I would like to get a silver truck next time. One thing I noticed when your son hooked up the brake away cable. It was attached to the safety chain. If the trailer does come off the hitch and the chain is shorter than the brake away cable the chain will be stretched to it's max but the brake away cable will still have slack and not activate. The brake away cable needs to be triggered before your chains get tight.
You are absolutely correct to change vehicles. I had the same dilemma with my F250 and 5th wheel and went to F350, both diesels. Too much risk in case of accident and great piece of mind.
Great video and thanks for sharing especially the bed clearance part. I pull with a 5.5 Tundra bed with the funnel forward and no problems. Also have the B&W setup. Been enjoying my 5.0 since January of 2022.
Hi there Old Guy! 😂. I have a lifted 2020 Escape 5.0 as well and absolutely love it. Initially I had a 2019 Ram 2500 as we had a larger 5th wheel and we chose to downsize rigs. Unfortunately the Ram 2500 rode much too high for the Escape and as sad as it was to sell the Ram, I downsized to a 2021 F-150 which tows the RV easily. I have had to make some adjustments to our Anderson Hitch as well, and may need to make another 1-2 adjustments as I have has some minor contact on the top of the hitch and one side rail. I like your experimentation and is a good incentive for me to make the necessary adjustments. I love the weight of the Anderson Hitch & the ease to remove/install it when I want to free the bed up for cargo. The E5.0, what a dream as it is easy, compact, and truly has everything one needs to camp. The trade off is it isn’t spacious, but it has most everything one needs if one thoughtfully selects the appropriate gear & contents. It is amazing what one can pack away in the small storage compartments if packed efficiently.
Thanks for the comment, Jim. I have to laugh though. My wife and my 2 Labs moved up to the 5.0 from a Casita. So, our perspective is that "how could anybody need more room than this"...ha! We're very happy with the whole combination and I would encourage you to experiment with the hitch setup. I am sure you can call Dustin at Escape and he can tell you where to set everything as I would say the F-150 and Andersen are the most common setup for the 5.0. I even think Karl personally has that setup.
Thank your son for his service, that’s awesome that he flys the Raptor! Will that be one of your camping trips up to Alaska? Just found your channel, what do you do for work? You do a great job of explaining things.
Hi Mark, I thank him all the time. It makes him uncomfortable...ha. Probably won't take the trailer up their while we're still working. Just don't have the ability to get away that long. We are small biz owners in the electrical rep world. And thank you for the kudo's on the explanations. I still need lots of work on the editing!!
I enjoyed watching this. I have the “exact” same TV and Trailer as yours. ETI says the trailer cannot be more than I believe, 10 degrees out of level, +/-, due to the absorption fridge, and putting to much weight on the rear trailer tires. Not only do I run my Andersen in the lowest position, I also had to drop the pin on the trailer to its lowest position. That pretty much got me within ETI’s +/-, but to get it dead level, I actually went from 65’s to 60’s on my tire profile. They are either going to have to stop making trucks so tall, or make taller trailers 😏.
Your video is very thought provoking and informative. I ran the numbers on my Honda Ridgeline. Definitely a NO GO. I have one question: Have you driven onto driveway aprons such as entering a gas station or other place where your truck will nose up and rear will go down and then after your rear wheels hit the crest, the rear of the pick up has now gone up. How was your clearance then? Just curious. We've gone from a Jayco trailer of which was totaled by a spring failure, no have a thirsty Class C and we need a tow car if you want to tour a town, etc and now I'm looking at your Escape Thanks Art
Hi Art, Well, probably the most "aggressive" turn I will ever make with regards to angles will be into and out of our barn onto the driveway. I think I show this in the video with the RAM coming out of the barn. If I ever happen to see a situation that even remotely concerns me when I'm out in the "wild", I just move on. I am simply not gonna have that issue away from home! With all that said, I really have very good clearance and almost no concern about collision with the bed. I would just say be alert to your surroundings prior to making a turn and in some cases let the guy behind you blow his horn and give you the finger. It's worth it to bring your trailer and truck home in perfect condition.
