5th Wheel towing - Is your truck big enough?
Vložit
- čas přidán 26. 10. 2018
- So you've picked out the 5th wheel trailer and now you need to know if your truck can pull it safely. This is the video for you. We show real world data from our recent purchase of truck and trailer and how much weight gets added. We show the difference between numbers in the brochures and real life numbers. In the end, we'll give you the insight into what data to look for so you can decide how much truck you need for your rig.
Follow us as we travel full time in our RV and photograph beautiful landscapes as we go. Check out our sites below:
Our CZcams Home Page:
/ @roadtripimages
Website homepage:
www.roadtripimages.com
Direct link to 5th wheel towing article:
www.roadtripimages.com/5th-wh...
Follow us on Instagram:
/ roadtrip_images
On Facebook:
/ roadtripimages
On Pinterest:
/ roadtripimages
Below are links to some of the camera gear we use for photography and video. As members of the Amazon Associates program, we earn from qualifying purchases. If you use them to purchase anything on Amazon, we get a small commission. It doesn’t have to be the items below. It costs you nothing extra but helps us a bit to sustain this channel. Thanks!
My main photo gear:
Nikon D850 amzn.to/2TWdeBN
Nikon D810 amzn.to/2Ogu3Cj
Nikkor 24-70mm amzn.to/2ULCDeG
Nikkor 16-35mm amzn.to/2YcrXb0
Nikkor 70-200mm amzn.to/2UQiOmN
Our primary vlogging camera & Mic system:
Nikon D5600 amzn.to/2OfHimF
Saramonic wireless mic amzn.to/2Ju0j6o
Camera backpacks we use:
Lowepro 450 amzn.to/2UJwkIL
Lowepro 350 amzn.to/2Og0aSH - Jak na to + styl
I haul 5th wheel trailers for a large RV dealer. I use a 3500 Ram dual rear wheel for the 5th wheels and a 3500 Ram single rear wheel for the (bumper tow) camping trailers. Two things I'd like to add. The dual rear wheel has a wider track and is more stable. The axle also is rated for a higher capacity. Also if you have a flat on the rear you can limp to the nearest exit or safe spot to change the tire. The good tire will carry the weight at low speeds for a short time.
The single rear wheel is a better all around truck and much easier to park and manoeuvre. It does everything well but limits your trailer weight. The capacity of the truck as listed by the manafacturer is with the stock tires. You can increase the load capacity of your truck by installing tires with a higher load rating. Check with your tire dealer.
The second thing that should be a consideration is the engine type. Gas engines are fine for light loads and can get good mileage. Carry a heavy load or tow a large trailer and they get horrible mileage and can't handle hills. Diesels can haul heavy loads and are quite reliable for such service. With no load a diesel truck will get 17.9 to over 23 mpg. The average I see every day (no load) with a 3500 dual rear wheel is 18 mpg. Single rear wheel trucks get 20 mpg or higher. Under load with a heavy 5th wheel the diesel mileage is 8.9 mpg for a toy hauler to 9.6 mpg for a regular live-in 5th wheel. The speeds are 55 - 65 mph with an average of 60 mph. I tow on many 2 lane roads and through small towns. Freeway mileage may be higher at 60 mph but drop off very fast if you exceed 65 mph.
Hope my professional experience helps somebody.
John Schubert.
John Schubert nothing you do to your truck is going to increase the load capacity...more leaf springs/tires/air bags etc. They may allow you to carry more weight, but if you wreck with more weight on your truck than what the manufacturer recommends, you’re screwed...doesn’t matter what aftermarket upgrades you’ve made.
@@admorris11 How interesting - you missed the point. The RAM pickups I was mentioning above have the same engine (Cummings 6.7l. diesel) and the same chassis but different GVWR and GCWR ratings. These are both factory choices. My point was that the dual rear wheel is more stable. Although I didn't mention any after market products there are weak points in every design. Better wheels and tires is one point. If you are satisfied with the factory Goodyears - well great but many people upgrade to Michelin LT X, also while you are at it why not go to a higher weight rating if that is available. Wheels - my stock wheels are 17" and I may upgrade to Alcoa 19.5" wheels. These are lighter but more important the tires are G or H rated and wear a lot longer. Ask any trucker. Reports of over 100,000 miles are not uncommon. The downside is the 19.5's ride a lot harder if not loaded so there is a trade off. Shocks - the factory shocks will degrade after 50,000 miles. I'm considering Koni for my motorhome because of the great reviews and better dampening.
