I don't think there would be enough room in the "bed" section of the Bronco with the top off to allow you to turn and maneuver. I've never owned one or hauled one but just thinking about the space involved, even for a short bed truck, sometimes is pretty slim.

 

you would need a sliding 5th wheel hitch such as http://www.pullrite.com/products/traditional-series-superglide-short-bed-trucks. setup would be similar to one used on the crew cab short bed f150s with the 5.5 foot bed.

 

I hope you mean just around you own property, like an ag. trailer. Or moving an empty cargo trailer. Towing a loaded 5th-wheel with a Bronco on public roads is probably illegal, and certainly dangerous. A Bronco doesn't have the weight, length, or suspension to control that much trailer attached that high above the ground. And I've heard on other discussion forums that Kanadia is remarkably strict about enforcing towing laws.

There are some professionals at this link (many Kanadians, and some of the site staff) who can give you the specific reasons that this is a BAD idea:
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/76-speciality-forums/222-towing/
Buy the right truck for that trailer, or sell it.

 

Only way it be illegal if he goes over his gcwr and gawr and if there is a law towing wIth a open cab(which I believe there isn't but youd have to check). No different than towing a 5th with a reg cab short bed minus a foot in wheelbase.

 

I'm with steve on this one. Even if it could be done, and wasn't illegal it's still a bad idea. Even if the Bronco could get it moving it probably wouldn't be able to stop it.

This comes to mind.

 

I'm with steve on this one. Even if it could be done, and wasn't illegal it's still a bad idea. Even if the Bronco could get it moving it probably wouldn't be able to stop it.

]

Since when did a bronco become less of a truck? :scratchhe

It's still an F-150 it still has the same start and stopping power of any regular full size truck.

Now it is true that hauling anything more than a wheel barrow behind one of these TRUCKS is more demanding of the drivers skill and attention, but it could still do the work.

I believe in comparison hauling a 5th wheel trailer would put more weight on the steer axle and possibly improve the handling of a bronco, as to when hauling a bumper pull that seems to drastically change the steering geometry and give you that uneasy feeling of a light front end.

Either way, always use caution when towing, and be sure to check both truck and trailer over for problems before traveling.

 

Two things: 1) Even though it's a truck, it's an open-cab truck. What are you going to do if it starts raining hard? Gets cold? In towing this, are you going to unhitch the trailer to throw on a soft top? And 2) For any towing with shorter-wheelbase trucks, regardless of gross weight, it's ideal to hold the truck and trailer as level as possible, and have part of the trailer weight transferred to the front axle (weight-distributing hitch). That precludes both fifth-wheel and gooseneck setups. Of course, there are those who say nay about using a Bronco to tow with, but if doing so is so bad, why did Ford have factory trailer towing for them? And, as far as weight is concerned, why were full sized cars able to tow long, heavy trailers when they were approximately the same weight and wheelbase (more or less) than a Bronco?
What all this comes down to is proper prior preparation before towing, and not coming up with crazy ways to do towing.

 

to end this.
from ford
http://www.lov2xlr8.no/brochures/ford/95bronco/7.html

GCWR is between 11500 and 12k with the 5.0/5.8 auto and a measly 7800 with a manual trans
the max trailer wieght is 3k(man.) to 7k(5.8 auto)

http://www.cars.com/ford/bronco/1995/specifications
the gawr
front 3800
rear 3800

a 22 foot light 5th wheel wieght roughly
5700-7,012lb dry wieght
1100-1420 hitch weight
(what i found online, never said what model you bought)


a bronco is about 5klbs give or take, so we will say 3k over the rear axle time you get done with people and fuel, so 3000+1400 puts you at 4400 over the rear axle or 600lbs over gawr, the the weight(http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66632)

7,000 + 5,400 + 12,400 so you are now over your gcwr by 400lbs if you have a 5.8 and auto


so can it be done, yes and no, depends on the model 5th wheel, but the time you add fresh water, pots/pans, and etc into the 5th wheel you are going to be over your gcwr and qawr no matter how you look at it, so it is illegal, the lightest 22 foot 5th wheel i saw was 5700lbs which put you barely under your gcwr but will put you over your gawr but as said the dry weight changes as soon as you start loading the trailer up.

