Both ladders, 6 builds, one page
The complete towing shopping list
Every item from both tow rig ladders, conventional travel trailer and fifth wheel, at three budgets each, with real prices and a running total for every build.
Last updated
Print this, or work down it on a phone at the parts counter. Every line is a real product with a live price, and every line is a link. Optional items are marked and excluded from each total.
Work your payload sum before you buy any of it. Payload is the limit that actually binds on most half ton trucks and nearly every SUV, and nothing on this page raises it. The payload calculator takes two minutes and decides more towing outcomes than every product below combined.
Pick your ladder first. A conventional travel trailer and a fifth wheel share a category name and almost no hardware, so buying from the wrong list wastes real money. The setups hub compares the two side by side.
Conventional travel trailer
A bumper pull hitched to a receiver behind the tow vehicle rear axle. Needs weight distribution and sway control as it gets heavier, because the trailer hangs behind the axle like a pendulum.
Beginner Travel Trailer Tow Setup
Under $400Hardware only. Does not include the trailer, the tow vehicle, or installation labour on anything that bolts to the truck frame. Full detail, including what you can skip and what to upgrade first, is on the beginner build page.
The connection
Match the ball to the size stamped on your own coupler. There is no adapter that makes a mismatch acceptable.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT 45041 Class III Loaded Ball Mount with 2-5/16 inch Ball | Ball mount and a 2-5/16 inch ball supplied assembled and torqued, which removes the step new owners most often skip. | Under $50 |
| CURT 40007 Chrome Trailer Hitch Ball, 2-5/16 inch, 10,000 lb (optional) | A spare 2-5/16 inch ball rated to 10,000 lb, or the correct one if your mount came bare. | Under $30 |
| Rhino USA Locking Receiver Pin, 2 inch hitch | Locks the mount into the receiver. A ball mount left in overnight is the theft nobody plans for. | Under $30 |
| Rhino USA Hitch Tightener Anti-Rattle Clamp for 2 inch hitches | Takes the slop out of the receiver so the mount stops knocking on every gear change. Not a safety part, purely an annoyance removed. | Under $30 |
| The connection subtotal | Under $100 | |
Brakes and the breakaway
Trailer brakes are required by state law above a threshold that varies. Check your own state and every state you drive through.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT Venturer Next Electric Trailer Brake Controller, time delay, 1 to 3 axles | The cheapest controller here from a maker with a service path. It is time delay rather than proportional, which is an acceptable trade on a light trailer towed a few times a year and not on a heavy one. | Under $100 |
| Fastway Zip 6 Foot Breakaway Cable and Switch | Bright red cable and switch at six feet. The colour matters: a breakaway cable clipped to a safety chain instead of the vehicle is a silent, common failure. | Under $30 |
| Brakes and the breakaway subtotal | Under $100 | |
Tires and pressure
ST trailer tires carry their rated load only at maximum cold sidewall pressure, frequently 65 or 80 psi. Most car gauges stop at 60.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| JACO ElitePro Tire Pressure Gauge, 100 psi | Mechanical, reads to 100 psi, nothing to go flat. Covers an 80 psi load range E trailer tire where a car gauge simply cannot. | Under $30 |
| GSPSCN 12V Heavy Duty Tire Inflator with Dual Cylinders | Twelve volt, corded, dual cylinder and cheap. No battery to be flat, which on a roadside repair is the property that matters. | Under $100 |
| Tires and pressure subtotal | Under $100 | |
At the site
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Camco RV Wheel Chocks with Rope, 2 pack | Plastic chocks with a pull rope so they come back without crawling under the trailer. | Under $30 |
| Lynx Levelers, 11 pack with cap | Interlocking blocks that stack into a pyramid instead of squirting out sideways the way loose lumber does. | Under $50 |
| Master Lock Adjustable Coupler Lock, stainless steel | An adjustable stainless coupler lock. A deterrent rather than a defence, and worth the price for that alone. | Under $15 |
| At the site subtotal | Under $100 | |
Seeing and setting up
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CIPA 11950 Clip-On Towing Mirror, 15.75 inch | Clips over the existing mirror in seconds with no wiring and no fitment lookup. The cheapest way to be legal and to see past a wide trailer. | Under $30 |
| EPAuto 1/2 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 10 to 150 ft-lb | Trailer lug nuts have to be torqued and re-checked after the first 50 miles, because wheels bed in and loosen. A wrench you own beats a spec you guessed at. | Under $50 |
| Seeing and setting up subtotal | Under $100 | |
Optional extras listed above would add about under $50 on top, and they are excluded from the total on purpose.
