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Trying to decide which toy hauler to buy.

schaffer
Explorer
Explorer
First off, I'd like to Thank all of you in advance.

We are in the process of purchasing our first fifth wheel toy hauler and have narrowed it down to 3 units. We're looking at the Momentum, Fuzion and Cyclone. I would truly appreciate any info you can give regarding the units and which in your opinion is better. We plan on using it year round and covering a lot of ground. Majority of the time it'll be my wife, daughter, daughter's friend and myself. Overall reliability, durability, options, customer service, and if one pulls better than the other.

*Deciding on a truck as well. Thoughts about using a Dodge Cummins 3500 Mega Cab DRW (short box)? How's the stability using a sliding 5th wheel on a short box, or am I better off with a long box dually?

Thank You Again!!!
35 REPLIES 35

riwolfman
Explorer
Explorer
Shaffer, I dont know who said the Chevy / Gmc had "soft suspension", but they dont know what they're talking about.Dodge is the one that had low tow weight ratings till recently. I pull a 43' KZ Inferno with a GMC Denali crew cab dually and am nowhere near max.

afishinado
Explorer II
Explorer II
I am about to start my 3rd summer with a 06 KZ Sportsman. Tow it with a 06 RAM 3500 Megacab dually... I have decided I just didn't like the RV life traveling, chasing good weather, dodging wild fires etc. So I am selling the truck (really really nice) and using the TH for our summer home in the Black Hills of SD, hire someone to move it to and from storage. This summer we will buy a new one. Only doing that to get a few different features we don't have now, washer & dryer. Bigger fridge, bed, shower, garage, etc.
Look into a SIDEWINDER 5th wheel king pin, I can turn my Mega cab 90 degrees, before less than 45..
Here is a list of the new ones I am interested in so far:
Voltage 3970
Voltage V4000
HEARTLAND CYCLONE CY 4150 *
KZ Venom V3911TK
Keystone Raptor 412TS
2006 KZ - 37 my first RV of any kind
06 Dodge 3500 Mega Cab Dually Cummins
Travel 2+ months a year with wife, 2 dogs and 2 Harleys

tinner12002
Explorer
Explorer
I'd definitely go with the long bed dually...in my opinion the short bed dually is a waste of a good Cummins motor. As for a toy hauler, I have been through one of the factories of the three you mentioned, not impressed at all with the manufacturing process or cleanliness of them. Haven't been through Keystone or Heartland. XLR was another one that I feel cleanliness and quality suffer. I did tour DRVs factory and though it was slightly messy, I liked the manufacturing process and quality of their Full House toy haulers. Just priced one, priced a little higher than the cookie cutter brands but if I'm full timing in one they look like they should last instead of buying one of the others and then 5-8 yrs down the road buying another one.
2015 Ram 3500/DRW/Aisin/auto/Max tow/4.10s,Cummins, stock Laramie Limited--Silver
Tequila Sunrise 2012 Ultra Classic Limited
2018 Raptor 428SP

twvette
Explorer
Explorer
I am in the market for new toy hauler and good info in this post ...thanks all

On the truck subject, if not really wanting to go dually and/or long bed I tow extremely heavy and my 2015 RAM 3500 Aisin crew cab does extremely well. Was doing the same with an '05 previously and its more like a long bed from those days and just much bigger in general with the big cab. Also even without the stock 5th wheel option the frame still has holes for the B&W turn over hitch so very easy to install (just bed hole to cut) and loving my Andersen Ultimate 5th Wheel hitch which puts the trailer back further so need to mess with a slider hitch or a big heavy traditional 5th wheel hitch in general.
- '16 Fuzion Chrome 420 (Previous: Weekend Warrior '05 LE3105 and '06 CL40005)
- '15 RAM 3500 SRW 4x4 Aisin Crew (Previous:'05 Dodge 2500)
- '17 Maverick X3 RS (Previous: '08 RZR 800, '13 XP 900, RC51 powered RZR, Hayabusa powered RZR)

Hookem2004
Explorer
Explorer
Wife and I looked at the Momentum 398M this weekend. We really liked it. Was looking at Cyclones but have heard that their customer service has been pretty bad lately as far as getting parts. So I'm pretty sure we are going with a Grand Design product.
2006 302 Skyline Rampage TH
2006 3500 Duramax CC/Dually
2004 2500 Suburban
2008 Z06 Corvette
2000 1950 Lund Tyee 200HP Yamaha HPDI
1999 2835ss Chaparral

lawnspecialties
Explorer
Explorer
Daddy Bear wrote:
We looked long and hard at those three brands and we to were told to steer clear of Cyclones. We just kept coming back to the Momentum 328m. Had it now a month and had a nice week trip in it last week. We LOVE it! Make your choice for the one you and your wife likes the best and will work the best for what your families needs are.

As far as the truck, I will be buying a new one very soon, but I will not get a DRW. Probably will stick with a Chevy 3500HD SRW Duramax. May consider a Dodge Mega Cab though.

TDHOD


A common theme these days.

Daddy_Bear
Explorer
Explorer
We looked long and hard at those three brands and we to were told to steer clear of Cyclones. We just kept coming back to the Momentum 328m. Had it now a month and had a nice week trip in it last week. We LOVE it! Make your choice for the one you and your wife likes the best and will work the best for what your families needs are.