As for being screwed - I'm not certain what you are trying to say. I license my personal truck for the maximum combined weight (GCWR) I expect to carry/haul. I used to license for 26.000 lbs but now license for 16,000 lbs. because of the lower cost. My insurance is based on the information from the DMV. The truck is out of warranty and I could care less about a truck/car warranty anyhow. The people that I see in accidents aren't driving pickups with trailers but are people in small cars trying to pass pickups with trailers. Last night I was hauling a 30 foot 5th wheel on I-90 in Montana. There was a snow storm and I was driving 35-55 mph as conditions permitted. I was passed by perhaps 20-25 small cars driving 70-80 with no visibility. Every time one passed I slowed down because I expected to see one of them upside down in the median. Didn't happen - just sayin.
Great Video, Very informative, as an ex-truck-driver I would only comment that you didn't mention 2 important facts. 1. If they tow the trailer with water that adds 8.3 pounds per gallon and their total weight depends on tank capacity, but decreases the amount of cargo. Second, If the Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is over the tow vehicles overall rating, in an accident they are responsible regardless of fault. The bottom line that you were trying to convey is safety and you did an awesome job on conveying that! Great Video.
your whole GCWR comment is totally incorrect. Talk to any hot shot hauler that has been hit by someone .... any one of those guys pulling a three up to a six car hauler that has an Apportioned registration is going to be legally registering a truck around 30k to 45k with a factory GCWR of less than 20k. Dodge Ram 5500's are around 18k i believe - and everywhere you look you see them fully loaded with five cars - depending on the vehicles your hauling you'll be around 35k-45k overall actual GCWR. I have several friends that run setups similar to this and have been on the road years - I know one of them has been in a wreck that wasn't his fault and he certainly wasn't left at fault for getting rear-ended. Please check your facts before you give people improper information.
What do you say to that Chuck?
@@ralphgraber7096 You can put apprortioned plates on a Honda Civic but that doesn't mean it's legal to tow five cars with it. Apportioning is just for tax purposes, it has nothing to do with the GVWR which are the official ratings used to determine if you are overweight by exceeding manufacturers' ratings. That's why ratings exist. And yes, insurance companies can and will deny coverage if you exceed them. And attorneys love to get access to that data, because if you were running in excess of the ratings, you are at fault. People who do this are playing with fire, and your friend was lucky.
@@ralphgraber7096 do what you have to do period nothing is written in stone.
@@PeterArthurMartin You are so correct on this. Too many people do not consider insurance ramifications thereby taking on liability themselves. I don't get it!
My three months of research landed me on an F350 dually to tow my 16,885 GVWR Fifth Wheel. Like you said, don’t want to be right at the capacity. Better to be over.
Excellent information- very helpful for us. We're going to be purchasing our first pickup + RV (fifth wheel) soon and will take this into account!
Informative, plain and understandable, and properly emphasized the vital importance of careful weight calibration between truck and trailer... many thanks!
This is exactly what i have been looking for. well covered and easy to follow. Thank you so much from Phoenix, AZ.
Glad it was useful.
Thanks so much for the info...we are in the process of choosing the 5th wheel and new truck! This helped so much!!!
J.T.S. OUTDOOR LIFE Glad it was useful!
Great job! Far too few overlook or ignore the limits. I'm very satisfied with your process and your conclusion. Neat channel. I'll be following. Happy travels.
Thanks!
Love the intro David. You mentioned knowing real weights. That is of utmost importance. I'm on several forums and I just wish everyone would see this video before they buy the wrong truck or wrong trailer. Nice job.
Thanks.
Very good information that applies to all trailers.
So a few months ago I watched this video and had a 3/4 Ram and felt conviction, I went to the scale and found that I was 1500/1600 pounds over weight on the pin, started telling my wife that we are going to need a dually and she said absolutely no way because she drives it every day to work, long story short, we now have a 2019 Ram 3500 dually long bed, we just bought the B&W hitch and it arrived today, we have to break the truck in before towing and have a trip to Asheville planned in October, thank you for the straight talk, it was hard to swallow at first but I want to be safe !