Prices change often and are shown as a guide. Every rating quoted is the manufacturer figure; the rating on the part you receive is what governs, and your own door jamb sticker governs everything.
Amazon shows the items and asks you to confirm before anything is added. Affiliate link.
Intermediate Travel Trailer Tow Setup
Under $1,500Hardware only. Does not include the trailer, the tow vehicle, or installation labour on anything that bolts to the truck frame. Full detail, including what you can skip and what to upgrade first, is on the intermediate build page.
The connection
Spring bars are rated by TONGUE WEIGHT and must bracket the weighed figure including the propane cylinders, the battery and anything else on the A-frame.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT 17601 TruTrack 2P Weight Distribution Hitch with Sway Control, 10,000 lb | Sway control built into the head rather than bolted on beside it, so nothing has to be disconnected to back into a site or reverse on a wet ramp. | Under $500 |
| CURT 17123 Weight Distribution Shank, 2 inch, 7 inch drop, 10-1/2 inch rise (optional) | A reversible shank giving a 7 inch drop one way or a 10.5 inch rise the other, which covers almost every truck and trailer combination. | Under $250 |
| Rhino USA Locking Receiver Pin, 2 inch hitch | Locks the whole head into the receiver. | Under $30 |
| The connection subtotal | Under $500 | |
Knowing your numbers
Every calculator on this site asks for a weighed figure. This is where you stop guessing.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| B&W Digital Tongue Weight Scale | A digital readout rather than a dial, which removes the parallax error that makes a hydraulic gauge hard to read lying on a driveway under a trailer tongue. | Under $250 |
| JACO ElitePro Digital Tire Pressure Gauge, 200 psi | Reads to 200 psi, which comfortably covers an 80 psi load range E trailer tire. | Under $30 |
| Knowing your numbers subtotal | Under $200 | |
Brakes and the breakaway
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT 51146 TriFlex Next Proportional Brake Controller | The controller the rest of the category gets compared to, and the one a dozen Amazon listings describe themselves as replacing. Proportional, self levelling, with a boost setting for a heavy trailer. | Under $250 |
| Trailer Brake Breakaway Kit with Charger, LED Display and 12V 5Ah Battery | Battery, charger, switch and a state of charge display. The display is the useful part, because a breakaway battery that has quietly died is the normal condition of most trailers on the road. | Under $50 |
| Brakes and the breakaway subtotal | Under $200 | |
Tires and monitoring
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Tymate TM7 RV Tire Pressure Monitoring System, 4 sensors | Four sensors covering a tandem axle trailer. Monitoring at all beats monitoring perfectly, and this is the cheapest credible entry. | Under $50 |
| DEWALT 20V MAX Tire Inflator with Automatic Shut Off | Shuts off at a set pressure, so four trailer tires can go to 80 psi without standing over the gauge. | Under $250 |
| Explore Land Tire Covers, 4 pack, fits 26 to 28.75 inch diameters | Trailer tires age out from ultraviolet exposure long before the tread wears, and a trailer spends most of its life parked. | Under $50 |
| Tires and monitoring subtotal | Under $250 | |
At the site
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| BAL X-Chock Tire Locking Chock, pair | Expands between the two tires of a tandem axle and locks them against each other, removing the fore and aft rock that no ordinary chock touches. The single most noticeable comfort upgrade on a tandem trailer. | Under $100 |
| Lynx Levelers, 22 pack with two caps | Double the blocks, which is what a tandem axle trailer on a badly sloped site actually needs. | Under $100 |
| Master Lock Trailer Tongue Lock | A universal coupler lock from a lock company rather than a hitch company. | Under $50 |
| At the site subtotal | Under $200 | |
Seeing and setting up
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CIPA 10800 Custom Towing Mirror for Chevrolet, GMC and Cadillac, pair, 18 inch | Vehicle specific rather than universal, so it clamps to the existing mirror housing in a defined position instead of being adjusted by feel. Pick the fitment that matches your own truck. | Under $50 |
| AMTIFO HD 1080P Wireless RV Backup Camera for Furrion Pre-Wired RVs | 1080p into a Furrion pre-wired bracket at a fraction of the Furrion system price, if your trailer came with the mount. | Under $100 |
| LEXIVON 1/2 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 10 to 150 ft-lb | A clearer dual scale and a hard case, which is what keeps a click wrench in calibration between uses. | Under $50 |
| Seeing and setting up subtotal | Under $200 | |
Optional extras listed above would add about under $150 on top, and they are excluded from the total on purpose.
