Need help choosing TV

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
See posts with no answers
Or look for a late model used truck and save several thousand dollars.  I am a Dodge Ram Cummins guy but all of "the big three" make great trucks in the last 8 years or so.  I would definitely go 3500 (hell I just bought a 4500) because I would rather have too much truck than not enough.
 
A 13,000 pound trailer with only a 1500 pound cargo capacity is not meant to be used for traveling. These trailers are typically parked on a semi-permanent site with residential plumbing hookups and residential style A/C condensors/heat pumps. They make great vacation homes or tiny homes but not really intended as a travel trailer.
 
I am most familiar with Ford, but I believe this comment applies across all 3 brands.

For any F250 trim line, only certain body / bed combinations are available.  For 2019, Reg cab is available only with a long bed, and only in XL or XLT trim.  Same for F350 SRW.  Same for all configurations.  I was in error about price.  The F350 is now about $1300 more than the F250 with the same equipment.  All options on the F250 are also available on the F350 for the same price, except for some suspension upgrades, standard on the F350.

How the trucks are equipped on the dealer lot may differ in price due to how they are equipped.  30 years ago, I was looking at Ext cab Rangers.  At the local dealer, EVERY Ext cab XLT 2WD was bench seats, automatic, manual windows and locks.  EVERY Ext cab 4X4 was bucket seat, stick shift, power windows and locks.  It is how they ordered them.
 
Thank you everyone for your help! So we are slowly walking away from the Bungalow (we really like it) lol, and looking into more conventional trailers and have started to look at some FW as well trying to find something we both like. I got it know that if we go with a FW and its a fairly sized one, we would have to buy an F350, so that still up for debate since we haven't made our minds up about that truck, we are gonna be using the truck as a daily as well. thank you all and if you have more recommendations, go ahead and throw them our way since we starting from scratch! Glad we asked here first, that's for sure, you guys are great!
 
DW and I looked at destination trailers to put on our lot permanently. We decided a fifth wheel would serve us better. The destination trailers were poorly built and had minimal insulation, comparable to very low end travel trailers.
 
kdbgoat said:
DW and I looked at destination trailers to put on our lot permanently. We decided a fifth wheel would serve us better. The destination trailers were poorly built and had minimal insulation, comparable to very low end travel trailers.
Click to expand...

Goat, thanks again! we are actually looking at one right now that we really like, and as you mentioned, it looks better quality wise, and well insulated, this one also has enclosed underbelly and the artic package, it looks to be light enough for a 3/4 ton truck to handle with no issues whatsoever, but I wanna get your guys opinions on it! thanks again, here is the link

https://www.rvt.com/Grand-Design-Reflection-150-Series-290BH-2019-Ashland-VA-ID8380550-UX240936
 
Looks nice. Have you seen it in person? Be sure to sit in every chair and l try the bed. Stand in the shower and sit on the toilet. Stand in the kitchen and imitate yourself cooking. Is everything comfortable? Can you get to everything that is necessary with the slide in. Reason being, while you are on the road and want to stop for the night at a rest stop, truck stop or other non campground, you want everything accessible  for a meal, shower and nights sleep.
 
Oldgator73 said:
Looks nice. Have you seen it in person? Be sure to sit in every chair and l try the bed. Stand in the shower and sit on the toilet. Stand in the kitchen and imitate yourself cooking. Is everything comfortable? Can you get to everything that is necessary with the slide in. Reason being, while you are on the road and want to stop for the night at a rest stop, truck stop or other non campground, you want everything accessible  for a meal, shower and nights sleep.
Click to expand...

We have not looked at it in person yet, as Im currently deployed we are doing our research strictly online until I get back, but that is a really good idea oldgator! We have thought about stopping in rest stops for the night and how that would work out, I know we can buy a generator as well, but would the heater work without power or generator? Im thinking if we are traveling around the March time frame, might be a little cold a night and it would be nice to be able to sleep comfortably if the heater works when no power hooked up to the trailer.
 
Check the drivers license requirements in your state to tow a trailer as large as that Jayco.  California for example, limits a normal Class C passenger car license to towing no more than 10,000 lbs GVWR with a ball hitch or 15,000 lbs with a 5th wheel.

At 13,000 lbs GVWR and a ball hitch, that Jayco would require a Non Commercial Class A license to legally tow it.
 
Old Gator makes a very important point!!!

A 1 ton SRW truck, compared to its' ? ton cousin is essentially identical size with essentially identical option lists and option costs.  For a new F350, the cost is only about $1200 more.  You get an extra 1200# Payload, comparing identically equipped units.  When towing a FW, this is a CRITICAL difference.

For a 15,000# GVWR  FW, you have about 3000# pin wt, plus the weight of passengers and a hitch and cargo.  A typical ? ton truck, nicely equipped will have a payload around 2300#.  The identical 1 ton  SRW truck will have a 3500# payload.  The ? ton is grossly overloaded.  The 1 ton is okay if you watch your weights carefully.

By comparison a 13,000 TT (a BIG TT), the hitch wt is only 1600#, and the ? ton truck is big enough.

