Hi, i have been doing a lot of research reading every post , visiting shows and dealers and
narrowed things down some. Any info that you can provide will be appreciated.
the deisel is about 7k more in price and the dual wheel would be a little difficult.
I intend to have the heavy duty towing package, whatever is needed for safety reasons. That is why as much
information is requested. I plan on semi fulltiming for a year or 3 than settle in atlantic city in summer and
las vegas or the scottsdale area in winter.
in you're opinion what is missing and is 6 1/2 box better than the 8 ft.
Your choice in trailers is running at 15,000lbs GVW, so expect a pin weight in the range of 3,000lbs to 3,500lbs depending on how you load it.
Ignore the GVWR. Look at the TV unloaded actual weight and the GVW to find your Net carrying capacity. You might be pushing the envelope with the SRW. You also have to include the passengers, cargo and fuel, which could add another 1,200lbs.
The book weight from the dealer is without any options, so add 300lbs or more for options.
Diesel will get much better mileage towing and somewhat better empty, and has historically had a much higher resale. Check NADA or talk to several dealers. Guessing the future diesel or resale markets is a******shoot, but the history over the past 90 years does not support the "if present trends continue" forecast.
Dual rear wheels are going to give lot better performance in handling and braking in adverse conditions. Diesel will perform much better in pulling the hills due to much higher torque.
Be aware that when the weight of the trailer exceeds that of the tow vehicle, the trailer can take charge. Put another way, get the heaviest tow vehicle you can afford and live with.
I myself get really confused when talking about all the weight factors one can put together. Theres as many variables there as with the election. I made a big mistake with my first tv/5th combination. I then decided to get the biggest TV I could afford. This way what ever the DW wants to load into it I will be covered. I would go with the 8' bed for sure on what ever you choose. Also remember when looking at 5th wheels the sales people will always tell you that any TV will pull the trailer. Thats true however will it pull it SAFELY and make your job of driving enjoyable.
Advice I recieved from an experienced RVer when I was in the market to buy.
Buy MORE truck than you need......you will only have to buy it once..
Buy LESS trailer than you want.....but...buy the one you want the first time.....that sounds confusing.......If you absolutely love it and it suits your truck and future go for it...... to do it any other way will cause you a lot of second guessing down(let alone the cash loss) the road ....
Short bed, long bed, that is really a personal preference choice. No one can advise you on which is best for you and your situation. Personally I like the long bed for the extra wheel base stability and extra cargo carrying room. Even in Ford I do not think any of the trailers you are looking at will work with a SRW truck. People that have been posting here seem to indicate that new Fords are running around 8000 pounds ready to camp. Add that number to your target trailers GVWR of 15K and you will be going down the road at very close to 23,000 pounds. That is 11-1/2 tons! Choose carefully when you approach that much weight is all I have left to say!
I was in your situation and you can see what I chose in my sig. I would be reluctant to pull a 15+K 5er with a 350 DRW or a 3500 DRW. But.....just because the GVWR of the 5er is at that level doesn't mean you will have that much junk in your rig. Folks will tell you to add 1000 pounds to the dry 5er weight and that will be your estimated weight. I would add 1500. As someone here said, dry weight is with no options.
I like my dually for towing. It is very stabile. 18 wheelers don't blow me around when they pass. 8' bed is also more stabile. It can be a pain when driving to the grocery or shopping after you have unhitched. We always end up parking in the next county to get a big enough spot.
I think I'd go with the long bed dually. In fact, that's what I did. Not sorry either. We have the 8.1L. The Ford V10 will probably do ok. But the diesel will definitely be peppier. I think I'd do a diesel even though I believe they cost more to own. The increased fuel mileage is offset by the higher fuel price and higher maintenance costs. Now, now, let's not get into a pxxxing contest here on gas vs diesel.
A short story on gas/diesel. I was headed over Wolf Creek Pass in CO. I'm putting along up the west side doing 30mph with the petal to the metal. A diesel with a fiver went zipping by me like I was going backwards. So....I think they do pull better.
-Ed
2002 Chevy HD3500 Vortec 8100 LS Extended Cab Allison Series 1000 4.10 Rear
GVWR 11,400, GCWR 22,000
2001 Holiday Rambler Presidential 30SCD GVWR 12,500 Actual 11,500
CVW 19000+ --> weight on loaded/hitched truck 10,400
Don't need DRW, but they are more stable. But my F350 V10 4.30 does just fine with 12,600 GVW 5W.
I like short box because it is easier to manuever when backing into narrow sites with Narrow access roads. I use a $2K (installed) SuperGlide 18K auto slider and love it. But the 8ft box gets you a 7 gallon larger gas tank, and you don't need a sliding hitch.
Think about where and when you will be travelling. Maybe think about 4X4?
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
Best advice in the replys so far is get the biggest truck you can up front. We started with a 2500 Cummins SRW that pulled great but was overloaded and did not stop well at all. Moved to a MDT but still did not feel that secure about the capability. Now we are comfortable and feel safe.
Jim
Hopefully edit will pick up new sig.
* This post was
edited 03/26/08 02:26pm by dsrtrat011 *
Most of the stuff people worry about ain't never gonna happen anyway.
1998 Volvo 610 "T-Ruk" Cummins N14
375/425 HP 1550 Ft Lb
Super 10
2006 KZ Sportsmen Sportster 37KX2
2007 Yamaha Grizzly 450 (mine)
2004 Honda Rancher 350 (wife's)
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