RV Salesman and Truck Recommendations

[mitw44]

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?

[Cummins12V98]

Grit dog wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
So with an easily 4K pin weight any 250/2500 will "CARRY" it???

First, YES, all day long and trice on Sundays. Your big bad Dooley isn't as sacred as you think.
Second, how does a 2300lb dry pin weight magically equal "easily 4K"?
Maybe you know something about that specific model, like I know AF lied about how much my camper weighs, but based on the OPs numbers I don't see it.

Any 5er with two axles can EASILY have 25% pin weight. Nice for the snide remarks.

My 5er has a 21K rating with 18K weight from the factory. So YUP I have added 5K to my RV, honestly don't know how but when you full time that happens.

Maybe talk to the people that go by "Weigh It" that used to provide individual tire weights they will tell you MOST people have no clue what they weigh and MANY do have 25% pin weights.

[Grit_dog]

Cummins12V98 wrote:
So with an easily 4K pin weight any 250/2500 will "CARRY" it???

First, YES, all day long and trice on Sundays. Your big bad Dooley isn't as sacred as you think.
Second, how does a 2300lb dry pin weight magically equal "easily 4K"?
Maybe you know something about that specific model, like I know AF lied about how much my camper weighs, but based on the OPs numbers I don't see it.

[Grit_dog]

IdaD wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:
A 1 ton isn't that much more than a 3/4 ton and all the components are heavier as well as the tow capacity.

lol

Good grief this topic gets old. Amazing how something so simple throws so many for a loop.

But sidecar knows better. He's just stirring the pot....

[Bumpyroad]

the UVW is 4,000 lbs. less than gvwr. that's a lot of dishes, etc.
bumpy

[IdaD]

SidecarFlip wrote:
A 1 ton isn't that much more than a 3/4 ton and all the components are heavier as well as the tow capacity.

lol

Good grief this topic gets old. Amazing how something so simple throws so many for a loop.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

SidecarFlip wrote:
A 1 ton isn't that much more than a 3/4 ton and all the components are heavier as well as the tow capacity.

Really? Is the frame heavier? Are the brakes heavier? Is the tranny heavier? What about the engine? Does that have more HP or is heavier? What about steering components?

Please list the components that are heavier on a 1 ton.

[Cummins12V98]

So with an easily 4K pin weight any 250/2500 will "CARRY" it???

[ulvik]

The salesman is actually right this time. A rarity because most have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to tow vehicles because all they want is the sale. But in this case any 3/4 ton would do just fine.

[azdryheat]

A properly equipped 2017 Chevy 2500, Ram 2500, or Ford F-250 will legally pull a fifth wheel weighing over 17,000 pounds according to the Travel Guide. It also shows that a 3500/F-350 doesn't increase the towing load much. It's only when going to a dually does the towing weight drastically increase thousands of pounds.

[Grit_dog]

womps wrote:
The salesman was right, a 3/4 ton diesel truck will easily tow that 5th wheel. It just won’t be anywhere close to legal doing it.

Only illegal according to the weight cops here. Real cops won't care.

[Grit_dog]

That's because the salesman was actually right. Any new 3/4ton diesel off the lot today is more than capable of pulling what you posted.
Theres no point in going through the details because there will be a bunch of folks along to tell you how a HD payload half ton is as capable as a loaded 3/4 ton diesel because they have similar paper payload numbers and because of that a magical "1ton" is needed because it's paper payload is higher.
There are reasons I'd prefer a new 1 ton over a 3/4 unilaterally, especially talking Rams, but payload and towing capacity aren't the reasons.

[SidecarFlip]

You can pull anything with anything but it don't mean it's safe and it don't mean in an emergency situation you don't wind up in the ditch or worse.

For years I pulled a pop up tent camper with a 1 ton SRW diesel. Never knew it was back there.

I see people yanking big TT 's down the road all the time with 150 series pickups. I just shake my head and keep my distance.

Over capacity is over capacity no matter what the tow vehicle is and I never pay any attention to what a drummer says. All they want to do is sell a unit. What happens after that they could care less about.

I'd be buying a 1 ton. A 1 ton isn't that much more than a 3/4 ton and all the components are heavier as well as the tow capacity.

[womps]

The salesman was right, a 3/4 ton diesel truck will easily tow that 5th wheel. It just won’t be anywhere close to legal doing it.