Looking at 40ft toy haulers, now how to choose a truck

the bear II wrote:
I've been reading RV forums for over 10 years. The RV'ers with large heavy 5th wheels or Toy Hauler 5th wheels report being the happiest if they tow with an Heavy Duty Truck (HDT). These usually are over the road semi's that have been customized to haul RV 5th Wheels/TH.

Many of these RV'ers started off with 3500/F350 but decided to go the HDT route and are much happier. Here are the reasons:
Much safer...the trucks are designed to pull very heavy loads. Plus you sit up above the traffic
Better Ride... The HDT are equipped with air ride suspension, cab and seats.
Better Turning radius.... The HDTs are designed to maneuver in tight spaces.
Long Life... even a used HDT with 500,000 miles will still give trouble free service for an additional 300,000 to 500,000 miles.

Cost a good used HDT may be a lot cheaper than a new or used 3500/F350




Look at http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?s=a5472afdd0a2ca11f7ef43f5120d944b&showforum=32

This is the URL for the Escapees HDT forum

How old were these 350/3500's you speak of?..The better one's towing heavier have only been out 3 years:h...

What do they use to drive around in once the HDT is parked? One on another forum stated they purchased a Smart car...Well we need to figure THAT cost in, AND the extra insurance..So now, you are towing a car around that barely seats 2...What about my 2 boxers...I'd hate to have a wreck in a Smart car..

Is it as easy getting into a HDT than it is getting into my 3500? ?My wife and I had a chore climbing up in several we looked at, and we'd have to pick up our 80# and 50# boxers to get them in the truck, unless I carried a ladder or a ramp with me...more money..

Do you go thru drive thru? I do, almost all of them...I load up the bed with supplies...throw it in 4 wheel drive when needed, it rarely sits..It's my daily driver..Nowhere at my work place to park a HDT.


Again, when was the last time you researched the newer 350/3500 dually's and their capabilies?

Me Again wrote:
RAM 3500, duallie, long bed, 4x4 (Tow Hauler, duh!), without bucket seats, 4:10 gears, Aisin optional transmission, rear air suspension. Trim and other options are your choice. We like our Laramie trim and included features. Chris

Well we were going this week to ok at Fords, we will plan on looking at the Dodges next week. I also just got off the phone with my wife and the option of me hauling the trailer with a 5 seater truck may be okay, that way her and the girls can ride in the 12 passenger van. I make custom M416 trailers, which we have one for our Van, this way we could have a chaser vehicle complete with trailer and full roof rack, to haul boats, bikes, etc and thus keep the weight down in the trailer. I also like the a of having a second vehicle, in case I have to travel for work when set up somewhere.

I own (2) Fj60 Landcruisers, loaded, lifted and locked. The plane would be to park one in each area, say one in ID and one inTX, then when we are in those areas, we simply need to just go and get the truc for the fun stuff, lol

I've been reading RV forums for over 10 years. The RV'ers with large heavy 5th wheels or Toy Hauler 5th wheels report being the happiest if they tow with an Heavy Duty Truck (HDT). These usually are over the road semi's that have been customized to haul RV 5th Wheels/TH.

Many of these RV'ers started off with 3500/F350 but decided to go the HDT route and are much happier. Here are the reasons:
Much safer...the trucks are designed to pull very heavy loads. Plus you sit up above the traffic
Better Ride... The HDT are equipped with air ride suspension, cab and seats.
Better Turning radius.... The HDTs are designed to maneuver in tight spaces.
Long Life... even a used HDT with 500,000 miles will still give trouble free service for an additional 300,000 to 500,000 miles.

Cost a good used HDT may be a lot cheaper than a new or used 3500/F350

Look at http://www.rvnetwork.com/index.php?s=a5472afdd0a2ca11f7ef43f5120d944b&showforum=32

This is the URL for the Escapees HDT forum

DutchmenSport wrote:
40 footer toy hauler probably has 3 axles. If it has 3 axles, without knowing anything else, I can feel comfortable saying, you're going to need something heftier than an F350 or 3500 (even the diesel versions). If it has 2 axles, you can probably squeak by with an F350 or 3500. But at 40 feet ... you're maxing out this range. Think bigger truck! (or smaller trailer).

Campsites? you just have to do your homework first. It all depends upon where you are, what part of the country your in, and what type of camping you plan on doing. Many of the State Parks in Wisconsin would not accommodate a trailer that size, you might not even be able to maneuver the campground roads to even get to the camp site.

Indiana state parks can accommodate a 40 footer, but you've got to choose your site carefully. You won't be parking between trees.

Before jumping in too deep, take the advise I was given by a minister many years ago when he thought my choice of girlfriends was a bad choice. He said, "Put your heart in the freezer, and put your head in the oven." Didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I finally figured it out. Do get drawn into the emotional side so much that you don't truly realistically look at it from the practical sensible side. I broke up with the girl. He was right! It was the best thing I could have done. It would have been an awful mistake with very unpleasant repercussions the rest of my life!

Why do you think that an F350 or 3500 couldn't handle a 40' 5er?

My truck in my sig is a 3500 and has a GVWR of 14,000#...Has a GCWR with 4.10 and medium duty tranny, (AISIN) of 37,900#. RAWR of 9750#.

I WAS towing a 5er that was loaded to 16,300# and a pin weight of 3460#, 39' 9" length...GCWR of 25,500#.(all CAT scale weights).NEVER an issue towing in the mountains of NC, SC, TN, VA and WVA.

