kbfeip
Well-known member
Hey'all -- from a newbie!
We currently own a 1988 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 34L with 83k miles on the clock. Beautiful rig, with installed options like headers, hydraulic jacks, Gear Vendor over/under drive, 7KW Kohler, new paint with custom graphics to match the boat....etc. Problem is, I'm constantly fixin' things. It was fun to tinker for awhile (several years actually) but now we're thing its time for a change. We now tow a 20" boat which puts us at almost 60', so I have some experience with length.
We recently purchased a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab Hemi with 20" OEM wheels, 3.92 axel, and short bed. I originally bought it as simply a street truck, but am now considering it as a tow vehicle. The thought of not having to maintain a separate power train in the motorhome is appealing, and it seems that we can get a whole lot of living space in a new lightweight travel trailer.
Okay, now for the details: The tow rating on the truck is 7600 lbs. We're in negotiations at the moment for a 2006 Z 303 30" Zeppelin TT. The only delay is that we're trying to determine how much the dealer will pay me to drive their new TT off the lot. ;D
Dry weight on the trailer is 5125 lbs. with options installed. This leaves 2475 for cargo and passengers. The truck has a 12000 lb. hitch if used with weight distribution system, as well as a tow setting on the automatic transmission.
Is anyone familiar with this exact setup on the Dodge Ram, and does it provide enough reserve capacity for the more experienced here?
Does anyone have any cautions to offer up on the Zeppelin brand?
Are there opinions as to what my towing experience might be like with the Dodge TV vs. my old rig and the boat?
When we go to the lake, (2hrs away) we'd just pull the boat up with a separate TV.
We currently own a 1988 Fleetwood Pace Arrow 34L with 83k miles on the clock. Beautiful rig, with installed options like headers, hydraulic jacks, Gear Vendor over/under drive, 7KW Kohler, new paint with custom graphics to match the boat....etc. Problem is, I'm constantly fixin' things. It was fun to tinker for awhile (several years actually) but now we're thing its time for a change. We now tow a 20" boat which puts us at almost 60', so I have some experience with length.
We recently purchased a 2006 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad Cab Hemi with 20" OEM wheels, 3.92 axel, and short bed. I originally bought it as simply a street truck, but am now considering it as a tow vehicle. The thought of not having to maintain a separate power train in the motorhome is appealing, and it seems that we can get a whole lot of living space in a new lightweight travel trailer.
Okay, now for the details: The tow rating on the truck is 7600 lbs. We're in negotiations at the moment for a 2006 Z 303 30" Zeppelin TT. The only delay is that we're trying to determine how much the dealer will pay me to drive their new TT off the lot. ;D
Dry weight on the trailer is 5125 lbs. with options installed. This leaves 2475 for cargo and passengers. The truck has a 12000 lb. hitch if used with weight distribution system, as well as a tow setting on the automatic transmission.
Is anyone familiar with this exact setup on the Dodge Ram, and does it provide enough reserve capacity for the more experienced here?
Does anyone have any cautions to offer up on the Zeppelin brand?
Are there opinions as to what my towing experience might be like with the Dodge TV vs. my old rig and the boat?
When we go to the lake, (2hrs away) we'd just pull the boat up with a separate TV.