Fifth Wheel ??

[joe_puma]

I'm looking to buy a fifth wheel. 1. I'm looking at a Grand Design Reflection 337. Any Feed back on Grand Design? 2. This trailer has an extended pin box. I have a Duramax HD2500 with the 6'5" bed. Do you think I will need a slide hitch, for turning tight? Anyone with this truck what kind of hitch do you have? I've looked on line at Reese and Pullrite. Also anyone deal with General RV, Huntly Illinois? or General RV anywhere, how are they as far as a dealer goes?

[Allworth]

justafordguy,

That may be the MOST misinformed statement ever posted on this forum!

The engineering involved does not even start from the same platform, Been there; done that; have the T-shirt.

[RustyJC]

justafordguy wrote:

NC Hauler wrote:
A newer 2500 ( last couple of years), would work better than an older one would., but think a 350/3500 SRW truck would offer a better towing experience.

A like equipped 250/2500 and a 350/3500 SRW is the same truck mechanically/physically so the towing experience would be the same. The ratings are only different for registration cost reasons.

Not so in the case of the 2013 and up Ram (for one example). Differences include:

1. The 2013 2500 keeps the old 30 KSI frame and the old 5 link front suspension. The 2013 3500 now has a new 50 KSI frame, 3 link radius arm front suspension, updated rear leaf springs, larger wheels, and a Aisin transmission option.

2. Both trucks now have a 370/800 Cummins option when the 68RFE trans is picked. The 3500 gets a 385/850 HO Cummins when the Aisin tranny is selected (N/A on the 2500).

Rusty

[Bird_Freak]

My buddy transports new trailers to dealers all over. He says they have very few write up's on delivery. other brands seem to have stuff falling apart riding down the road.

[justafordguy]

NC Hauler wrote:
A newer 2500 ( last couple of years), would work better than an older one would., but think a 350/3500 SRW truck would offer a better towing experience.

A like equipped 250/2500 and a 350/3500 SRW is the same truck mechanically/physically so the towing experience would be the same. The ratings are only different for registration cost reasons.

[spud1957]

tbiker99 wrote:
I searched tirelessly to find out if I needed a sliding hitch on my 6.5' bed Chevy. Turns out I didn't (obvious pun) I had about 1" between my back window and the camper. If you're going to turn sharper than this, you'll need a slider. This is Heartland's "88degree max turn" design.

You may find, as I did, 1" clearance disappears real quick the moment the trailer wheels raise 1" from a bump in the site or the front of the truck raises 1".

Just be warned. It's only 1" if truck and trailer are on level surfaces!!

[N8GS]

FYI My 337 pin wt currently is 2700 and I am planning to add batteries for dry camping which will bring the pin wt up to 2900. If I were to add a washer/dryer I could see the pin wt going as high as 3400.
I am in the process of changing out my tires and wheels to 245/70 R19.5 G.

[joe_puma]

I'm thinking I'll go with the B&W companion slider. Sounds like I most likely won't need it, but would be nice to have that option. Also like that I could take out and have a clear bed.

[tbiker99]

I searched tirelessly to find out if I needed a sliding hitch on my 6.5' bed Chevy. Turns out I didn't (obvious pun) I had about 1" between my back window and the camper. If you're going to turn sharper than this, you'll need a slider. This is Heartland's "88degree max turn" design.

[joe_puma]

Thanks for the input everyone.

[Poppy_s_5th_Whe]

joe puma wrote:
I'm looking to buy a fifth wheel. 1. I'm looking at a Grand Design Reflection 337. Any Feed back on Grand Design? 2. This trailer has an extended pin box. I have a Duramax HD2500 with the 6'5" bed. Do you think I will need a slide hitch, for turning tight? Anyone with this truck what kind of hitch do you have? I've looked on line at Reese and Pullrite. Also anyone deal with General RV, Huntly Illinois? or General RV anywhere, how are they as far as a dealer goes?

We've had our 2015 337 since New Years Eve and pulled it over 15,000 miles without issue with our 2007 Chevrolet Classic HD2500 with the 6'5" box. I do not have a slider but I do use an Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel Hitch. I did have some contact between the "down plate" on the trailer and the bed rail when I was making a tight turn and the truck was severely tilted in a culvert but, on normal roads, I can make pretty tight turns without troubles. I previously towed using a slider and never in 6 years used it except to test it but that's just my experience.

We had a few very minor issues with the trailer when new which were quickly and easily resolved but they were component issues. This is our 6th RV and 3rd 5th wheel and by far our best. Far superior in every way to our last bought new 2011 Keystone product.

Good luck in your decision.

[jffnkrn]

We are getting ready to start our six month with our 303RLS and really like it. issues that i have had were resolved at the dealer, not my my choice because dealer i believe doesn't have the competent techs working on on this stuff and tries to cut corners to keep their profit margin up. Dealer created an issue with our slide toppers in which has been almost fully resolved. a couple other little bugs as we seem to get now days due to lack of good sincere quality control. But overall, yes i would buy another Grand Design and for towing, we have a GMC 2500 with the short bed and have a manual reese slider hitch if needed. I have made many sharp turns and only time i have used it is when we get home to put it away as i have some tight spots getting into the side of my house. At this point we are approaching 3000 miles upon our return home today or tomorrow and have had no towing issues. Pulls great and everyone really likes it. Good Luck & Be Safe ! ! !

[tfdcc]

we've had our 337 for about 18 months and love it. It had some minor issues that were not construction issues, it was parts suppliers issues. I towed with a Ford F250 SB the first year and it towed great, didn't feel like I needed a bigger truck but my Ford quit on me and had to get another one and went with the F350 CCLB. It towes it better but I still feel a 3/4 ton is plenty truck for this FW. Grand Design is a great company and they stand behind their products.

[joe_puma]

My Durmax is a 2011, with 44.000mi so far. All loaded my 28' is about 7000#. Don't even know its there.

Hey Newman, what model do you have and what problems are you having?

[NC_Hauler]

Old-Biscuit wrote:

TucsonJim wrote:
I have a 2014 Grand Design 337RLS. This is the third FW we've owned, and it's our favorite. When we purchased ours, Grand Design was still a very new company, and we encountered some bugs. I contacted Grand Design, and they sent a driver to Arizona, picked it up, took it back to Indiana and resolved our issues. I had it back from them in less than three weeks, and it's been nearly flawless since then.

I have a F350 short bed. I'd highly recommend a slider hitch (manual will work fine). 99% of the time, you won't need it. But one time, I was backing up in a tight spot, and put a small dent in the cab of the truck. If I'd taken the time to deploy my slider, that wouldn't have happened.

I've put over 20,000 miles on ours now, and we stay in it 2-3 months out of the year. It is a very comfortable RV, and we don't anticipate trading it for many years to come. If I did trade it, I'd stick with the Grand Design product line.

If you get a chance, check out the Grand Design owner's forum. It is run by a private party who owns one of the rigs, so there is no manufacturer bias on the site. However, Grand design does follow one of the sections on the forum and will answer questions when they are asked.

Grand Design Owner's Forum

There is also a Grand Design Owner's Facebook page where you can get questions answered.

Jim

You have an F350

Would you tow that 337 with a 250/2500 like OPs truck?

OP what year is that Duramax 2500?

GVW on the unit is 13,995#... Could have a pin weight of 2600# plus if loaded close to max.. A newer 2500 ( last couple of years), would work better than an older one would., but think a 350/3500 SRW truck would offer a better towing experience.