Prices change often and are shown as a guide. Every rating quoted is the manufacturer figure; the rating on the part you receive is what governs, and your own door jamb sticker governs everything.
Amazon shows the items and asks you to confirm before anything is added. Affiliate link.
Expert Travel Trailer Tow Setup
Under $2,500Hardware only. Does not include the trailer, the tow vehicle, or installation labour on anything that bolts to the truck frame. Full detail, including what you can skip and what to upgrade first, is on the expert build page.
The connection
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Equal-i-zer 4-point Sway Control Hitch, 10,000 lb | Four points of friction sway control built into the hitch itself, working in both directions from the moment the bars are seated, with nothing to disconnect before a tight turn. | Under $750 |
| CURT 17123 Weight Distribution Shank, 2 inch, 7 inch drop, 10-1/2 inch rise (optional) | A reversible shank if the head sits too high or too low. Measure the receiver with the truck loaded, because a loaded truck sits lower. | Under $250 |
| The connection subtotal | Under $600 | |
Knowing your numbers
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Sherline LM 2000 Trailer Tongue Weight Scale, 2,000 lb | The scale the towing community actually uses, hydraulic with no batteries to be dead, and 2,000 lb of capacity for the same money as the 1,000 lb version. | Under $250 |
| JACO ElitePro Digital Tire Pressure Gauge, 200 psi | Reads to 200 psi for load range E trailer tires. | Under $30 |
| Knowing your numbers subtotal | Under $250 | |
Brakes and the breakaway
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Tekonsha Prodigy iD Brake Controller, 1 to 4 axles | Configured from a phone rather than through two buttons, and it supports four axles, which matters if you ever move to a triple axle trailer. | Under $250 |
| Trailer Brake Breakaway Kit with Charger, LED Display and 12V 5Ah Battery | With a state of charge display, because a flat breakaway battery gives no warning of any kind. | Under $50 |
| Brakes and the breakaway subtotal | Under $300 | |
Tires and monitoring
Trailer tire failure at highway speed is one of the most common ways an RV trip ends badly. This is not the place to save money.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Goodyear Endurance Trailer Tire, ST225/75R15 117N | Made in the United States by a tire company rather than badged by a reseller, and the tire most commonly named by owners replacing what a trailer shipped on. Load index 117 is 2,833 lb per tire. | Check price |
| GUTA GT30 Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System, 10 sensors | Ten sensors, enough for a dually tow vehicle and a triple axle trailer together. On a tandem trailer it covers the truck as well. | Under $500 |
| DEWALT 20V MAX Tire Inflator with Automatic Shut Off | Automatic shut off at a set pressure across six tires without standing over a gauge. | Under $250 |
| Explore Land Tire Covers, 4 pack, fits 26 to 28.75 inch diameters | Ultraviolet exposure while parked is what ages out a trailer tire that never wears out. | Under $50 |
| Tires and monitoring subtotal | Under $500 | |
The tow vehicle
Helper springs and coolers change how the truck behaves. Neither one changes a single rating.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Mishimoto Universal 13-Row Stacked Plate Transmission Cooler Kit | Stacked plate rather than tube and fin, which moves substantially more heat for the same frontal area. Heat is what kills an automatic, and a long grade with a heavy trailer is the hottest it will ever get. | Under $250 |
| Air springs matched to your own truck (optional) (no single product we would name) | Air springs are sold by exact vehicle fitment, so we will not name one part here. They level a squatting rear end and improve the ride. They do NOT add payload, raise the GVWR or raise an axle rating. | Check price |
| LEXIVON 1/2 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 25 to 250 ft-lb | Reaches 250 ft-lb, which is what a 2-5/16 inch ball nut and heavy duty truck lugs need and which a 150 ft-lb wrench cannot do. | Under $100 |
| The tow vehicle subtotal | Under $250 | |
At the site and on the road
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Furrion Vision S+ Wireless RV Observation System, 7 inch monitor | A seven inch monitor rather than 4.3, which is the difference between glancing at it and squinting at it while reversing a large trailer. | Under $500 |
| BAL X-Chock Tire Locking Chock, pair | Removes the fore and aft rock on a tandem axle. | Under $100 |
| Camco FasTen RV Leveling Blocks, 10 pack | Interlock on all four sides, so a stack builds wider as well as taller under a heavy jack. | Under $100 |
| Rhino USA Trailer Coupler Lock Kit for 2-5/16 inch couplers | Heavier steel than the budget locks, sized specifically for a 2-5/16 inch coupler. | Under $100 |
| CIPA 11500 Custom Towing Mirrors for Ford, pair | Custom fit towing mirrors. Pick the fitment that matches your own truck rather than this one specifically. | Under $100 |
| At the site and on the road subtotal | Under $750 | |
Optional extras listed above would add about under $150 on top, and they are excluded from the total on purpose.