It seems that far too many RVers think 1/2 ton is far more than 1000 lbs. Have an accident and the lawyers and investigators will be all over you. Having multiple slides and three axles should tell you something. Thank you for the invaluable information you espoused. A well written and edited narrative would help your cause very much.
Hey Dave, Not sure what you’re asking. This is a Ram 1500 limited. It’s got a lot of equipment on it from the factory but I have not added any additional equipment. It weighs 6000lbs from the factory. It’s GVWR is 7100 pounds as every Ram 1500 is. So, 1100 pounds of available cargo is the limit.
Great. What is the tailgate rail and bed height of you Chevy 2500? I have RAM 2500 and concerned with the vehicle being too high for the 5.0 TA. Thanks.
Great video! I currently have a 2022 Ram 5500 with a CM Flatbed and haul a 2021 Northern Lite 10.2 Truck camper. My wife and I know down the road we will move into the Escape 5.0 TA. My CM flatbed has a gooseneck built into the center of the deck. I was wondering if you could tell me the location measurement of your Anderson Hitch in your new 2500 to your rear bumper? Our 5500 flatbed is loaded with custom build storage boxes which are fabulous for storing all our camper gear and I'd prefer to use this truck with the 5.0 TA as it is paid off and gives us more flexibility than a standard truck with a regular bed. Having that measurement will let me know if it is doable. Thanks🙂
Hi Stephan, I'm not very responsive am I? Very sorry about that! I can tell you that I can't get to the trailer or hitch now due to the barn being snowed in. When I hook it up in the spring, I'll do my best to come back to your comment for an answer for you. I certainly appreciate your comment and question.
@@reneeclark45 Hi Renee, I just walked out to the garage and measured it. It is 58.5” to the top of the tail gate but the truck squats an inch when it’s got the trailer hitched up. If memory serves me, I think 57.5” would be just under the maximum acceptable limit for the Escape 5.0. And yes, we have the lift on the Escape.
@@oldguyobservations8724 That was really kind of your to go out to measure, thank you. We have been going to dealerships measuring the 2024 2500 Silverados. Since this video lead us to checking out these trucks we were wondering what that measurements is for you. Hopefully will be making a purchase within a year!
Hello, what year 2500 did you go with? I tow my 5.0TA that has a lift on it with my 2010 Silverado. I want to get a 2500 like you, I was concerned that the floor of the bed may be too high compared to my 2010. Currently my Andersen hitch is already on the lowest ball setting. And it tows level. If the floor of the 2500 is higher, I won’t be able to lower the ball anymore to tow level. I’m wondering how you got yours to tow so level with the bed floor being so much higher then the Ram 1500. Any input? Thanks!
Hmmm....I can't comment on the floor height of the 2500. All I really concerned myself with was the sidewall height of the bed. It's been a bit but the height of the sidewall of the bed was at the exact maximum limit described on the Escape website with the 5.0 with a lift once I had the trailer connected to the hitch. The trailer is currently in Florida and I'm in Colorado for a bit longer so I can't check the ball position in the Andersen hitch but I know it is either the middle or highest position. It rides reasonable level as you can see in the video but it really clears the bed sidewall easily and I have no concerns about the pinbox hitting the sidewall. This was my absolute largest concern! Honestly, if you have a 5.0 with the lift and are interested in the current generation of 2500's (mine is a 2022), just install it similar to mine and I'm very confident you won't ever have a problem.
Great video thank you for your Sharing your process. I am currently researching the estate fifth wheel trailer, what would be some of the cons that you don’t like about the fifth wheel trailer made by escape? Second question is this your first fifth wheel trailer that you have owned?
Hi Larry, Thanks for the comment and questions. I think the only thing that we wish it had was a king size bed option. We have a king at home and it's always just a bit of transition to the queen in the 5.0. Other than that, we've had some issues with the cabinet door latches and will be upgrading those. Otherwise 10 out of 10. You won't regret it! It is our first 5th wheel and will be our last. This is as large as I care to go and we moved up from a Casita. So, this feels huge to us...ha!
Like a few others. I am also setting up this same rig. In my reading for the E5.0 the maximum bed height is 58". I see you have a roll up tonneau cover. Can you tell me what your height is at the tail gate? Does yours trailer have the high lift axle pkg?