Norm Nilsson I’m getting ready to trade my 17 ram 2500 for a dually. Always have used the b&w. Love those hitches.
Excellent Video! This was the most comprehensive explanation on this topic that I've seen! Very clear and concise, easy interpretation. Thank you! Best Wishes! 🇺🇸
Thanks! Glad it was helpful.
My wife and i are looking to purchase a fifth wheel in 3 years and have been doing as much research as possible. Thank God for CZcams and real people like yourself that give us REAL info that helps us make a SAFE, SMART, decision. Thanks for the vid and info.
Thanks for the comment. Good luck with your search.
Thank you for posting this! I am just starting to research on the road travel and found this video very helpful in helping me put into perspective how much space I want vs how much space I need. I plan to hit the road after retiring, and while I can drive a larger rig I am not sure I want to everyday. Thank you very much!
Glad it was helpful!
Great explanation. Thank you for the detailed honest information. We have been RVing fulltime since 2010 and love the adventure :-) Happy travels!
Thanks David, for the ideal brochure numbers vs real world measurements. Very much appreciated. The video was very straight forward, easy to understand too.
Glad you found it helpful.
Great video! Easygoing style with a lot of great info. Gotcha a new subscriber!
Thanks, presently looking for the truck and then the fifth wheel next year for FT travel, this helped a lot, I always feel better with more truck than needed and this confirmed that. Great video.
David Whitmore Glad it was helpful! Good luck with the transition to FT.
Thank you for such great information. This is so valuable. I was searching online for this kind of info and didn't find anything like this. This is great stuff. Thank you so much!!! This is worth millions!!!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, thanks for the breakdown! I'm looking to go this route (full time) and you're right, the websites and blogs I've visited don't break this down as well as you did, so thank you!
Glad it was helpful.
Glad I stumbled onto this discussion. We have a dream of travelling more across the country, allowing me to spend more time behind my camera. Looking forward to following your channel!
Glad to have you along!
I was fairly certain of this information, you've just validated it - thank you. I've subscribed, we'll be watching and learning as that one of our lifetime dreams is soon to be realized, two separate month long cross country trips in the RV. Your photography hints will be well received by my lovely wife.
Glad it was helpful.
Very informative. Thanks
Thanks for sharing one of the best truck to trailer matching videos ever made! As you mentioned, there are so many vids full of opinion and generalization out there, which even further complicate matters - especially for towing novices. And of course there are the brand wars which muddy the waters further... It was refreshing to finally see a video that clearly shows how to correctly match a truck configuration of a chosen brand and model to a given trailer. Similarly, using the same logic and assumptions on trailer cargo, a given loaded truck scaled GVW and door sticker could be used to create a max fully loaded and tongue weight guideline spec for a trailer for the purposes of RV shopping.
Thank you! I intentionally stayed away from the truck brand wars. Nothing good comes from that.
Probably the best tutorial on 5th wheel Rv's... excellent job! Merica!
Thank you!
I just found this video, thank you so much, we are just getting started on our way into 5th wheel rv. great video...
Glad it was helpful!
Great information and thanks much.
Very good to know information thanks for the heads up listen, to
the facts that are presented get
the facts beforehand, it’s all about
safety for you and others,stay safe👍🏽
Glad you found it useful. That was the message. Get real world numbers, from the manufacturers. Do your homework and then decide on the right truck. So many people are sure they are within specs but have never got their rig weighed.
Great video and really helpful. I wish I could of scene this video prior to purchasing my 3/4 ton. Thank you for all the info!
Very, very good video! Thanks for explaining all the details. We are just starting the process of looking at 5th wheels and trucks. This was incredibly helpful.
Glad you found it useful.
Thank you. Real data, exactly what I was looking. You confirmed what I already knew and made my decision simple.
Glad I could help
Awesome information. Thanks for de-mystifying such a complex concept in simple terms!! This stuff has been bending my brain! THANK YOU!!!
supaflah Glad you found it useful.
Its really quite simple honestly...in my opinion.
We were at a campground and a guy with his wife rolled in next to us with a 36 ft 5th wheel and a F150. He was unhooking his truck and as I was talking to him he said he was going in for a 3rd time to have his rear and frame fixed because it was broken. I said no kidding...he says he doesn't know why it keeps breaking. I said you're pulling way to much weight for that truck...he said it's only 12k lbs...
