Best truck for large 5th Wheel
Hello, We need to order a new truck. I was wondering if you could share your experience towing a large 5th wheel (Solitude 378) and what truck you would recommend. Leaning towards an F350 4x4 Cr...
Forum Discussion
rhagfo wrote:
I would say not even close to needed! When you see rear axle ratings and tow ratings of the current fleet of 3500/350's most have 5,500# Payloads and Diesel towing capacity around 25,000#.
I would not bat an eye carrying that 5er with our 2016 Ram Laramie 3500 DRW.
It is hard enough to get people accept that they need a DRW to carry a large 5er, let alone a class 7 or class 8 TV!
They want big 5er's, but refuse to the difference between the ablity to carry, and the ablity to pull.
It's too BIG I can't go through the drive through, to hard to park in a parking lot, learn to back in to spaces!
I thought the same but my 5th is 16000K and I pull it with a F350. my paid off, low milage, F250 was to small to legaly carry it by rear axel weight so lets look at the cost. 50000 got me a used f350 and when towing I get about 10Mpg (US) if I would have spent 12-15K on a class 8 that was in deicent shape, had the rear singles (usaly no cost if they keep the mid drive axel) registered it as a RV built a deck and put a light duity air ride 5th hitch I would have been under 20K and what would I have got.
it would get 11 to 13mpg with that weight (assuming you buy the right setup) the seats would be way more comfortable for longer drive. true jake brake and engine brakes means you will hardly have to touch your brakes, the weight of the tractor means the trailer will never push you around as it is about the same weight as the trailer. when empty and runing to get groceries, it turns sharper than any 1 ton on the market so it is easy to manuver in a parking lot. the only disadvantages I can see are biger dogs. you would have to build a way for them to get up there or lift them, and you have to get your airbrake certification (but a class A has to get that also)
one more advantage is you just use it for your 5th wheel so its not a extra expence when your not using it like a normal pick up upgrade would be. in my case yes I would have spent about 15 to 20K but I would still use my f250 as a daily driver, and when I am traveling in the class 8, get better fuel milage. now I had to spend 50K still drive it all the time but get worse fuel milage when traveling.
not saying its for every one, I ended up getting a normal truck, although when I think back I regreat not getting a class 8, as it wouldn't matter what we get when we retire, I would be able to tow it.
Steve