Hi Lawrence, So, my tailgate is 58.5" unloaded. When it's loaded with the 5.0, it's at about 57.5". Also, I am sure the 58" limit by Escape is pretty conservative to cover their proverbial backside. I do not or will not take the trailer to extreme angles. I hope I showed in the video, I have pretty good clearance and as long as you don't do crazy ingress/egress angles I think you would be fine up to maybe 60". And yes, my trailer has the highlift axles. With regards to the tonneau cover, it just rolls up and out of the way. Very happy with this cheap cover.
Good day old guy, Thankx for the video, question on the hitch set up what size or model Anderson ultimate do you have? I'm in the process switching my hitch and am curious as the hitch that you used in both trucks and the difference in the height of the beds Thankx
Hi Brett, I used the original hitch from the Ram and just moved it to the Chevy. I don't know the exact model from Andersen but it is the "standard" model. It is not for flat beds or trucks with work boxes. Just the standard one. I can't tell you the difference in bed floor height but the Chevy is definitely higher. I would say probably 3 inches (guestimate). As you may have seen in the video, I thought I was gonna have to make a whole lot of adjustments and I actually wasn't even sure if the original hitch would work. However, in the end, I used the original position as was in the Ram. The trailer rides just a bit nose high but nothing that is a worry and the clearance over the tailgate and sidewalls are virtually the same as the Ram. Hope this helps.
Don't no if u noticed or have rear camera on trailer?? My camera no longer works because of my high country 2500 not supplying enough power to turn on camera
Actually, I just added the "official" GM camera that they sell with the "invisible trailer" option. It fires right up and I like how it shows up in the built in screen on the dash. So, it works great from that standpoint however, I have not been able to get the camera "calibrated" to work in the invisible trailer mode. The camera comes with instructions to place the camera in a very specific east/west and north/south location. The spare tire on the 5.0 trailer does not allow me to get in the GM mounting window and I'm sure this why that feature is not enabled. I'm probably not gonna worry about it but may spend another few minutes on it. Honestly, when we are driving, I usually have the GPS showing on the screen and if I need to see behind me, I choose the camera option to see. Works fine.
@@oldguyobservations8724 is that a wireless system? My salesman showed me where the camera ports are located above the 7 way plug. I just wouldn't want to run the wire from the rear of my camper. Thanks
@@MikeShuster5376 No, it's the wired system. I actually didn't know they had a wireless option. Anyway, yeah, running the wire from the trailer bumper along the frame was about a 30 minute job but I will say the camera came with a whole lotta black cable ties. So, I do feel like it is very secure and well hidden. Also, I did not drill the camera into the fiberglass shell of the Escape trailer. Not only did I not want put holes in the trailer, I didn't think there would be any meat for the screws to grab into. I actually used Double Sided Gorilla tape. I've had really good luck with that stuff (not cheap!) and 60+ days in and 2000 miles, it still appears to be as secure as when I installed it....we shall see. Thanks for your interest!!
its actually worse than you thought with the RAM 1500. the 5.0 specs say 646 hitch weight. That is almost always a DRY weight. If you divide that by the total dry weight (3910) you get a percentage of weight distribution (.165) thats a *general* idea of how the overall weight affects the load on the hitch. multiply that by the trailer GVWR (5500) you get 909 lbs. Thats a quick calculation of the *most* payload that hitch will use up. So yeah thats a squeaker for the RAM. Funny thing - I bought a truck this past spring and I had no intention of camper or trailer (that came later) and I didnt choose well if it was my intent to get a slide in or any sort of sizeable trailer. But it does have juuuust shy of a ton of payload - so the 5.0 is a pretty good match. and I really liked the Ram - but I didnt get one because the dang seat wont go low enough for me to comfortably see out the windshield, since I am not shaped like an oompa loompa, this is a common occurrence. Im considering a 5.0 because it suits my dimensions. however my intent is to boondock in the desert and other BLM land. Im concerned about uneven roads causing contact between the bed and trailer
Hi Michael, I can only say, on "normal" roads contact is not a concern at all for me. With regards to the 5.0 itself, I would say 10 out of 10 from my perspective.