SO, I was at a loaded GVWR on my truck of 12,660#, which was 1,340# under my trucks GVWR...and I was under trucks GCWR by over 11,000#.


I have a 44', 3 axle TH in my sig. GVW of 20,000#...So I'll figure, just for the heck of it, a pin weight of 4000#, ( though not loaded to max GVW)...Thats 400# more than other 5er...I'll stretch it to 540# more pin weight..making pin weight of 4,000#..I'd STILL be under my trucks GVWR by 800#, and still WELL under trucks RAWR...GCW could go up another 3700#, making GCW of possibly 29,200#..still under trucks GCWR of 37,500# by 7,8300#.

Why couldn't one of the NEWER (2013 and up).350/3500 Dually trucks NOT tow size of 5er OP is talking about. You do NOT NEED a HDH or even a MDT to tow heavier weights today....Depending on GCW of OP's 5er, he could very well tow it safely, with a 350/3500 Dually....These aren't the same 350/3500 dually they were just 4 years ago.

With my 3500 dually, it's also my daily driver...a 4 wheel drive I've used in the snow or other inclement weather, The bed can be used to haul stuff around in...and I can't do all that with a HDH or even some of the larger MDT.


Preacher may have been right about the girl, but one should do the research on what a newer 350/3500's capabilities are today. We have people on this forum towing heavier with 350.3500 Dually's, and most, doing it safely...including myself.

ouroutdoorfamily wrote:
I hear, and know exactly what your talking about. For us, this is a long term investment, we plan on being mobile, our family is not tied to a house, we have roughly 5 years before we would "roll out", but our plan is to make a go of living on the road. With that said, the added room a 40 ft trailer brings is attractive, but we know the cost of the truck will be close to the cost of the trailer. I can see 90% of our travels being out west, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Moab, Arches, etc so we thought the open spaces would be more accomidating to longer trailers. We are also looking at buying a few tracts of land in a few places, pouring a pad, adding a cover, thus allowing us to have a place to go, that's not a campsite, of we know that will work, but we also desire to raise the kiddos and do school within various parks and that corner of the country. I would also like to hear about any issues or "wish I would have known that" experience about seasonal traveling and "living" out of your RV.

There are several web sites and groups dedicated to the full-time RV life style. There is at least 1 group and 2 sites for full-time families, specifically.

Lyle

RAM 3500, duallie, long bed, 4x4 (Tow Hauler, duh!), without bucket seats, 4:10 gears, Aisin optional transmission, rear air suspension. Trim and other options are your choice. We like our Laramie trim and included features. Chris

I hear, and know exactly what your talking about. For us, this is a long term investment, we plan on being mobile, our family is not tied to a house, we have roughly 5 years before we would "roll out", but our plan is to make a go of living on the road. With that said, the added room a 40 ft trailer brings is attractive, but we know the cost of the truck will be close to the cost of the trailer. I can see 90% of our travels being out west, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Moab, Arches, etc so we thought the open spaces would be more accomidating to longer trailers. We are also looking at buying a few tracts of land in a few places, pouring a pad, adding a cover, thus allowing us to have a place to go, that's not a campsite, of we know that will work, but we also desire to raise the kiddos and do school within various parks and that corner of the country. I would also like to hear about any issues or "wish I would have known that" experience about seasonal traveling and "living" out of your RV.

Look at my sig. My fiver is listed at 39', However it is 40'6" cap to cap. We carry two bikes on the back so when I am like 43' long. We full time and spend the majority of our time in State and Federal Parks. We also use private parks and have traveled in 35 of the lower 48 states. That being said I have always found parks with sites I can fit into. You may have to do a little planning but it is not a big issue. Oh and we full time. We stay away from KOA they are costly and tight. As far as trucks check the specs to see if you can get a bench seat in a 350/3500 otherwise they will only seat 5. You need to know not only the empty weight of the fiver but have a realistic idea of how much weight you plan to carry.

40 footer toy hauler probably has 3 axles. If it has 3 axles, without knowing anything else, I can feel comfortable saying, you're going to need something heftier than an F350 or 3500 (even the diesel versions). If it has 2 axles, you can probably squeak by with an F350 or 3500. But at 40 feet ... you're maxing out this range. Think bigger truck! (or smaller trailer).

Campsites? you just have to do your homework first. It all depends upon where you are, what part of the country your in, and what type of camping you plan on doing. Many of the State Parks in Wisconsin would not accommodate a trailer that size, you might not even be able to maneuver the campground roads to even get to the camp site.

Indiana state parks can accommodate a 40 footer, but you've got to choose your site carefully. You won't be parking between trees.

Before jumping in too deep, take the advise I was given by a minister many years ago when he thought my choice of girlfriends was a bad choice. He said, "Put your heart in the freezer, and put your head in the oven." Didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, but I finally figured it out. Don't get drawn into the emotional side so much that you don't truly realistically look at it from the practical sensible side. FYI, I broke up with the girl. He was right! It was the best thing I could have done. It would have been an awful mistake with very unpleasant repercussions the rest of my life!

What would you recommend as a "safe size" trailer that will fit in most any national park or KOA sites? We currently own a e350 12 passenger van. I suppose we could looks. At a smaller travel riled forego the fifth wheel option, we don't want to get somewhere and be told we won't fit!