If you’ve considered RVing, you might have weighed the pros and cons of a towable camper versus a motorized option. While we can’t make that decision for you, we want to ensure you’re prepared for RV towing. You’ll need to know some basics to tow a travel trailer or fifth wheel safely. You’ll also need to understand how to safely tow a second vehicle behind a motorhome if you want that freedom to explore once you arrive at a campsite. Today, we’re explaining towing capacities, ways to tow, and products for RV towing. Let’s dive in!
Many of us have some kind of experience in towing. If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you might have towed a trailer with an ATV or a boat. Perhaps you’ve had a mobile business and pulled an enclosed trailer or hit the open road towing an RV. Or maybe you’ve moved locations and towed a Uhaul trailer with all your stuff.
Sometimes, you can tow a lightweight trailer with a sedan. Other times, you need an SUV or truck because they provide increased towing capacities. For example, if you have a 25-foot Catamaran, your Honda Accord isn’t going to have the engine, brake system, or axles to handle that kind of load.
Today, we’re diving into the world of RV towing. Whether you tow a fifth wheel with a heavy-duty truck or a Jeep behind a motorhome, we’ll look at towing capacities, varying methods, and products used. Let’s dive in!
A tow vehicle is the front vehicle. It’s the one pulling the load. A tow vehicle is usually a truck because of its increased payload and towing capacities. Manufacturers build these types of vehicles to handle heavier loads safely.
But there are still limits. You need to ensure your tow vehicle can handle whatever weight you plan to hitch up. If not, it can create a hazardous situation for you and others on the road. So, let’s look at the differences among tow vehicles.
Half-Ton Trucks – Half-ton trucks include models like the Ford F-150, RAM 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, and GMC Sierra 1500. The “half-ton” designation derives from the payload capacity of this truck class, which is usually around 1,000 pounds. However, this classification is outdated. Today, you’ll find many half-ton trucks with a payload capacity of 1,500 pounds or more, depending on their build.
Payload capacity matters when choosing the right tow vehicle because this is the weight that can sit on the truck itself, including the cargo, fuel, and passengers. If you tow a travel trailer with a hitch weight of 750 pounds, the passengers and cargo inside can’t be more than 600 pounds. This limits the cargo you can store inside or in the truck bed.
For the most part, a half-ton truck is sufficient for your daily towing. Although there’s a range of towing capacities, a half-ton truck can usually handle 10,000-11,000 pounds. A lightweight flatbed or small enclosed trailer won’t exceed that amount. However, if you’re toting your large boat back and forth to the water often or hauling a sizeable RV to the campground frequently, you might want to invest in a heavier-duty tow vehicle to ensure safety.
We’ve written an article comparing the Ford F-150 and F-250 trucks to help you understand the difference between half-ton and ¾-ton payload and towing capabilities.
¾ Ton Trucks – ¾-ton trucks offer more payload and towing capacities. Their frames are built tougher, the engines produce more power, and the brake systems can safely stop a heavier load. Models like the Ford F-250, RAM 2500, Chevrolet Silverado 2500, and GMC Sierra 2500 are rated to handle at least 1,500 pounds. But like half-ton trucks, these trucks will provide more carrying capacity depending on the build.
Fifth-wheel owners generally need a ¾-ton truck or higher because of the pin weight of the front cap sitting in the truck bed. Even brands that build ½-ton towable RVs have pin weights that exceed many ½-ton trucks’ payload capacities, even though the towing capacity is within its range.
You’ll find ¾-ton trucks capable of towing 18,000-20,000 pounds, which is more than sufficient for most flatbeds, enclosed trailers, boats, and RVs. Just ensure the pin or hitch weight is within the payload capacity. This is where owners might need to upgrade to a one-ton truck if the load on the truck surpasses its payload capacity.
Our article “Top Five Trucks For Towing A Fifth Wheel” might be helpful if you’re considering this type of RV.
One-Ton Trucks – One-ton trucks can safely transport at least 2,000 pounds sitting on the truck itself. But since the half-ton, ¾-ton, and one-ton classifications are outdated, a one-ton truck likely has twice that payload capacity. The one-ton truck options include the Ford F-350, RAM 3500, Chevrolet Silverado 3500, and GMC Sierra 3500.