2 items show "See price" because no clean single price was available, so they contribute nothing to this total. The real figure is higher.
Prices change often and are shown as a guide. Every rating quoted is the manufacturer figure; the rating on the part you receive is what governs, and your own door jamb sticker governs everything.
Amazon shows the items and asks you to confirm before anything is added. Affiliate link.
Fifth wheel
Coupled to a hitch in the truck bed, over the rear axle. Needs no weight distribution and no sway control at all, and needs a great deal more payload, because pin weight runs 15 to 25 percent rather than 10 to 15.
Beginner Fifth Wheel Tow Setup
Under $1,200Hardware only. Does not include the trailer, the tow vehicle, or installation labour on anything that bolts to the truck frame. Full detail, including what you can skip and what to upgrade first, is on the beginner build page.
The connection, all three parts
The hitch, the rails and the brackets are three separate purchases. Budget all three.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT E16 Fifth Wheel Hitch, 16,000 lb | The most affordable fifth wheel hitch here from a maker with a real service path, rated at 16,000 lb, which covers a great many first fifth wheels. | Under $500 |
| CURT 16204 Universal Fifth Wheel Base Rails, 25,000 lb | Industry standard base rails rated at 25,000 lb. Nearly every rail mounted fifth wheel and gooseneck hitch fits these, so the rails outlive the hitch. | Under $250 |
| Vehicle specific installation brackets (no single product we would name) | Brackets carry the rails into the frame and they are sold by exact truck fitment, so we will not name one part. This is also what decides whether the job needs drilling. | Check price |
| The connection, all three parts subtotal | Under $500 | |
Knowing your numbers
A pin weight is far beyond what a 1,000 or 2,000 lb tongue scale will read.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Sherline LM-5000 Trailer Tongue Weight Scale, 5,000 lb | Five thousand pounds of capacity, which is what it takes to weigh a fifth wheel pin rather than a bumper pull tongue. | Under $250 |
| JACO EliteProPlus Tire Pressure Gauge with Dually Air Chuck, 160 psi | The dually chuck reaches the inner valve stem on a dual rear wheel truck, which a standard chuck cannot get to at all. | Under $30 |
| Knowing your numbers subtotal | Under $250 | |
Brakes and the breakaway
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT Venturer Next Electric Trailer Brake Controller, time delay, 1 to 3 axles | The budget controller, supporting one to three axles. It is time delay rather than proportional, and it is the first thing to upgrade. | Under $100 |
| Fastway Zip 6 Foot Breakaway Cable and Switch | Bright red cable and switch. Clip it to the tow vehicle, never to a safety chain, because a chain stays with the trailer in a separation. | Under $30 |
| Brakes and the breakaway subtotal | Under $100 | |
Tires and pressure
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| GSPSCN 12V Heavy Duty Tire Inflator with Dual Cylinders | Corded twelve volt with no battery to be flat, which on a roadside repair is what matters. | Under $100 |
| Explore Land Tire Covers, 4 pack, fits 26 to 28.75 inch diameters | Fifth wheels sit for long periods and trailer tires age out from ultraviolet long before the tread wears. | Under $50 |
| Tires and pressure subtotal | Under $150 | |
At the site
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Camco RV Wheel Chocks with Rope, 2 pack | Chocks with a pull rope. | Under $30 |
| Lynx Levelers, 11 pack with cap | Interlocking blocks that do not squirt out sideways under load. | Under $50 |
| EPAuto 1/2 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 10 to 150 ft-lb | Lug nuts need torquing and re-checking after the first 50 miles. | Under $50 |
| CIPA 11950 Clip-On Towing Mirror, 15.75 inch | Clip-on mirror extensions, the cheapest way to see past a wide trailer. | Under $30 |
| At the site subtotal | Under $150 | |
1 item shows "See price" because no clean single price was available, so it contributes nothing to this total. The real figure is higher.
