I have a 2004 Wilderness Advantage 37' 5th Wheel. The GWT is 13,500 & Dry Hitch weight is 1,656. This trailer is my residence and when I purchased it I had a friend pick it up for me. My truck will not tow this trailer. I am considering purchasing a new truck to be able to tow this trailer myself if needed and would appreciate suggestions. First off the truck will be my only vehicle and I am taking a new job that will require some amount of daily travel so I need a truck good for normal daily use that will not be too bad on fuel economy. Also the trailer will mostly be stationary only possible being moved occasionally. Basically if a hurricane is coming, I want to move my house! I would prefer crew cab or minimum extended cab. My question is make, 3/4 or 1 ton, short or long bed, single or dual rear wheels, and gas or diesel. I will also add I have never towed a sizeable trailer nor owned a truck larger than 1/2 ton. Thanks.
* This post was
edited 07/15/08 03:58am by Cecil Turtle *
I don't think there will be much debate here from anyone. You need a 1 ton truck, diesel powered, with duallys. Whether it is a 4 door or extended cab, long box or short box, is personal preference because they don't really affect the ability to tow the rig. You have a heavy rig there that requires a big tow vehicle. However, if you are only going to be moving the rig a couple miles down the road, you might not need that big a truck. A 3/4 ton might be able to "limp" your rig to safety at low speeds.
for a daily commuter I would suggest a 3500 SRW '03/'04 Dodge/Cummins 305/555 HO. A 3500 DRW does quite well also but may kick your butz (rough ride) as a commuter. These truck put down some great mpg's when empty and towing. Also the PSD 7.3 up to '03 and the early model DMAX seem to be very reliable and get better mpg's. Folks out here where I live commute long distances and get 20+ mpgs with the truck models I mentioned. New diesel trucks with the PDF systems aren't doing so well in the mpg area as the pre PDF trucks.
Then there is the big block gassers that will do the job but at 12-14 mpg they use lots of fuel. You would have to do the pencil with your own circumstance to see which is best for you.
Jim
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
Everyone has his own finances, but if trying to save money:
Your proposed truck is to be essentially insurance in case you might have to move the trailer. Meanwhile the truck costs a huge bunch and needs insurance itself. Plus it will just kill you for fuel as a daily driver. How much does it cost to hire somebody else to move the rig if you change locations compared with the cost of owning the truck? Why not just get real insurance for the trailer (since you are not paying house insurance instead) and get a little car that is good on gas?
The money saved on the truck could go towards wine, women, and song instead of being wasted!
Good tips. But I would stick with a SRW 1 ton. Trying to park a long bed it hard enough. with fuel prices TV's can be had for a good price. Pick your favorite brand and get a diesel.
2004 cardinal 33 LX 2000 Ford F350 crew cab PSD.
Smith & Wesson M&P .40 and a Rottweiler.
BFL13 wrote: Everyone has his own finances, but if trying to save money:
Your proposed truck is to be essentially insurance in case you might have to move the trailer. Meanwhile the truck costs a huge bunch and needs insurance itself. Plus it will just kill you for fuel as a daily driver. How much does it cost to hire somebody else to move the rig if you change locations compared with the cost of owning the truck? Why not just get real insurance for the trailer (since you are not paying house insurance instead) and get a little car that is good on gas?
The money saved on the truck could go towards wine, women, and song instead of being wasted!
I was thinking the exact same thing. Even though you might find a diesel truck that will get 20 mpg if your lucky your still going to be paying more for diesel fuel. On the other hand if you could find someone to move the trailer for you and get a car that would get somewhere in the 30's mpg range think of how much money you would be saving yourself. Just a thought anyways
I think the key here is you stated "the trailer will mostly be stationary." Based on this, can I assume you will not be using the trailer that much? If so, and you plan to use the truck as a daily commuter, I would pass on the extra expense of a diesel, 1 ton (350 or 3500) DRW and just get something that will move the trailer safely (250 or 2500), unless you get a super deal on a used truck (should be a lot of them out there right now). I would pass on the DRW and go for the SRW based on your planned usage of the truck, which seems to be your primary criteria (SRW wont ride as hard as DRWwhen unloaded). You said you wanted a full back seat, which means a longer wheel base, so stay away from the long bed, or you may have difficulty parking it if you do a lot of city driving. I know a lot of folks will tell you they don't have any problems parking the long wheel base trucks, but that may not be you. Every one hase a different skill package. I agree with the first responder to your inquiry when he recommended a 1 ton, diesel, DRW, long bed, but only if your planning a lot of towing, other wise, it's a balancing act between what will work the best for you and your circumstances. Good Luck,
M & M On the road again! 2007 GMC 3500-SRW-Duramax-longbed-4X4 2005 COUGAR 5th wheel 2002 SUNDOWNER gooseneck horse trailer
I would get a high MPG vehicle for daily driver. And if you don't need a truck for daily driving I would not buy one. Get a small car. If you need a truck, then get a smaller one ie: Dakota, Ranger, 1500, or F150, etc.
Since you will not be moving your trailer hardly at all, I would find someone to move it for you when needed. There are services available, for a price. But that would be much cheaper option in the long run.
If you decide to buy a truck to tow your trailer, it should be a 2500HD or F350. You don't need a diesel dually. If you decide to go with a diesel, the 08 diesel models suffer from poor MPG's. Pre-08 diesels are better for MPG's. If you buy a gasser, a small V8 MAY tow your trailer if only occasionally, if no major uphills are on your escape route.
On edit: I am sorry for mis-reading the size of your trailer. A 37 foot trailer should weigh (GVWR) much more than stated. Maybe you a looking at dry weight? You probably will need a 1 ton with a big V8, V10, or diesel to tow comfortably.
* This post was
edited 07/15/08 11:18am by Vulcaneer *
2006 F350 V10 4X4 SC SB SRW 4.30 22,500 GCWR
Keystone Sprinter 33'9" 12,500 GVWR
Pullrite Super Glide 18K
Super Duty, Super Cab, SuperGlide
SEE RV.net Classified for Vette Description
Sounds like you're willing to buy assurance that you can move your home in a moments notice and understand the cost of using that as a daily driver.
I'd also lean toward a 350/3500 SRW. I believe all 350/3500's come with a long box to that issue evaporates. Diesel V Gas ? You'll need to do the math. a Diesel powerplant will last longer and deliver better MPG's - if you drive enough to justify the cost is again up to you to determine.
In some areas - Like around here, trucks can't be given away so there are deals on new and experienced vehicles. That may not be the case in Texas where ranching and oil patch increases the demand.
From someplace in SE Wisconsin
2006 Silverado 2500 Ext-cab / reg box / D/A
2006 Jayco Eagle 325BHS
2001 Goldwing, Cyclemate trailer and a tent (to remind me why we have the Jayco)
1999 BMW 1200C (007 bike) too cool to part with
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