fifth wheel and your truck and can make driving quite stressful. 

Fifth Wheel Trailers That Get Rid of Maneuverability Problems in Short Bed Trucks 

If you haven’t already bought your fifth wheel, you will want to choose one that doesn’t cause maneuverability problems in short bed trucks, like the F-150. 

These fifth wheels are curved at their front end so that they do not bump into the back of the cab when turning. 

Towing these types of RVs will make your ride more comfortable and less stressful. 

Which Trucks Are Best for Pulling a Fifth Wheel?

Since it can be challenging to tow a fifth wheel trailer with an F-150, you may want to see if you can borrow a different sort of truck to pull your RV. 

But that leads to the question, which trucks are best for towing fifth wheels?

Generally, if you want to safely and comfortably pull a fifth wheel, you should look for trucks with a high towing capability and payload capacity, as well as a long bed. 

Some trucks that work well for pulling fifth wheels include: 

• Dodge Ram 3500
  • Towing Capability: 13,490 lbs (6,119 kg) to 37,090 lbs (16,824 kg)
  • Payload Capacity: 3,745 lbs (1,699 kg) to 4,644 lbs (2,106 kg)
  • Bed Length: 76.8 in (195 cm) to 98.4 in (250 cm)
• Ford F450 Super Duty 
  • Towing Capability: 21,200 lbs (9,616 kg) to 24,200 lbs (10,977 kg)
  • Payload Capacity: 5,414 lbs (2,456 kg) to 6,288 lbs (2,852 kg)
  • Bed Length: 61 in (155 cm) to 72.8 in (185 cm)
• Nissan Titan XD 
  • Towing Capability: 9,730 lbs (4,413 kg) to 11,060 lbs (5,017 kg)
  • Payload Capacity: 1,897 lbs (860 kg) to 2,435 lbs (1,104 kg)
  • Bed Length: 78.7 in (200 cm) 
• Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD 
  • Towing Capability: 14,500 lbs (6,577 kg) to 36,000 lbs (16,329 kg)
  • Payload Capacity: 4,353 lbs (1,974 kg) to 7,442 lbs (3,376 kg) 
  • Bed Length: 81.6 in (207 cm) to 98.4 in (250 cm) 

What Will Happen if I Go Over My F-150’s Towing Capability?

If you try to pull more weight than your F-150 can handle, you can end up seriously damaging your car. 

The most severe damage you can do to your truck when towing an overloaded trailer is putting so much strain on your engine and transmission that they stop working. 

Conclusion 

You can put a fifth wheel on your Ford F-150, but you need to make sure you don’t exceed your vehicle’s towing capability when you do it. 

You also need to consider payload capacity and the difficulties of pulling a fifth wheel RV with a short bed truck.