Help with pickup for 5th wheel

Yes, learn all you can before buying an RV and especially a very large RV and tripley so if its your first RV.

I do not agree that owning an RV is an expensive hobby or doing as it's only as expensive as you make it! Expensive if you buy with a long term loan, sell or trade in and buy another, sell or trade in and buy another etc. Making the dealer wealthy at your expense. Or if you do not maintain your RV and leaks develop etc which means rot and/or mold and its value drops like a rock, or beat the tar out of the RV which also drops its resale market value, do not shop carefully for insurance or use combo policies. Or If you live in a state where the yearly registration is outrageous or the RV is taxed yearly as personal property and taxed on its value. Or use CG's that are very costly per night. Lots of decisions!

So much cheaper if you do your research before you purchase one and get the proper one for your wants, needs, and desires the first time with a decently made RV and then keep it for many years and maintain it properly. AND above all, use it and use it wisely in both actions of all in it and do it with regards to your wallet's ability. We always paid cash but most can't, 100% down and zero monthly payments or interest paid out for us as we'd much rather collect interest than paying interest, huge!

RVing ownership is really no different than other items as it's really you who controlls your own destiny. The grass on the other side of the fence only looks so much better, that is until you get over there and find it's actually just grass too! So why does one spend so much to find this out and for so many, over and over again?

"Assume I will need to route the exhaust out of the 5th wheel?"

Ah, yes. Or you will die.

From what you describe you need to take a course in RV ownership. Luckily, it's free but is self directed :)

Spend 40-50 hours reading over threads on this forum between the 5th wheel section and Tow Vehicle board.

Here's a class itinerary:

Weight rating for truck - GVWR, GCWR, FAWR/RAWR
SRW vs. DRW trucks
Types of trucks - mainly gas vs. diesel
Weight ratings for 5th wheel - GVWR, pin weight, dry weight, axle weights
5th wheel hitches, bed length, slider or non-slider hitch
5th wheel cost, brand, value vs. quality vs. weight
Purchasing RVs - MSRP versus what you pay (should be around 70% of msrp)
Buy or finance?
How to use an RV - shore power, battery power, generators, black tank, gray tank, city water, on-board water (and added weight), slide-outs, hitching and unhitching, A/C and heat, TVs and tons of other stuff I'm forgetting

There's just so much to know that one thread on a message board can't even come close.

One thing I've learned from RVing for 15+ years. I'm being paid handsomely for the hours I spend online learning. Paid in the form of money saved by not making costly mistakes. This hobby is expensive no matter how you slice it. The key is to minimize just how expensive.

The real good news is the learning is half of the fun.

It all depends on the loaded pin weight of the 5er and the payload rating of the truck. For a trailer that long you will almost for sure need a 350/3500 (1 ton). The 5er pin weight vs the truck payload rating will determine whether you can get by with a SRW or will need a DRW.

A long bed takes all the worry out of tight turns. A short bed with sliding hitch does also. But many get by with a short bed and no slider by being extra careful.