What do you look for in your tow vehicle

I am starting to look at different trucks to full a fifth wheel and was wondering what features / Accessories you feel is needed in the truck.  I really don't have 70K+ for a fully loaded truck.  Example would be a standalone GPS vs a built in one.  What features are a must have and what might be a waist. I figure I will be traveling in the truck going one place to another with the 5er and than run around the area once I get there.  Thanks for any input.

Hi there, the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS ........... On the B pillar and its a little yellow decal which states "Total capacity must not exceed xxxxxxlbs" everything else will then fall into place - for me its the decal followed by leather, sunroof, - however i specifically did not want the GM nav system because i had it before and hated it - besides that touch screen drove me nuts with finger prints  lol and air bags which should be manditory if you are towing anything

I agree with Steve but just this one time. Sorry Steve, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. ;D Towing capacity and payload are the two most important issues involving a fiver, everything else comes down to personal preference. We love the diesel, would never go back to gas. Our truck is pretty basic, I would like cruise and power windows but they are not necessities. Neither is a gps, paper maps and street signs work fine for us. I do wish we had power mirrors though.

RoyM said:

I agree with Steve but just this one time. Sorry Steve, it was too good an opportunity to pass up. ;D Towing capacity and payload are the two most important issues involving a fiver, everything else comes down to personal preference. We love the diesel, would never go back to gas. Our truck is pretty basic, I would like cruise and power windows but they are not necessities. Neither is a gps, paper maps and street signs work fine for us. I do wish we had power mirrors though.

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Yeah yeah love you too lol my trucks are always loaded ltz's and i add $10,000 worth of  extras - wheels tires, led light bars, lift kits, bull bars, vent visors , tonneau covers etc etc etc but thats also what my business is - truck accessories, oil field trucks, and towing / towing accessories etc, my customers include dealerships, oil companies, leasing companies etc and yes I'm spoiled. I get a lot of accessories at cost or below because of what i do and who i do it for - i am one of the top 5 suppliers in the country which means i cheat  but im really really lucky to be able too and i thank the good lord every day that i can - cheers

I've got one of those loaded trucks. 2014 Ram Laramie Limited 3500 dually.  Lots of chrome, hand stitched leather, awesome electronics package. Would a regular 3500 tow my camper, yep. Might even be good with a 2500.  Would I go back and get another truck that doesn't detect what the temp is and automatically turn on my seat and steering wheel heater...nope. I love it.  The truck just looks good and makes me feel good when I'm in it.  I remember coming through the mountains of southern Cali and that exhaust brake kicked on and kept my truck at a comfortable 45 mph without ever touching my brakes all the way down.
I also have a Hyundai Elantra. I have a garmin GPS that is stuck to the windshield which works great till its hot out...then the dang thing falls off at the worst possible moment. My dashboard gps screen in my Ram has never fallen off.
I love my truck and I don't regret paying what I paid for a second...but it all depends on what you can live with.

Also, I still bought this truck after finding out it was not a 4 wheel drive. After having a 4x4 Xterra and a 4x4 Silverado, this was dang near a deal breaker for me....but I have made it through more than a dozen campgrounds and 2 years of driving, I haven't needed 4 wheel drive yet.  All that being said, I would love 4 wheel drive over not having it. Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. Much like concealed weapons permits. ?

steveblonde said:

Hi there, the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS ........... Having a RAM truck with a Cummin(g)s!!

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Fixed it  ;D

But seriously, Steve is on point as usual. 

When buying a 2500 series truck, check the RAWR (payload) carefully and consider that a 3500 doesn't cost much more and is more likely to be rated high enough for most fivers.

Ernie

I have the built in GPS.  I need to stop the d@mn truck to do much of anything, it's a safety thing.  So my co-pilot cant even work it.  Now we use the old one on the dash for short term route revisions and the in-dash only at the start of the day.  PITA!  I could spend hundreds and buy a LockPick to make it actually useful.  The one thing that it does well is finding, and taking me to, diesel fuel stations.

when i bought the current 3500 i specifically bought one without the nav system which was hard to find, to me its a waste of $3000 or whatever it costs i have a 10yr old Garmin that has been all over North America with me and i transfer it from Rental cars in Miami to Vancouver and everywhere else and it works great, i love it. The only option on my truck other than the Nav thats missing, is the sliding rear window and i miss not having that as it was on my last 4 trucks.

Make sure you get as much payload as possible so that you can pull any FW you may want safe.

First, Steve is right.  (My, that hurt!)  ;D

Payload, GVWR, etc. determines if the truck can pull the load.  If it can't, nothing else matters - WRONG TRUCK!!

From my perspective, there are two questions here. The first is mechanical details. 

I strongly suggest a F350 / 3500 over a F250 / 2500.  For used, the price is nearly identical, they are the same physical size (SRW) but the 3500 has a 1500# HIGHER GVWR and 1500# higher payload.  This computes to 6000# more 5er assuming a 25% pin weight.  A dually pushes the numbers even higher.

