Pulling a 15500 lb 5er

transferred wrote:


A lot of the old school brigade haven't caught up with the fact the latest SRW 1-tons not only have more power than their older duallies but also have bigger rotors and factory exhaust brakes to go along with up to 4,500 lb payloads even for the diesel 4x4 crew cabs.

What is " older duallies" anyway? I'll just use my old dually as an example. RAWR 9350... Is a new 2015 SRW anywhere near that?
12,200 GVWR yeah most are 14k now days.
Mine came with a Jacobs exhaust brake even 10 years ago.
Rotors are what .025 bigger? Nice I guess but I'm still on OEM brakes towing about 24k combo which almost all the miles on the truck... towing.
As far as power, they make little black boxes to unleash power. Yeah about $500 extra, lets see here 325 plus 100 is 425 ponies!
But again that transmission failure can be costly. Don't ask :E

jims1 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Here is my scale weight from the factory my new 2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3. It is about 39'-6" long. What is scary is you will see people with a 350/3500 truck pulling this same RV. When we finish loading it up we will be over the 21K for sure and north os 5K pin.

Sweet looking RV, like the truck that's towing it too...
I think I've seen it recently...

That's Roger's truck. He hauled the RV from Oklahoma to NW WA for me then hauled my "old" 07.5 DRV back to OK.

Thanks for the compliment so far we are really liking it. Have a punch list going but I am picky!

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Here is my scale weight from the factory my new 2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3. It is about 39'-6" long. What is scary is you will see people with a 350/3500 truck pulling this same RV. When we finish loading it up we will be over the 21K for sure and north os 5K pin.

Sweet looking RV, like the truck that's towing it too...
I think I've seen it recently...

mikemc53 wrote:
Still haven't settled in on a particular rv or format yet but we really like looking. Stopped in at a dealership today and the salesman showed us a used 5er, a 40 ft Komfort (by Dutchmen) which had a GVWR of 15500. I commented that this wasn't a unit for a 3/4 ton but was told (obviously) that it is doable. Now I know little about this stuff but I am rather sure that at 15500 lb with an approximate pin weight of 3000 lb that the 3/4 ton would not handle this at all. I would like to know, though, what it would take to pull something of this size, comfortably?

I understand that without all of the data it is kind of open-ended but, in general for a 40 ft 15500 lb 5er, what would we be looking at?

Any of the big three's 2015 one-ton 350/3500 class 3 pickup trucks will pull and stop 15.5k safely, be it a SRW or DRW. A lot of the old school brigade haven't caught up with the fact the latest SRW 1-tons not only have more power than their older duallies but also have bigger rotors and factory exhaust brakes to go along with up to 4,500 lb payloads even for the diesel 4x4 crew cabs.

That said,don't even think about a 3/4 ton (esp. if you plan on carrying passengers) as you'll be over every limit imaginable.

Also, re weight limits be careful with used trucks. Dodge got serious in 2013 and GM in 2011. Ford have always had good weight ratings but, with the frame change imminent, would be third choice (and yes, even third choice is still a damned good rig)

mikemc53 wrote:
Still haven't settled in on a particular rv or format yet but we really like looking. Stopped in at a dealership today and the salesman showed us a used 5er, a 40 ft Komfort (by Dutchmen) which had a GVWR of 15500. I commented that this wasn't a unit for a 3/4 ton but was told (obviously) that it is doable. Now I know little about this stuff but I am rather sure that at 15500 lb with an approximate pin weight of 3000 lb that the 3/4 ton would not handle this at all. I would like to know, though, what it would take to pull something of this size, comfortably?

I understand that without all of the data it is kind of open-ended but, in general for a 40 ft 15500 lb 5er, what would we be looking at?

Newer SRW 1-tons could handle this. Some have a payload of roughly 4000 lbs. I'd also recommend a dually as well. But definitely not a 3/4 ton or a SRW with less than a 4000 lbs payload.

A properly outfitted SRW can do the job. If I already owned the truck and felt I was was going to keep it a while, I would make the modifications required. Since the OP is starting fresh, I suggest going with a DRW unless there are enough restrictions to owning one in your area that he would prefer a SRW.

I ran 7000-8000 lbs on the rear axle of my modified SRW with no issues and only went to DRW due to expectations of 6000-8000 lbs of future payload.

Owning a MH requires you to vacation/live differently than when you have a tow vehicle. You either stay where you park for extended periods between breaking down camp or you have a supplemental vehicle to get around. Even with my DRW, we take seasonal vehicles with us to get around rather using the truck, but when we camp in inclimate weather the DRW is used to get around. I could not imagine breaking camp and touring local areas or small towns for the day in a 30+' MH.

Passin Thru wrote:
They pull like a sled with the brakes on. A 1 ton will pull them and beat you to death. I'd highly recommend you drive a MH and see how they ride. I just would not pay that much for a 5er when you can get a MH for the same price and tow something with it.

I would suspect this poster has never owned or pulled a fiver. Even with my SRW 1-ton, I can handle a lot more high cross wind conditions than most MH's out there on the interstate. You don't even have to be an RVer to make that observation, just take a long road trip across country.

We have been to a ton of RV shows and it is always interesting to walk through the MH sections. To get the square feet in a MH that I enjoy in my fiver I would have to purchase one at least 45' long.

I am pretty sure I would be paying about 3 times the price for a 45' diesel pusher MH that I have invested in a new 39' fiver and 2012 F350.

Passin Thru wrote:
They pull like a sled with the brakes on. A 1 ton will pull them and beat you to death. I'd highly recommend you drive a MH and see how they ride. I just would not pay that much for a 5er when you can get a MH for the same price and tow something with it.

:h...Makes no sense... "They pull like a sled with brakes on"; What's that mean???:h OP is talking about a Tow Vehicle to tow a 5er with and you're, (I think), talking about driving a MH (Motor Home)??? Don't know if you've ever towed a heavy 5er with a dually, but the dually, (as well as a 3500 SRW truck), will ride BETTER with weight in the bed of the truck....IF you have a MH, and want to keep it parked where you camp, you'll need to own a Toad, which isn't free, so you'll still need the MH and a toad.$$$$.....Your post makes no sense whatsoever.....


Don't know where you do your shopping, BUT...every motor home that I'VE seen has been more expensive than most 5th wheels...heck, even adding the truck in and the price is still lower than comparably equipped Motor home, ( 4 slides versus 4 slides and comparing what they come equipped with).....I've got a little over $115K in my truck and 5th wheel. I'm not going to get much of a Class A motor home for a $115K, and my truck is a diesel, crew cab long bed 4 wheel drive....Again, don't know where you do your shopping, but one isn't going to get much of a MH for 115K now a day's, unless you buy used and who knows what shape it'll be in...both my truck and 5er were purchased brand new by me and I know the condition of both...Brakes are great, Mine pulls "like a dream". Don't know what you're comparing to, unless you've not driven a "NEW" , at least 2010 and up Dually, but they don't ride ANYTHING like it appears you're trying to say they do....

"At the limit" is for test pilots (and we know what happens to some of those guys)

A family man on a relaxing vacation shouldn't be in a test pilot mode.

I think a lot of people would be shocked at how well these new 3500 SRW,S can handle a 3000/3500 lb pin,15/15500 fiver.I pull a 15 k /3000 pin fiver.No such thing as pushing you around on corners,or having a white knuckle experience. I would not have believed the capability without experiencing it.