Problem with is video is the old guy believes all 1500's are equal to the one he bought. Not the case. We have a 2020 1500, Quad Cab, 4x2, 6.4 Bed, Hemi that tows our 5.0TA. Door sticker reads Max Payload:1749lbs. More than adequate to tow our loaded 5.0TA with our 1500. Solution is omit heavy options like crew cabs, 4x4, etc. to increase the payload. No math is necessary. The second, yellow, door sticker gives you the vehicle's Max Payload limit. Payload value "includes" 150lb driver & full tank of gas. Our 5.0TA weighs 4324lbs with a 680lb pin weight.
Hey John, We live in Colorado. Good luck with 4x2 here. Also, if people didn’t like “heavy options” the manufacturers wouldn’t be able to sell them. I’m wondering if you have indoor plumbing and electric lights? Those are options!
Great video. Waiting in anticipation of your Escape 5.0 review ;)
I would like to get a silver truck next time. One thing I noticed when your son hooked up the brake away cable. It was attached to the safety chain. If the trailer does come off the hitch and the chain is shorter than the brake away cable the chain will be stretched to it's max but the brake away cable will still have slack and not activate. The brake away cable needs to be triggered before your chains get tight.
Hi Chris,
Yep! Good catch! I actually do the hooking up and he had never done that before. Truly, appreciate the advice though!!!
You are absolutely correct to change vehicles. I had the same dilemma with my F250 and 5th wheel and went to F350, both diesels. Too much risk in case of accident and great piece of mind.
I ways like to have more truck then you need! 3500HD Duramax srw
Great video and thanks for sharing especially the bed clearance part. I pull with a 5.5 Tundra bed with the funnel forward and no problems. Also have the B&W setup. Been enjoying my 5.0 since January of 2022.
Thanks David! We are very happy with our too (April of '21). Just need more vacation time...ha!
Great video on your Anderson hitch and new Chevy… Looking forward to your Escape 5.0 review as well!
Congratulations on the new truck. Now it looks like you’re pulling a tear drop.
Great video, I have the same set up with the Anderson hitch except I have the Ram 2500 and tow my 5.0 no problem.
Hi there Old Guy! 😂. I have a lifted 2020 Escape 5.0 as well and absolutely love it. Initially I had a 2019 Ram 2500 as we had a larger 5th wheel and we chose to downsize rigs. Unfortunately the Ram 2500 rode much too high for the Escape and as sad as it was to sell the Ram, I downsized to a 2021 F-150 which tows the RV easily. I have had to make some adjustments to our Anderson Hitch as well, and may need to make another 1-2 adjustments as I have has some minor contact on the top of the hitch and one side rail. I like your experimentation and is a good incentive for me to make the necessary adjustments.
I love the weight of the Anderson Hitch & the ease to remove/install it when I want to free the bed up for cargo. The E5.0, what a dream as it is easy, compact, and truly has everything one needs to camp. The trade off is it isn’t spacious, but it has most everything one needs if one thoughtfully selects the appropriate gear & contents. It is amazing what one can pack away in the small storage compartments if packed efficiently.
Thanks for the comment, Jim. I have to laugh though. My wife and my 2 Labs moved up to the 5.0 from a Casita. So, our perspective is that "how could anybody need more room than this"...ha!
We're very happy with the whole combination and I would encourage you to experiment with the hitch setup. I am sure you can call Dustin at Escape and he can tell you where to set everything as I would say the F-150 and Andersen are the most common setup for the 5.0. I even think Karl personally has that setup.
Thank your son for his service, that’s awesome that he flys the Raptor! Will that be one of your camping trips up to Alaska? Just found your channel, what do you do for work? You do a great job of explaining things.
Hi Mark,
I thank him all the time. It makes him uncomfortable...ha.
Probably won't take the trailer up their while we're still working. Just don't have the ability to get away that long. We are small biz owners in the electrical rep world.
And thank you for the kudo's on the explanations. I still need lots of work on the editing!!