We had a lengthy conversation about these very details and numbers...his wife was overwhelmed with what I was telling him and showing him by the numbers. That damn salesman lied to us!.....
He looked at my rig...F450...40ft toyhauler..18k trailer and I still have wiggle room. So many people buy without knowing or even having a clue as to what they are buying. You can't listen to a salesman..
You did a great job presenting the facts! Extremely important knowing your weight limitations!
Thank you!
Excellent information- I’m a newbie about to buy a fifth-wheel and this was immeasurably helpful... Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!!
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for a great summary of the 5th wheel weight requirements.
Greg Monson Glad it was helpful.
I just had a new experience with a reputable tire company that knew the 4 tires that I was having replaced when on a 16k lbs 5th wheel only to find out that they put car (45psi) valve stems on. Thanks for sharing this video.
Nice to know. I wouldn't have even been aware of that.
By far the most informative video on the topic I’ve come across. Thank you!
Glad it was helpful.
Thank you so much for breaking down the numbers and equations. It helped out a lot!
Glad you found it useful!
This has been the best understandable explanation on choosing a proper truck I've found. thank you
Glad you found it useful.
I just want to say you hit the nail on the head! I spend a day reading and making sure I was understanding everything correctly. READ the sticker in the door jamb! Lots of people over their gross vehicle weight. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
Great information and clear explanation of a very important topic. I've talked with several salespeople and they all assure me their 1/2 ton trucks can pull a certain weight (based on their brochures. When I do/did some prelim calculation (not as in depth as yours), I felt VERY uncomfortable with that truck; I'll go with a 3/4 ton or 1 ton, even if "their" calculation is diff than mine. I'd rather "have it" and not need it, than not "have it" AND need it. Thanks for some great information. Y'all Be Safe!
I agree with your assessment. Get more truck than the minimum required. You won't regret it.
Thanks for the video, we are in the beginning stages of purchasing a 5th wheel and a truck. This video was very helpful and informative.
Glad it was helpful!
good information video, and also another thing to consider is the windy conditions sometimes and the length of the trip. i plan to upgrade to a bigger truck this information really helped i have been doing my research for a while, but with this information I'm more convinced now thanks for sharing
Thank you Sir:
I have watched many videos on 5th Wheel Travel.. cause I want to pull a 5th Wheel Toy Hauler, with my Cycle and 4 Wheeler in it. I have already decided to get a Dully Truck.
But your video just showed so much detail in the weighing of both Rigs, That was Awesome Thank you. I myself been an Over the road Trucker. So I do know about weights,. I would rather a bigger Truck ( over kill ) then Not enough Truck. ! When pulling a 5th wheel. ! 👍🇺🇸 🏍️
Glad it was helpful. Yep, get enough truck for that toy hauler and life will be good!
Talk about overkill. I pull my 43 foot Newmar x-aire toyhauler with a 2013 T800 KW witch I work everyday hauling logs and chips. We are fulltimers. We travel mostly along I40 in NC I85 in SC.
super straight forward, logical, and awesome explanation. Thanks!
Glad you liked it!
Excellent information. Easy to follow narrative and clearly explained. The real numbers help a lot. Great video, thank you!!
Glad it was helpful!
I saw one other video that goes into detail about the type of truck and trailer you are hauling.
I plan on being a full-time hauler living in my trailer of choice. Apartments are a waste of money. Houses are getting more and more expensive. I much rather be able to get something cheaper overall, be able to go wherever I want, when I want. I really appreciate this type of content since I have an engineer's mindset when planning and making decisions.
Thank you, well done
Great video explaining real world #'s and how to do it!!! Thank you!!!
Thanks!
When we bought our rig in 2004 CZcams and forums were just starting off. Times we way different then now. Having experience like yours and recommendations were what we needed. Luckily we did good. Great to hear confirmation. Also the moral of the video is “Over kill is King”
Glad you've had a good experience.
Great video, thank you. Safe travels!
WOW! Was that helpful! I am currently looking at trucks and trailers and this will definitely help me make a decision. As you said real life numbers are where its at. I've been looking on the internet and some say I could pull a 5th wheel up to 18,000 lbs with a 3/4 ton truck, don't think so now! So thank you very much this really helps!
