Need help narrowing down 5th wheel

[Vpolio90]

Good evening all,

My wife and I are going to be in the market to purchase our first camper and are super excited. I have a 2022 ram 3500 SRW that's getting built as we speak (hopefully) and we are having a hard time picking the right 5th wheel.

We both like the lighter interior color schemes alot of manufacturers are coming out with and we want a camper that sleeps at least 8. Unfortunately due to the market what once was affordable for us campers like the GD Reflection 28BH, GD Reflection 150 278BH, and cougars seem to be out of reach for us.

We are really like the layout and the interior color schemes of the Keystone Sprinter 29BH and the Coachmen 274BH. We want to stay below 45k after a discount off MSRP. For me I like the Coachmen 274BH to me it seems built better however, I am completely new to this and need guidance as far as determining which is better quality or if there are any 5th wheels that sleep 8, have a light interior color schemes, and that are good quality/ fit our budget. Please share yalls thoughts. Thanks!

[BarneyS]

I guess we have hashed this one out to the bitter end. Time to let this one go folks as it is way off topic now.
Thanks for your participation. 🙂
Barney

[MFL]

^^Lol...I will no longer feed these folks, but let me help them with an excuse.

All these civil cases, concerning GVWR, being awarded big $$$, are protected by gag orders, to keep the courts from being over run!:)

Jerry

[JIMNLIN]

Sure lots of arm chair lawyers on rv forums...or maybe just watch too many lawyer type adds on tv.
Gotta' ask all the rv forums lawyer types posting on this topic to show the forum any credible links where a LDT owner was sued and lost in a civil court case regarding gvwr over weight contributed to a wreck with injury opinions being expressed .

I didn't think so..... Now we'll hear all kinds of excuses why there never has been.

[laknox]

Lantley wrote:

nickthehunter wrote:
Once the truck and/or trailer leaves the scene, they have no way to prove the payload rating was exceeded. And yes, the law requires proof, speculation doesn’t work. You can however prove failure to stop in time. That is were the lawyer is going, somewhere he can win.

So you have to ask yourself, why would they try and prove you exceeded your payload rating when all they got to do to win their case is prove you failed to stop in time.

Much in the same way. Experienced RV'ers can spot a combo that is likely over its ratings. An experience truck chasing lawyer (the guys running the commercials) can spot a combo that is likely over its manufacturer's ratings.

Once it's determined you were over your ratings,even if you are within those sacred axle ratings. There is an amount of negligence involved.
The lawyer will push the idea that you were unsafe the moment you left the driveway. You chose to exceed the manufacturers ratings and were involved in an accident.It becomes an easy case to sell.

The thought that once the truck and trailer leaves the seen no one will ever know is really silly. In today's world I trust there will be lots of pictures maybe even canera footage...LOL

Frankly, not real hard to do. Wrecked truck is a 250/2500. Wrecked trailer is a triple-axle TH with a placard that gives the mfr, model # and, likely, the GVW. No-brainer that the trailer was =way= too big for the TV. As others have said, civil "proof" and criminal "proof" are way different. How many criminal cases where the defendant gets off but then gets hammered in a civil trial? Lots!

Lyle

[rhagfo]

Lantley wrote:

Vpolio90 wrote:


Yes, I do want to stick with a short srw (although a mega cab givies me a slightlylonger wheel base). If and when I'm in the market for a bigger 5er I'll get a sort bed dually. Yes, I do know the a long bed is preferred from a towing perspective however, to me the short beds look better.

Many come to this forum asking for tips and tow vehicle recommendations. But ultimately make their towing decisions based on factors that has nothing to do with towing.
Those with long bed duallies drive them because they deliver optimum towing performance, they don't drive them for the aesthetics.

:S

Lantley, pretty much hitting the nail on the head!!!

I also love the "I don;t want a DRW because it is too big, but want a 44' 5er"!

We daily drive our DRW LB, and park where we want front row, back row, where ever. Biggest issue with a parking garage is height clearance!

[Lantley]

Vpolio90 wrote:


Yes, I do want to stick with a short srw (although a mega cab givies me a slightlylonger wheel base). If and when I'm in the market for a bigger 5er I'll get a sort bed dually. Yes, I do know the a long bed is preferred from a towing perspective however, to me the short beds look better.

Many come to this forum asking for tips and tow vehicle recommendations. But ultimately make their towing decisions based on factors that has nothing to do with towing.
Those with long bed duallies drive them because they deliver optimum towing performance, they don't drive them for the aesthetics.

[Vpolio90]

valhalla360 wrote:

Vpolio90 wrote:
I want to stick with a srw. As of right now im leaning towards a grand design reflection or a KZ durango either used or new.

Since my trucks is going to be a short bed what 5 wheel hitch do yall recommend, also slider or non slider?

Are you locked in on the SRW short bed or do you have the ability to change yet?

With the big family and what will likely be a big 5th wheel by the time you are done, it might make more sense to move up to a dually long bed rather than try to make due with a marginal truck.

Yes, you can tow with a short bed (I've done it) but a long bed is a nicer option.

Yes, I do want to stick with a short srw (although a mega cab givies me a slightlylonger wheel base). If and when I'm in the market for a bigger 5er I'll get a sort bed dually. Yes, I do know the a long bed is preferred from a towing perspective however, to me the short beds look better.

