TehnoGypsy wrote:
Hello RV Enthusiasts!
My partner and I are very excited to give the full time on the road lifestyle a try. Right now we are on the verge of purchasing a Chevy C/K 2500 diesel pickup. We want to go with the fifth wheel for maximum flexibility and not having the motor tied to the living quarters. I see this truck is rated at about 10k lbs and we are looking at 25 foot trailers. Does everything sound alright here?
I'm also trying to wrap my head around the whole hitch thing. How can I find the right hitch/rails for this truck? Also, I want to install the hitch myself. What do I need to know to do it right and what sort of tools will I need? Thank you for any tips you can offer!
you might be surprised that a 10,000lb gvwr for the truck isn't all that much for capacity. my 2012 F250 10,000 gwvr weighed 8300 lbs empty. leaving a total of 1700lbs to haul stuff (hitch, people, fuel, stuff, and trailer hitch weight).
so you might want to recheck that your tow vehicle has enough carrying capacity, in addition to towing capacity.
you should plan on the trailer gwvr/4 (25%) as a guideline on what you need to carry from the trailer weight. (best 20-25%).
I upgraded my TV to a 2012 F350 dually, and it weighed in at 11,900 on our first tow back from the dealer. (not fully loaded). the trailer gvwr is 15,500.
from a hitch perspective, you need to ask yourself, what will you do with the truck the rest of the time? do you need a flat floor?
if you do, then a two part hitch that many like is the B&W Companion (18k/4.5k hitch weight) which connects to their turnoverball under bed hitch (also supplies gooseneck hitch). My (new to me) dually came with rails already installed, and I purchased a B&W Patriot which sits in the rails perfectly. 16,000lb support, with 4k (25%) hitch weight.
I installed the underbed gooseneck hitch myself on a prior vehicle in about 3 hours.
there are many other brands. Reese and Curt are two of the more well known.
Sam