Great to hear! Thanks for watching!
I have worked several wrecks where the camper over powered the truck the owner believed wouldn't happen because it pulled it just fine. Those weights are the absolute MAX people. Absolute Max. Swerving, stopping hard, avoiding anything, blowing tires and the camper is going to take over quickly.
Thanks for this informative and easy-to-understand breakdown of the numbers. I don't have a rig yet; have been doing my homework/research for a few months now. I am leaning toward a 5th wheel, and I was already thinking, "F-350 Dually." My current truck is an older F-150; I know that won't cut it. My plan is to sell the house to get the money for the rig and a new truck, then go full-time nomad! Already retired, so I will be on "permanent vacation" touring my bucket list destinations!
I've subscribed to your channel; I'm a photographer myself, so I look forward to seeing more of your images.
Glad to have you join us!
We just bought a 2015 F350 Lariat Platinum with a 6.7 turbo diesel. From all the research i did that engine and rig can pull 19,000 max weight. Its not a duley, so you don’t need a duley to fulltime just as long as you go with a little bigger diesel rig you should be fine with most weights.
Thanks for sharing. We get so annoyed when we are in FB groups and people share their type of tow vehicle and it’s towing something that is right at the max (empty). We want to scream thru the screen at them. We have a travel trailer at this moment for maybe the next year or so and researching now for it. Wish others would look at videos like this or others before they try towing.
This was really helpful video. Thank You so much.
Glad you liked it.
I've been watching a lot of people talk about truck towing capacity, weights etc... and yours has been the best so far!!!
Three other points that help with having a dually truck.
1) More rubber on the road for stopping.
2) Dually trucks typically come with a heavier duty rear diff, brakes and springs... hence the heavier towing/weight capacity.
3) You get a wider more stable stance with a Dually truck (might help a bit with cross winds).
Happy Camping : )
Thanks!
1) not necessarily true.. 2) No, false, one ton differential/axle is a one ton differential/axle and also often used on 3/4 ton trucks...3) this is the only reason to have dual rear wheels , dual rear wheels offer a wider stance for your truck, increasing stability when towing heavy loads. In addition to a wider stance, dual rear wheels lessen the load on the individual tire, decreasing the risk of overloading ..
@Pennsylvania Mike Having grown up in Lake Tahoe at 4800 ft above sea level, I can tell you if you are in snow it won't matter how many axels you will need to have extra weight to the bed of the truck. Also narrower tires for snow and wider tires for mud. In mud you want to float or you will just dig yourself deeper. So based on your analysis you would want a dually in mud to stay on top of it. In snow you want to dig in and get a good grip on the frozen ground. Now I am not sure how that all adds up with towing capacity with narrower tires. We used to make fun of the tough guys who would come up in their big 4x4 trucks with huge tires (wide) and be floating on top of the snow and have no control. We would go into 4 wheel drive and crawl past them with no problems! As they were invariably digging their own asses out of the bank of snow. Of course beyond their big wide tires they would invariably not have added a bunch of sand bags that we carried all winter long in the back of our rig, which just added to their spinning. The only time we spun was when we went through a check point and got waved through by the Highway patrol who didn't realize we had 4x4 but hadn't turned the hubs yet so our snow tires weren't grabbing the ground. That said, I have no desire to spend my time in my RV in the snow, as I will be chasing 70 degrees!
Thank you very very much for sharing this video and information. In the coming year I will be transitioning from renting a house to purchasing and living in an RV full time. I currently own a Dodge Ram 2500 and had the same hope you mentioned of my current vehicle being able to accomplish my goal. The reality is, I will need to purchase a truck better capable of towing the rig I want. Great job on the video. Subscribed
Glad it was useful.
Hey,.. Thanks very much for the great video. As a newbie , I really appreciate your simple explanation and your expertise. Many thanks !!
You're very welcome!
Thanks for this. Clearly explained. Much appreciated!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video, thank you. Helped alot, especially how to get weighed at a CAT scale!
Glad it was helpful!
Very informative. You made it much easier to understand the numbers. Thank you
Glad it helped.
This was extremely helpful! Thank you for this nice, logical and concise explanation!