Great explanation & video work, would love to see a follow up review after owning it for some time 🎉
I enjoyed watching this. I have the “exact” same TV and Trailer as yours. ETI says the trailer cannot be more than I believe, 10 degrees out of level, +/-, due to the absorption fridge, and putting to much weight on the rear trailer tires. Not only do I run my Andersen in the lowest position, I also had to drop the pin on the trailer to its lowest position. That pretty much got me within ETI’s +/-, but to get it dead level, I actually went from 65’s to 60’s on my tire profile. They are either going to have to stop making trucks so tall, or make taller trailers 😏.
Thanks for the comment, Mark! I'd say our trailer is 1 or 2 degrees nose high. Haven't had an issue with the fridge but good to know!
Your video is very thought provoking and informative. I ran the numbers on my Honda Ridgeline. Definitely a NO GO. I have one question: Have you driven onto driveway aprons such as entering a gas station or other place where your truck will nose up and rear will go down and then after your rear wheels hit the crest, the rear of the pick up has now gone up. How was your clearance then? Just curious. We've gone from a Jayco trailer of which was totaled by a spring failure, no have a thirsty Class C and we need a tow car if you want to tour a town, etc and now I'm looking at your Escape Thanks Art
Hi Art,
Well, probably the most "aggressive" turn I will ever make with regards to angles will be into and out of our barn onto the driveway. I think I show this in the video with the RAM coming out of the barn. If I ever happen to see a situation that even remotely concerns me when I'm out in the "wild", I just move on. I am simply not gonna have that issue away from home! With all that said, I really have very good clearance and almost no concern about collision with the bed. I would just say be alert to your surroundings prior to making a turn and in some cases let the guy behind you blow his horn and give you the finger. It's worth it to bring your trailer and truck home in perfect condition.
It seems that far too many RVers think 1/2 ton is far more than 1000 lbs. Have an accident and the lawyers and investigators will be all over you. Having multiple slides and three axles should tell you something.
Thank you for the invaluable information you espoused. A well written and edited narrative would help your cause very much.
Wtf are you going on about, he is towing an escape .
Wow, great information we're looking for a tow vehicle for an Escape 5.0.
Well?? Are you still lovin' the Escape 5.0?
What’s the sticker CCC (or max payload) on the RAM? Or have you added a lot of weight structure to the RAM? 1100 is very low, even for a RAM1500.
Hey Dave,
Not sure what you’re asking. This is a Ram 1500 limited. It’s got a lot of equipment on it from the factory but I have not added any additional equipment. It weighs 6000lbs from the factory. It’s GVWR is 7100 pounds as every Ram 1500 is. So, 1100 pounds of available cargo is the limit.
Great. What is the tailgate rail and bed height of you Chevy 2500? I have RAM 2500 and concerned with the vehicle being too high for the 5.0 TA. Thanks.
Great video! I currently have a 2022 Ram 5500 with a CM Flatbed and haul a 2021 Northern Lite 10.2 Truck camper. My wife and I know down the road we will move into the Escape 5.0 TA. My CM flatbed has a gooseneck built into the center of the deck. I was wondering if you could tell me the location measurement of your Anderson Hitch in your new 2500 to your rear bumper? Our 5500 flatbed is loaded with custom build storage boxes which are fabulous for storing all our camper gear and I'd prefer to use this truck with the 5.0 TA as it is paid off and gives us more flexibility than a standard truck with a regular bed. Having that measurement will let me know if it is doable. Thanks🙂
Hi Stephan,
I'm not very responsive am I? Very sorry about that!
I can tell you that I can't get to the trailer or hitch now due to the barn being snowed in. When I hook it up in the spring, I'll do my best to come back to your comment for an answer for you.
I certainly appreciate your comment and question.
Thank you for sharing! We are looking at a similar tow/Escape 5.0 set up!
Hello Renee,
Very very happy with this set-up. Actually get about 14.4 mpg at 70mph. Very respectable.
@@oldguyobservations8724 Do you know the height from the ground to the top of your closed tailgate? And does your 5.0 have the lift kit?
@@reneeclark45 Hi Renee,
I just walked out to the garage and measured it. It is 58.5” to the top of the tail gate but the truck squats an inch when it’s got the trailer hitched up.
If memory serves me, I think 57.5” would be just under the maximum acceptable limit for the Escape 5.0. And yes, we have the lift on the Escape.
