What type of tow vehicle do we need to tow this 5th wheel in the mountains?

[paulsandyhale]

We have just bought a 2008 Forest River Cardinal LE, 33SB with the following weight values:
UVW-10970 pounds
Hitch weight-2260 pounds
GAWR-12000 pounds
GVWR-14260 pounds
CC-2731 pounds

What would you recommend as a good tow vehicle?  Please include gear ratios etc.  My husband is very conservative so it must meet strict criteria.  We are newbies when it comes to tow vehicles and 5th wheels so I would really appreciate any information the group could give us.
Thank you for any information
SandyGrace

 

[wartamen]

go with minimum of 1ton diesel. single wheel rear axle will be fine. I perfer the new dodges for power and reliability. I pull a very similar fiver as yours weight wise.
i currently have 2007 2500 dodge but i will be upgrading to 1 ton soon. dealer said it was fine but after first trip its not. power is fine need better suspension.


happy rving...

 

[Rick and Cheryl]

I pull about the same weight with a stock Chevy 3500HD dually, 3.73 gears.  Pulling thru the rockies this year, the Allison transmission works great reducing the need to use the brakes on steep downgrades.  Pulling uphill, plenty of power, its just a matter of how much diesel you want to use and what speed you want to maintain. 

We have a dually since we full-time, and believe pulling with a dually adds to the overall stability pulling in all types of conditions.  Were I not full-timing, I'd still buy a Chevy 3500 but a SRW.  I wouldnt want to give up the Allison transmission.

 

[Carl L]

It is all a matter of trailer weight and truck tow ratings.

Work with your trailer's GVWR as trailer weight.  UVW means little as you are going to cram the unit full of stuff; GVWR is UVW + max. cargo capacity.  Look for a truck with a tow rating that will tow that GVWR.  You say you will tow in mountains.  If those mountains are in the west, you will need to discount the tow ratings 20% if you get a gasoline engine to allow for altitudes out here.  If you have a diesel, cut the allowance to 10% -- diesels handle altitude much better.  With your trailer, the gasoline tow rating would need to be at least 17,825 lbs.  A diesel would work with 15,850 lbs.  My advice is get a diesel with an engine brake.

Trailer Life has tow rating tables that cover trucks back thru the 1999 model year -- they should be your bible in searching for a tow vehicle.  Find them at www.trailerlife.com/tech.cfm.  You might download the years you will be concerned with.

That trailer's tongue weight will run about 20% of the trailer weight.  That weight will bear on the truck rear axle.  Be sure its RAWR will handle it.  You may need a dually.  Check out the Ford F350 and F450s and the Dodge and GMC equivalents.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

You need at least a one ton pick-up (F350 or Dodge/Chevy/GMC 3500) and I think dual rear wheels (dually) because of the pin weight of a trailer that heavy. The pin weight is likely to be 3000 lbs or even a bit more and the truck rear axle carries most of that. A conservative driver will want an F450 or GM 4500 for that size load, but there are plenty of people doing it with the F350/3500. I'd prefer the GMC/Chevy with the Allison transmission or the Ford. Dodge has fallen a bit behind on the heavy duty transmission score, though they recently have made some improvements.

Ford has an excellent towing guide as well. Find any year you like here:
https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/rv_trailer_towing/default.asp

Chevrolet Tech brochures with trailer info for all recent years are available through this dealer site: Choose the vehicle (Silverado0 and year and then Specs and 2500/3500 models.

http://www.karltylerchevrolet.com/guide/brochures/

 

[COMer]

Doing the math, you will be towing about 13,000#'s if you haul as much as most people do.  The only thing rated that high is a diesel which, depending on manufacturer, would be 15,000 - 15,500#'s.  That allows for most of the recommended 20% cushion.  And in the mountains, it is more than just recommended.  The choice gets limited down pretty quickly and the decision becomes whether to go with duallies or not.  The 3/4 T would tow it but not carry it.

 

[paulsandyhale]

Thanks to all of you who replied to my question regarding a tow vehicle.  You pretty much verified what we had decided upon.  However the suggestion of going to a 450 really resonated with my feeling regarding the fears of my husband.  Since we are going full time and since I want my husband to stay cool, calm, and collected, I think we are going with a 450/4500.  I want to travel every mountain range in the United States!! 
Again.....thank you for your valuable advice
SandyGrace