Give me your reviews on your fifth wheel Tow Vehicle

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danajdelarosa

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 2, 2017
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48
Location
Sierra Vista, AZ
Good evening, friend RV community!

My husband and I have finally made the plunge and bought a 2017 Seismic Wave 400W. We purchased the trailer first and are now looking for a truck to tow it with.

Trailer is 14k dry weight and 45 ft long, and we intend on hauling motorcycles and mountain bikes. However, we'd like to have enough towing power if we upgrade to heavier bikes later and decide to boondock with full water tanks, etc.

I need your experienced advice. We are currently looking at F450s and Dodge 3500s. We don't want to go below a 6.4L Diesel. My husband wants 1 ton duallies.

Let me have it........are there clear choices here from the experienced community?
 
I?ve had all three brands in diesel versions. All 3 manufacturers make a really good machine in the dually version. I think the ram is plusher inside, I think the Ford is overall mechanically more reliable, I think the Chevy engine/transmission combo has the edge for towing without much driver intervention. Only my personal opinion from experience of owning all three. Really though, I don?t think you can go wrong with any of the top three. Just choose the one you like.
 
I once met a couple that were full timing in a 5er with a semi truck pulling it. This is what I would recommend.
 

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I too would suggest looking at an HDT conversion. You can end up with a really nice HDT for less than what a dually would cost.
 
A Ford  F450 has a lower rear end 4.30 and and a lower cargo capacity of max 5320lbs than a F350 max 6540lbs when i bought my 2017 F350 i looked at both and could have bought the 450 cheaper because it was already on the lot, but i wanted the higher weight capacity and taller rear end 3.55 for mileage. My Voltage is 39 ft and weights in at 14500 without water 15500 with water - when we go away for a few days or weeks.
It also has a tow rating of 31300lbs and a cargo cap of 5300 lbs

https://www.ford.com/resources/ford/general/pdf/towingguides/17RV&TT_Ford_SuperDtyPU_r2_Sep29.pdf

all my GM's were very capable aswell - the Ram Cummins is a great motor but the new styling with that BUTT UGLY grill and GIANT RAM on the tailgate was just such a turnoff - too bad cause it was a nice truck.
 
We pull with a classic '83 Kenworth. I happen to like the older trucks so it's all good, but HDT's aren't for everyone. There are some trade  offs for sure. Also, with a 45' fifthwheel, you'll likely be over 65' which probably doesn't matter that much for many people, but does for some.
 
I seriously doubt you really need a HDT.  However a MDT with a western hauler type bed would be ideal for that much trailer.  Besides the towing capacity, nice reasonable miles used MDTs can be had for the same money you would spend on a reasonably equipped 3500 dually.
BTW DO NOT consider Fords with engines older than the 6.7L  the 6.0 and 6.4L IH (Ford) offerings were plagued with all sorts of problems.  Thats the main reason their so cheap to buy, no one in their right mind wants one.
 
First, Welcome to the Forum!  Thanks for coming BEFORE your truck purchase!

That is a beautiful RV!

According to the web site, it has a GVWR of 19,000 lbs.  HEAVY camper!  Expect a pin wt around 4,000 lb. Base your truck purchase on these numbers, not the dry wt numbers!  Nobody goes camping in an empty camper! 

Your truck MUST have sufficient Payload to handle this pin wt PLUS 200# for a FW hitch PLUS the weight of all passengers and cargo carried in the truck.  In other words, 4500# minimum payload if no other cargo, and 5,000 # or higher is better.

As you already know, no 1/2 ton, ? ton or 1 ton SRW built is up to that challenge.  F350 / 3500 DRW are minimum contenders.  Note Steve's comments comparing F350 to F450 payload.  You may be much better off with a F550 or 5500 Medium Duty Truck (MDT)

Good Luck, Happy Hunting, and enjoy the journey!
 