@@oldguyobservations8724 That was really kind of your to go out to measure, thank you. We have been going to dealerships measuring the 2024 2500 Silverados. Since this video lead us to checking out these trucks we were wondering what that measurements is for you. Hopefully will be making a purchase within a year!
Hello, what year 2500 did you go with? I tow my 5.0TA that has a lift on it with my 2010 Silverado. I want to get a 2500 like you, I was concerned that the floor of the bed may be too high compared to my 2010. Currently my Andersen hitch is already on the lowest ball setting. And it tows level. If the floor of the 2500 is higher, I won’t be able to lower the ball anymore to tow level. I’m wondering how you got yours to tow so level with the bed floor being so much higher then the Ram 1500. Any input? Thanks!
Hmmm....I can't comment on the floor height of the 2500. All I really concerned myself with was the sidewall height of the bed. It's been a bit but the height of the sidewall of the bed was at the exact maximum limit described on the Escape website with the 5.0 with a lift once I had the trailer connected to the hitch. The trailer is currently in Florida and I'm in Colorado for a bit longer so I can't check the ball position in the Andersen hitch but I know it is either the middle or highest position. It rides reasonable level as you can see in the video but it really clears the bed sidewall easily and I have no concerns about the pinbox hitting the sidewall. This was my absolute largest concern!
Honestly, if you have a 5.0 with the lift and are interested in the current generation of 2500's (mine is a 2022), just install it similar to mine and I'm very confident you won't ever have a problem.
Does your truck have 20” wheels? I was looking at one with 18” so it should be lower. Thanks for the reply!
Great video thank you for your Sharing your process. I am currently researching the estate fifth wheel trailer, what would be some of the cons that you don’t like about the fifth wheel trailer made by escape? Second question is this your first fifth wheel trailer that you have owned?
Hi Larry,
Thanks for the comment and questions.
I think the only thing that we wish it had was a king size bed option. We have a king at home and it's always just a bit of transition to the queen in the 5.0. Other than that, we've had some issues with the cabinet door latches and will be upgrading those. Otherwise 10 out of 10. You won't regret it!
It is our first 5th wheel and will be our last. This is as large as I care to go and we moved up from a Casita. So, this feels huge to us...ha!
Like a few others. I am also setting up this same rig. In my reading for the E5.0 the maximum bed height is 58". I see you have a roll up tonneau cover.
Can you tell me what your height is at the tail gate? Does yours trailer have the high lift axle pkg?
Hi Lawrence,
So, my tailgate is 58.5" unloaded. When it's loaded with the 5.0, it's at about 57.5". Also, I am sure the 58" limit by Escape is pretty conservative to cover their proverbial backside. I do not or will not take the trailer to extreme angles. I hope I showed in the video, I have pretty good clearance and as long as you don't do crazy ingress/egress angles I think you would be fine up to maybe 60".
And yes, my trailer has the highlift axles.
With regards to the tonneau cover, it just rolls up and out of the way. Very happy with this cheap cover.
This is a very helpful video. The exact set up I’m planning on. You may have mentioned it but I’m assuming the 5.0 is lifted? Happy camping!
Thank you!! And, yup, the trailer does have the lift.
Good day old guy, Thankx for the video, question on the hitch set up what size or model Anderson ultimate do you have? I'm in the process switching my hitch and am curious as the hitch that you used in both trucks and the difference in the height of the beds Thankx
Hi Brett,
I used the original hitch from the Ram and just moved it to the Chevy. I don't know the exact model from Andersen but it is the "standard" model. It is not for flat beds or trucks with work boxes. Just the standard one.
I can't tell you the difference in bed floor height but the Chevy is definitely higher. I would say probably 3 inches (guestimate). As you may have seen in the video, I thought I was gonna have to make a whole lot of adjustments and I actually wasn't even sure if the original hitch would work. However, in the end, I used the original position as was in the Ram. The trailer rides just a bit nose high but nothing that is a worry and the clearance over the tailgate and sidewalls are virtually the same as the Ram.
Hope this helps.
