What do we buy?

I have an opinion just like everyone else. I will not tow a 5er that big with a srw truck reguardless of who makes it, period. Will not explain, so don't ask. JMHO.

As too what many have said, the key is FLOOR PLAN! The other issues are fixable, air bags, new tires, springs, even the TV are all very fixable!What is not fixable is the floor plan of your RV. What may seem as a "small inconvenience" now may turn out to be an insurmountable problem 6 months or a year from now, and nothing short of selling the RV, probably at a loss, can fix what you feel while using it! If this is your first RV, then try and rent one, or go on a long trip with a friend! You need to be comfortable and be able to enjoy your RV, not try to think up work arounds. If it costs a little more go for it, because in the long run you will be able to sit back and be glad you made the right decision. and not sit around wishing you had!! Good luck!

Paul Clancy wrote:
NEVER say 2500hd on this forum. It is akin to near beer for many here. Reality is your truck is one leaf spring from a 3500. Air bags accomplish the same with ride quality and squat adjustment. Having said that I would only go about 13k gvwr with that. Above would be a dually for lateral stability.

There is NOTHING wrong with towing using a 2500 or even 1500......provided one stays within the trucks ratings.
Particularly the trucks RAWR, rear tires load rating and payload capacity

Tow ratings are inflated numbers......axle, tire & payload numbers are typically reached long before that magical tow rating number especially when it's a 5vr

15,000 lb tow rating - fulltiming

Look for a 5th wheel around 12,500 - 13,000 fully loaded weight. You will need the extra cushion for decent performance, especially if you every go near a mountain.

Full-time, part-time, weekender - the floor plan is critical. Find a floor plan the WIFE likes. That may be the most important part.

Practice how you get past each other in the bedroom, the hallway, the kitchen. Etc. Look closely at clothing storage and kitchen storage. The wife will use more clothing storage than you. And the kitchen is her workshop. Make sure she is happy.

Once you get an idea about which floor plan is best - search on the internet - identify the brands with that floor plan - then go looking.

Posting the "Is _____ a good quality trailer?" will get you one or two comments from people who actually know something about the brand. And 50 posts about how you should buy X trailer, which is usually out of your price range.

IMHO the most important thing is the dealer. Ask them for references from people who have purchased from them. When you see some rig with the dealer's sticker on it - ask the fellow about the dealer and their service. All rigs need some service at some point.

5th wheels usually have a very good outside storage. Don't plan to fill it up. You can easily go overweight with "I might need" stuff.

Other than extensions for power, water and sewer - I go through everything in my rig twice a year. If I haven't used it in the last six months - it goes away.

You may need extensions only once a year, but when you need them, you need them.

Crawl through the rig on the dealer lot. Crawl underneath the rig. Salesmen hate me because I ask questions they often don't know the answer to - and if they won't get a service man who does, I walk away.

Be very, very picky about everything!!!

Weight is only one issue for full-timing according to the RV Consumer Group. Most RV's are not made for such severe service and the appliances are not suitable.
I'd at least contact/check out HorizonsRV.com for their custom made rigs.

Paul Clancy wrote:
NEVER say 2500hd on this forum. It is akin to near beer for many here. Reality is your truck is one leaf spring from a 3500. Air bags accomplish the same with ride quality and squat adjustment. Having said that I would only go about 13k gvwr with that. Above would be a dually for lateral stability.

2500HD seems to be a dirty word here Ha! I have an 08 sundance 34'+ @13,000lbs been towing it will my 3/4 ton since it was new does not squat it much at all. like one of the other guys said buy the camper you like the best that is the most important thing dont settle. more that likely you will have it longer than the truck anyway and if you feel its not enough get a couple of springs installed or a bigger truck next time.

SolidAxleDurango wrote:

oztraveler wrote:
Looking to purchase a 5th wheel for full timing......What is the best one to buy?

The one you like the most.

Bingo !!!

I'm not into the brand thing. I've owned 5th wheel trailers from Fleetwood/Skyline and Thor. I've also owned Fords/Dodges and mostly Chevy LDT's.

Choose the floor plan you like at a price that you can deal with.

Your 2500 GM has a 15k tow rating. It will have no problems pulling that much weight.
The 2500 biggest safety issue is the trucks 6084-6200 RAWR. These trucks rear axle/tires after loading can weigh in the 2900-3000 lb range which leaves approx 3000-3200 lb for a payload. Now add gear and a hitch in the bed and the truck is down to 2500-2700 lb for a 5ers "WET" pin weight.

I won't blow smoke at ya' here and tell you a max GVW trailer or a length as all 15k trailers will not all have the same pin weight percentages after the trailer is loaded.

When looking at the late model trailers their actual shipping weight is on a placard some where on the trailer. A dealer can help you with this number. I've seen 15k GVWR trailers with 3k-5k CCC so using a percentage of the trailers GVWR some times isn't the best way to go.

The major difference in your 2500 vs a 3500 SRW is higher rated tires/wheels and rear spring pack and the same tow rating in many cases.

NEVER say 2500hd on this forum. It is akin to near beer for many here. Reality is your truck is one leaf spring from a 3500. Air bags accomplish the same with ride quality and squat adjustment. Having said that I would only go about 13k gvwr with that. Above would be a dually for lateral stability.

oztraveler wrote:
Looking to purchase a 5th wheel for full timing......What is the best one to buy?

The one you like the most.

azdryheat wrote:
My trailer is 14,000 GVW and I pulled it just fine with a 2500 Duramax. My current 3500 dually isn't noticeably better. I did add airbags to the 2500 to bring the back end up about 3 inches and got rid of the stock shocks and replaced with Bilstein 5100's.

Towing isn't the issue with the 2500 it is the 'squat' from all the weight on the rear axle. Your adding of air bags to get the back end up 3" should have been a clue.