RV Salesman and Truck Recommendations
I was at a local RV show the other day and was inside a Cedar Creek Hathaway 34RL2. The catalog lists the following weights:
GVWR 16,270
Hitch 2,270
UVW 12,009
Length 37' 11"
There was another couple inside, and it turns out, they had just bought this unit. The new owner said he was , trading in a travel trailer that he was currently pulling with a half ton truck. He told me that he would be buying a new truck to pull the new unit with. He was talking about getting a GMC 3/4 ton. Since he hadn't bought it yet, I very politely suggested he at least look at a SRW 1 ton, and started pointing out the weight that would count as payload, and what general payloads the different types of trucks had.
That's when the salesman came on board, overheard us, and said very confidently "Any 3/4 ton diesel will easily pull this". That's when I politely said "Enjoy your new rig!" and left.
I personally know the salesman since we live in the same hometown, and I know he doesn't own an RV or a truck.
Is the salesman right? Why wouldn't a salesman at least educate the new buyer on weights and discuss the various options with him, especially considering he has to go out and buy a new truck anyway? A new truck is expensive enough, without buying it and finding out its not enough truck. Or should I just keep my mouth shut?
While I don't have a 5th wheel yet, I read these discussions to educate myself. Wouldn't you want to take 20% of the GVWR and assume that will be your worst-case pin weight, and then figure in you, your passengers, and any cargo in the truck? Looking at it this way, the pin weight could be as high as 3200 pounds even before passengers and cargo. This pin weight alone would be beyond the payload capacity of most if not all 3/4 tons that I have personally looked at.
As I hope to one day soon be in this new owners position, and needing to buy a new truck myself for such a purchase, can you all share how you would approach a truck purchase in this case?
GVWR 16,270
Hitch 2,270
UVW 12,009
Length 37' 11"
There was another couple inside, and it turns out, they had just bought this unit. The new owner said he was , trading in a travel trailer that he was currently pulling with a half ton truck. He told me that he would be buying a new truck to pull the new unit with. He was talking about getting a GMC 3/4 ton. Since he hadn't bought it yet, I very politely suggested he at least look at a SRW 1 ton, and started pointing out the weight that would count as payload, and what general payloads the different types of trucks had.
That's when the salesman came on board, overheard us, and said very confidently "Any 3/4 ton diesel will easily pull this". That's when I politely said "Enjoy your new rig!" and left.
I personally know the salesman since we live in the same hometown, and I know he doesn't own an RV or a truck.
Is the salesman right? Why wouldn't a salesman at least educate the new buyer on weights and discuss the various options with him, especially considering he has to go out and buy a new truck anyway? A new truck is expensive enough, without buying it and finding out its not enough truck. Or should I just keep my mouth shut?
While I don't have a 5th wheel yet, I read these discussions to educate myself. Wouldn't you want to take 20% of the GVWR and assume that will be your worst-case pin weight, and then figure in you, your passengers, and any cargo in the truck? Looking at it this way, the pin weight could be as high as 3200 pounds even before passengers and cargo. This pin weight alone would be beyond the payload capacity of most if not all 3/4 tons that I have personally looked at.
As I hope to one day soon be in this new owners position, and needing to buy a new truck myself for such a purchase, can you all share how you would approach a truck purchase in this case?