For the first four years of our RVing life we towed with a pickup.  In 2008 we bought a 40' Victory Lane which grossed out at 16k lbs.  Needless to say the pickup didn't like it much.  Several months after we bought the 5vr my wife spied a Freightlinger FL50 for sale for $20k.  It took a total of less than 100 miles for me to make the statement that I would NEVER put a 5th wheel on a pickup again.

When you get into the realm of these big rigs even a dually isn't sufficient.  Of course those who tow with dually's disagree but they've never towed with a Medium Duty Truck either.  It's not so much the size of the engine with an MDT that makes it more advantageous (mine actually has 25 less horsepower than my one ton did), it's the weight of the truck and the suspension which is designed for a real load not carrying the occasional sheet of plywood.

Lastly, a real MDT such as a Freightliner or International will come standard with air suspension, air ride cab and air ride seats, Ford & Chevy not so much. There are a lot of used MDT's and HDT's out there which have been retired from commercial service and the prices are a lot less than what you might expect, not to mention a fraction of what a new pickup would cost.
 
The couple of folks that I have talked to that tow with an HDT said theirs also turn sharper than a 3500/350 dually. Their HDT's had been singled.
 
You may want to watch this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GxztJit22A
 
The FL and International equivalent are great no doubt and are up to the task no arguement and for pulling full time they awesome, but like everything they do have limitations, like no real pick up box - not to say i wouldnt want one if i was full time towing i would really consider it, not right now but who know what the future will bring lol Maybe a rebuilt Topkick??????
 
As was mentioned the Ram/GM or Ford newer one ton DRW  4x4 will handle that large 19000 lb gvwr trailer. The 4x4 option gets you off road with that big toy hauler or sight seeing the area.
They all have 9300-9800 lb rear axle ratings  for 6k-7k payloads in the bed.

And of course all three equipped with the newer gen diesels with 375-400 plus hp and 850-950 torque will have no problems pulling their 23000-30000 lb + tow ratings.

If the truck is just a designated towing vehicle a MDT /HDT is a good choice however they do not have the mobility off road  or fire roads or back country  or many small secondary and county roads or seeing all the local sights, as the one ton drw truck has. Been there and tried it.
  The newer F450 pickups don't have any more load carrying capacity as the F350 DRW truck. Older ('08? and back) F450 has those big 11500 rawr however they also have the problematic 6.0/6.4 diesels. Fords newer 6.7 diesel would be the better choice for that size trailer.

And of course the 6.6 Dmax and Rams 6.7 Cummins engines are also tops for heavy rv's or commercial service towing.
 
I have a Ram 3500 dually with the Cummins, Aisin transmission, and 4.10 gears. The GCWR of my truck is 39,100 lbs leaving me with roughly enough capacity for a 30,000 lb trailer.

In my opinion, you do not need a MDT or a HDT. Yeah, they may have air ride this and that but just wait until you have to pay for brake repairs, engine overhaul, or a set of tires.

I used to work in the rodeo industry and saw many people pulling large fifth wheels and toy haulers with HDT's. I know of four instances where the frame of the trailers broke because of the jarring that they endured riding behind a big truck. The suspensions of those trucks are made to have 20,000+ pounds of pin weight on them to make them work as designed. Putting 4,000-5,000 lbs on them isn't enough to make the airbags absorb the impacts.
 
Thank you, all for your wisdom and recommendations.

My husband just drove home with the new purchase,...a 2018 Dodge Ram 3500 1 ton, Long Horn edition. We aired on the side of having too much power.
 
danajdelarosa said:
Thank you, all for your wisdom and recommendations.

My husband just drove home with the new purchase,...a 2018 Dodge Ram 3500 1 ton, Long Horn edition. We aired on the side of having too much power.

Without pics, it isn't so! ;D
 
danajdelarosa said:
Thank you, all for your wisdom and recommendations.

My husband just drove home with the new purchase,...a 2018 Dodge Ram 3500 1 ton, Long Horn edition. We aired on the side of having too much power.

Congratulations -please share why a Ram over the other brands i would love hear your views
Cheers steve
 
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