Remember, the ? ton and 1 ton SRW are the same size with the same engine, transmission and rear end options.  As far as a daily driver, there is no difference.
 
grashley said:
Old Gator makes a very important point!!!

A 1 ton SRW truck, compared to its' ? ton cousin is essentially identical size with essentially identical option lists and option costs.  For a new F350, the cost is only about $1200 more.  You get an extra 1200# Payload, comparing identically equipped units.  When towing a FW, this is a CRITICAL difference.

For a 15,000# GVWR  FW, you have about 3000# pin wt, plus the weight of passengers and a hitch and cargo.  A typical ? ton truck, nicely equipped will have a payload around 2300#.  The identical 1 ton  SRW truck will have a 3500# payload.  The ? ton is grossly overloaded.  The 1 ton is okay if you watch your weights carefully.

By comparison a 13,000 TT (a BIG TT), the hitch wt is only 1600#, and the ? ton truck is big enough.

Remember, the ? ton and 1 ton SRW are the same size with the same engine, transmission and rear end options.  As far as a daily driver, there is no difference.
Click to expand...

Great points! I was researching the 2019 models just for the sake of looking at what the different options bring and how much those options affect the max payload and here is what I found:

F150 anywhere between 1485# to 2311#
F250 3288# to 4315#
F350 3761# to 7027#

Maybe Im missing something, but it looks like the F250 does have way more capacity than 2300#
 
Being very familiar with the Ford site, I can tell you those payload numbers  are not completely accurate.  They are correct for the specific configuration in XL trim and NO OPTIONS!  Note that it shows the same Payload for the XL trim as it does for Lariat trim.  NOT TRUE!  They are helpful, but not exact by any means!

By definition, Payload = Truck GVWR minus Curb weight (weight of truck with options)
The charts and web site use Payload = GVWR minus BASE WT (Truck with NO OPTIONS)

Stop past a dealer and look at the yellow placard to see what the real Payload is.

Note that a F150 with the Max payload option can push the Payload over 3000# for reg cab XL and XLT (or at least it did in prior years)

I would be very happy to be proven wrong.  On my '13 F350, the charts said my payload was 3990#  My yellow placard says 3453#
 
grashley said:
Being very familiar with the Ford site, I can tell you those payload numbers  are not completely accurate.  They are correct for the specific configuration in XL trim and NO OPTIONS!  Note that it shows the same Payload for the XL trim as it does for Lariat trim.  NOT TRUE!  They are helpful, but not exact by any means!

By definition, Payload = Truck GVWR minus Curb weight (weight of truck with options)
The charts and web site use Payload = GVWR minus BASE WT (Truck with NO OPTIONS)

Stop past a dealer and look at the yellow placard to see what the real Payload is.

Note that a F150 with the Max payload option can push the Payload over 3000# for reg cab XL and XLT (or at least it did in prior years)

I would be very happy to be proven wrong.  On my '13 F350, the charts said my payload was 3990#  My yellow placard says 3453#
Click to expand...

I will definetly be on the look out for the yellow placards. This numbers came from a nice towing ghuide Ford released for the 2019 models. In such guide, they list trims, as well as different engines, transmisions, and axles showing the different options. Obviously the numbers vary in between, but they are a good point of reference on this newer models, best of the class as they say, haha. Either way, we will be getting a 3500 of some sort, have also started looking at Ram and Silverado as well, comparing options, prices and most importantly payloads, since no matter what the max payload on the F250 is, it will always be better to have some safety cushion. thanks again!
 
Check the foot notes on that nice towing guide.

Yes, it is a good reference, but it is not the last word!

Enjoy the shopping!  Drive all 3 and get the one the wife likes best  ;)
 
grashley said:
Check the foot notes on that nice towing guide.

Yes, it is a good reference, but it is not the last word!

Enjoy the shopping!  Drive all 3 and get the one the wife likes best  ;)
Click to expand...
haha NAH, she already picked the FW she likes, so I'm picking the truck i want!! LOL, by the way the one she really likes is the Sandpiper 372LOK, she fell inlove with it, so guess thats what we are getting.
 
NAVYCWO said:
haha NAH, she already picked the FW she likes, so I'm picking the truck i want!! LOL, by the way the one she really likes is the Sandpiper 372LOK, she fell inlove with it, so guess thats what we are getting.
Click to expand...

The Sandpiper 372LOK is an awesome layout and seems like its good quality.  Its on our list of finalists too and we've been in one on a dealer lot twice now.  If it wasn't about $5k above what we said our absolute max budget was we would have already bought it.

FYI, if you are going with that unit GET A DRW!  I am not part of the "get a Peterbilt to tow a popup" crowd that definitely hangs around here, but that trailer is HEAVY and tall. 

You've entered 5th wheel territory as opposed to bumper pull so pin weight % increases significantly.
 
Well, update time! I returned from deployment and got to work on finding a truck, we ended buying a Ram 3500 diesel dually!! Now on to the fifth wheel!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Members online

Total: 1,017 (members: 24, guests: 993)

Forum statistics

Threads
131,934
Posts
1,387,761
Members
137,684
Latest member
kstoybox
Back
Top Bottom