Wheel Base

[Tony_B]

I will be pulling a 38' 5th wheel. Have not bought a truck yet.
Which will be easier towing and maneuvering, long or short wheelbase
truck?

[JIMNLIN]

I presently own both. I learned a long time ago one isn't better than the other in all situations.
I also made a living pulling heavy GN trailers with both SRW and DRW and short and long bed LDT's. Bed length is just a preference.
One isn't better, or needed, than the other for pulling a rv trailer.

Long bed vs short bed
SRW vs DRW.
Boils down to what one owns.

Maneuverability ??
You get used to a the +/- of a 14'-15' wheel base truck after using it for a while.

SRW vs DRW ??
one ton srw have 7000 rawr -7230 rawr for around 3600-3800 lbs in the bed.
The one ton drw have 9375 rawr -9900 rawr for over 6k lb payload in the bed

Get the truck brand with enough capacity or bed length or 4wd vs 2wd or gaz vs diesel or other things some folks that have never owned one make silly uneducated comments about,........ that works best for your needs/wants.

Kinda like a gazzer boy that never owned a diesel and tells us all about the +/- of a diesel powered truck.

[donn0128]

Never owned a short bed, never will. I carry too much stuff to worry about 2 feet. Ride, much better with a long bed. Storage, much better with a long bed. With a short bed about all your going to get in there is the hitch. Long bed, you can still carry stuff.

[LadyRVer]

My current truck is a LB. All others have been SB. On the road, LB for sure. Backing into a campsite, I have not mastered the long wheelbase as of 18 mo. later. Pull thrus are my friend. Trucker also my daily driver. Yes, I park farther out. No problem.

[Veebyes]

At 38' IMO there is not much of a decision to make. 3500 long bed dually. The stability & safety far outweigh the slight inconvenience of having to park a little further from the door while shopping.

[stickdog]

We went with CC DRW after following the pros and cons on this and other fourms.
Stability, load capasity were top of my list.
I had never towed anything other than a boat triler before hitching up to our fifthwheel. We had a five hundred mile trip home on mixed roadways from Interstates to curvey county roads. She towed solid. After 55,000 miles towing across the country east to west and north to south sonetimes in high winds I'm sure my decision was the correct one.
Parking lots, the walk in from the outfield is good for you.
Backin sites are a fact of life. Some parks are easy due to layout and some are not. I've never not been able to backin to an assigned site though some have taken more than one try. Amusement for other campers. Sometimes kudos from the winner of the bet that he'll never git it in there.

[Gib3633]

Easier maneuverability will be short wheelbase. Easier driving will be long wheelbase . You can't have it both ways.

[Cummins12V98]

Only negative is a long bed may not fit in your garage. To list the negatives of a short bed well that would take too much of my precious time!

Longbed for sure and over 14K GVWR a Dually.

[larry_barnhart]

My reason for buying a dually is better safety when towing. Have had minor issues solo because of long and wide but feel it is best for our needs.

chevman

[Tony_B]

md_procouple wrote:
The only disadvantage to a long bed is finding a place to park esp..... without taking up 2 spaces.....

Yes, we already thought about that, but we normally dont spend time looking to be right up front. It's sometimes easier just to go and park further back in a parking lot. Places like Walmart, some people block the whole fairway waiting for someone to pull out near the front.

The model we are buying is a Denali 293RKS. It has a lower profile than most 5ers. GVW is only a drop over 12K and so we certainly dont need a dually. I'm sure that will decrease my gas mileage.

It's just a beautiful and comfortable truck.

[md_procouple]

The only disadvantage to a long bed is finding a place to park esp. in a shopping center, without taking up 2 spaces. Our next TV will be a dually for sure. Good Luck and Happy Camping !!

[Tony_B]

Thanks guys.

We looked at a used Ford - I think a lariat - dually.
originally I was opposed to a duallu because they usually look awkward. This one did not and driving it felt like a Cadillac. Only problem was it looked like it was a mile long and i know that means a large diameter circle for a U turn. We will be full timers and it will be my only vehicle so that is why I am concerned. It sure is a beautiful truck.
I know I can get used to driving anything but I was wondering just how inconvenient it could be on a day to day basis.

[MFL]

Towing, normally long base is best. Maneuvering, normally shorter base best. Each combination, truck/FW can have varying results with chucking, due to distance between axles, and road surfaces. I'd buy the truck that works best for your total use, unless it will be for towing only.

Jerry

[donn0128]

38 foot fiver? I think you would be more concerned with which would handle the weight load, SRW or dually.