New member questions
Hello all,
I'm looking at buying a FW Toy hauler in the near future and just wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything as far as my truck before purchasing. My tow vehicle is a 2007 2500HD Classic, Crew Cab, short bed 4x4, 6.0L with a twin screw supercharger, 4.10 gears, Eaton LSD rear, and a Tekonsha P3. I'm currently doing contract aircraft maintenance so this will be my home away from home for extended periods but will spend little time actually going down the road so I'm not looking to shell out extra money for things that are really only needed for extended towing periods, if I can get by with something cheaper I will. So here's my items of concern:
-- I currently only have a receiver hitch so I'd like to know pros/cons to consider when picking out a fifth wheel setup. Due to my truck being a short bed I know I need a slider or sidewinder but since I'm not going to be spending much time actually towing the thing, is there one that's better/cheaper than the other? I've been looking at the B&W Companion slider and the Demco Hijacker Autoslide. Ideally I'd love an underbed rail because I haul a decent amount of stuff in the bed and really don't want to have to deal with the rails when not towing but is it worth the extra money or should I just suck it up and go with the cheaper above bed rail setup? If I went with the B&W I'd also have the extra option of pulling goosenecks as well but it's not a necessity by any means. I like the autoslide option but have some concerns with it as I've never seen one much less used one. I've only ever pulled goosenecks, bumper pull and semi's so I'm a little out of my element as far as what to look for in a pickup 5th wheel hitch.
-- Airbags/shocks...Any suggestions for shocks that will be the best bang for the buck? Are air bags worth the money?
-- Is there any truth to the rumor that pulling a triple axle with a 2500 makes you a bigger target for getting pulled over for weight checks in some states (co-worker told me California is picky about that but yet I've seen several rigs of that config out here).
-- Not tow vehicle related but just curious, will I have to stop at any/all scales along the interstates?
What else am I missing? My truck has been very well maintained, by both the original owner and myself, I don't have any concerns about its condition or ability to tow, when we moved from AZ up to SD it tipped the scales at 17,200lbs (truck, U-haul trailer and cargo) and my wife said with the cruise set at 70 it rarely even dropped out of overdrive, she said coming up a hill she'd feel it pull down a little, the bypass on the S/C would close, she'd hear it spool up and away it went :D Anyways, I'd appreciate any input. Thanks
~Lucas
I'm looking at buying a FW Toy hauler in the near future and just wanted to make sure I wasn't overlooking anything as far as my truck before purchasing. My tow vehicle is a 2007 2500HD Classic, Crew Cab, short bed 4x4, 6.0L with a twin screw supercharger, 4.10 gears, Eaton LSD rear, and a Tekonsha P3. I'm currently doing contract aircraft maintenance so this will be my home away from home for extended periods but will spend little time actually going down the road so I'm not looking to shell out extra money for things that are really only needed for extended towing periods, if I can get by with something cheaper I will. So here's my items of concern:
-- I currently only have a receiver hitch so I'd like to know pros/cons to consider when picking out a fifth wheel setup. Due to my truck being a short bed I know I need a slider or sidewinder but since I'm not going to be spending much time actually towing the thing, is there one that's better/cheaper than the other? I've been looking at the B&W Companion slider and the Demco Hijacker Autoslide. Ideally I'd love an underbed rail because I haul a decent amount of stuff in the bed and really don't want to have to deal with the rails when not towing but is it worth the extra money or should I just suck it up and go with the cheaper above bed rail setup? If I went with the B&W I'd also have the extra option of pulling goosenecks as well but it's not a necessity by any means. I like the autoslide option but have some concerns with it as I've never seen one much less used one. I've only ever pulled goosenecks, bumper pull and semi's so I'm a little out of my element as far as what to look for in a pickup 5th wheel hitch.
-- Airbags/shocks...Any suggestions for shocks that will be the best bang for the buck? Are air bags worth the money?
-- Is there any truth to the rumor that pulling a triple axle with a 2500 makes you a bigger target for getting pulled over for weight checks in some states (co-worker told me California is picky about that but yet I've seen several rigs of that config out here).
-- Not tow vehicle related but just curious, will I have to stop at any/all scales along the interstates?
What else am I missing? My truck has been very well maintained, by both the original owner and myself, I don't have any concerns about its condition or ability to tow, when we moved from AZ up to SD it tipped the scales at 17,200lbs (truck, U-haul trailer and cargo) and my wife said with the cruise set at 70 it rarely even dropped out of overdrive, she said coming up a hill she'd feel it pull down a little, the bypass on the S/C would close, she'd hear it spool up and away it went :D Anyways, I'd appreciate any input. Thanks
~Lucas
