What's up, Mavericks!
Today, we're talking about towing capacity. Having the right capacity towing vehicle is critical to both safety and protecting your gear from excess wear and tear. Whether you're a travel trailer, fifth wheel, or motorhome owner, this info is for you! Keep reading below, or - if you're more of a video watcher than a reader - check out the video Chris made on this topic!
Travel Trailers
If you're pulling a travel trailer, you're going to fall into one of three categories:
• Small Travel Trailers - These trailers typically range from about 1,000 lbs. dry weight up to about 4,000 lbs. Fortunately, most cars on the market can tow a trailer this light, so you can actually get away with using a mid-sized SUV or crossover to tow these kinds of trailers.
• Medium Travel Trailers - Medium travel trailers are typically going to fall between 4,000 and 7,000 lbs., so for these you'll need something like a half-ton truck - something like a Ford F-150 or a 1500 series truck works great. Most of these trucks have towing capacities hovering around 10,000 lbs., so you give yourself plenty of headroom (which is important to protect your truck from damage or wear).
• Large Travel Trailers - Lastly, we have large trailers. These are typically going to range from about 7,000 lbs. to 9,000 lbs. And, despite half-ton trucks having a towing capacity that is greater than the weight of these trailers, it's probably a better idea to step up to a 3/4-ton truck - something like an F-250 or 2500 series. The reason for this - and this is important no matter what you're towing - is to not tow at the upper range of your towing vehicle's capacity. Doing so can really screw things up. You always want to tow a couple thousand pounds underneath whatever your max capacity is to preserve your equipment, harness, and vehicles.
Fifth Wheel Trailers
Once again with Fifth Wheels, we're dealing with three categories:
• Small Fifth Wheels - Small Fifth Wheels are actually quite comparable to large travel trailers, typically in the 7,000-10,000 lb. range. That means that a similar truck (F-250, 2500 series, etc.) could be used to tow them.
• Medium Fifth Wheels - Medium Fifth Wheels exist in a strange place. They're typically anywhere from 10,000-14,000 lbs., which means the lighter ones could be towed by a 3/4-ton truck, but the heavier ones will need to be towed by a dually truck of some kind, such as an F-350 or a 3500 series.
• Large/Luxury Fifth Wheels - These suckers are huge. We're talking 14,000 lbs. and up huge. Even the most tricked out 3/4-ton trucks are going to max out around that range. And, as we already talked about, you absolutely don't want to tow at that max capacity. As a result, the best towing vehicles for a Fifth Wheel like this is a dually truck of some kind, like an F-350, 450, or 550 or a 3500 series. Towing a luxury Fifth Wheel with anything less than that is a recipe for disaster.
Motorhomes
A lot of you out there may flat tow a towed vehicle behind your motorhome instead of towing a trailer. That's also a great option when it comes to RVing, and one we want to cover here. However, just as with trucks and trailers, different motorhomes have different towing capacities - and it's important to be aware of them.
Here are the types of motorhomes and their capacities:
• Class A - Class A motorhomes are the big bus-style ones, and they're probably the most popular when it comes to flat towing. The reason for that is that the diesel-powered variants (also called "Diesel Pushers") can tow up to 10,000-15,000 lbs. That covers virtually any towable vehicle on the market, making them ideal for versatility. There is a pretty wild variation though between Diesel Pushers and gas-powered Class As though - a gas-powered Class A can only tow about 5,000 lbs. on average. So, if you're going the Class A route, a Diesel Pusher is likely the best option.
• Class B - These motorhomes are typically referred to as camper vans. That's because they're closer to a big 18-passenger van than their larger cousins. Class Bs have become really popular since COVID, with lots of people living out of them full-time. Their small size makes them easier to maneuver, and, therefore, a daily driver is a lot less necessary. However, if you do choose to tow with one of these bad boys, just remember they only have a towing capacity of about 5,000 lbs. at the very max. That severely limits your options. There are some cars (like Smart cars and small sedans) that fall under this limit, but they're hard to find.
• Class C - Class Cs are the mullets of motorhomes - truck-style cab in the front, living space in the rear. 😎 They also have the widest level of variation of any of the motorhomes we've looked at. The smallest Class Cs only have a max towing capacity of about 3,000 lbs., which is even less than a Class B. However, on the upper end, some Class Cs can tow closer to 8,000 lbs., which puts them near Class A territory. If you own a Class C (or you're looking to buy a Class C), just make sure the towing capacity the manufacturer lists is suitable for the kind of vehicle you want to tow. And, as always, make sure to provide yourself with headroom. If you can only tow 5,000 lbs., you don't want to buy a 5,000 lb. vehicle. You might have to do a bit of research on your exact Class C model, but it's worthwhile in the end to make sure you protect your vehicles.
Conclusion
That's it! Everything you need to know about towing capacities in one convenient spot. We hope it's been informative for you, drop us a line if you've got any questions! We love hearing from all of you. In the meantime, Mavericks, stay bold and own the road.
We'll see you next time! ✌️