Shopping for new Tow Vehicle and Fiver - Doing homework

[YellowLab]

I will be replacing my current truck and travel trailer with a new truck and my first Fifth Wheel camper this year and I'm in the planning stages of the purchase of both these items.

First, the camper I'm looking at is a:
Jayco Eagle Premier 331RETS
Dry Weight 11,150
GVWR 14,900
Ext. Length 38.5'
My wife and I are retired but not full timers. Primarily camp in the Midwest and south and will take at most one trip west each year.

The truck I am looking at matching with it is:
2015 Ram 3500 Crew Cab SRW 4x4 w/6.4 Hemi, 6.4 Box and 4.10 rear end

Looking at the 2014 chart, this truck has a 4,010 payload and towing capacity of 15,590 with 4.10 rear end. I'm thinking I would put a Pullrite Slider hitch in the 6.4 box if Dodge meshes with this hitch?

I understand the benefits of a diesel and DRW but do not want either of these for various reasons. I will not keep vehicle longer than 4 years. Based on that, I'm trying to find a gasser that will pull this fiver. I'm thinking this might be a good choice.

I know I will probably have to order this truck as I cannot find a 4.10 rear end within 700 miles of me on the Dodge website search.

My initial questions are:
1. Since I will probably order truck, are there any options that I should include or not?
2. Tire size, 18 or 20"?
3. Thoughts on my hitch choice and this vehicle?
4. Any thoughts on getting the best deal when you order a truck?

I appreciate everyone's input. Thanks!
Mike

[YellowLab]

Thanks for everyone's input. As I said earlier, I understand the advantages of diesel and DRW. I just can't justify the added cost of diesel for the time I will have the truck and the towing use it will get and a DRW will not fit in garage. My truck meets specs and I am mostly a flatland camper(if you have ever been to Central IL, you would understand)

I just ordered the truck I specified in my first post this morning. Now I have to wait 8-12 weeks. Can't wait.
Mike

[Veebyes]

The trailer you are looking at is no lightweight. Your size, dry vs max loaded weights are very similar to our Alpenlite 34RLR.

You might seriously look at getting a dually. A quick look around will show that those who have gone from a SRW to a DRW never go back to a SRW. They usually ask themselves why they did not get the DRW first & be done with it. It is not so much the added load capacity, it is the added stability & security in a challenging situation where it really proves its worth.

Sure, you can add all kinds of stuff to beef up the SRW, but once you have paid for all of that you might as well have bought the dually in the first place.

Besides....a dually LOOKS like a truck.

[wintersun]

Best deal is to avoid a salesperson on the lot and ask to speak directly to the fleet manager or the sales manager. You avoid paying the sales commission as these managers are on salary.

I would be buying a 2014 truck on a dealer's if I could find one and save $5,000 by doing so. Any dealer can do a search around the state and find in minutes what is on any dealer's lot.

For tires you will have more choices later with 18" wheels and an easier time finding a replacement tire in inventory if you have a blowout and need to get a tire on your travels.

Where the diesel has the advantage for towing a trailer weighing more than 10,000 lbs. is in two areas. Much faster acceleration thanks to nearly double the lb ft torque so you can merge with traffic more safely and you can pass semi's on grades with more of a cushion. The other aspect is the greater amount of engine braking from the diesel engine with its exhaust brake. I have dropped 3,000 feet in 10 miles with a heavy load in tow on a twisty mountain road and never had to touch the brakes while keeping the rig at 35 MPH. It takes a lot of the stress out of towing.

Something to check is the fuel tank capacity and whether there are options for a second tank from the factory. Titan also makes replacement fuel tanks that provide around 60 gallons of capacity without needing an auxiliary tank in the bed of the truck.

A TrailAir, Airborne or similar 5th wheel coupler with dampening will provide a much more pleasant ride for you and your passengers.

[Cummins12V98]

Dandy Dan wrote:
Mike, there is a post on I think "tow vehicle" on the 6.4 If I get the name right it is IB516. He has went from a diesel to the 6.4 Dodge and seems to like it quite well. You may be able to get some good info from his posts. I think the new Dodge 2500 has coil springs but not sure about the 3500. The only thing I would really check is bed height differential between the 18's and the 20's. Good Luck in your venture. Wish it was me getting the new 6.4 You actually get more payload with the 6.4 over the 6.7 diesel.

The "payload" is irrelevant because with a 5th wheel virtually all the weight is placed on the rear axle. Engine weight mostly changes the front axle weight.

Example with my nearly 5K pin weight I add less than 200# to the front axle.

The truck will probably be fine for the 5er mentioned but personally I would buy the Cummins. It will pay back when time to sell and you might as well enjoy driving it for the 4 years you say you will own it.

[GoPackGo]

In case you have a COSTCO nearby -

FWIW, when I ordered out my new truck the best price I got was by going thru COSTCO. I tried everything - sent emails to all nearby dealers 'internet sales managers' with the truck and options I wanted, tried going thru my credit union, tried using a buyer's broker.

COSTCO came out best. I was actually a little surprised.

Tim

[yellowdog00]

Thank you to everyone that took time to respond. I'm now in the process of finding a dealer who will give me a good price on the order. Negotiating a sale from a dealer is a black art. 🙂

[ib516]

1. Get the factory hitch prep. Makes installing a 5er hitch so much easier.
2. 18" is what I bought. 20" replacement tires are too pricey for me. No advantage to them other than looks. Choices are more limited in the 20" tires too when it comes time to replace. There is a 1/3 of an inch height difference between the 18s and 20s so almost nothing. The 20s are taller.
3. You could buy a sliding hitch if you want, I don't have one, and don't need one in all but extremely tight turns. Up to you if you want to spend the extra money.
4. I get invoice pricing through my employer. You might too. Check into it.

Other notes:
The 2500 I have has just over 3000# payload, the 3500 SRW would be about 700# higher, likely about 3700-3900# or so, depending on how fancy the truck is. Mine is loaded.

The 2500 has rear coil springs, the 3500 SRW has rear leaf springs. The 3500 will ride a little stiffer when empty, but does sag slightly less when loaded.

Videos of 2500 vs 3500 SRW diesel:
LINK

Thread where I compared the suspension squat 2500 to 3500 SRW:
PART 1

PART 2

PART 3

Another thread where I have window sticker and pictures of factory hitch prep package:
LINK

[dshizzel]

I chose an SRW long bed myself, but it looks like your specs are in order. I put out an internet query using TrueCar.com. It's amazing how lazy the folks are who get those requests for quote. Very few responses, and the ones that did respond weren't following up.

The first one to act like they really wanted to sell a truck, I went over, configured and ordered the truck I want, and they quoted invoice. I felt that was fair.

They were a Chevy/Ford dealer, and told me they could give me a much better deal on the Ford, and so I did. My 5'er hitch was installed at the Ford factory. I don't know if Dodge does that or not.

It really sounds like you've done your homework, and I think, for the short term you'll have the rig, you'll do just fine. The only thing to consider may be resale value, but that's your decision.

Enjoy your rig whatever you decide.

[phillyg]

Appears to be a good combination.

[phillyg]

Appears to be a good combination.

[Dandy_Dan]

Mike, there is a post on I think "tow vehicle" on the 6.4 If I get the name right it is IB516. He has went from a diesel to the 6.4 Dodge and seems to like it quite well. You may be able to get some good info from his posts. I think the new Dodge 2500 has coil springs but not sure about the 3500. The only thing I would really check is bed height differential between the 18's and the 20's. Good Luck in your venture. Wish it was me getting the new 6.4 You actually get more payload with the 6.4 over the 6.7 diesel.