First Time RVer. Help a brother out!
Good morning to all. Thanks for taking the time to read my post. I am about 3 months from hitting the road to California from Texas. I recently bought a 2014 RAM 2500 Big Horn to pull an RV, or Camper...
Forum Discussion
Buy used and cheap until you know what you want. You will learn a lot about what you like and do not like on the first trip.
Why a toy hauler 5th wheel? Why a 5th wheel? Will you be moving every few days or spending months in one spot? Is your toy going on every trip? What benefit does the 5er provide that makes it worth the cost of ownership? Do you know that it cost more to travel by RV than other methods?
You have already made the first new-to-5th-wheels mistake and bought the truck before knowing what 5er you will be pulling. Now you are limited to what the truck can carry -a hitch weight of less 1500-2000lbs I am guessing.
The second most common mistake is buying a 5er at the limit of the trucks ability. Using every ounce of the payload capacity.
3) Buying a 5er with the axles/wheels/tires at the limit of their capacity. Check the axle capacity, and bigger wheels are better (16inch minimum) because you can buy higher load limit tires that can be pulled faster without danger.
4) Buying complicated instead of simple. If your black tank handle is hidden away and you need a cable to reach it that is poor engineering. If you cannot turn on the 12V pump in the bathroom that is poor engineering. If the slide prevents you having access to the Fridge or worse the bathroom while traveling that is poor engineering. etc. etc.
Good luck, and try to find a friend with a 5er to talk about wheels, weight, set up, chocks, weight, weight and weight.
Why a toy hauler 5th wheel? Why a 5th wheel? Will you be moving every few days or spending months in one spot? Is your toy going on every trip? What benefit does the 5er provide that makes it worth the cost of ownership? Do you know that it cost more to travel by RV than other methods?
You have already made the first new-to-5th-wheels mistake and bought the truck before knowing what 5er you will be pulling. Now you are limited to what the truck can carry -a hitch weight of less 1500-2000lbs I am guessing.
The second most common mistake is buying a 5er at the limit of the trucks ability. Using every ounce of the payload capacity.
3) Buying a 5er with the axles/wheels/tires at the limit of their capacity. Check the axle capacity, and bigger wheels are better (16inch minimum) because you can buy higher load limit tires that can be pulled faster without danger.
4) Buying complicated instead of simple. If your black tank handle is hidden away and you need a cable to reach it that is poor engineering. If you cannot turn on the 12V pump in the bathroom that is poor engineering. If the slide prevents you having access to the Fridge or worse the bathroom while traveling that is poor engineering. etc. etc.
Good luck, and try to find a friend with a 5er to talk about wheels, weight, set up, chocks, weight, weight and weight.
