Some help please on towing a 5er with a Titan

[TitanTimeBomb]

I think I am in the right forum now. I bought a new 2004 Titan LE with the Tow Package. My wife and I bought the truck because of the unmaintained roads we have to travel on. We live out in the middle of nowhere between Whetstone and Tombstone Arizona. When we bought the Titan we gave no thought of towing anything. It just happened to have, what I thought, were all these great features. Power everthing.
Now we are close to retirement and we are thinking of buying (in a couple of years) a 5th wheel, to travel around the country. Can some one tell me and show me pics of Titans towing, say, a 29 foot 5er. I would like to get a Jayco 5th wheel but the people in the RV Forums are all big 3 and say the Titan will absolutely not tow a 5th wheel. And that Nissan does not recommend towing a 5th wheel, and if you do it will void the warranty. I know that is not true because I downloaded the 2005 Nissan Towing Guide and it says, "The Titan is the only Nissan vehicle recommended for towing a fifth wheel." And the dealer said it will not void the warranty. The RV dealer says my truck will tow all but one (the bigest) of the Jayco JayFlight 5th wheels. But, he IS the RV Dealer, now isn't he? So, as you can see I am totally confused. And, please, I don't understand all those numbers and weight stuff. If you can talk to me like your talking to a third grader I would appreciate it
Thanks in Advance for your help. Oh, I also plan to put air shocks on the rear and a 12K pullrite auto 5th wheel hitch. It will slide up to 22" when turning.
P.S. Please don't advise us to by a new more powerful tow vehicle because we can't afford one and the 5er too!

[TitanTom]

The one thing that you left out is the type of cab that you have. The crew cab has too short a bed to tow a 5er. I think that there are some here with the king cab that do tow 5ers.

[IMADOGMAN]

One search

What do you tow????? Lets see some pics

[TitanTimeBomb]

Originally Posted by TitanTom

The one thing that you left out is the type of cab that you have. The crew cab has too short a bed to tow a 5er. I think that there are some here with the king cab that do tow 5ers.

Tom I have the King Cab. And I think pullrite.com recommends the 12K SuperGlide Hitch for the Titan King Cab. It provides an automatic slide of 14 inches as you turn. You can make a 90 degree turn with out worry of putting the 5er through the back of the cab. Check it out. http://www.pullrite.com

BTW: your the one that got my handle before me. Titan Tom.

[TitanTimeBomb]

Originally Posted by IMADOGMAN

One search

What do you tow????? Lets see some pics

I have been there and didn't really find any 5ers. Looks like mostly TT and boats.

Sure would like to see a Titan LE KC with Tow Package pulling a 30' 5th wheel.

[ptgarcia]

You shouldn't have a problem pulling a 5'ver within the weight ratings of your truck. The biggest issue with a 5th wheel is the pin weight and how quickly it can exceed the tow vehicles cargo carrying capacity (CCC). The pin weight is the amount of weight the coach is applying to the bed of your truck. 5th wheel pin weights are typically 20-25% of the coaches total weight. So, if you have an 8000 lb 5th wheel the pin weight will be around 1600-2000 pounds. The king cab Titan's CCC is at the low end of that range.

What's this mean? It means you need a very light 5th wheel. There are some out there, but not in the 30' range. The only ones I have seen that light have been about 25'. The good news is I have not seen them all! However, I recommend you stick with a travel trailer. The hitch weight is a lot less, about 10% less, allowing you to go bigger, like to 30'. They are typically cheaper and with the proper hitch, such as a Hensley Arrow, will tow virtually the same. Good luck!

[mktgway]

I've been pulling a 28' 5er for two seasons now with no problems. I did get a slider hitch in fears that trailer would hit cab but only once did I slide it back to park it.
BTW ....myTrailer is a 28' Trailcruiser approx 5500lbs empty.

[HudsonValleyTitan]

Pullrite also makes a 5er hitch forthe crew cab. I know one person towing one with their CC. Pullrite is VERY specific as to the measurements of the trailer while using their hitch to tow a 5er with the CC.

[GrandmasBoy]

I'm picking up my Thor Jazz 2980bh next week, this trailer has a pin weight of 960 lbs which is one of the reasons I went with this model. It is at the high end of the trailer weight, with a dry weight of 8800lbs, so I will be packing light. My first trip will be from Los Angeles to Lake Havasu AZ, This should be a good test.

[moore101]

30' 5er good luck. You need to keep the loaded pin weight under 1200#'s and the total loaded trailer weight under 9k to be on the safe side. Don't go by dry weight's as that is a trailer with no options. If you find a trailer you like let the dealer take it to a truck scale so you can get the actual weights.

Btw I have a 21' 5er but it is on the heavy side.

[TitanTimeBomb]

I want to thank all of you for your replies. This is what I plan to do. Modifications:
Install
Firestone Ride-Rite Air-Adjustable Helper Spring Kit.
Firestone Air Compressor and Control Kit. Probably the Heavy Duty System.
Pull-Rite 12K Super Glide Fifth Wheel.
Tires: Goodyear Wrangler LT275 65 18
What I would like to Tow: Jay Flight 27.5 RLS or smililar.

What do you all think?
Anything else I might need?

[jakridge1]

TimeBomb, I think your pushing it with that trailer, IMO.
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs.) 6810
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs.) 1475
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs.) 8380
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs.) 1570
That trailer will hit max 8380 in a heart beat loaded.
I never thought I'd become a weight police,(trust me, I'm not) but how can you guys just dream away the fact your at or exceeding max weights for this truck.
Hey I wanted a bigger trailer too, but it didn't make sence to go out and kill the truck and possibly somebody else.

8800 lb trailer "DRY" I'll pack lite ??? what does that mean ? no underwear.
Really guys, I'm not trying to be a jerk, I'm just being real.

[Ltdan]

Gotta go with jakridge1 on this, too much weight. I tow a tt with mine (trailbay 27ds) the Titan is a towing beast. I have NEVER associated with the groups that believe you need a 3/4 ton truck to safely tow a pop up,but you ain't got enough of a margin to get it done safely.

[vegashd]

I think tow ratings are for the hbirds. If you equip a vehicle properly.

The differnce btween a 3/4 ton and 1 ton Ford for tow ratings is the rear leaf springs THATS IT!!!! no special frame or motor hop ups. JUST SPRINGS.

The box frame on the Titan is PLENTY strong enough. Wheel base will not have a problem. SHes adding bags in the back. So tell me, what makes it unsafe?

[RobKar]

Originally Posted by TitanTimeBomb

I want to thank all of you for your replies. This is what I plan to do. Modifications:
Install
Firestone Ride-Rite Air-Adjustable Helper Spring Kit.
Firestone Air Compressor and Control Kit. Probably the Heavy Duty System.
Pull-Rite 12K Super Glide Fifth Wheel.
Tires: Goodyear Wrangler LT275 65 18
What I would like to Tow: Jay Flight 27.5 RLS or smililar.

What do you all think?
Anything else I might need?

Firestone Ride-Rite Air-Adjustable Helper Spring Kit. --> Try the AirLift Air bags. They don't ride as stiff unloaded and are almost the same in specs.

That seems to be a big 5er for the truck but then again I pull an HR 29ft 8000lbs TT and like the ride better in the Titan than my 3/4 ton Excursion and F250. It will pull the load but keep an eye on the payload in the back of the truck.

I will aslo recommend the Prodigy Brake Controller by Tekonsha. Best brake controler that I have ever used. Only thing better is the one built in by Ford or the one that acutally uses the pressure from the master cyclinder.

You will love towing with the Titan!