We're looking at large 5ers and these things are HEAVY. I know a 1 ton dually diesel will get them moving down the road and that's not what I'm worried about. I'm worried about getting the rig stopped if something bad happens and the trailer brakes don't work, especially on downhill grades.I wish I could afford a Class 8 Volvo tractor conversion, but I just can't right now, so I'm starting to lean towards a used Medium Duty Truck such as a Chevy C4500 or C5500 series that's been set up for 5ers. (Class 8 used in good condition and ready to roll as a RV 5er hauler = $80k, Class 5/6 used = $35-45k from what I'm finding).Is Medium Duty overkill or a good idea?Also, any other suggestions on MDTs and which Diesel engine will last the longest in this category? I've been reading about different Diesel engines and some seem to be more problematic (Powerstroke) and some seem to be unstoppable workhorses (like the Isuzu/Duramax 7.8 or the International DT466).

How heavy are you talking?If you are in question about the abilities of a 1-ton then I advise going with a MDT if for no other reason the peace of mind. Sounds like you have some doubts. I would move to minimize those doubts.

A MD truck should be a towing improvement in handling, braking, and weight carrying ability. It will likely have less HP than a pick-up because they de-tune the engines for longer reliability under heavier service.My preference for towing a large heavy FW would be a MTt without question. They are generally no more expensive than a comparable DRW pick-up.While the Chevy trucks your looking at would work well I would also consider any Dodge trucks on their 4500 or 5500 series chassis.

Where to start? Several years ago I made the mistake of weighing my F350 and loaded goose neck trailer... 30,000 lbs. Decided this was stupid:S and I needed a bigger truck. It need to be a crew cab so my kids could use it to haul ATVs on it and their 5er. While the Cummins 5.9-6.7L, Cat 7.2L, Duramax 7.8l, International 7.3L & 7.6L are all good engines they are all lacking in torque. Settled on finding a Cummins 8.3L in a Freightliner FL70 Crew Cab... 250 to 300 HP and close to 1000 ft/lbs torque. Talk about something hard to find... especially in a automatic. Flew to CA for a no rust 96 with a 9spd and put a longer hauler bed on it for around $19K. Upped the HP from 250 to 300 by changing the fuel plate...$50 and a hour time. I can highly recommend a FL70 for it's handling, visibility, and ease of driving. *and most important...stopping ability!

IF trailer is within the trucks GVWR (payload for pin weight) thn really no problemTruck brakes stop truck, trailer brakes stop trailer and a good exhaust brake/grade braking transmission helps considerably.IF trailer is not within trucks ability then need bigger truck.If you buy trailer first it's a lot easier to match with proper truck.If you buy truck first......get a big one

Commercial 19.5 tires, heavier axles, bigger brakes, thicker/larger frames are all good reasons to go with a medium duty truck. :)Be advised, however, that in some states, a commercial cab/chassis truck is much more expensive to register and insure than a pickup, regardless of how you use the truck, or what kind of bed/body is installed on it. I have 2 F350's, one a cab/chassis commercial flatbed truck and the other a pickup. Both are similar enough in year and value to make a meaningful comparison on operating costs. The commercial truck insurance is double the cost of the pickup and the registration was also double the cost in CA and 4 times the cost in AZ (pickup is way way way cheaper to register in AZ than in CA, while the commercial truck is just alot cheaper in AZ but not way way way, lol).Since I'm already paying the high cost of a commercial truck, but not really getting all that much greater payload or pulling ability with it than a similar year pickup, my next commerical truck will likely be a late 90's or early 2000's Ford L8000 with the 8.3 Cummins, 26k GVWR and hydraulic brakes (so I dont need a CDL to drive it). Maybe then I will finally not be overloaded! :B LOL

1 ton dually or Medium Duty for large 5er? | Good Sam Community

64 Replies

SoCalDesertRid1
Explorer II
Nov 23, 2013
2500 Grunt wrote:
Anyone interested in converting to a MDT (or needing to do any business truck/car related) should spend some time speaking to those 3rd party motor vehicle stations. They are much more knowledgeable on local registration rules than the person working at MVD and you only pay an additional $5 for their service with virtually no waiting in line. They are available all over phoenix (not sure about other states)and are much faster at it. Hate it when I spend 45 min. in line at DMV/MVD and am told the wrong information and have to come back another time. Way worth it!
The MVD in our small town is never busy. Most of the time, I'm the only one there when I walk in. 5 minutes later, it's all done. :) I do agree though, they don't always know everything they should. They forgot to tell me I needed a $1 trip permit to get one of my trucks inspected at ADOT in Phoenix. I drove it all the way down there and the ADOT officer informed me that I was driving illegally without a temporary registration permit, even though the truck had plates on it with a current tag...
2500_Grunt
Explorer
Nov 23, 2013
Anyone interested in converting to a MDT (or needing to do any business truck/car related) should spend some time speaking to those 3rd party motor vehicle stations. They are much more knowledgeable on local registration rules than the person working at MVD and you only pay an additional $5 for their service with virtually no waiting in line. They are available all over phoenix (not sure about other states)and are much faster at it. Hate it when I spend 45 min. in line at DMV/MVD and am told the wrong information and have to come back another time. Way worth it!
Gemstone
Explorer
Nov 23, 2013
Registration issues for HDT's are state specific, there is no stock answer for "how do I register this type truck in my state"... research or a trip to the DMV is required. I can say that SD either registers a HDT as commercial, or non commercial, and no modifications to the truck are required to obtain the non commercial status....and being non commercial, no commercial drivers license is required. In SD, it can't get any easier.