Glad it was helpful!
That was very helpful. True to form, I heard all kinds of opinions on this topic when deciding to upgrade my RV. Especially from the.lot sales person. You almost have to tune them out because all they are interested in is the sale. Moving inventory, but your family and their safety take a back seat to that goal. If you already own your tow vehicle and you have no plans to upgrade, follow the formula’s shown here and let that decide the trailer you get.They’re trying to push the Queen Mary on you for the highest commission.
Glad you liked it.
I've watched your video twice just make sure not to miss anything, but hey you hit it all. I have a 3500 DW just to tow our 16400 lb fifth wheel and would not go back. A few people will take that chance but no, just purchase the correct equipment for the job. Thank you for taking the time putting this all together and share with us. Safe travels.
Thanks!
Your close to the limit for a DRW 3500, go weigh your rig, then add your FT payload. I weighed my loaded rig at 2 different scales before I believed I was overloaded.
Thanks for taking the time to share your insight!
My pleasure!
I wish a lot of people would watch this video and do the math like you did. I see many people with trucks that are not rated to pull the trailer they have. Great video and very informative.
Thanks!
My wife and I are happy towing our 26 foot fifth wheel (7,000 lbs) for two months at a time with our RAM 3/4 ton with Cummins Diesel 6.7 liter. We'd rather have plenty of capacity and towing power when we hit the Rockies.
I have towed 12,000 lbs through the mountains with the same truck (2011 low power version - 650 lb ft). It's not so quick accelerating on the ramps, but has not problem starting, stopping or turning the load.
Real pickup truckers say your max weight is 89 tonnes.
Within the past few years the technology on all new dually pickup trucks provides for the safest towing experience ever. However “pin weight “ as discussed in this video is often underestimated. This is a Great video where focus on pin weight is a priority. These new trucks will tow a mountain but when you start talking about payload capacity you begin to see a different reality.
Thanks!
This is really good information and I will be saving it for future when I am ready to buy my rigs (truck and 5th wheel). I had already decided I would go with a 1 ton dually just because I want to make damn sure that I have room to spare as far as weight goes. I am a minimalist and own very little stuff, but I have to allow for stuff I might buy down the road and weighing my tools and supplies. I am buying a toy hauler, but not for toys, but to use as an art studio... This was very interesting to me!
Glad it was helpful Sally! We have similar interests. We travel so we can create photographs. I have my photo post processing and printing studio on board. It's a little tight but it works!
Excellent discussion about getting ones own facts from the manufacturer
I'm like you--when I started my search I wanted a single wheel, short bed truck. The more I research, the more it seems like duallies and long bed is the way to go. Thanks for your video!
You're welcome!
Seriously considering selling out and moving out (think extreme fire hazards in CA) and this was an immense help in particular single vs dual rear wheels. Pretty sure must be a diesel regardless of single or dual. Thanks for sharing your knowledge from your real-world experiences.
Glad it was helpful. Good luck with your decision.
We moved out of CA in Sept 2022. Best thing we could have done. Full-timing in FL and ❤ it. $572/mo + electricity. Crazy cheaper than costs in CA. Good luck!
Great video to open some folks eyes on one's vehicles capacities. One thing that some folks may also not realize is how you load the trailer. Stay within your truck cargo carrying capacity (hitch/pin weight in the equation) and trailer weight (truck towing capacity). I work in the aviation industry and weight and balance is critical and the same goes with loading a trailer/fifth wheel. Know your cargo and how it may effect your tongue weight. More loaded up front equals more transferred to the truck and the opposite goes for loading in the rear (toy haulers with toys in the rear). ALWAYS stay within that allowable towable weight...I like to have a 15% buffer.
Thank you so much for the breakdown. My wife wants a new truck, but not a dually. Hopefully she'll listen to you better.
Great video... thank you!!!
Thanks, I was curious about this for a long time, I will make my calculations today.
Great video! Very practical anyone can functionally apply. Peace of mind is important to me, so doing it right (safety 1st) is the only way!! Thank You!! 🤙🏼🤙🏼
Excellent video. Just what I needed. Thank you. Safe travels
Thanks! Glad it was helpful!