 

Hey, my trailer is about 5700 lbs, good guess! I consider my truck a f150, I have overload leafs in the rear and as others have put it, the 5th hitch would infact put more weight over the front axle. I'm not worried about rain... lol Who's worried about rain? HAHA But thanks for pointing out that yes, I would infact be over the legal weights. Not by much, but yes... legally over. Only way around that is to register my suv as a truck. I was hoping someone has done this before, but I guess not. I may give it a shot and see how things line up, turning radius etc. I dont camp further than 15miles from my house, so distance shouldnt be an issue.

 

I have overload leafs in the rear...

That DEcreases the available capacity by the weight of the added springs. The wheel bearings, frame, & brakes cannot handle any more than they could before, and even if you swap to 1-ton running gear, the wheelbase is still too short to control a long, heavy trailer.

I rolled pulling HALF as much weight as I had gotten away with several times before, going only 45mph, and only planning to pull it >7 miles.

Don't risk it - it's not worth it.

I've towed some stupid-heavy $#!+ with my Bronco, but very rarely at highway speeds.

 

I wouldn't do it without a heavily modified Bronco... and even then, I'd be exceptionally hesitant and worried.
The risk of destroying my Bronco or my trailer just wouldn't be worth it to me.

That said... IF you do it, GET PICS!! :toothless

 

You are looking at some major rear end suspension work and maybe even a drivetrain upgrade if not an engine swap.

I'd be most worried about smashing the cab when making turns, since you have to center the fifth wheel plate just forward of the rear axle. If you mount it directly above or behind the axle, you risk tipping the bronco back onto the bumper when accelerating and loosing traction with your front wheels. You'll definitely have to yank out the rear seat.

You'd be better off getting a cheap pickup and modding that for what you're wanting. Broncos just weren't made for heavy towing. At most, a light trailer is all you can reasonably tow without some extensive modifications.

 

At most, a light trailer is all you can reasonably tow without some extensive modifications.

Oh I don't know. I've seen some interesting things being towed in the Bronco towing thread. With the properly installed tow hitch, you can get away with some serious weight. I've personally towed a Bronco on a trailer and a 25ft. camp trailer... but it was a bumper pull, not a 5th wheel.

This trip was seriously pushing it. Not something I'd do repeatedly, for sure.

The other concern that comes to my mind is the Bronco's floor and the location of the frame rails to tie into. Bronco truck beds were made for hauling people and smaller loads, not filling with dirt, wood, metal or other heavy loads a pickup truck can be expected to handle.
Then again... as I've said before, if it's not an F250 (3/4 ton or higher) it's not worth having a pickup. :shrug




Teg... I would seriously consider trading your 5th wheel for a similarly nice bumper pull trailer. Ad in a frame tied trailer hitch and you'd be far better off for the safety of your Bronco, your trailer and most importantly... your family.

It's one thing to take a risk doing something like this by yourself, but if your a 5th wheel camper I have to assume children are involved in the equation somewhere and that would just be stupid and possibly "child endangerment" in the eyes of the law.

 

Probably not going hear to many try and tell you how good an idea this is here. A Bronco will haul the load yes that is not the question. The suspension and drive line has the ability to meet the challenge. The chassis rails are in the correct place to connect the fifth wheel hitch. Like others have said what are you going to do about the back of the Bronco?

I really think you would be better served like PePe suggested maybe look for a bumper pull trailer if you want to keep the Bronco.

 

Valid points guys, turning radius will be an issue for sure. Lol, No kids!! Just me and the wife. We bought a 1999 5th wheel for $1200, deal too good to be true but its in amazing shape. I'll probably just end up selling it for a hell of a profit, or we'll insure insure the 3/4 chevy for 3months of the year. Wasnt really a fan of insuring a secondary vehicle. But what has to be done, has to be done.

 

you need one of these


I saw a 68 Chrysler Newport hauling a 20-22 ft fifth wheel down the road one day

http://www.tiny1.net/truck.htm

seems like it could work, takes all load off tow vehicle,just don't try backing up!

