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obie311's avatar
obie311
Explorer II
Nov 20, 2016

retired and hitting the Road

My wife has retired at 65 and I'm 69. Next year we will be purchasing a fifth wheel. I like the Arctic Foxes for perceived quality. She specifically likes the 29.5K for it's floor plan.

I looked at the 16,600 GVW rating of that unit and thought that a diesel DWR would be mandatory as a tow vehicle. I hate a lame truck with no torque.

We travel with Lizzie our GSD so an extended cab would be needed for her but I am not particularly interested in a crew cab.

As a newby to 5'ers I have a few pertinent questions on such a large and important purchase.

1)Is an 8' bed the way to go for a rig like this?

2)I like woody places rather than more formal RV parks where you're right next to other folks. Is a 29' (actually 35'-2") a little unwieldy for National and State Parks?

3)Is the 3500 DRW truck too rough riding for running errands, sightseeing, and getting groceries? It looks like it will become my daily driver as I can't afford to keep another car if I spend $50K for a diesel truck.

32 Replies

  • Do your self a favor and go drive a dually. You will find that they ride nice, are easy to park if you back into the parking space, and will handle a 16,000 lb. trailer better than a SRW truck will. A longer truck is a plus when towing so get the 8' box.
  • A fairly new non-dually will handle your trailer. My dually rides as nice as my former 2500. No, you don't need a long bed. I had a short bed in my 2500 and had a sliding hitch that I never used. My Voltage is 41' and we haven't had any problems in state parks (AZ, FL, GA). Haven't been in any National parks. Regarding your future truck, check out the two ratings in Trailer Live Towing Guides.