Very New with 5th wheel

[Jersey5er]

Hello everyone. New to all of this and learning a lot from you guys just by reading the forums. Thank you. My question is, what type of vehicle do I need to pull my 5th wheel? It's a 2016 palomino Columbus 381fl 42.5 ft long and dry weight 12200 and max weight 16200. I'm trying to stay away from a dually.

[kimomjtb]

We have a 2016 columbus 385BH and bit the bullet last spring....Just was not comfortable with our 3500 srw.TV.. went to a 3500 drw cummins.....The difference is like night and day..

[mr__ed]

Jersey5er wrote:
Thank you for the response. I am a Ram fan and was thinking the 3500 diesel. I will definitely take your advice. Glad to meet ya's.

I used a 2007 Ram 3500 diesel (single rear wheels), 6-speed manual to tow my 30' Hitchhiker fiver, which probably weighed close to the weight of your unit. It seemed to be a perfect match. I didn't care for the diesel particulatefiltration system (though that's unavoidable). Still, it was a fine tow vehicle as well as every day driver.

[macs10]

I checked and my 2014 Dodge 3500 long bed diesel the difference in weight rating was only about 500 lbs more Duels are not necessary but would be much safer and stable in a blow out situation funny tire rating goes down when on a dual I get the SRW comment all the time I am towing a 2016 39' Momentum 350 max weight 16'500. I think at the scale I am about 3'500 to 4'000 lbs in the bed I think dodge rated bed weight just over 5'000. its all within limits. don"t mention Class A non commercial license here in Calif and half the usa SHHHHHH

[Old-Biscuit]

I tow a 14K 5vr with a 2007 SRW........over on trucks GVWR but right at RAWR


A 2016 RAM 3500 SRW has a payload of 4400-4500
You will be just fine with the SRW

The new generation SRWs (and DRWs) have higher GVWR, payloads and tow capacities

[TxGearhead]

I'm pulling a Montana High Country with a 2016 3500 SRW Ram Cummins Aisin 4X4 long bed. My advertised hitch weight was 2175. Add the optional front bedroom A/C, 2 batteries, washer/dryer, tools, grill, chairs, table, wife's 28 pair of shoes, etc., and I'm over 3200#. Add 250 for the Curt hitch, generators, firewood, etc. I was over the 3267# payload of my Ford F350.
The new Ram payload is 4018.
As you can see the weight skyrockets.
I think you are in dually territory.

[DReisinger]

Just turned 205,000 miles on my 97 Dodge DRW 3500 Cummins,
It is towing it's third fifth wheel and still going strong.

[laknox]

Jersey5er wrote:
Hello everyone. New to all of this and learning a lot from you guys just by reading the forums. Thank you. My question is, what type of vehicle do I need to pull my 5th wheel? It's a 2016 palomino Columbus 381fl 42.5 ft long and dry weight 12200 and max weight 16200. I'm trying to stay away from a dually.

Don't know that SRW specs off the top of my head but, IMO, you're at the edge of what one can do. Be safe and go the dually route. "Yeah, St. Peter, I didn't really want to buckle up...or go with the dually..."

Lyle

[mach8274]

We have a Columbus 385BH. Our numbers are the same as yours. When we first got the trailer, we had SWR truck. Traded up to a dually a couple months ago and won't ever look back. Ours is a 2016 F350, but a truck from any of the big 3 will do the job beautifully.

[Jersey5er]

Thank you all for the advice. Our RV will remain stationary for awhile. We maybe will tow it once or twice a year so I'm looking to spend the least on a tow vehicle till we go full time in it which may not be for several years. I will pay strict attention to tow capacity. We do not expect to load it to its full capacity. Being new to this I want to be cautious yet frugal. Lol

[MarkTwain]

Jersey5er wrote:
Thank you for the response. I am a Ram fan and was thinking the 3500 diesel. I will definitely take your advice. Glad to meet ya's.

X1. you can't go wrong with the Diesel Dodge 1 ton. I prefer the standard 6 spd. manual transmission. Make sure your truck has an Exhaust Brake, if not add one. Going on my 2nd. Dodge diesel truck. The other addition I would make is installing a diesel auxiliary fuel tank to replace your stock fuel tank. I have a 60 gal. diesel tank that fits in the same location as the original from Transfer Flow in Chico Ca.. I pull a 14K 5th wheel when loaded with no problems in mountains 8K grades.

[MPI_Mallard]

donn0128 wrote:
You really need a dually. Its not tow ability, but load carrying capacity and especially tire load capacity. At 16,200 pounds that fiver could have at least 3000 and as much as 4000 pounds pin weight. Add that to the emptie trucks rear axle weight will be too close for comfort with a SRW setup.

Absolutely!! I have a Dodge Ram 3500 6.7L diesel dually automatic with a 8' box, timberens (a bit of a rough ride when empty) and it's a joy to haul my CC Daydreamer at 16.000+lbs, in my experience the dual rear end and long box adds to the linear stability, braking and overall performance of the tow vehicle which in turn add to the reduced stress while towing. The added space in the long box allows me to have a locking tool box for gear and add the retrax bed cover and locking tailgate everything is nicely secured! The down side is using it for a daily driver which seems to be the biggest complaint I hear but we simply adapt and park farther out in the parking lot and enjoy the added exercise.

Red Green: Remember, I'm pulling for ya. We're all in this together!

[Michelle_S]

Well you be doing just weekend camping close to home or are you looking at longer stays further from home. Loading for just weekends if careful a SRW TV could work, but if looking to load for longer stays that pin could start approaching 4K easily. We can only offer suggestions, you have to make the final decision. Driving a Dually isn't that bad, one has been our only transportion for a few years now and it takes us everywhere we want to go.

[avvidclif1]

Jersey5er wrote:
Hello everyone. New to all of this and learning a lot from you guys just by reading the forums. Thank you. My question is, what type of vehicle do I need to pull my 5th wheel? It's a 2016 palomino Columbus 381fl 42.5 ft long and dry weight 12200 and max weight 16200. I'm trying to stay away from a dually.

When you buy a big trailer you need a big truck. Simple. When shopping look on the door post of that truck for cargo capacity. On a SRW 1t it is usually between 3000-4000lbs depending on body style and options. Subtract from that the hitch weight, passengers, and anything else you carry in the truck. What's left is what you have for hitch weight. Spec's show the empty hitch weight as 2300lbs, loaded probably around 3000lbs. Seeing a problem?

It's not what a truck can pull with a 5th wheel but what it can carry.

I don't know but it has been posted some versions of the Megacab are barely rated for a bag of groceries. The sticker on the door post is your friend, not some spec sheet for a stripped model.

[donn0128]

You really need a dually. Its not tow ability, but load carrying capacity and especially tire load capacity. At 16,200 pounds that fiver could have at least 3000 and as much as 4000 pounds pin weight. Add that to the emptie trucks rear axle weight will be too close for comfort with a SRW setup.