so my parents have had a coleman pop up for years. now they wanna upgrade to a used 5th wheel. my question is. i was wondering what cost other than the camper is he looking at.?hitch ,rails, etc. then there is the issue of trying to pull it with a 2002 F-150 crew cab w/ 5ft6in bed. kinda have heard it wont pull a small 5th wheel etc. any and all help would b great. thanks in advance

they do build an ultralight 5th, just gotta do a little research. You will need to purchase a 5th wheel hitch as well as a brake controller, I really like the Tekonsha Prodigy.
look at etrailer, they are fair priced and have anything you need trailer related.

brake controller
http://www.etrailer.com/Brake-Controller/Tekonsha/90885.html

these are for a 6.5 foot bed, but if you called them, I bet they can find what you need
http://www.etrailer.com/5w-2002_Ford_F-150.htm?Style=6-1%2F2+Foot+Bed

If you turn too sharp with a shorty bed, you can knock out the back glass.

This is a real problem on the short bed trucks but there are two types of hitches, one that automatically ratchets back toward the tailgate as you turn and one that you manually slide the hitch back for when you want to back it up and turn it tight, but you are not supposed to pull the trailer with it slid back.

What motor is in the F-150? I hated the way my 2000 Expedition pulled a bass boat, and that was a whole lot less than a 5th wheel. If they have the 4.6 I think its a mistake.

its the 5.4 motor. pulls everything fine. we pull long 20 ft trailers oftem with no problems. but its not a 5th wheel ya know. haha

I would be carefull. Watch out for how big a one you get, my uncle got a 27' and pulled it with a early 2000's model F-150, and it was too much for the truck. I think nearly every time he pulled the trailer he had to have the transmition worked on afterwards. Granted his was fiberglass sided with a slide though.

Just a thought, but why not just consider a regular bumper pull travel trailer, they are liter, cheaper to purchase, and you already have everything you need to pull one with. We recently got a gooseneck flatbed to pull a tractor on which would have easily fit on a 20ft flatbed toungue pull and been much cheaper, if I could do it again would never have considered the gooseneck.

If you are set on a 5th wheel, I would get the conversion to pull it with a goose neck ball instead of the 5th wheel hitch.

matt

thanks for the insight. i have tried 2 explain this to the folk. dad is sold, but momma, well lets just say, we may be buing a new 250 desl. hahaha

I tried to pull a 30 5th wheel with a Chevy 2500 6 litre gas. It handled the weight ok but had no power to pull and got terrible mileage. I wouldn't even think of trying one with a 1/2 ton truck of any brand.

The short bed isn't really an issue if you pay attention. I have one in my Duramax and have pulled many thousands of miles, from the gulf to Canada and in the Rockies, and never had to use my slid on the kingpin hitch yet.

great advice guys. thanks

If you are thinking about converting a fifth wheel to a "gooseneck hitch" then check with the trailer manufacture.
some can be converted , and some will pullout the pin box..(break)
depends on the frame setup

Right make sure it's made for gooseneck, if not you'll have the walls falling apart and a manufacturer that won't warranty it. Different designs completely. Also, if the king pin on the 5th wheel is forward, not under, a short bed pulls it fine. I pull a 33' Toy Hauler 5th wheel with my 2500 Dodge Diesel and can get 90 degrees easy, pulled 2 others with the kingpin forward too, just took more room and an eye on the cab.

very nice. man great amount of info guys. thanks.

not only will you be pulling the 5th wheel
but you will also be pulling alot of wind
and i mean alot of wind

Look at the Pullrite Superglide hitch. It's the only automatic sliding hitch on the market (as far as I know). I had one and it was great. Shortbed truck and I could turn fully 90 degrees. Kind of expensive but if you get a manual sliding hitch and forget to stop and get out and move the hitch just one time...