New truck. looking for advice.

Stick to about 6000 pounds dry. If you are living in it, you'll have lots of stuff, 2000+ pounds. The limit for many RVers with half tons is receiver and payload. Traveling single helps, but living on the road means you'll have lots of stuff to take, maybe in the truck and truck bed.

The math gets rather simple. 1500 lbs payload for us would mean; two adults and dog, 500 lbs. Truck cap, tools and toys, 400 lbs. That leaves us about 600 lbs. for the tongue weight of the TT.

We have a 26 ft TT with a loaded tongue weight of 600 lbs. That would put us at your limit. You can judge your situation based on the above.

Basically, fewer toys or people equals bigger TT.

Yes, it would easily tow a vintage 30' Airstream. We tow our 1967 30' Airstream with an F150, small V8. However, the vintage rigs do weigh less; ours has a dry weight of 4,650. More modern 30' Airstreams do weigh more, often a good deal more, so caution is in order. Take a look at this thread from over at Airforums, where I've posted a PDF with some Airstream weights.

http://www.airforums.com/forums/f238/topic-30-foot-airstreams-any-kind-111359.html

:)
Lynn

Passin Thru wrote:
Airstream 30 ft. You can tow it.

I have the same trailer as wmoses (Rockwood edition) and previously towed it with a Silverado with the 5.3 and 3.43. The trailer weighs about 7,500 pounds loaded and that is as heavy as I would go with that truck. We towed it around the Midwest and through the Smoky Mountains with no problems. It performed better than I expected. I wouldn't take that combo through the Rockies, though.

My FIL tows a Windjammer that is 8,500 pounds loaded with a 5.3 and 3.42 Sierra. He added airbags to level it out. That's bigger and heavier than I would want to tow with a 1/2 ton.

We recently traded in the Silverado on a 2014 RAM 2500 with the 6.4L HEMI. We will get a bigger trailer eventually and this was the right time to buy for us so we can have it paid off before our 2 year old starts pricey private school. I wouldn't hesitate to tow my trailer again with my old 1/2 ton, however.

There is still a tremendous amount of info that is needed to help steer you in the right direction.

Is the trailer related to your work, or strictly a place to sleep?

How often will you be moving? (durability)

What parts of the country will you be working in?

What climates will you be camping in? (4 seasons pkg)

Will you be staying in FHU campgrounds or at a worksite? (size of black/grey H20 tanks)

Is your style of living more utilitarian vs. the "nicer" and "fancier" things?

etc, etc, etc

There is a tremendous amount of knowledge from the people on this website, but give them a fighting chance by providing more specifics about your situation because there are several manufacturers with products that could potentially fit your requirements.
Check in your area to see when the next big RV & camper show is. You would have the option at looking at several models.

Rbertalotto wrote:
I had the same truck with the same engine and gear ratio....Sorry to say it was easily the worst tow truck I ever owned. Second gear blowing its brains out towing a 5000 trailer over the mountains in Va and WVA. Might have been something wrong with my truck and I wish you much better luck, but it seems this engine combination was designed for empty fuel mileage figures and not for towing.
Sold it and went diesel.....More better!

Just to clarify,

You had the all new 2014 Silverado with the 355 HP 5.3 v8 and hated it? And you traded it for an 06 Ram Diesel? (Excellent choice BTW)

I'm not a fanboy of the silverado but I am pretty sure it's been improved with the new model. I have been wrong before though.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Airstream 30 ft. You can tow it.

Is your 1500lbs payload number from the GM brochure,or your trucks actual door sticker ?

Thank you wmoses. Rbeertalotto, you are the first person I have heard say that. I know a good tune helps a ton with these trucks. Especially with the soft pedal feel.

bkcauley wrote:
I'm on mobile and can't see it. What is it?

Flagstaff Super Lite 27RLWS - Rear Lounge Wardrobe Slide (no bunkhouse here). Huge space inside especially for one person, separate bedroom, huge wardrobe slideout, kitchen/sleeper sofa slideout and dinette slideout (3 sideouts in all) and GVWR of 7500#. You need to get to a computer so you can see the floorplan.

I just finished a 3800 mile pull Houston to LA and back through NM and AZ with daytime temperatures around 95 deg. See my rig below. So this is from experience. Encountered monsoons and high cross winds in AZ at maybe 6000 ft (?) - the only scary time and I had to slow down to as low as 45 mph.

My RV was about 7500# loaded with a tongue weight of maybe 900#. The truck has the same rating as you stated for yours. Truck pulled great. It is not ideal but that is the truck I have. Max elevation 7200 ft. Cruising speed 60 mph, with max passing speed almost 75 mph. Max rpm seen 4500 rpm on maybe 3 occasions - typically around 2700 rpm and as low as 1900 rpm on the flat. Max tranny temp 220 deg.F. Overall fuel economy 10.2 mpg. Truck has 20" passenger Cooper XL P-rated tires, and the trailer has 15" Westlake tires. Trailer max pressures / temps - 60 psi (briefly in one tire, 59 psi typical) / < 110 deg. Truck tires - no idea, did not check.

IMO this is the max trailer you'd want to pull with this truck over any terrain.