I can’t say about the difference between a 32’ and 40’. But everything’s a compromise with RV’s. Big is nice parked, but the tradeoff is maneuverability and places you can go and where you can camp. 40’ will likely exclude you from national forest cg’s and the state parks I’m familiar with. Even 32’ will be iffy with nf cg’s, you won’t get far from the pavement and it will be difficult to maneuver the roads through them. So where you want to camp is a critical consideration in choosing size. In those sizes you’re probably looking more at commercial cg’s than public land camping and advance reservations may be a good idea if you want to be assured of finding a campsite.
I know you have your heart set on a Dodge but before buying one check out the 2011 Hurt Locker test at mrtrailer.com and a similar test of 1-tons done by Car and Driver in April of this year.
I bought a 2011 Chevy diesel but with a heavy 5th-wheel trailer I would also be looking at the Ford F-450 trucks. Both Ford and Chevy diesel trucks have been a lot more reliable than Dodge and get better mileage. With Ford one has a lot more options to get factory suspension modifications for heavy hauling and towing.
rfryer wrote: I can’t say about the difference between a 32’ and 40’. But everything’s a compromise with RV’s. Big is nice parked, but the tradeoff is maneuverability and places you can go and where you can camp. 40’ will likely exclude you from national forest cg’s and the state parks I’m familiar with. Even 32’ will be iffy with nf cg’s, you won’t get far from the pavement and it will be difficult to maneuver the roads through them. So where you want to camp is a critical consideration in choosing size. In those sizes you’re probably looking more at commercial cg’s than public land camping and advance reservations may be a good idea if you want to be assured of finding a campsite.
I agree with rfryer's comments above; good summary.
Also - you have selected some very nice floor plans, but I think you will find it a real chore to make the bed in the Spree since you don't have access to most of the sides.
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LoneCowboy wrote: a 40' fifth wheel is certainly overweight for a 3500 1 ton.
I am not sure what you are basing that statement on. There are TONS of 40' fivers that can be safely hauled by a 1-ton truck.... TONS! Even toy haulers - we tow a 43' toy hauler with a 1-ton Dodge dually.
No
Ok, I checked 2012 dodge's site. a 3500 (dually, they don't seem to come as SRW's in 3500 but I could have missed it) with 4.10 gears has a tow rating of 17,950lbs
most (although you are correct, not all) 40' toy haulers have GVWR's in the 18,000lb and up range ( I looked around). So, even if you do find one that's under 17,950 you are literally right on the edge.
non-toy haulers (regular 5th wheels) are worse. 40' Teton's, 24,000lbs GVW (my favorite) And I think we'll all agree that most 5th wheels on the road are overloaded.
but even if you get it under the tow rating, you are right at the edge. You are talking about a 30,000lb vehicle with hydraulic brakes and crappy electric brakes (all electric brakes are crappy).
and then you have to consider pin weight. The 3500 dually's appear to have a payload of 3000lbs. But that includes passengers and "stuff" in addition to pin weight.
don't forget your class A license (not a CDL, but you do need more than the regular driver's license over 26,000lbs combined GVW)
you can do it, lots of people do, every day, and most of them do fine. But when it goes wrong, it's going to go wrong in a big way.
IMHO (and it's just my opinion) you need something like a 450/550 4500/5500 to tow something that size. Not for the go, but for the whoa and the control.
I am going to assume here,that wife is going to be the one making the bed... Its just an assumption but before you chose a plan with a king size bed make sure you can get around it to make the bed up. That second one looks impossible to make up because you can't get around it. The Forest River is better but still might have the same issues. Walk around it, pull off the cover and see if you can put it back on. If an unmade bed drives you nuts, it might be an issue.
LoneCowboy wrote: don't forget your class A license (not a CDL, but you do need more than the regular driver's license over 26,000lbs combined GVW)
you can do it, lots of people do, every day, and most of them do fine. But when it goes wrong, it's going to go wrong in a big way.
IMHO (and it's just my opinion) you need something like a 450/550 4500/5500 to tow something that size. Not for the go, but for the whoa and the control.
I appreciate what you're saying here.
I checked the Dodge site, and the 4500/5500 takes you to the commercial site, and then nothing shows up with a truck bed. Or am I missing something?
To be honest, the learning curve is the learning curve. Maybe a 40 foot curve is a little less than a 35 foot curve, but not much.
Get what you want and will be happy with in the long run.
Take your rig to an open parking lot, use some orange cones, ropes, etc to practice backing into campsites. Once you have the knack of it, you will be fine.
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LoneCowboy wrote: don't forget your class A license (not a CDL, but you do need more than the regular driver's license over 26,000lbs combined GVW)
you can do it, lots of people do, every day, and most of them do fine. But when it goes wrong, it's going to go wrong in a big way.
IMHO (and it's just my opinion) you need something like a 450/550 4500/5500 to tow something that size. Not for the go, but for the whoa and the control.
I appreciate what you're saying here.
I checked the Dodge site, and the 4500/5500 takes you to the commercial site, and then nothing shows up with a truck bed. Or am I missing something?
i dunno, maybe for Dodge you have to geta custom bed?????? I know you can buy Ford's F450/550's that are just pickups.
If you are in Denver go out to Christopher Dodge world (Colfax and I-70 on the west side more or less). They are an enormous volume dealer. They'll know or put in touch with the right people. (not a recommendation to buy, just to go look, if they don't have one, nobody in the area does)
I wonder if there's a website somewhere that you can pick your truck and it'll give you the maximum tow ratings and so forth. Or enter what you know about the truck and it'll calculate things for you. I have a spreadsheet that I put together but there are a lot of variables, and until I actually own something and pack it I won't know exactly what I have, so to speak. And then it's too late, heh. I should just get a Max Tow 3500 Mega Cab and be done with it.
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