Do you ever feel cramped in your TV?

[Spleenstomper]

We are used to traveling in a large SUV on longer trips. We are looking at an F-350 Lariat Dully and want to know if anyone has found the space to be an issue on a long drive? (like kids fussing at each other, etc). I think mine old enough to cut that out (16,14,14) but curious if there are any practical issues with your TV and space.

Thanks.

[PAThwacker]

We used to ride 80 plus miles in the back of early 80s F150 w cap. We sat on a k5 blazer rear seat. Good times! Born in 1974! Probably was a 70's f150 IIRC the oLD man had so many truckS. Every Diesel car/truck offered from 1979 thru 2007.

[PAThwacker]

We had an old k3500 crew cab and were cramped. We had 2 car seats and a black lab. K2500 sub with center buckets cures al.

[blt2ski]

camperforlife wrote:

45Ricochet wrote:
Boy you must be a young person :B We didn't have crew cabs back in the day, just the regular cab with youngins setting between us. Pretty sure we didn't have seat belts either. Hey we're all still alive even :B
So no a big old F350 SD would have been fine with us back then and now :R

You both most be young-ens. The four of us kids rode in the truck bed under a crude cap that the rattling sound was deafening. It was an accepted and legal practice and no one ever considered calling the cops on the folks. The four of us had a blast and still reminisce about those road trips!

I remember doing both, riding under a canopy, and in between the parents with my sister in my dads mid 60's GMC. Todays trucks are no where near as loud, better power, more gears, more room in the cab.....

[blt2ski]

As far as the dogs go, as I stated earlier. One hot 100+F day, dogs were in crates in the beds, put the crates and dogs in the trailer, above the axels........they hopped in the crates no questions asked. Next rest stop 25 or so miles away, opened the crate to see if they wanted out, they stayed in the crate. In this case, the trailer was cooler, less wind etc.

Now my King Charles Cavalier I currently have, heck, he has coniptions being in a crate in the house when we leave. Blinken thing thinks it should go and be where ever we are! He would not do well in the trailer. In a truck/car in a crate, does fine, he is happier on a lap or curled up in the seat next to us. Your dog(s) frankly, will let you know where they want to be! Just as my malamutes did. I put them in the trailer when coming down from the local mtn pass's later too. ALtho usually they came home in spouses van, as she went up after I did pulling the trailer, and left before me. I did do a few trips across Wa st, into Idaho and lower ORegon in the late winter/early spring, they prefered the trailer.....I did not try the truck, kids did not like them in the cab etc.

Marty

[camperforlife]

45Ricochet wrote:
Boy you must be a young person :B We didn't have crew cabs back in the day, just the regular cab with youngins setting between us. Pretty sure we didn't have seat belts either. Hey we're all still alive even :B
So no a big old F350 SD would have been fine with us back then and now :R

You both most be young-ens. The four of us kids rode in the truck bed under a crude cap that the rattling sound was deafening. It was an accepted and legal practice and no one ever considered calling the cops on the folks. The four of us had a blast and still reminisce about those road trips!

[Spleenstomper]

Thanks everyone! That is what I thought about the dogs-- dangerous if a strap breaks!

And thanks for the weight issues. We decided tonight to look at a smaller toy hauler, but they are so.... Eh. I could compromise, but I don't see one that makes me think it would be worth it to trade the Puma.

So we are making a new list of things we want. We haven't ruled out bigger rigs, just agreeing to consider smaller...

[blt2ski]

A 16K potential gvw trailer will need upwards of 3-4K for pin wt, along with your family wt of 1000-1200 lbs or so....so potentially 5200 lbs, You are now in class 4 or 5 truck terratory, ie 45/55/65 truck badge area. My 3500 GM dually has 4K listed on the door sticker for max payload, I could reach 5500 using the axel limits as my gvwr......reality is, for me, I would also skip the 450/550 Ford Dodge versions, and go to a Freightliner or navistar crew cab. THey have an additional 12-18" of side to side room, plus more room in the back than a magacab! and space in the front between the drivers seat and the double seat on the passenger side! Talk about luxury! Thats it! along with no worries about payload. You can add another 18=24" to the back of the cab, room for the dogs.....and have a better turning radius with 24-36 more inches of WB than a typical CC 35 series truck! Just costs money!

I personally would not want to pull more than a 12K 5w along with my family of 6 in my dually. Is it capable of pulling more! sure, but lacking BIG time in payload!


Marty

[tgreening]

Spleenstomper wrote:

DH wondered why we couldn't put the dogs in the garage of the TH. seems they would be happier in there.

We are looking at TV today, so I'm going to email this to DH to read. Thanks again!

I would suggest to the DH to let you drive the truck cross country for 300-400 miles while he rides back in the garage. That should answer this particular question.


I haul a golf cart back there that's probably pushing 900-1000 lbs. On occasion I have found a broken ratchet strap, and the cart no where near where I parked it. It's not a pleasing ride back there, and I would never let ANYthing that breathes and that I care about, ride in the camper.


I routinely travel with four people in our truck, and two dogs, both in the 75 lb range. Dogs lay on the floor in the back, sometimes one camps out on the seat between the 2 back passengers. I made one trip with an additional passenger (my mother, for a total of 5 people) along with the dogs, and that trip started in Ohio, went to Florida, then to Maine, and then back to Ohio. Not optimal conditions, but doable, and no one had to ride back in the hell-hole riding in the camper would have been.

[MARK_VANDERBENT]

After driving suburbans for a long time ,I tried a crew cab and said no way!!!! 3 seats and way back with cooler drinks and snacks and stuff. The five of us prefer burbs!! Spoiled kids!!!! lol

[Grit_dog]

Put the dogs in the camper.
No other way to gain more room than sitting 3 wide in the back seat without getting an older excursion or a 2500 suburban.
The one advantage a mega cab will have is the back seat reclines about 30deg so they can sleep without tipping over into each other.

[gcloss]

I have the Ram 2500 with Crew Cab which is a really good size cab. The back seat is tremendous and only have 2 kids, not 3. The key is for them to keep busy and out of each others face. They need to be able to use their computers, Ipod/Ipads or cell phone while traveling. If they have their electronics they keep to themselves. The dog is another story. She doesn't use electronic gizmos, so she needs to be on the lap of a human when traveling.

[APT]

If you want a Toy hauler 5er, please get a dually!

[Spleenstomper]

We started off wanting a used class C TH, and then the progression went to the large 5th wheel TH and now I'm concerned we have gotten too big and am getting ready to scratch this and go back to the drawing board.

I mentioned in another post that we just bought this puma in January. So we are looking at buying the second RV within a year of the first RV. I'm trying to prevent the 3rd RV. Lol 😄 but if we aren't going to make a drastic change, I would rather keep the Puma because it is very efficient for its size (though ones the beds are up good luck getting to the bathroom).

Dilemmas, dilemmas.....

[Spleenstomper]

Thank you for all the replies... Very helpful. I would have bought an excursion instead of the expedition, but as you probably know, they stopped making them.

We are looking at a 5th wheel, Fuzion 342 or Cyclone 3110 both around 38ft, double axle triple slide, around 16.000 GVW...

DH wondered why we couldn't put the dogs in the garage of the TH. seems they would be happier in there.

We are looking at TV today, so I'm going to email this to DH to read. Thanks again!