Depending on the cab size, engine type, and axle ratio of one-ton trucks, they’ll have a wide variety of towing capacities. Diesel and dually trucks will have increased towing abilities. This is why you’ll see these larger trucks hauling RVs like toy haulers and longer fifth wheels. But in general, you can expect a one-ton truck to be rated to tow at least 25,000-35,000 pounds.
You can find more information comparing the RAM 2500 and RAM 3500 and their differences in the linked article here!
One Ton Plus – A few RVers will need even more payload and towing abilities. One-ton plus options include models like the Ford F450, RAM 5500, and semi-trucks. They’ll be able to handle the heaviest of loads. Our article “Top 5 Trucks for Towing a Toy Hauler” explains why these options are best for RVers pulling rigs over 35,000 pounds.
Other Towing Options – If you own an electric vehicle, SUV, or minivan, your vehicle likely can tow a trailer as well. But their payload and towing capacities will be much lower than the limits of trucks. For example, the Jeep Gladiator has a payload capacity between 1,100-1,700 pounds and a towing capacity on the Sport models of 7,700 pounds.
It’s vitally important to know your vehicle’s towing capacities. If you exceed the rating, you could destroy the engine, transmission, or brake system. These are costly repairs. Plus, you endanger yourself, your passengers, and others on the road by traveling with a load that’s too heavy for your vehicle. Manufacturers rate every vehicle’s ability based on its build. The engine type, axle ratio, transmission, and more all factor into how much a vehicle can tow.
Pro Tip: Be sure to read What is a Safe Transmission Temperature When Towing before you embark on your next trip!
Some states allow triple towing. If you’ve traveled out west, you’ve likely seen a semi-truck with three FedEx trailers on the back. Triple towing is more common in that part of the country, although some eastern states do allow it.
Triple towing also relates to RVing. If you tow a fifth wheel and add a trailer with a golf cart to the back of it, that’s triple towing. Other RVers attach a trailer with an ATV or dirtbikes. While we don’t suggest triple towing, it’s lawful in some states.
Why don’t we think this is a good idea? Triple towing can put you, your passengers, and other drivers more at risk because the combined weight rating is likely higher than your vehicle’s capacity. Also, the longer your setup, the more difficult it is to stop, turn, and merge in traffic. The increased weight will make it harder to stop quickly.
When RV towing, you need specific equipment to do so safely. Let’s look at four particular products you can’t tow without.
Fifth Wheel Hitch – A fifth wheel is built differently than a travel trailer. You can’t tow it with an SUV because the hitch has to sit in the back of a truck bed. The kingpin under the front cap will slide into a special fifth-wheel hitch bolted to your truck bed. This is also why you need a truck with a higher payload capacity to tow a fifth wheel. That’s a lot of weight sitting on your truck!
Travel Trailer Hitch – A travel trailer hitch attaches to the bumper of your tow vehicle. Some cars, SUVs, and minivans can safely tow lightweight campers as long as they have a receiver. Just ensure that the receiver is rated to handle the correct load. For example, regular-duty receiver hitches, or Class 2 hitches, can tow up to 3,500 pounds and have a tongue weight of 350 pounds.
A ball mount attaches to the receiver hitch. Then, the trailer sits on top of the ball. Bumper pull trailers are usually more challenging to tow than fifth-wheel trailers because all the weight is on the very end of the vehicle. There’s less control when the weight isn’t sitting over the rear axle.
Weight Distribution Hitch – If you tow a travel trailer, you also want to purchase a weight distribution hitch. Although technically, you don’t have to have this to tow, we don’t recommend towing without one. This device helps balance the load, transferring some of the weight from the tow vehicle’s rear axle to the front axle. It makes the towing experience much more enjoyable and safer.
Sway Bars – Finally, sway bars are another piece of equipment we believe is essential to towing a travel trailer. Sway bars give you more confidence in towing. You’ll often feel the trailer move when a semi-truck passes or a gust of wind bursts through the interstate. Sway bars help reduce the effects of sway when RV towing, helping you maintain control and reduce accidents.