I have also seen new trailers being delivered using this kind of device, one truck pulls two fifth wheel trailers using a receiver hitch mounted rear of front trailer

 

The basic setup I was going to do on Eddie was to upgrade to 3/4 ton suspension (2WD), and a frame receiver set up for weight distribution, as my rig has dual front shocks. With the 3/4 ton brakes I was going to do an F250 or 350 M/C and booster, and with the steering, I had all the parts from the Pitman arm to the steering knuckles. The only question I had was if I could retrofit a 4WD steering stabilizer to the front steering. But the biggest thing was to properly load the trailer (and not take a bunch of unnecessary crap with the essentials) so that the tongue weight was still within the trailer's and truck's specs

 

This right here is about a Bronco's stock limit. Did I do it? Yes. did everyone say it was a terrible idea? Yup. Were they right? Yes and no. The Bronco has plenty of pissed off power to get moving its the stopping that gets ya. Even though I started braking before the intersection the load still pushed me a bit (keep in mind this was in January with slushy roads) and then again I got pushed a bit turning on the top of a hill. Otherwise I didn't have much of an issue. I didn't go over 45 and that was only on the highway with no stops anytime soon. In the city I didn't go over 15 no matter the speed limit. Would I do it again given the circumstances? Yes. Would I make a habit of it? No. Knowing what the Bronco CAN do if I need it to and what I regularly want to subject it to are two different things.

 

I would say this is 2 part, the technical side of what the truck can handle GVWR. and a proper setup for the equipt. being towed. The second would be the common sense part. The driver must know the over all condition of his vehicle, ie; brakes, tires, hitch, frame- rust ect. We all know these are not new trucks. Then just as you would when off-roading, weather-road conditions, terrain- hills, mountains, highways ect. Also, know the condition of the equipt. your towing. Every time I travel highways from MD. to WV. I see someone having trouble with a trailer, flat tire, brakes locked/ burned up or axle/ bearing problem. Then before you take it out on a long haul do some testing and understand the setup for braking and distances. I've towed different sizes and weights from construction equipt. to trailers and every load and setup acts a little different.

So, use our intelligent friend Steve as an example for common sense, when it comes to air compressors, guns, and towing, Use common sense and you should be fine.

Sorry Steve, this has to continue and I could not resist. :toothless

 

Find you a beater F250 or 350 to tow with. With the small distance you are towing, it doesn't have to be a perfect vehicle, just capable. I wouldn't risk it with the Bronco either.

 

Lets just say that anyone who tows anything above 4000lbs without trailer brakes is asking for trouble. If equipping the truck with electric brake controller cost $300 total it is far less expensive than not being able to keep your vehicle under control and getting in a collision.

 

That's the other big thing: brakes on the trailer. I have never seen flatbeds equipped with brakes, which means the truck does all the braking. I know why the trailer doesn't: it keeps the tires from sliding on application. On a boat trailer, you usually have a boat when you're on the road, horse trailers are heavy by themselves and travel trailers are, well, travel trailers. If I were using a flatbed, I definitely would use a long-framed truck. My friend towed my Chero on a flatbed behind his 4WD Dakota, and it was a bit hairy on the winding roads to his property. But if you have a trailer with brakes, towing with a Bronco should not have as many problems when you use prudent driving skills.

 

Pulled my junk all over with a 4dr tahoe. trailer has GREAT brakes on both axles


This came to the bogg every time back in the day

 

So how would you keep the tires from sliding when the trailer's empty?

 

Most trailer brake controllers are adjustable, you can almost turn the brakes completely off on my flatbed trailer when it,s empty and it has good brakes on both axles.

 

The trailer brake controller can be operated manually and any trailer set up for electric brakes will have small battery that will engage the trailer brakes via a tethered switch in the event of a break away.
The brake controller has a time to full power delay so if you increase the delay time it will allow you to stop without locking the tires. I tend to just let off the brake pedal for brief moment which resarts to delay. I love trailer brakes once you drive with them you never will want to be without them again.

 

The newer proportional ones have an accelerometer or the like in them that senses how fast you or decel'ing and apply's the brakes accordingly, so you set a level at which you want to apply the trailer brakes and it applies them to that level at the same rate as he truck is (in theory). The ones in my F-250 and Excursion has several different boost modes and also have a way to disable the trailer brakes, I do it when backing up sometimes. I also agree that trailer brakes are a good thing. Even small trailers are more predictable with brakes, my atv trailer only weighs 500-600lbs and it has brakes at both axles.

 

That's good, and very smart, to know. All the flatbeds I've seen don't have brakes.

 

why are we talking about trailer brakes? Lol, Of course I'm equipped with trailer brakes.

 

Not real sure, we are great at running off the tracks wouldn't you agree?

 

Not real sure, we are great at running off the tracks wouldn't you agree?