Recommended 5th Wheel Towing with 2008 Chevy 2500 Duramax Weight Capacities

Updated 11/06/2018 | Published 11/05/2018

Question:

I am getting a new 5th wheel soon. The models I am looking at are between 9500 and 12000 pounds. My budget for a truck will fall within the 2007 to 2008 Chevy 2500 HD. Pin weight around 1500 to 2100 pounds. I don’t want the truck to struggle. Help would be nice.

asked by: Rick K

Expert Reply:

For your 5th wheel towing, I recommend the 2008 Chevy 2500 with the 6.6L V8 Duramax which based on the cab and bed length as well as drive axle will have different towing limits. I've listed them below:

2500 Reg Cab Long Bed (LB) 4WD--15,500
2500 Reg Cab LB 2WD--15,800
2500 Ext Cab Std Bed 2WD--15,400
2500 Ext Cab Std Bed 4WD --14,300
2500 Ext Cab LB 2WD--15,000
2500 Ext Cab LB 4WD--13,400
2500 Club Cab (CC) Std Bed 2WD--15,200
2500 CC Std Bed 4WD--13,600
2500 CC LB 2WD--14,400
2500 CC LB 4WD--12,500

Manufacturer’s note: Fifth-wheel kingpin weight should be 15-25 percent of trailer weight up to 3,000 LB. Travel-trailer rating limited to 13,000 lbs with weight distributing hitch.

Then for your base rails, I recommend the Reese Quick-Install Custom Installation Kit # RP50064-58 which will fit standard bed or long bed models without drilling into the frame. Then you can use the Reese M5 5th Wheel Trailer Hitch # RP30928 hitch you asked from for a long bed or Slider # RP30075 for a short bed.

Finally, I recommend the Hopkins Endurance 5th Wheel/Gooseneck 90-Degree Wiring Harness with 7-Pole Plug # 41157 to add a 7-way to the bed of your truck for easy connection and a clean look.