Moving from a Class C to a Fifth-Wheel

[MegaHurtz]

Hello everyone,

I've been a Class C RV'er for years and am moving to a Fifth Wheel and was hoping for advice on matching the correct truck to trailer.

For the fifth wheel, I'm looking at models 34-36' long with a loaded weight of about 15,000 lbs.

For the truck, I will be purchasing a new GMC, crew cab, standard bed, 4 wheel drive, AT version, and with a factory installed OEM puck kit. I'm just not sure if I should go with the 2500 or the 3500 truck.

The 2500 has a towing capacity of 22,000 lbs
The 3500 has a towing capacity of 36,000 lbs

Both are capable of towing a 35', 15,000lb fifth wheel.

I guess I'm wondering if the 3500 will provide better performance when it comes to towing, stopping, and overall comfort? I don't want to buy the heavier, more expensive, lower fuel mileage, 3500 if the differences are negligible. This truck will also be my daily driver when not on vacation.

Any advice is appreciated.

 

[rvlifer]

I wouldnt buy a chevy simply cause chevy isnt serious about towing. Some years they try and some years they dont. My diesel guys tell me the duramax is expensive to maintain but they all are lol.

You should look at the tongue weight to help decide. The bigger truck may not be needed but it will be less fatiguing to drive and adds more safety for emergency stopping. I loved when i used an f350 7.3L srw to tow a 6k trailer. A lot easier than my current 6.7L dually towing 21k lbs

 

[IBTripping]

You can never have too much truck or too much power!!!

 

[Laura & Charles]

I’ve heard too much truck is almost enough.

 

[joerone]

I would go with the 3500....never can have too much truck

If you want to know for sure:

Keep Your Daydream has a You Tube channel and he does a great informational video on all aspects of towing GVWR, GAWR etc. They also include a link to a downloadable spreadsheet where you put in your truck and RV info as well as passenger/payload weights and it will calculate your tow capacity

Understanding GVWR & Payload - Keep Your Daydream

If it's a Ford you're looking at,

Ford has an online tow calculator for the F Series trucks that utilizes your Vin # so it specific to your truck. After entering the vin, you enter cargo, passenger and hitch weights, whether you have a conventional, 5th wheel or goose neck hitch and it tells you what you have left to tow.

https://www.ford.com/support/towing-calculator

 

[Derby6]

I’d go with 1 ton.
Look at pin weight for 5ver and both trucks weight capacity. 3/4 ton make not make the cut? But if it does you could go that route, but 1 ton be better.

I suspect 1 ton MPG gearing will be lower so MPG will be lower but it will pull better.

 

[rvlifer]

Fyi that ford calculator only works for 2020 and newer

 

[TheBar]

If you drive it unloaded around town and you have dentures go with the 3500. If not you'll need dentures after it shakes your teeth out. A 2500 has an almost civilized ride.

 

[Derby6]

If you drive it unloaded around town and you have dentures go with the 3500. If not you'll need dentures after it shakes your teeth out. A 2500 has an almost civilized ride.

That used to be true. But not anymore. My 350 rides really nice.

 

[DutchmenSport]

I have a 3500 dually long bed diesel. It's primary function is to tow the trailer. It's towed 2 different travel trailers and a fifth wheel.

It's also our secondary vehicle and because it a crew cab, seats 6 comfortably, as the front seat easily switches to become a bench seat and has 6 seat belts.

Yes, that truck is a beast. Average non-towing fuel mileage is around 17 mpg. When towing, depending on the camper (3 of them, all different), ranges between 8 and 9.5 and 10 and 12.

It tows magnificent. Never, never an issue towing, even making U-turns when actually towing that 41.5 foot long fifth wheel. Never had a campsite I could not get the fifth wheel backed into. We did reject some campsites because we discovered they were too short for the fifth wheel though. But, not because it was difficult to back into.

As a daily driver, grocery getter, and with the dual wheels and wide "hips" and the long length, we've not had any issues driving it anywhere.

Now granted, when we go to the air port, we park in the "surface" parking lot and not the parking garage. That means walking a little farther to get to the airport terminal. It means parking out from the grocery store entrance a little farther, or at work, parking in the over sized vehicle section and not in the mini-weenie June bug parking lot section. It means learning to drive a little different, because of its shear length, making turns (especially in town) when there are curbs at stop light corners, the turn has to be handled differently (and especially when dragging a 41.5 foot long trailer behind too!)

The thing you have to ask yourself is, which is more important... towing your camper where you have made a $50,000 investment (and when you get done making payments with interest, you will have spent $100,000 for that camper), towing it with ease and safely.

or

Having a daily driver that is a bit more economical and has easier maneuverability, but may be problematic when towing 15,000 pounds!

At least, with the behemoth truck, it will be a safe ride under both conditions. Which is more important to you. Decide that, and you have your answer.

Or.... invest in 2 vehicles. One for a daily driver, small, economic, easy to drive, grocery getter, good fuel mileage, low maintenance. And the second monster for towing your camper.

That is the way we've been doing it for 40 years now. One monster vehicle, one very economical grocery getter. (and a 10 foot bed utility trailer). We have the best of everything, can tow anything, haul anything, and go anywhere.

 

[richclover]

Hello everyone,

I've been a Class C RV'er for years and am moving to a Fifth Wheel and was hoping for advice on matching the correct truck to trailer.

For the fifth wheel, I'm looking at models 34-36' long with a loaded weight of about 15,000 lbs.

For the truck, I will be purchasing a new GMC, crew cab, standard bed, 4 wheel drive, AT version, and with a factory installed OEM puck kit. I'm just not sure if I should go with the 2500 or the 3500 truck.

The 2500 has a towing capacity of 22,000 lbs
The 3500 has a towing capacity of 36,000 lbs

Both are capable of towing a 35', 15,000lb fifth wheel.

I guess I'm wondering if the 3500 will provide better performance when it comes to towing, stopping, and overall comfort? I don't want to buy the heavier, more expensive, lower fuel mileage, 3500 if the differences are negligible. This truck will also be my daily driver when not on vacation.

Any advice is appreciated.

There’s more to it than towing capacity. My last camper was a 36’, 12,000 lb-rated fiver. I towed it with a short bed Ram Cummins 2500 HD. I weighed it all, separately and hitched, on a Flying J Cat scale. Loaded for travel, with empty gray and black tanks, 15 gallons of water, the camper was right at max gross weight. 12,000 lbs. Pin weight, on the hitch and truck rear axle, was 3000#. That put me over truck payload by a few hundred pounds but still well under the rear axle weight rating and tire/wheel capacity. I pulled it WY to WI, round trip several times and numerous times, I-15, WY-NV, with no problems.
Best you check the various ratings on the trucks you’re considering. A 15,000 pound fiver will have at least 3000 on the pin. The 2500 will be marginal at best. The 3500 single rear wheel will work nicely and the 3500 dually would be ideal. JMHO, gotta be a diesel truck
Safe travels and have fun!

 

[TonyL]

3500/350 is the only way to tow a fifth wheel in my opinion.

 

[rvlifer]

There arent many 5th wheels out there i would tow with a srw even if all the weights check out. You can tow with just about anything. Towing safely is another thing altogether. Most of it is how well you can make an emergency stop.

 

[Adventurous Traveler]

Check out the YouTubers "HappilyEverHanks" happilyeverhanks.com. They are full-timers in a 36' Grand Design Solitude 5'er and they tow it with a GMC Denali 2500HD diesel. They have over 100K miles on the truck and have visited 49 states with it.