Thanks! I would’ve used the truck and trailer weight stickers and called it a day. Glad you suggest to go the extra mile and do an actual weighing, though I could estimate my spouses weight and this for other passengers. There is no doubt that we must figure out what 5th wheel to purchase first, then find the truck to match; I strongly suspect I’ll end up with a long bed duality too.
Glad it was helpful.
Great Video! I just went through all of this! Spring of 2018, I bought a Silverado 1500 Z71 Loaded with all the bells and whistles. Loved the truck! However, Fall of 2018, found my wife and I shopping for a camper. We ended up buying a tow behind with a bunk house etc... the RV guy said "You'll have no problems pulling that camper at all"! He was kind of right, it pulled it ok, however, in high winds and hills, it was a bit of a white knuckle experience! So, then I started looking at numbers... and found out that my 35 foot, tow behind, with multiple slides etc... was way too heavy for a half ton truck! I also spoke to several people in the insurance industry, and they all said, if I had any trouble, and there was an accident, my insurance company could null and void all of my insurance because we were over capacity. So, we made a decision, and I went truck shopping. It hasn't arrived yet (will be delivered in a few more weeks) but I went with a 3500 Dually Ram with a diesel. It's a tad overkill for what we currently own, however, in a few years we want to move into a larger 5th wheel as the kids will be gone, and so we decided to get a truck now that will haul what we want when it's time to upgrade. There are a lot of numbers to consider, and people should be careful and don't make the same mistake we made! I got lucky as my local dealer offered me a tremendous discount from the new truck, so I didn't really lose anything on my current truck, however, now we are good to go! Lesson learned, if you own a truck, make sure you know ALL the numbers and follow them to a "T" when shopping for an RV. If you already own an RV, do the same only in reverse! Follow the numbers, and don't let anyone steer you wrong!
Cheers!
Danny MacNevin Thanks for your comment and candor! Not many people are willing to admit they bought the wrong truck. Glad you’re stepping up to a 1 ton diesel. You’ll be much happier and safer.
Great job, surprising how many dealers say you can haul with a half ton. Most dealers of RV need to understand what you just presented. Thanks
Too often they just tell people what they want to hear.
Excellent explanations of the weight issues for Rv owners. Not many really understand what the numbers mean. Putting aside about being legal, it is easy to tow a trailer (get it moving), but it is critical that you are able to stop and to make your towing more stable. I am a professional truck driver so I understand what the numbers mean but many do not. One small issue. When you talk about the reasons MOST people are looking at this issue being going SRW or DRW, the issue of half ton and 1 ton trucks are another BIG reason why many need to look at this issue and buy the right truck. And many of these people just don't understand the issues and how to calculate or that online numbers are only a guide not the real numbers. Thanks and keep your wheels on the road.
Thanks Brian for the thoughtful comment. We don't see many 1/2 ton trucks pulling 5th wheels in our travels but I'm sure it happens. The RV industry is fueling this trend though as I see some new 5th wheel lines that are advertised as 1/2 ton capable. Must be very light weight rigs. Point is, 1/2 ton, 3/4 ton, 1 ton - don't run overloaded. Only way to know for sure is to go through the numbers.
I agree with you. I started out looking for a TT and a half ton and when doing my research there was a lot of talk about people towing without regards to the numbers and saying that my half ton tows just fine. When I decided to buy a 1 ton, then that allowed me to purchase a light fifth wheel. But so many online had their heads up their blank. I had no issue buying more to be safe. Good explanation of the numbers and wanted you to know.
I know a guy that pulls a 40 foot 5th wheel with 4 slides loaded down with all kinds of crap, with a 2500 GMC diesel, I cant believe it. So many are people are dangerous, alls great til something happens, insurance bails out on you and you get sued for killing people. Thanks for putting this out
My wife and I are gathering information on what trailer we want and with that what truck we want to get to pull the trailer. This is the best informational video I've seen so far for really understanding how to determine weight for the trailer, the truck, and what a dual axle vs single axle truck can handle. Great information! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful.
We Weere considering a fifth wheel toy huber and needed to buy a truck to pull it. This video was extremely informative. Thanks!
Glad it was helpful!
Great video ..Don't forget to include the weight of the fuel in your pickup truck and the weight of the water in your RV..
I believe it says on your truck sticker the full fuel tank is taken into affect... just do the research.