Don't no if u noticed or have rear camera on trailer?? My camera no longer works because of my high country 2500 not supplying enough power to turn on camera
Actually, I just added the "official" GM camera that they sell with the "invisible trailer" option. It fires right up and I like how it shows up in the built in screen on the dash. So, it works great from that standpoint however, I have not been able to get the camera "calibrated" to work in the invisible trailer mode. The camera comes with instructions to place the camera in a very specific east/west and north/south location. The spare tire on the 5.0 trailer does not allow me to get in the GM mounting window and I'm sure this why that feature is not enabled. I'm probably not gonna worry about it but may spend another few minutes on it. Honestly, when we are driving, I usually have the GPS showing on the screen and if I need to see behind me, I choose the camera option to see. Works fine.
@@oldguyobservations8724 is that a wireless system? My salesman showed me where the camera ports are located above the 7 way plug. I just wouldn't want to run the wire from the rear of my camper. Thanks
@@MikeShuster5376 No, it's the wired system. I actually didn't know they had a wireless option. Anyway, yeah, running the wire from the trailer bumper along the frame was about a 30 minute job but I will say the camera came with a whole lotta black cable ties. So, I do feel like it is very secure and well hidden. Also, I did not drill the camera into the fiberglass shell of the Escape trailer. Not only did I not want put holes in the trailer, I didn't think there would be any meat for the screws to grab into. I actually used Double Sided Gorilla tape. I've had really good luck with that stuff (not cheap!) and 60+ days in and 2000 miles, it still appears to be as secure as when I installed it....we shall see. Thanks for your interest!!
If it's a Furrion camera you need to buy a Furrion Lippert 7 pin adapter which will correct the problem
Safety first! Nice video. The only loss is mpg. It would be interesting the difference.
Well, I know it's hard to believe but I get about 13.5mpg in the 2500 and only 12.0 in the Ram.
@@oldguyobservations8724 Thanks for the real world mpg.
Was your Ram 1500 a Hemi or Ecodiesel? What year.
its actually worse than you thought with the RAM 1500. the 5.0 specs say 646 hitch weight. That is almost always a DRY weight. If you divide that by the total dry weight (3910) you get a percentage of weight distribution (.165) thats a *general* idea of how the overall weight affects the load on the hitch. multiply that by the trailer GVWR (5500) you get 909 lbs. Thats a quick calculation of the *most* payload that hitch will use up. So yeah thats a squeaker for the RAM. Funny thing - I bought a truck this past spring and I had no intention of camper or trailer (that came later) and I didnt choose well if it was my intent to get a slide in or any sort of sizeable trailer. But it does have juuuust shy of a ton of payload - so the 5.0 is a pretty good match. and I really liked the Ram - but I didnt get one because the dang seat wont go low enough for me to comfortably see out the windshield, since I am not shaped like an oompa loompa, this is a common occurrence.
Im considering a 5.0 because it suits my dimensions. however my intent is to boondock in the desert and other BLM land. Im concerned about uneven roads causing contact between the bed and trailer
Hi Michael,
I can only say, on "normal" roads contact is not a concern at all for me.
With regards to the 5.0 itself, I would say 10 out of 10 from my perspective.
My dads ram shortbed 2wd has less payload then my 21 f150 sc 4x4.
Problem with is video is the old guy believes all 1500's are equal to the one he bought. Not the case. We have a 2020 1500, Quad Cab, 4x2, 6.4 Bed, Hemi that tows our 5.0TA. Door sticker reads Max Payload:1749lbs. More than adequate to tow our loaded 5.0TA with our 1500.
Solution is omit heavy options like crew cabs, 4x4, etc. to increase the payload. No math is necessary. The second, yellow, door sticker gives you the vehicle's Max Payload limit. Payload value "includes" 150lb driver & full tank of gas. Our 5.0TA weighs 4324lbs with a 680lb pin weight.
Hey John,
We live in Colorado. Good luck with 4x2 here. Also, if people didn’t like “heavy options” the manufacturers wouldn’t be able to sell them. I’m wondering if you have indoor plumbing and electric lights? Those are options!
What an idiotic statement made by @circleof5ths.
Only promotion!
As small and light as an Escape 5.0 is, you could tow it with a mid-size little truck, Santa Cruz or Ranger
but why would you.
No you can't
A 6 minute video turns into 25 minute due to too much useless information and talk