RV towing isn’t just for travel trailers and fifth wheels. Motorhomes can tow as well. Even a Class B campervan will be able to haul a small load. If you want to bring along a second vehicle, understanding proper and safe towing is critical. Let’s look at ways to tow a car, popular vehicles for towing, and products needed to bring along that second vehicle safely.
There are three ways for RV towing behind a motorhome. Flat towing means all four wheels of the vehicle are on the ground. Only certain vehicles can be flat towed. RV owners can also dolly tow with two tires on the road. Or they can raise the entire car off the ground and haul it with a trailer.
Flat Towing
Flat towing means the second vehicle is “flat” on the road. All four wheels are turning as the vehicle follows behind the motorhome. Flat towing sometimes requires modifications to the car to ensure safe travel.
Always read your owner’s manual to find out if you can flat tow your particular car. You risk severe damage to the transmission if you ignore the manufacturer’s instructions. In general, all-wheel-drive and four-by-four vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler, Honda CR-V, and Jeep Grand Cherokee are ideal for flat towing.
Two-Tire Dolly
If you have a vehicle that can’t be flat towed, you can buy a two-tire dolly. This equipment will raise the two front tires off the road while the rear tires remain on the road. You won’t have to modify your vehicle to use a dolly. But you will have to stow away the dolly when you arrive at a campsite. This equipment could make your space feel tight if you can’t push it underneath your motorhome.
Four-Tire Dolly
Finally, you can use an open or enclosed trailer if you prefer to raise all four tires off the road. This won’t add any wear and tear to your vehicle but requires a large piece of equipment. Often, RVers prefer to use a two-tire dolly because the dolly won’t take up as much space at the campsite as a larger trailer. However, if you want to fully protect your vehicle in an enclosed trailer or don’t want the tires hitting the ground, you have the option of trailer towing.
As we mentioned, several Jeep models, the Honda CRV, and 1500 trucks are often flat towed. However, you can use a dolly or trailer to tow any vehicle as long as you remain within the limits of your motorhome’s towing capacity. You can bring along a Porsche in an enclosed trailer or pull along a Smart car.
You can learn more about flat towing versus dolly towing in our article “Towing With a Dolly Vs. Flat Towing: Which Is Better?”
Just like there are specific products for safely towing a travel trailer or fifth wheel, there are also products you’ll need to tow a second vehicle. Depending on whether you flat tow or use a dolly or trailer, you won’t need all of this equipment.
Tow Brake
Flat towing requires more equipment and more up-front expenses because of the modifications. Most states require towed vehicles to have a tow brake. This device prevents unnecessary strain on your primary RV brakes by aiding in the braking process.
You can have a permanently installed tow brake or a portable one. If you travel often, we suggest getting a tow brake permanently installed. If you rotate which vehicle you bring camping, a portable one will suffice, and it’s much cheaper.
Tow Bar
You’ll need a tow bar when flat towing. This costs anywhere from $700-800. A tow bar connects the vehicle to your RV and pivots as the RV moves down the highway. It mounts into the RV trailer hitch and attaches to the base plate of the towed vehicle.
Base Plates
The base plate we mentioned above is a bracket that attaches to the front of the vehicle. It connects the tow bar to the car. Often, this equipment is custom-made for specific makes and models, providing a perfect fit. Roadmaster, Curt, and Blue Ox are popular manufacturers of base plates and tow bars for RV towing. They range from $400-500.
Flat Tow Wiring
Finally, the last product you need for RV towing is the correct wiring. This is the least expensive product at about $100-150. To flat tow, the vehicle’s tail lights, turn signals, and brake lights must operate. This wiring harness provides the necessary power.
Dolly
If you’re not going to flat tow, you must invest in a two-tire dolly, four-tire dolly, or enclosed trailer. This equipment can cost $2,000 or more, depending on the size and quality. When choosing a dolly, keep in mind where you’ll store it when it’s not in use. You’ll also want a dolly or trailer that’s simple to hitch and unhitch, especially if you’re traveling solo.
