TV Help Needed

I am not one to push DRW, and in fact prefer SRW. But with that trailer weight and 6 people you are almost assuredly going to be in DRW territory. Depending on brand/model trailer you may well be over 4,000 lbs total weight on the truck including trailer, hitch, people, and all the "stuff" you will be carrying.

On the driver door post there will be a tire and loading sticker with a statement about max loading capacity.

mekkerl wrote:
I guess we'll be opening up our search to include Chevy and Ram. The DRW/SRW decision will probably come with what we find available in the used truck market.

Just a word of caution that I discovered when shopping for a tug. This was particularly true of Ford F350s, they make various versions of the F350 that have quite a range of payloads and GCWR. If you do find a truck, have the seller take pictures of the door jamb placards to be sure your getting the higher payload and GCWR.

I actually found an F350 XLT Powerstroke that had a payload of 1,571 pounds and a GVWR of 10,000 pounds, not quite up to the task of pulling a fifth wheel.

mekkerl wrote:
All excellent information...thank you!
We are definitely going with a 15,500 loaded FW.
So by what everyone is saying, 350/3500 is the way to go...and stay away from the 6.4 (ford). Our search started with finding and EXCELLENT 2010 low-mileage F350 DRW that had a FW that suited us REAL well...but I keep hearing from people to stay away from the 6.4.
And, I guess we'll be opening up our search to include Chevy and Ram.
The DRW/SRW decision will probably come with what we find available in the used truck market...of which I have no problem finding a truck 300+ miles away...these are just hard to find it seems with <90k-miles, even with this search distance!

By golley! I think you've nailed it!

All excellent information...thank you!
We are definitely going with a 15,500 loaded FW.
So by what everyone is saying, 350/3500 is the way to go...and stay away from the 6.4 (ford). Our search started with finding and EXCELLENT 2010 low-mileage F350 DRW that had a FW that suited us REAL well...but I keep hearing from people to stay away from the 6.4.
And, I guess we'll be opening up our search to include Chevy and Ram.
The DRW/SRW decision will probably come with what we find available in the used truck market...of which I have no problem finding a truck 300+ miles away...these are just hard to find it seems with <90k-miles, even with this search distance!

Did a Ford salesman tell you that the Ford was the way to go? A Ram salesman would tell you a RAM 3500 would best.
Really, all 3 of the makers diesel trucks seem to be doing pretty well at this point. I'd drive them all before making such a major purpose. You will find differences in step-in height, handling, ride, cab noise, etc. that may be important.
For that much weight (both trailer and family) I think a dually is the way to go for sure. Weight adds up fast and the extra wheels, in my experience, make a tremendous difference in how the truck rides and drives.
The Ford 6.4 would not be my first choice for sure. They are known to get rather poor fuel economy compared to other engines and are very complicated. If you stick with Ford I would only get the 6.7.
I've had Chevy's personally and the company I work for has had Fords. My Chevy's have given me nearly flawless performance. The Ford 6.0 trucks at work have been terrible. Not just the engines but I much prefer the Chevy's ride and handling.

You are going to be closer to 3,000 pin weight, plus 200 more for a hitch. With a SRW 350 diesel, and large family, you may be over the GVWR of a SRW. You have to decide what is most important to you, concerning daily driver, or using a DRW to stay under all weight ratings.

You need to stay under RAWR, tire weight ratings, if you go with a SRW. AS to the GVWR, some go over a few hundred lbs, and are fine with it. This is something you may have to decide with a SRW, and large family.

Choose the FW first, then the truck needed.

Jerry

With that much weight of passengers, I'd decide which exact camper I'd get first, have the pin weighed for an exact weight, and then decide which truck you need.

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum as Dutchmen Sport. I had an F450 for two years before the F350 SRW I have now. I much prefer the SRW for most everything. Only when I exceed 70 mph do I have to be extra watchful with any possible stability issues pulling the camper. But even then, its not bad.

Only if we full-timed would I go with the dually. But for now 1. My weights don't require it. 2. I don't like it.

Also, get the 6.7 for sure. More power, reliability, and fuel economy.

Once you towed with a duly, you'll wonder why you ever questioned yourself about it. The stability in towing is worth everything.

You have to decide which is more important, the duly, which will handle the trailer and all 6 passengers comfortably but be a bit large for when you are alone. Opposed to a single axle that (might) put your family (6 people) in a higher risk so only 1 person can find a parking spot near the door at work on a daily basis. For me, it's a no brainer! Duly and a safe tow. With a Dualy, you'll also have a safe drive to and from work, and after you have the duly a short while, you'll learn how to navigate it and pretty much parking and driving will be old hat and you'll wonder why you ever had concerns.

For me, (each one is different), I want the comfortable and stable tow. If I only towed the trailer 1 mile, one time a year, for that 1 mile, it would be worth it.

I drive a duly as my daily driver. It seats 6, Crew Cab, 4 full door, and bench style seat in front. The truck bed is 8 feet 1 inch long, and duly. 3500 diesel. My trailer (bumper pull) is around 8,000 pounds empty. It tows so stable, except for making turns, I never know the trailer is behind. With the 3500 engine, it's a power horse. A couple weeks ago my wife and I traveled from central Indiana and SW South Carolina. We drove through the hills and mountains of Kentucky, Tennessee, North and South Carolina, and even some in Georgia. When I engaged cruise cruise control and the exhaust brake at 60 mph, I averaged 11.1 mph (diesel) and NEVER had to touch the gas or brake up hill or down hill unless I got jammed in by the big trucks trying to pass each other and they were running slower. It was a fantastic drive, and the truck purred right along with very low RPM.

I would not trade my truck for anything else unless I no longer had the trailer to tow. As long as I have a trailer, I want the truck that will tow comfortably, stable, and without any problems. That's first and foremost. Every other use of the truck is secondary.

If I was you I would look all the big brands of trucks. Don't get me wrong I like my Ford, but they are all good trucks. When I'm crossing passes I wish I had the exhaust brake of a Chevy or Ram.

A 5er weighing 15,500 will have a pin weight closer to 3,100.
If you have a family of 6 and want to tow 15,500, I would recommend dually.
Depends on payload of your truck and how much family weighs. Don't forget the weight of hitch. My B&W Patriot weighs 130 pounds not including mounting rails and mounting brackets.
I just bought a 5er with a GVWR of 14,600. I have a family of 4 and a 100 pound dog. I expect fully loaded to GVWR I'll be just under all my ratings. My TV is in sig.
As for the TV if your going Ford buy a 6.7 before a 6.4.
I drive a 2014 Chevy 3500 Duramax at work. It has 350 ish more pounds of payload than my 350. The exhaust brake is also very nice.