Nice video, it's a shame more people don't think like you and me when looking at camper's and truck's.
Thanks Myles. I just wanted to bring some facts to the discussion rather than opinions. The final decision is still up to the individual. I do get a little concerned for everyone's safety when I see obviously overloaded rigs out on the highway. I guess it's just my engineering background kicking in.
@@roadtripimages Don't forget that a lot of folks pulling down the road lack the experience to be doing so!
Wow!! Thank you for explaining everything so clearly 😊
Glad it was helpful!
Well done! I don't tow a 5th wheel, but the example is a good one.
I think the biggest thing people don't ask themselves is there current truck suspension made for hauling extended loads. Just because you can install a hitch in the bed doesn't mean you should. I good indicator that the truck is overloaded is does it sag when weight is applied. If level after hitching is cause for a small smile. If the nose is up start to worry. This is why it's important to buy the correct truck configured by the manufacture to move loads
Great video and information, new RVers could learn a lot from watching and save a lot of money. I went straight to an HD dually, Thank you for sharing and happy safe travel.
Thanks! Glad you found it helpful. Safe travels to you as well.
That is the info I needed. Great Video. Thank you!
Glad it helped!
Excellent video. Very well made. Good information for the beginning RVer.
Glad you liked it.
Thank you so much for this breakdown. My wife and I are going through exactly what you covered… Dully or single wheeled. You have simplified the process of decision for us focused around safety.
Glad it was helpful Jason!
Like I’ve always said. Pick the trailer you want first then buy the truck that is right for it. The other way around will almost always get you in trouble at one point or another as well as possibly a ticket for being over loaded.
Thankl you for the great knowledge that you just put forward . I drive a big rig and to tell you the truth I look at some of these trucks going down the road and I wonder if they are overloaded because the trailers dwarf these single axle trucks .Also I just up graded after twenty years with my F150 to a F350 2013 with 15200 miles yeah I know I was blown away too but it gave me a damn nice RIG with a 5th wheel set up and looking forward to RVing . So ,it's another learning curve for me on the ins and outs of Rving along with the do's and don'ts and listening to you along with others is really making my comprehension complete a;long with the size of trailer I really need especially if I go to old established State or US Forest Service campground instead of let's say KOA or other private RV Parks which would handle larger trailers . that to me is a big point to ponder. Right now a good used low mileage truck is hard to find so I might in the near future trade what I have in for a dually but hey they're even harder to find and trailers are almost if not more difficult at least in Oregon . I think thogh that many unhappy people that have bought an RV trailer will be turning them in and a yr or two from now we might be flooded with them on lots and privately. Any way your information is valuable and Thanks again sincerely
As a big rig driver you know the importance of having enough truck to handle the load. Glad you found the video useful.
Thanks for the video. You have helped me confirm that I have the right truck I pull a 40+ 5th wheel and was pulling it with a Ram 2500. The truck pulled it fine until I had to tow on a windy day. My truck would roll back and forth based on the winds. I have towed for many years and never experienced this before. A few days later one of my neighbors here in the campground explained to me about the foot print of the tow vehicle. As I asked around 3 more people told me the same thing. I wished I had your information prior to purchase because it would have helped me in my decision to upgrade my truck. I did purchase a Ram 3500 Diesel Dually with the Cummins High Output Cummins. I know now I have more tha enough to tow my Sandpiper 5th wheel Thanks so much
Glad it was helpful.
As a professional travel trailer hauler, I've seen a LOT of trailers blown over from high winds. Not one was towed by a dually. High winds can occur suddenly and all over the country.
Interesting. I saw a dually blown - not tipped - off I-80 with a triple-axle horse trailer. The truck had jackknifed, and the rear wheels were lifted two feet off the ground. This was in Wyoming around January 10th, 2021. High winds, and ice. The truck was a deep blue, F-Series. It had four doors and I'm not sure if it was bigger than a 350. Cheers.
Great video with very good information. This should be a “must watch” for anyone acquiring their first rig. I have been pulling RVs for over 30 years and am also in the commercial trucking business. So I have learned a lot about weights of vehicles and axles/hitch pins. It is amazing and scary the number of RVs and other trailers I see being towed by too light of truck/SUV.
Thanks for your time and effort in making this video.
Thanks!