Top Class Bs for towing?

I have a RT 210 Chev.with a 6.0 and it has plenty of power.

Were you able to pick it up? If so - give us some pics!

rlb8s wrote:
Decision made. Found a 2012 Roadtrek w/ 6.0 that I am picking up on Tuesday. Can't wait.

Congratulations! May you have many miles of good times and memories.

Decision made. Found a 2012 Roadtrek w/ 6.0 that I am picking up on Tuesday. Can't wait.

magicbus wrote:
I'm impressed with to Sprinter torque. It does really well in hilly country without a lot of automatic downshifting so I suspect it would tow well. BTW, the paddle shift is nice for using the engine to brake coming down hills.

Dave

I am converting long and tall Sprinter into ClassB and when everybody is amazed with torque my 4-cylinder delivers and even more with 22 mpg, the van doesn't have strong frame for lot of hitch weight.
On Sprinter forum you will find report that when hitch-equipped Sprinter was rear-ended, without excessive damage to rear door, the uniframe bend over the axle.
From what I read, the 5000 lb rated hitch is derated to 3500lb for the application.
MB also has "hill descent" programs who will keep the speed set on CC. It used turbo fins as exhaust brake. Did not try it on Sprinter yet, but all cars from 20 years have it.

We just purchased at auction a 2015 triple E MB Sprinted FS22SS. 3500 series sprinter with slide-out hidden in sprinter factory body and rear dry bathroom. The holy grail class b. What’s the tow rating on 3.0 liter sprinter 3500 series and slide out?

We traveled cross country pulling a 15 foot trailer with home goods in our Galleria - Sprinter 3500 from AK to NY and back. We checked with the Sprinter dealer and the RV dealership to be sure that the van could to it. They kind of laughed and told us it was fine. We did add Sumos to the springs so that helped the handling. So when we had the van checked after arriving back in Alaska, the Sprinter people said that the van was in good shape. Before leaving AK, and again before heading back from NY, we had the brakes and other things gone over. When we got back we had them check brakes again and they were still fine.

The van weathered the trip better than my DH. If I you have ever driven the Ice Fields Parkway, you might understand his anxiety.

I wonder how the Ford Transit with the Eco Boost in the towing department. The Coachman Beyond 22RB has gotten my attention.

We wrestled with many of the same towing questions when we were looking some years ago.

At the time, for a class B, the options were Chevrolet 6.0 power, Ford V10 power, Sprinter 2500 (single wheel rear), or some version of Dodge if it were used. All the "new" units at the time were either Chevrolet, Ford or Sprinter based.

We quickly ruled out Sprinters as the tongue weight would have put the rear axle over it's limits - so no way. (The newer dual wheel Sprinter "might" have won at the time, but there were none yet.)

So, that left Ford and Chevrolet as we didn't want "used".

One of the key measurements was the distance between the centerline of the rear axle and the centerline of the ball on the ball mount. The Fords had a shorter wheelbase, so a longer C/L to C/L measurement. The Chevrolet was 15 inches shorter C/L to C/L.

The shorter the C/L to C/L measurement, the less sway and better control one has over the towed unit. Also, the shorter the measurement, the less weight is put on the rear axle (since more is transferred forward).

Flat and level towing - OK, it's not a big deal. But, in the mountains, twisty roads, downhill, etc. - it's a bigger deal.

Along the way, I asked my wife to sit in the passenger's seat of both a Ford and a Chevrolet. I asked her to sit there for one hour. Take a book with you if you like, but sit there for one hour.

The passenger footwell in the Ford is VERY small and confining. The Chevrolet footwell is MUCH more comfortable for the passenger. The driver's footwell is comparable in both.

My wife didn't make it an hour in the Ford, got out and said "no way".

So, the numbers for the Chevrolet made better sense, and she was comfortable, so now it was just finding the upfitter, floor plan, and options we wanted.

We looked and looked and looked and - well you get the idea. But we kept looking.

Quite on a whim, we stopped at a dealer about 100 miles from us, took a look, and it was right - down to the details. It took about three minutes to make the deal, we left, went back a week later with our checkbook and we still have the unit. No regrets. The work we did upfront has borne smiles year after year.

FWIW, the factory hitch is 10,000 lb. But the "rated" (owing to the weights added by the upfitter) towing capacity is only 5,000 lbs, so as to stay within the Chevrolet GCWR.

We also added a proportional brake controller for the trailer brakes, a thermostatically controlled ATF cooler with dual fans, independent air bags on the rear axle, and a few other smaller items.

We have a 2008 PW Lexor with 6.0 power and a 4 speed transmission.

My wife and I are a couple of happy clams (or is that campers) with it.

Does anyone know the towing capacity of a 2005 Gulf Stream B TOURING CRUISER 5211 with the chevy V8 option? According to the archive brochures on their website the chevy V8 option increases the GVWR to 12,300 from the standard V10 which has a GVWR of 10,700 lbs. The current owner thinks the towing capacity is 5k, but I saw a you tube video walk through by an RV dealer who said it was 3,500 lb towing capacity but that was w/ the Ford V-10. Anyone? Thanks.