Prices change often and are shown as a guide. Every rating quoted is the manufacturer figure; the rating on the part you receive is what governs, and your own door jamb sticker governs everything.
Amazon shows the items and asks you to confirm before anything is added. Affiliate link. Items not sold on Amazon are bought separately.
Intermediate Fifth Wheel Tow Setup
Under $2,000Hardware only. Does not include the trailer, the tow vehicle, or installation labour on anything that bolts to the truck frame. Full detail, including what you can skip and what to upgrade first, is on the intermediate build page.
The connection
Three parts again: hitch, rails, brackets. Confirm what is in each box.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT Q20 Fifth Wheel Hitch, 20,000 lb | Twenty thousand pounds and a dual jaw that wraps more of the kingpin than a single jaw, which is the difference you feel as less chuck on throttle changes. | Under $750 |
| CURT 16104 Industry-Standard Fifth Wheel Hitch Rails, 25,000 lb | Industry standard rails at 25,000 lb, so the rails outlive several hitches. | Under $250 |
| Vehicle specific installation brackets (no single product we would name) | Sold by exact truck fitment, and the part that decides whether the install needs drilling. | Check price |
| The connection subtotal | Under $750 | |
Knowing your numbers
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Sherline LM-5000 Trailer Tongue Weight Scale, 5,000 lb | Five thousand pounds of capacity, which covers a pin weight where a tongue scale cannot. | Under $250 |
| JACO EliteProPlus Tire Pressure Gauge with Dually Air Chuck, 160 psi | Reaches the inner valve stem on a dual rear wheel truck. | Under $30 |
| Knowing your numbers subtotal | Under $250 | |
Brakes and the breakaway
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| CURT 51146 TriFlex Next Proportional Brake Controller | Proportional, self levelling so mounting angle barely matters, with a boost setting for a heavy trailer. The reference point for the whole category. | Under $250 |
| Trailer Brake Breakaway Kit with Charger, LED Display and 12V 5Ah Battery | With a state of charge display, because there is otherwise no way to know the breakaway battery is alive. | Under $50 |
| Brakes and the breakaway subtotal | Under $200 | |
Tires and monitoring
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Tymate TM12 RV Tire Pressure Monitoring System, 6 sensors | Six sensors, which covers a triple axle trailer or a tandem plus the two rear tires of the tow vehicle. | Under $100 |
| DEWALT 20V MAX Tire Inflator with Automatic Shut Off | Automatic shut off at a set pressure across six tires. | Under $250 |
| Explore Land Tire Covers, 4 pack, fits 26 to 28.75 inch diameters | Ultraviolet protection while parked, which is what actually ends most trailer tires. | Under $50 |
| Tires and monitoring subtotal | Under $300 | |
At the site and on the road
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| BAL X-Chock Tire Locking Chock, pair | Locks the tandem tires against each other and removes the rock that ordinary chocks leave. | Under $100 |
| Lynx Levelers, 22 pack with two caps | Enough blocks for a heavy trailer on a badly sloped site. | Under $100 |
| AMTIFO HD 1080P Wireless RV Backup Camera for Furrion Pre-Wired RVs | 1080p into a Furrion pre-wired bracket, if your trailer came with the mount. | Under $100 |
| LEXIVON 1/2 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 25 to 250 ft-lb | Reaches 250 ft-lb for heavy duty truck lugs. | Under $100 |
| Master Lock Trailer Tongue Lock | A coupler lock for the trailer while it is parked between trips. | Under $50 |
| At the site and on the road subtotal | Under $400 | |
1 item shows "See price" because no clean single price was available, so it contributes nothing to this total. The real figure is higher.
Prices change often and are shown as a guide. Every rating quoted is the manufacturer figure; the rating on the part you receive is what governs, and your own door jamb sticker governs everything.
Amazon shows the items and asks you to confirm before anything is added. Affiliate link. Items not sold on Amazon are bought separately.
