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Timmck36's avatar
Timmck36
Explorer
Nov 02, 2017

Advice on tow vehicle

Morning all! I'm new to this forum and need some advice. I'm looking to buy a truck to only pull my Voltage 3950 TH. Once I pull it to my spot, I won't be using the truck at all. It'll be sitting there until I need to move it again. I'm not looking for anything fancy, just something that will get the job done and get it done safe. Being new to the scene, I'm not exactly sure what all the weights mean. I need to know the total weight of my TH when it's loaded down with the basic items. I.E. Couches, tvs, closet full of cloths, dishes.. Etc. None of my tanks will be filled and I won't have any toys in the garage. Here is the link to my specific RV.

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2014-dutchmen-voltage-toy-hauler-floorplan-3950-tr19421

I want to know if a 2003 F350 7.3 DRW will do the job. If not, what do you guys suggest that isn't a brand new vehicle. This is a last minute move that I need to make. Any advice is helpful. Thank you!
  • For moving it around the park the 2003 Ford dually will be fine.

    Your Voltage 3950 is a little longer than my 3600 and a little heavier. I weighed it after a trip with most of our stuff unloaded and it was 16,500 pounds with 3500 on the pin (CAT scale).
  • That truck is basically the same as my 01, I wouldn't want to handle that pin weight. My truck has camper special package and with 109k miles it squats with 2100 lb. pin weight, not much but I wouldn't want to travel with another 1/2 ton on the pin.
  • The dry pin weight on that trailer is almost 3300lbs. I am sure it will do fine on the local moves around the park but I am going to let someone with more experience with 5th wheels than I have answer the long distance move part. My suspicions are that it will be risky with that old of a truck.
    Barney
  • Your TH will push most trucks from that era to their limits.
    Will it pull it?,,,,, Yes
    Will you enjoy it? ,,,, Likely not. Especially if you are not someone with a bit of experience towing something of that type and size.
    If you have the truck, and it already has a hitch, then yes I would do it. If you are looking at buying the truck, and having to buy a hitch as well, I would suggest you look into having the TH delivered. Even though the Ford is considered a good platform, I dont think I would buy a 15 year old truck and then expect to use it for towing a trailer that size without knowing the truck well.
  • I guess I should have stated that when I’m barely moving it, I have to move it once a month from spot to spot and then I’m moving across country. Sorry. For the miscommunication.
  • That's a big boy.
    Dry weight of 16000 at 42 feet.

    Hire someone from the dealer....either on the clock or off the clock to deliver it to your site.

    Otherwise you are going to need a 1 ton dually fully outfitted to tow...(expensive hitch installed, brake controller, etc.) Bigs bucks for a truck you are only going to use once...
  • You need to look at the RAWR of the 350, to figure out how much pin weight it can carry. The 7.3 is a good engine. If you can weigh the trucks rear axle, and subtract that from the RAWR, it will give you some idea what is left for pin wt. If the truck is in good shape, that should make a good TV.

    Jerry
  • For just the occasional move it isn't worth buying a dedicated vehicle. Save your money and hire a tow company.
  • How far is the move? May be cheaper to get a service to deliver it there if it is only one time.
  • A "dry" weight of almost 15,622 per manufacturer and cargo capacity of another 3,378 (a convenient 19,000 pounds) so the pin weight would be about 3,800 to 4,000 pounds. Unknown "real" weight. What weight will you be carrying in the truck...people, stuff etc.? What does the F350 say its payload capacity is? Sticker near driver's door jam.

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