Dtank wrote:
NC Hauler wrote:
Some of these HDH people don't want to hear it Ron..Most of them don't realize you don't need a semi tractor trailer rig to tow 18,000-24,000# anymore.
Since 2013..Ford, GM/Chevy and Ram have made their 1 ton dually's to be able to now do the job that once needed a MDT or a HDH. You'll hear how much comfortable the HDHG is...how much better breaking is, and even, you'll never know it's back there. It's kinda like the garden of EDEN. I've seen on the Escapees forum that one would need a HDH to tow a 16,000# 5er...that is inanely ridiculous,. I pretty much had to leave that forum to save face...They were right, I was wrong..no room for argument.
BUT, my truck is a 4 wheel drive that I can use anywhere I go, to tow with or daily drive...I can haul stuff around in my little puny pick up, I and the wife and two dogs can get in and out of it easily. Not that easy to climb up into and leave that HDH..I know, we've all tried.
Initial cost for a USED HDH may be less, but most of these HDH owners usually buy YET another car,,most of the time an itty bitty, not very safe, smart car...more cost, more insurance, oh, gotta put gas in it too.
Never seems to fail we have all hype and all Pro's on the HDH's, but never any of the negatives. I don't want to park my 5er and run around town in a HDH..I don't want to take it to work..I don't want to drive it around in a snow storm, and on and on..heck...I'll be dead before I put a couple hundred thousand miles on a vehicle, much less a million miles:E
So, One could tow, QUIET SAFELY, as Ron has shown, that a 1 ton dually can tow 23K...I figure I'll have no issues towing new 20 GVW TH i purchased..Heck, truck in my sig never hiccuped towing CAT scaled 16,300# 5er...though I was berated by quite a few that one needed a HDH to do that with..It's SO MUCH CHEAPER?!? I want a new truck with full warranty and a truck I can tow safely with and use 365 day's a year in a practical manner..Now a day's..one has the option to do that with a 1 ton dually. I'm stupid that way:)
Seems you have your share of negative (and uninformed) "hype" in your missive above!
Hmmmmm - "HDH" - do you mean HDT?
The Escapees Forum/s are -
MDT - Medium Duty Truck/s
HDT - Heavy Duty Truck/s (which is most often a Class 8 tractor, "singled" - although some owners leave 'em tandem).
The new breed of Heavy Duty pickups - are very cool, with lots of creature comfort.
Unfortunately -
not all states treat them kindly when it comes to registration fees - as compared to a Motor Home -or- an *HDT* "Motor Home".
Example: A "pickup" in CA with a GVWR of 11,500 lbs or more must stop at scales. (You are "home free" with your out-of-state plates)
Also - the CA truck requires *commercial* plates.......
.....make that *EXPENSIVE* commercial plates!...:(
"Who Must Stop At Scales"
Scroll down to - - "Do These Vehicles Have To stop At Scales?"
Even if you don't have to keep logs ("ify"), etc. - the fees for the load carrying capacity of the HD pickups or an MDT will annually empty your wallet.
Not so with a MH.
"Old" comparison.
My 2005 1T SRW Dodge plates where $650. when new.
The load capacity fee ($225.) never changes.
The cost of the truck was about $42K.
Neighbor bought a 2005 $85K gas-burner MH.
His plates were *less* than mine.
His annual registration fee ('tags') decreases with age.
Oh yeah - he did the CA 90 day rule and (legally) paid no CA sales tax, which was about 7 percent then.
Also unfortunately - it's almost impossible to register an HDT as a MH in CA anymore, so..........the Bottom Line is -
.....true "Light Duty" pickups towing light 5th wheels or TTs are still a good choice - however a MH (in CA) is a better choice over a 5th Wheel that req's a HD pickup or an MDT as a tow vehicle...:(
BTW - lots of great deals on used CA MDTs, 'cause owners are feeling the "heat" - which isn't from the CA sun!..:W
~
Actually, you didn't REALLY tell me anything I didn't already know except what happens on the left coast, where I'll never reside..I had a very good friend that sold new and used MDT, and HDT' in WV..drove some and really thought about buying one in '07 and now glad I didn't.
Again, It was very hard for my wife and I, (as well as our two boxers) to enter and exit the HDT..(i.e., HDH...Heavy Duty Hauler), which they've also been called by some of the very people who tow with them:h
I hear how good the "HDT" brakes are, and how easily they tow in the mountains, YET, they've come screaming by me down mountains and you can smell the brakes...at times. I've also been able to pass them time after time after time, going up mountains running 60-65 mph...
Heck yeah they're comfortable... air ride ..so my truck is very comfortable, tows easily, brakes extremely well and is easy to get in and out of...
Rehabbing from my stroke, driving and towing with my truck....is easier, and I'm not over any of my weight's, including the rarely used GVWR, (though I do use it).
So I'm not as uninformed as you may think I am...at almost 66, and towing since 75', I too have learned a few things...and know laws governing towing in and around the states I've towed in and some I plan on towing in.
Jim