Expert Fifth Wheel Tow Setup
Under $6,000Hardware only. Does not include the trailer, the tow vehicle, or installation labour on anything that bolts to the truck frame. Full detail, including what you can skip and what to upgrade first, is on the expert build page.
The connection
The gooseneck mount goes in once and serves both a gooseneck ball and the fifth wheel head that drops into it.
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| B&W Turnoverball Gooseneck Hitch for Chevrolet and GMC 2500 and 3500 | The ball turns over and drops flush into the bed floor, so the bed is flat when nothing is hitched. Pick the fitment for your own truck rather than this one specifically. | Under $750 |
| B&W Companion Fifth Wheel Hitch | Mounts into the Turnoverball ball hole rather than to rails, so the bed is completely clear between trips. A cam action latch wraps the kingpin rather than gripping it, which is what eliminates chuck. | Under $1,500 |
| GEN-Y Executive Torsion-Flex Fifth Wheel King Pin Box | Torsion rubber between the kingpin and the trailer frame, absorbing what the hitch does not. This is the upgrade that changes how the trailer rides rather than how it attaches. | Under $1,500 |
| The connection subtotal | Under $3,000 | |
Knowing your numbers
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Sherline LM-5000 Trailer Tongue Weight Scale, 5,000 lb | Five thousand pounds of capacity for a pin weight at the top of this range. | Under $250 |
| JACO EliteProPlus Tire Pressure Gauge with Dually Air Chuck, 160 psi | The dually chuck reaches inner valve stems, which a standard chuck cannot. | Under $30 |
| Knowing your numbers subtotal | Under $250 | |
Brakes and the breakaway
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Tekonsha Prodigy iD Brake Controller, 1 to 4 axles | Four axle support and phone configuration with saved profiles, which matters on a triple axle toy hauler. | Under $250 |
| Trailer Brake Breakaway Kit with Charger, LED Display and 12V 5Ah Battery | State of charge display on the breakaway battery. | Under $50 |
| Brakes and the breakaway subtotal | Under $300 | |
Tires and monitoring
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Carlisle Radial Trail HD Trailer Tire, ST235/85R16 Load Range E | A 16 inch load range E tire, which is what heavy fifth wheels run. Match the load index to your own weighed axle load with reserve. | Under $250 |
| GUTA GT30 Trailer Tire Pressure Monitoring System, 10 sensors | Ten sensors, enough for a dually and a triple axle trailer monitored as one rig. This is the configuration where the cheaper kits genuinely run out. | Under $500 |
| ETENWOLF VORTEX S7 Cordless Tire Inflator for Heavy Duty Vehicles | A large battery and a high duty cycle, because inflating ten tires from 60 to 80 psi thermally shuts down most cordless compressors partway through. | Under $250 |
| Explore Land Tire Covers, 4 pack, fits 26 to 28.75 inch diameters | Ultraviolet protection on tires that cost real money to replace. | Under $50 |
| Tires and monitoring subtotal | Under $750 | |
The tow vehicle
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Mishimoto Universal 13-Row Stacked Plate Transmission Cooler Kit | Stacked plate cooling. A sustained grade climb at this weight is the hottest an automatic transmission will ever get. | Under $250 |
| LEXIVON 1/2 inch Drive Click Torque Wrench, 25 to 250 ft-lb | Reaches 250 ft-lb for heavy duty lugs and a gooseneck ball nut. | Under $100 |
| The tow vehicle subtotal | Under $250 | |
At the site and on the road
| Item | Why this one | Budget |
|---|---|---|
| Furrion Vision S+ Wireless 3-Camera RV System with 7 inch Monitor | Rear plus two side cameras, which covers the blind spots a long fifth wheel creates on both sides as well as behind. | Under $1,000 |
| BAL X-Chock Tire Locking Chock, pair | Tandem or triple axle stabilisation. | Under $100 |
| Camco FasTen RV Leveling Blocks, 10 pack | Blocks that interlock on all four sides, for a wide stable base under a heavy landing gear foot. | Under $100 |
| Rhino USA Trailer Coupler Lock Kit for 2-5/16 inch couplers | Security while parked between trips. | Under $100 |
| At the site and on the road subtotal | Under $1,000 | |
Prices change often and are shown as a guide. Every rating quoted is the manufacturer figure; the rating on the part you receive is what governs, and your own door jamb sticker governs everything.
Amazon shows the items and asks you to confirm before anything is added. Affiliate link.
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