Towing a 13,500 dry weight 5er?
The salesman told me that we could use an F250 and that we did not need a dually to tow this trailer. I would think that we would need an F350 dually?
Forum Discussion
handsome51,
We had pulled our 3 axle 18,000 GVWR 36' Carriage Chaise model several times having 2 slide outs and average loaded with our 2004.5 Chevy 2500HD Duramax CC LB 4X4 truck also and it drove and handled fine but we don't ever pull over 60 MPH while pulling any of our RV's or when our 11'4" lance is on the poopdeck. Long retired and what's the rush anyway! Our truck had enhancements done right after the ordered new truck came in. Michelin 265 10 ply "E" tires on it instead of the OEM 245's, Rancho 9000X adjustable shocks, Air-Lift 5000 lb cap airbags a 100 PSI because we bought it only to use for our 5th wheels or TT's and truck campers for RV'ing. The truck also had the 100 gal aux diesel tank in the bed full of diesel too when pulling the 36' Carriage as it's only on the truck when the Lance is not on. I have a 2 ton hoist in my large tall pole building which makes it so quick to take it out or put it in (only 4 bolts from the top). When out it sits on a wheeled base and pushed to the side. My wife calls it my "Toy barn" and we wouldn't be without it!
Would I recommend someone else pulling the very heavy Carriage around with a 2500 truck? Nope, as it their decision and how seasoned in pulling big heavy things and how their Ford or GM HD truck is truly setup. All of this enhancement is still meaningless if they are inexperienced or drive fast while pulling big and heavy. GM, for example, only makes one HD truck chassis and it's exactly the same for the 2500HD thru the 3500HD DRW models. A GM 2500 very quickly and easily becomes an OEM 3500 or even more capable with the airbags and Rancho's. Revise the truck by adding training wheels and switching for the same axle with the dual wheel mounting plates and "Walla" same physical capacity as an OEM 3500 HD DRW. Doesn't change the VIN designation or the truck badging etc though. Any fool can still operate/load/drive an OEM 3500 DRW truck and pile it up when pulling or not pulling just like they can with a reconfigured and enhanced 2500HD. It's the idiot or the intelligence behind the steering wheel makes the decisions!
Yes, our 36' Carriage would have been better off being pulled by a 3500HD DRW truck and that's a given because of the 2 added rear training wheels. The reason we had sold our 3500HD DRW truck was because my wife is disabled and couldn't take the jolting rough ride when the RV was unhooked while going to a store or someplace else when RV'ing. Gotta do what you gotta do!
Don't have to worry about pulling the 36' because a tree fell on top of it while we were gone and totaled it a few years ago. Didn't replace it as we had our other Carriage Carrilite 5th wheel, our big Allegro MH, and our big Lance truck camper also at the time and we aren't spring chickens anymore! Just very happy RV'ing old fart travelnutz!
We had pulled our 3 axle 18,000 GVWR 36' Carriage Chaise model several times having 2 slide outs and average loaded with our 2004.5 Chevy 2500HD Duramax CC LB 4X4 truck also and it drove and handled fine but we don't ever pull over 60 MPH while pulling any of our RV's or when our 11'4" lance is on the poopdeck. Long retired and what's the rush anyway! Our truck had enhancements done right after the ordered new truck came in. Michelin 265 10 ply "E" tires on it instead of the OEM 245's, Rancho 9000X adjustable shocks, Air-Lift 5000 lb cap airbags a 100 PSI because we bought it only to use for our 5th wheels or TT's and truck campers for RV'ing. The truck also had the 100 gal aux diesel tank in the bed full of diesel too when pulling the 36' Carriage as it's only on the truck when the Lance is not on. I have a 2 ton hoist in my large tall pole building which makes it so quick to take it out or put it in (only 4 bolts from the top). When out it sits on a wheeled base and pushed to the side. My wife calls it my "Toy barn" and we wouldn't be without it!
Would I recommend someone else pulling the very heavy Carriage around with a 2500 truck? Nope, as it their decision and how seasoned in pulling big heavy things and how their Ford or GM HD truck is truly setup. All of this enhancement is still meaningless if they are inexperienced or drive fast while pulling big and heavy. GM, for example, only makes one HD truck chassis and it's exactly the same for the 2500HD thru the 3500HD DRW models. A GM 2500 very quickly and easily becomes an OEM 3500 or even more capable with the airbags and Rancho's. Revise the truck by adding training wheels and switching for the same axle with the dual wheel mounting plates and "Walla" same physical capacity as an OEM 3500 HD DRW. Doesn't change the VIN designation or the truck badging etc though. Any fool can still operate/load/drive an OEM 3500 DRW truck and pile it up when pulling or not pulling just like they can with a reconfigured and enhanced 2500HD. It's the idiot or the intelligence behind the steering wheel makes the decisions!
Yes, our 36' Carriage would have been better off being pulled by a 3500HD DRW truck and that's a given because of the 2 added rear training wheels. The reason we had sold our 3500HD DRW truck was because my wife is disabled and couldn't take the jolting rough ride when the RV was unhooked while going to a store or someplace else when RV'ing. Gotta do what you gotta do!
Don't have to worry about pulling the 36' because a tree fell on top of it while we were gone and totaled it a few years ago. Didn't replace it as we had our other Carriage Carrilite 5th wheel, our big Allegro MH, and our big Lance truck camper also at the time and we aren't spring chickens anymore! Just very happy RV'ing old fart travelnutz!