As for set up fees to single, buy fenders, fabricate a bed (not necessary) purchase, ship and install the hitch, modify the air connections, lighting connections....this too varies from DIY to custom installation by a shop. My KW was already singled, I did buy fenders and the hitch in hone eagles signature line...my costs in 2007 were $7500 with a shop doing all the work.

Towing is a dream, 6-8% grades now are no concern. I have 3 options with my Jake Brake, using position 3, I can descend a 6-8 % grade without touching the brake pedal...and fuel economy is about the same as when I used my 3500 for towing. For fulltimers, the additional carrying capacity of the big truck is invaluable, I've been able to off load heavy items from the Dodge, cargo trailer and the RV, reducing stress on their running gear....and the KW could care less what I load on/in it.
For us, and our lifestyle, the KW has been an excellent choice and investment.

Regards
Gemstone
hone_eagle
Explorer
Nov 23, 2013
I can't see any way to call a MDT a motorhome , thats why even though they are the perfect truck for some they had to go with a sleeper truck( which really are not any bigger) .
Ivylog
Explorer III
Nov 22, 2013
Having read all or the above, how do these get registered as a RV? No toilet, no micro, did not come with that bed.
RobertRyan
Explorer
Nov 22, 2013
Carringb wrote:
Besides the Argossy (which you can get "like-new" with a remanufactured motor to avoid the new emissions requirements) your only other option here is a small handful of cab-forwards.

The new Argosy is only on sale in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa, not listed on the NA Freightliner site. You are very right about Cabover availability in NA, mainly tiny Japanese delivery trucks tat is all.
bmanning
Explorer
Nov 22, 2013
RobertRyan wrote:
Hone Eagle wrote:
safety
-cabover driver only gets to say OH as he hits a head-on object
-conventional driver gets to say OH C**P

Cabover drivers say OH C**P as well.85% of Global MDT's and HDT's are Cabover that includes North America. There are a lot of trucks out there.
A HINO Light Truck, not MDT

Well look at that, there is the Toyota diesel dually that everyone's been calling for!

(for those doing this :h Hino = Toyota)
carringb
Explorer
Nov 22, 2013
RobertRyan wrote:

Cabover drivers say OH C**P as well.85% of Global MDT's and HDT's are Cabover that includes North America. There are a lot of trucks out there.

Well the market has spoken, and there just isn't much love for cabovers over here. They are still popular in Oregon but that's because of length laws for "long-combination" vehicles, mainly triples, still apply to combined length while federal laws only limit trailer length (and limits trucks to 2 trailers).

Besides the Argossy (which you can get "like-new" with a remanufactured motor to avoid the new emissions requirements) your only other option here is a small handful of cab-forwards.
RobertRyan
Explorer
Nov 22, 2013
Hone Eagle wrote:
safety
-cabover driver only gets to say OH as he hits a head-on object
-conventional driver gets to say OH C**P

Cabover drivers say OH C**P as well.85% of Global MDT's and HDT's are Cabover that includes North America. There are a lot of trucks out there.
A HINO Light Truck, not MDT
Jim-Linda
Explorer II
Nov 22, 2013
SoCalDesertRider wrote:
To avoid the commercial truck insurance that is required on any class 3/4/5/6/7/8 cab/chassis truck that did not leave the original manufacturer with a sheetmetal pickup bed designed and installed on the truck, you must re-purpose the truck/tractor from commercial status and officially register it as an RV (in CA and AZ at least, other states may vary, but are likely similar). As long as it is registered as a commercial truck, it MUST carry the commercial insurance, regardless of how the truck is actually used (personal or recreational use).

Your statement may be true in the states mentioned, but not in Texas. My FL60 has standard truck(pickup) plates. They do price by weight, but certainly not Commercial

In order to register the commercial truck/tractor, re-purposed as an RV, it must have a permanently frame mounted RV living body of some kind, with cooking and bathroom provisions. A removable slide-on RV truck camper in/on the bed of the truck does not qualify, I found out upon investigation with the CA DMV.

A class 7/8 over the road tractor with a sleeper can be modified easily enough with a microwave or oven and toilet or porta-potty, and marked 'Not for Hire' on the side of the truck, to qualify for RV registration and insurance status. Many folks do this and pull big fifth wheel RV trailers.

This is not so easy to do with a smaller class 3/4/5/6 LTL (local use) cab/chassis truck with a day cab and short frame. It could be done, with some creative modification, provided one starts with a truck that has a long enough frame and high enough GVWR to account for the added sleeper/RV body space and weight, plus space for the hitch and hitch weight of the trailer. This means a truck with a 7' to 10' cab-to-axle frame length, rather than the more typical 5' c/a length of many class 3/4/5 trucks, especially those with crew cabs, since not many are made with a crew cab and longer than 5' c/a frame length.

In either of these scenarios, the truck/tractor can ONLY be use to pull a recreational-use, personal/recreational-registered trailer, to qualify for the RV registration and insurance on the truck. The moment you hook up to a commercial-use or commercial-registered trailer, the truck is no longer being used as an RV and is in violation, due to no commercial registration, for which a ticket can be written. I found this out when I inquired of the CA DMV. The AZ MVD/ADOT appears to have similar requirements as CA, from reading their information.