[Lantley]

nickthehunter wrote:
Once the truck and/or trailer leaves the scene, they have no way to prove the payload rating was exceeded. And yes, the law requires proof, speculation doesn’t work. You can however prove failure to stop in time. That is were the lawyer is going, somewhere he can win.

So you have to ask yourself, why would they try and prove you exceeded your payload rating when all they got to do to win their case is prove you failed to stop in time.

Much in the same way. Experienced RV'ers can spot a combo that is likely over its ratings. An experience truck chasing lawyer (the guys running the commercials) can spot a combo that is likely over its manufacturer's ratings.

Once it's determined you were over your ratings,even if you are within those sacred axle ratings. There is an amount of negligence involved.
The lawyer will push the idea that you were unsafe the moment you left the driveway. You chose to exceed the manufacturers ratings and were involved in an accident.It becomes an easy case to sell.

The thought that once the truck and trailer leaves the seen no one will ever know is really silly. In today's world I trust there will be lots of pictures maybe even canera footage...LOL

[djcjc]

We had to TT last one 36 ft long just went to a fifth wheel we have grandkids and there parents that come with us some times so we needed a rig to sleep 8. We wanted outside kitchen also becuase had that on last two TT all the new ones the outside kitchens dont compare to what we had we got lucky found a used 2018 Jayco 347 BHOK that was owned by three sisters it looks like brand new inside and out, outside kitchen like we had in the past big frig, sink and pull out stove. We were going to buy new but this came up and we grabbed it not cheap but at least 30 to 40 thou below new comparable rig. We have a 21 Ram 3500 DSL dually so have enough truck for this 42 ft rig. Mega cab with 6 ft 4 inch bed went with pullrite auto slider can turn 90 degrees and not even close to the cab. There are great used ones out there just have to look and it is always better to have to much truck than not enough. It is my daily driver also not that hard to get around when you get used to it. All kind of hitch options available do your research on internet and youtube very helpful info out there. Good luck.

[nickthehunter]

Once the truck and/or trailer leaves the scene, they have no way to prove the payload rating was exceeded. And yes, the law requires proof, speculation doesn’t work. You can however prove failure to stop in time. That is were the lawyer is going, somewhere he can win.

So you have to ask yourself, why would they try and prove you exceeded your payload rating when all they got to do to win their case is prove you failed to stop in time.

[valhalla360]

Vpolio90 wrote:
I want to stick with a srw. As of right now im leaning towards a grand design reflection or a KZ durango either used or new.

Since my trucks is going to be a short bed what 5 wheel hitch do yall recommend, also slider or non slider?

Are you locked in on the SRW short bed or do you have the ability to change yet?

With the big family and what will likely be a big 5th wheel by the time you are done, it might make more sense to move up to a dually long bed rather than try to make due with a marginal truck.

Yes, you can tow with a short bed (I've done it) but a long bed is a nicer option.

[Lantley]

Jimlin the trial occurs in civil court not DOT school and certainly not physics class. The case will not be solved by mathematicians.
The case will be about this overloaded truck loosing control and crashing into the plantiff. The case will be framed just like you see it on the commercials.
Overloaded will quickly be defined as exceeding the manufactures guidelines.
If you don't believe it often works that way you are naive.
Those adds we all see create profits.
I'm not disputing that exceeding GVW does not violate any criinal law, which is what DOT regs. are all about.
But I am saying civil court operates under a much different standard.
In civil court manufactures ratings and guidelines matter a whole lot more.
I'm not sayng I agree with the system, I'm not saying the system is right.
But I am saying totaling ignoring GVW is not wise if you are involved in a civil matter.

[Michelle_S]

Just look at all the Personal injury attorney adds on the Tele and newspapers. They must be winning cases to support all those adds.
So you don't think if their client was injured in a accident by a 250/2500 class truck pulling a 44ft 18,000 Lb Triple Axle Toy Hauler aren't going to win their case no matter who was at fault. If so I know some bridges for sale.

[JIMNLIN]

Lantley wrote:
I don't want to jump into a axle rating vs. GVWR debate.
But the fact that every owner's manual clearly states do not exceed GVW makes the whole debate more than just RV forum myth and innuendo.
To think exceeding GVW cannot become an issue in a civil matter is naive.

LOL.... you didn't want to jump :B...but you just had to just like I had too jump in when someone makes the same ol' same ol' tired "civil lawsuit/gvwr" bogus claims.
I've been around trucking using LDTs since the early '60s and have never heard this claim till I came on a rv website in '03. Sure we had civil issues regarding exceeding a weight number caused a accident with damage/injury. But a LDT gvwr wasn't one of those numbers.

Ford F350 srw and now GM 3500 srw have gvwrs ranging from 10000 lbs up to 12400 lbs.
We can buy a srw with a 10000 gvwr or a higher gvwr up to 12400 lbs..... for the same exact truck.
Just another reason a LDT gvwr isn't used for any "legal weight" issues (civil or dot).

The OP mentions the 3500 srw Ram which may come with a 12300 gvwr. The 6.7 Cummins crew cab Aisin 4wd truck may weigh close to 8000 lbs and as many Ram owners claim a 4400-4600 lb gvwr based payload sticker number.
As my reply above that brought out the gvwr/civil matter comments I still recommend not exceeding the Rams 7000 rawr.
These trucks are heavy and can carry maybe up to 3600-3700 lbs on the rear axle.
For those that use a gvwr number.....3600-3700 lbs in the bed in no way exceeds the Ram 12300 gvwr number.