Truck ???????

Rigs aren't just long, they are heavy. So the weight of the rig is more important in your truck choice then it's length.

That being said, a "one-ton" is the minimum, that is an 350/3500 series truck, probably a dually, with the largest engine that firm provides.

That being said there are 40ft 5er that are so heavy you need something bigger, like a true "medium duty" truck, ie not a pickup.

One ton dually diesel. Brand is up to your personal preference

Have you looked at any 5ers?
It is time to start going to RV shows and looking at what you need to space. We have a 32' 5er that is not too bad for space.
So you have only driven small PU, and you want to get a 40' 5er? That is a lot of trailer if you have not towed before.
Looking at a 5er that big 350/3500 DRW, or larger..

As others have said, it isn't as much about length as pin weight. You will want a single rear wheel 1 ton (f350, silverado 3500, ram 3500) minimum for that size. You will still be limited by Wright with a SRW. A dually will buy you some more payload. There is some good info in the Tow guides here. Your best bet is to buy the trailer first and the truck to match the trailer.

I was a Chevy diesel person but switched to Ford diesels because Chevy rounded off and shrunk the cabs - for aerodynamics I'm guessing, but they felt too confining to me. If I was going to be towing a large 5th wheeler, I'd probably look at the Chevy because of the braking with the Allison transmission.

What might be the best today, might be the worst in 2 - 3 years if you're buying new. While it may not be needed, my preference for that size of a trailer would be a dually F450 or equivalent.

They're really all about the same, it's personal preference. Start visiting the dealer lots and take some test drives to see what you like. Which flavor of ice cream is the best? Chocolate, vanilla or orange sherbet?

Bill

IMHO you just can't beat the Duramax/Allison. One thing besides that is the GM diesel does not stink like the others, I'm referring to the exhaust. You can put your face near the GM exhaust and not smell diesel.

Don2466 wrote:
whats going to be the BEST truck?

A class 8 conversion. For 5ers that big, go to Escapees HDT forum.

donn0128 wrote:
One ton dually diesel. Brand is up to your personal preference

Yep...make sure it carry tow almost anything...in long run it will save you $.

we went from an 1990 Dodge SRW drive diesel 1 ton, to a 1999 Freightliner MDT, with all the bells and whistles to pull our 42 foot fifth wheel toy hauler, the difference was like night and day, no more white knuckle mountain driving, now its more like crank up the tunes and sit back with one hand on the wheel, now you might be thinking how much did that co$t, $30,000 far less than a newer 1 ton would cost, and twice the truck, on a side note the WOW factor takes a bit of getting used to, and everyone wanting to look under the hood

wirenutz wrote:
and everyone wanting to look under the hood

Every man, in my case. Women, not so much.