Confusion over tow vehicles

My wife and I will be retiring in three years and are going to be full time RVers.
We are in the process of doing a great deal of research (reading, Internet, RV shows, etc...)
so that by the time we go to purchase a fifth wheel and a tow vehicle, we will have ALL the information and will be able to make an informed decision and get exactly what we want.

I don't have a lot of experience with fifth wheels and the type of truck needed to pull one.  I am bit confused.  I was under the impression that (at least in the past) the majority of fifth wheels were adequately and safely pulled by an "F-350" size truck with dual wheels?
We have initially, kind of targeted a Ford F450 dually diesel, to assure we have enough truck to tow with.  We are going to be full time and Will be living in the fifth wheel....we plan to travel all over the U.S., including a trip to Alaska.
We are most likely looking at a fifth wheel between 34 - 39 feet long (we are still researching the different manufactures, types, styles, what-have-you) with just living space (not a toy hauler).
I've been reading a lot (and hearing a lot of opinions) about the need to go to what I would consider a "huge" truck (the ones I've seen are like tractors for a semitrailer). 
The tow vehicle we buy will also have to serve as our everyday transportation, and to be honest, I really don't want to be driving around/sightseeing in a huge "tractor".

I was under the impression that a F450 would be more than enough truck. 
Is there anyone out there that has or can make an informed decision on this, and possibly a good website or source of information where I can research this? 
I am not really mechanically inclined (to say the least) and need a real simple and down to earth place to get information that is geared toward someone who is not familiar with towing/trucks/GVW..etc...etc...

Thanks for any help you can give us......

(I did learn rather quickly not to believe most salesmen....at a RV show I recently attended, I actually heard a salesman assuring a potential buyer that an F-250 ford truck was more than adequate to tow the fifth wheel we were looking at....I believe the fifth wheel was 37 or 38 feet long....even I didn't believe this....lol)

Rick

We are on our second 5th wheel but we don't full time so ours is only 30 Ft.

I recommend that you try and identify the 5th wheel that you think you like and look at the weight of the trailer, not the length of the trailer.  Also remember that the more sliders a unit has, the heavier it is too.  Using this method will help you determine how much truck you need to do the job.  The GVWR - Approx Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (max authorized loaded weight for the trailer) is what you want to use to gauge your tow vehicle.

The folks on this form will also tell you to allow a safety margin when selecting the truck.  They recommend a larger margin for towing out west due to the higher mountains etc.  (turbo charged Diesels don't require as much margin since they do not loose power at altitude due to the thiner atmosphere.)

Anyway- pick your trailer and this will help define your tow vehicle needs.  Good Luck!  ;D

was under the impression that a F450 would be more than enough truck. 
Is there anyone out there that has or can make an informed decision on this, and possibly a good website or source of information where I can research this? 
I am not really mechanically inclined (to say the least) and need a real simple and down to earth place to get information that is geared toward someone who is not familiar with towing/trucks/GVW..etc...etc...

Click to expand...

The process can be boiled down to a numbers game with weight vs. tow capacity.  Length means nothing.

If all options are open, decide on the trailer you like first of all.  Determine its Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).  GVWR can be found on the trailers DOT plate on the left side front of the outside of the unit.  I can also be found in the mfrs. brochures.  Here GVWR can be determined as base/dry weight + carrying capacity. 

Now you can chose your truck from those units whose tow rating  ≥ trailer GVWR + 10% safety factor.    For example, if you trailer GVWR is 10,000 lbs, you want a truck with a 11,000 lb tow rating.    If you would tow in the mountain or Pacific west, you might want to make that safety factor 20% for engines other than a turbocharged diesel.  That allows for altitude effects and low steep grades.

OK now that you have your desired tow rating, go to the Trailer Life Tow Rating tables and find the truck with a rating equal to that or greater.  Those tables can be found at http://www.trailerlife.com/output.cfm?id=42175  Easy enough.

What you should never do is accept a RV or truck salesman's assurances that a given truck can pull a given trailer.  Use the numbers.

Yup.  I believe they've said it all very well.  Find the trailer you want first.  If it ends up being more than what you can pull with the maximum truck you want (a F-450), then you can always scale down the trailer until you find the right match.  The new 2008 F-450 properly equipped is quite a beast and can handle a much bigger trailer than most other trucks.  But even it has its limits.  Good luck.