Diesel is also a no brainer for me.  It is a stronger motor, better low end torque, and higher fuel economy.
It must have integrated trailer brake controller.  Most newer trucks above the base trim line have this standard.
4 wheel drive is very nice.
Long bed is very nice and will improve handling.
Factory wiring harness in the bed is nice.
Rear air bags (per Steve) are nice, but are an aftermarket add on.

The second consideration is trim line - creature comforts.
Virtually all newer trucks have A/C and power door locks.  Many have Cruise.
As you step up the "food chain", you get cloth seats, power windows, brake controller, better radio
The next step usually adds leather seats, heated (sometimes cooled as well) seats, dual climate control, nicer radio, satellite radio
Next step includes sun roof, nav system....

The trim package has little effect on the towing capacity.  More "stuff" will add weight, which will decrease towing capacity a little.  We each have a level of comfort we demand and are willing to pay for.  That is strictly a personal decision, but will clearly affect the price.

IMHO, nav systems are not worth the money.  Aftermarket units are easier to update, offer a much wider variety of features and are usually cheaper.

HAVE FUN SHOPPING!!

My sig shows a 2015 F350 diesel dually.
I knew that we were getting a bigger 5er so the truck needed capacity.  I got that.
As for needs - Every hauling option.
I also opted for the heated rear seat.  Mom-in-Law is often chilly so that has been well worth it for us.

Wow, thanks for the great reply's.  The information has been very helpful and has touched on things I haven't thought of. I looked at a new pick up and was shocked the price is more than my Caddy and darn near what my house cost in 1990. But I sat there and wondered if all the bells and whistles really would make my travels more enjoyable and SAFER. I was thinking get the basic truck that could meet the towing needs and add the options later.

you cant really add options later to the truck.

Curiosity said:

I was thinking get the basic truck that could meet the towing needs and add the options later.

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steveblonde said:

you cant really add options later to the truck.

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Yes and no.  There are certain options that you can add later that are plug and play.  Some can be added, but the dealer has to reflash the PCM and / or other modules to make the truck understand that they are there.  For example....CD player.  My truck has one (rare nowadays) but if you want to add the factory CD player, the wiring is already there for it...but if just you plug one in, it won't work.  Same with heated seats.  You can buy them in a junkyard and plug them in....wiring is there, but the RPO codes have to be flashed in to make them operate.

Point is....it is MUCH easier to just buy the truck you want to begin with.  I bought a Tradesman, but it's a fairly high optioned model and had a handful of the bells and whistles I wanted.  I got dual alternators (440 amp charging), back up camera, CD player, electronic 4X4, U-Connect radio, chrome package, and of course, the Cummin(g)s diesel  P to my Canadian  brutha!).  It was $4500 less than the next step up, but a long way from a "work truck" too.

If you want a long read on upgrading a truck with a lower trim level, brew a pot of coffee and pull up a chair....

http://www.cumminsforum.com/forum/2013-general-discussion/1831249-tradesman-owners-group-what-have-you-done.html

After towing capacity and payload, the most important thing I look for is "Can I make this truck more powerful without breaking anything"!

It could be just a cab with chassis only no bed, no bells and whistles, bare bones model......I don't care about the color or any of the features.... it has to be Diesel, it has to be at least extended cab to seat my wife and kids, and it has to be able to be lightly modded (exhaust & programmer) without tearing up the tranny or major engine components.

Yes I have the notorious International 6.0 Powerstroke, but it is in perfect working order with super low miles (62K) and I got it so incredibly cheap, it's not a big deal if the head gaskets blow, or the egr and oil coolers fail....I was able to set money aside for those repairs should it ever need them.

I got the truck, made sure to change the oil and fuel filters right away, updated some things (new wheels/tires, blue spring kit upgrade,  bed cover, window tints), made it faster (4" performance exhaust and Programmer), then shopped for a 5th wheel....I was able to find a 5er that is very light and well within the limits of the truck as well as having the ideal layout for our needs.... it took a LONG time to find my rig, but it was worth the wait.

The trucks 5th wheel towing capacity is 17k lbs and my 5er weighs 7900lbs. UVW and 11,000lbs. GVW
The payload capacity is 3K on the truck and the pin weight of the 5er is 1080lbs.

What I ended up with was a truck that has a very easy time towing my 5er, stable and confident, and has tons of power in reserve for those big hills and mountains.... but that is just me..... I'm a gear head and power, performance, and reliability are most important to me.

What do I look for in my tow vehicle? All the stuff I can't find in my Trailer!!

I would look for a VW beetle that had the power to pull my trailer.
Man do I hate parking my big Dodge Ram in shopping centers and restaurants.

Then my second choice would be one with the fewest gadgets, options and extras that is on the market,
Not one where you have to be a computer guru just to reset that mini TV screen that is on the dash board

Then my third choice would be one that comes with a simplified  two page instruction manual on the operation of the various levers, knobs, and dials.
Not one with a million pages and three inches thick

jack L