What’s The Best Truck for Towing a 5th Wheel?

There are many benefits to upgrading to a 5th wheel or choosing one as your first RV. They have higher ceilings for taller folks. Most offer spacious, residential-style kitchens. Plus, the wide variety of floor plans means there’s a layout for everyone, from large families to retired couples. However, one thing is true for anyone interested in this RV type: you must have a capable truck. So, we’re looking at the best truck for towing a 5th wheel before you consider hauling one of these bigger campers. 

This guide will outline the best pickup trucks for fifth wheel towing, broken down by heavy-duty one-ton models, the “tweener” ¾-ton trucks, and light-duty half-ton options.

Key Takeaways

• Heavy-duty one-ton trucks (e.g., Ford F-350 Super Duty, RAM 3500, Chevy/GMC 3500 HD) offer the highest towing capacities—especially diesel models—making them the top choice for towing large fifth wheels.
• Three-quarter-ton (¾-ton) trucks like the Ford F-250 and RAM 2500 provide substantial towing and payload capacities, making them suitable for mid-size to large fifth wheels, especially when equipped with diesel engines.
• Half-ton trucks can tow select lightweight fifth wheels (like the Cougar Half-Ton or Eagle HT), but owners should follow the 80% towing capacity rule and use a sliding hitch if driving a short-bed truck.

Listed towing and payload capacities are for the vehicle’s current model year. Actual ratings will depend on fuel type, engine size, drivetrain, and other factors.

What Is the Best Truck for Towing a 5th Wheel?

The best truck for fifth wheel towing will always depend on the trailer’s size and weight, but the top options are heavy-duty trucks like the Ford F-350 Super Duty, RAM 3500, and Chevy Silverado (or GMC Sierra) 3500 HD. 

Let’s compare the towing and payload capacities for the gas-powered models of these popular pickups. Note that the highest ratings are only possible with a DRW model, which stands for dual-rear-wheel and is affectionately known as a “dually.”

Best Gas Trucks for Towing a Fifth Wheel

By comparison, diesel-powered one-ton trucks deliver markedly higher towing capacity.

Best Diesel Trucks for 5th Wheel Towing

While these are popular options for towing large 5th wheel campers, more RV manufacturers are designing smaller, lightweight models that smaller trucks can tow safely. Let’s detail some of those choices. 

Best ¾ Ton Trucks for 5th Wheel Towing

Historically, the “¾-ton” designation referred to a class of trucks with a payload of 1,500 pounds. Nowadays, this designation refers to a class of pickup trucks with more capability than light-duty trucks and less than one-ton haulers. For popular manufacturers like Ford, Chevy, RAM, and GMC, these are the 250 and 2500 level trucks, respectively. 

Let’s have a look at their respective maximum towing and payload capacities.

Gas ¾-Ton Truck Towing & Payload Capacities

Like their one-ton cousins, upgrading to a diesel ¾-ton pickup will give you significantly more towing capacity.

Towing & Payload for Diesel ¾-Ton Trucks

As you can see, three-quarter trucks have substantial towing and payload capacities for towing the majority of 5th wheels. You’ll have the towing power to haul some 5th wheels with 2 bedrooms and even some luxury toy haulers. But what if you have, or want to buy, an even smaller truck?

Best Half-Ton Trucks for Towing a 5th Wheel

Some of the best small 5th wheel campers like Keystone’s Cougar Half-Ton, Jayco’s Eagle HT, and Forest River’s Arctic Wolf offer residential living in a lightweight package. Let’s see your towing capabilities if you opt for a half-ton truck.

Best Half-Ton Gas Trucks for Fifth Wheel Towing

Unsurprisingly, half-ton diesel trucks also have higher towing capacities than their gas-powered sister models. However, not all popular manufacturers above offer their half-ton trucks with a diesel option.

Top Diesel Half-Ton Trucks for Towing a 5th Wheel

There’s much debate over whether half-ton trucks should be towing a fifth wheel. While these trucks technically have higher towing and payload capacities than the corresponding GVWRs and pin weights for some 5th wheels, many experienced RVers follow the 80% rule: 

Keep GVWR and pin weight at or below 80% of your truck’s towing and payload capacities. Although this can reduce the number of RVs you can tow with a half-ton truck, following the rule will reduce wear on your engine, drivetrain, and suspension.

Can You Tow a 5th Wheel with a Short Bed Truck?

It’s possible to tow a 5th wheel with a short-bed truck. However, you’ll need a sliding fifth wheel hitch or a specially designed pivoting hitch to ensure safe turning clearance. Always check your truck’s towing capacity and payload rating to ensure compatibility with the 5th wheel trailer.

Is Gas or Diesel Better For Towing a 5th Wheel?

As you can see from our towing and payload capacity charts above, diesel trucks generally offer higher towing capacities than their gas-powered counterparts. However, payload capacities don’t vary as much as you might think, and many gas trucks offer higher payload ratings than diesels. Ultimately, you must also factor in fuel and maintenance costs when deciding if a gas or diesel truck is better for your 5th wheel towing demands.

Learn more about 5th wheel towing with these resources:

• Learn these essential 5th wheel weight and dimensions.
• Discover this common 5th wheel hitch mistake.
• Read our fifth wheel tow hitch buying guide.

Do you have a recommendation for the best truck for towing a 5th wheel? Let your fellow RVers know in the comments below!

The post What’s The Best Truck for Towing a 5th Wheel? appeared first on Camping World Blog.