As far as the truck, I will be buying a new one very soon, but I will not get a DRW. Probably will stick with a Chevy 3500HD SRW Duramax. May consider a Dodge Mega Cab though.

TDHOD
Drew, Lora & our two boys
Sophie our Toller
2016 Chevy CC, LTZ, LB, W/ Duramax & Allison, B&W Turnover ball and Companion fifth wheel hitch
2015 Grand Design Momentum 328m Toy Hauler
Renology 300W solar
Honda 2000i

2001400ex
Explorer
Explorer
I can't comment on those trailers other than they are heavy. My buddy just bought a XLR thunderbolt 395 that is 43 foot and weighs 13k dry. He's towing it with a 2013 Ford f350 srw lb. He's only gone a couple hours away but it towed fine. He was stressed caused he's never really pulled anything in his life. He went with the srw for ease of use when not towing. As others have said, if you end up towing a lot, get the drw.

For the brand, I'm not getting into a brand argument, but don't shy away from Chevy. Newer trucks from all 3 will pull your trailer if you get a 1 ton. My Chevy 3/4 ton squats less than my Ford did, the suspension is just fine. Each brand has their pluses and minuses. Is suggest test driving all three and see which one you like best. I went with the Chevy because it's a daily driver and a little smaller than the Ford and the Dodge short bed is only 6 foot 3 inches in the late 2000s.

Now days, the Chevy interior is still smaller than the Ford and the Dodge mega cab is the biggest. But the years show the Chevy and Ford pull harder than the Dodge and get a little better mileage. Then look at fuel tank size, don't get one with a 26 gallon, but I think most long beds have a 36 or bigger. Here's a towing comparison to look into.

http://special-reports.pickuptrucks.com/2014-ultimate-one-ton-hd-challenge.html

The website seems to be fairly unbiased, but it's better to get an the information your can. Really sitting in them and driving then is the only way to pick the right one, they all are Cadillacs that pull everything and the kitchen sink nowadays.
2017 Forest River Stealth SA2816
2020 GMC Denali 3500 Duramax
Anderson ultimate fifth wheel hitch

ramgunner
Explorer
Explorer
There are advantages to looking for the truck and considering what trailer at the same time. You don't want to make the substantial investment in the truck, then discover that it's not enough truck to tow the trailer you want. You either have to upgrade the truck (at a substantial cost), or settle for a trailer that's less than what you really wanted (which costs you in regret later).

In our case, when I bought the truck, I went with a 2014 Ram 3500 cc/drw/lb with the CTD and Aisin transmission. It meant that when I drove up to an RV dealership, I could tow anything on their lot. I wasn't limited by the truck. I was free to look for the RV model and company that best suited our needs.

Some folks get intimidated by the size when they think about driving/parking a truck like that. After a week or two, it's second nature. I lived near the strip in Las Vegas at the time, and never had too much difficulty in parking or maneuvering. While parking garages are mostly too small/narrow, there is plenty of surface parking available. The one thing you learn is that you may have to pull through two parking spaces and walk a little more, but it's good exercise. Even when the baby was due, my wife didn't mind a little walking.

A trailer the size of these takes a little care when towing, but not much more than a smaller trailer. Backing it into the first place we parked wasn't a lot of fun, but the space was designed for something a little shorter. We made it in fine in the end. Once you practice a little, it too becomes second nature.

My recommendation is to get the most truck you can. Then you can get whatever trailer you want.
Editor - http://www.RamGunner.com / http://www.MomentumGunner.com
2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman/CTD/AISIN/4.10/4WD/CC/LB/DRW/VHF/UHF/APRS/CB/SCANNER
Grand Design Momentum 385TH (Polaris RZR800/VHF/UHF/HF)

ramgunner
Explorer
Explorer
Excellent choice. Grand Design walks the walk when it comes to supporting their customers.
Editor - http://www.RamGunner.com / http://www.MomentumGunner.com
2014 Ram 3500 Tradesman/CTD/AISIN/4.10/4WD/CC/LB/DRW/VHF/UHF/APRS/CB/SCANNER
Grand Design Momentum 385TH (Polaris RZR800/VHF/UHF/HF)

JTLICH
Explorer II
Explorer II
Hi Schaffer! We purchased the Momentum 399th a few weeks ago and love it!!

schaffer
Explorer
Explorer
KKELLER14K- Please don't take it as I'm upset by any means. Like I said I'm new to this, so I may be missing something, or maybe there are things I'm not aware of. You're experienced with RV travel as well as others on here. I'm hoping to learn as much as possible so I don't make major mistakes on the road.

KKELLER14K
Explorer II
Explorer II
Not questioning your ability or credibility. It's not often that anyone comes with questions about getting a new truck and a 5th wheel toy hauler all in one shot. I will just step back on this one... good luck and have fun ...that's what it is all about.

schaffer
Explorer
Explorer
Ramgunner Thanks for the info. KKELLER14K- Can you please explain why you're concerned with us going for that size please? I've pulled refers, doubles, car haulers, tanks and bottles commercially for about 21 years. Is there quite a difference in pulling a fifth wheel?