What Size Truck?

[Tony_B]

I just put a deposit on a new 5th Wheel

the Spes Show: Dry Weight 10,107 lbs

Payload 2,085 Lbs

Hitch Weight 2,029 Lbs

What size truck do I need?

[FishOnOne]

Tony B wrote:
For a little change of pace......

I'm considering a 2011 GMC 2500HD 2wd with about 140,000 miles. The Kelly Blue Book matches what the owner is asking.
This is a gas engine.

QUESTION: If I get a good mechanics report, how much more life does this vehicle have? Either in miles or in years at about 4,000 to 6,000 miles towing 12,500 lb 5th wheel and an additional 6-8,000 personal miles?

Thanks in advance.

Properly maintained engine should go 250k miles. Properly maintained transmission 100k-200k miles.

Neglected maintenance has too many variables to comment on life expectancy.

[john_bet]

downtheroad wrote:
Those being dry weights....go 350/3500 series....single rear wheel will be fine.

His gvw will be 12192#. Well in line with the new 3/4 trucks. My '05 Montana has a gvw of 12100# and my '04 Dodge has never been overloaded. JMHO.

[Tony_B]

For a little change of pace......

I'm considering a 2011 GMC 2500HD 2wd with about 140,000 miles. The Kelly Blue Book matches what the owner is asking.
This is a gas engine.

QUESTION: If I get a good mechanics report, how much more life does this vehicle have? Either in miles or in years at about 4,000 to 6,000 miles towing 12,500 lb 5th wheel and an additional 6-8,000 personal miles?

Thanks in advance.

[tinner12002]

Greentow wrote:
SO, being somewhat obnoxious as I am, guess my Ram 5500 is a bit of overkill for my 39 foot fifth wheel?
Sorry, couldn't resist.

Absolutely, since You asked!! No really, I had looked at the 4500/5500 Rams myself but unless you opted for the higher gear ratio of 4.56 or 4.88 the tow capacity just wasn't there, plus, the HO Cummins isn't available in that series of trucks. I wanted to drive it as my daily driver also so I didn't want the higher ratios and I wanted the HO motor.

[tinner12002]

350/3500 SRW. Also if you buy new or late used, try and find one with the 5th wheel prep, makes life so much easier!

[rhagfo]

ljr wrote:

justafordguy wrote:
Any new 3/4 ton if properly equipped would handle it but do yourself a favor and go to a 1 ton SRW truck. Doesn't really cost much more and has more payload/GVWR capacity.

X2 and I speak from, very expensive, experience. My rule of thumb is now to select a TV not for this new RV but the next one. That way you won't find yourself trading in a nice truck well ahead of its time simply because your taste in RVs changed.

X3
If buying used that might be ok advice, but if buying new I would also advise gettting nothing less than a 3500/350 SRW for the minor difference in price!

[Greentow]

SO, being somewhat obnoxious as I am, guess my Ram 5500 is a bit of overkill for my 39 foot fifth wheel?
Sorry, couldn't resist.

[ljr]

justafordguy wrote:
Any new 3/4 ton if properly equipped would handle it but do yourself a favor and go to a 1 ton SRW truck. Doesn't really cost much more and has more payload/GVWR capacity.

X2 and I speak from, very expensive, experience. My rule of thumb is now to select a TV not for this new RV but the next one. That way you won't find yourself trading in a nice truck well ahead of its time simply because your taste in RVs changed.

[rhagfo]

STEVEO496 wrote:

Tony B wrote:
would a diesel 6 cylinder like a Cumins 6.7 pull my 5er with a GVW of around 12,300 lbs?

Absolutely, all over the road semi trucks have 6 cylinder engines and pull 80k lbs all day every day. What you really have to look at in an older truck with higher miles is the transmission. The engine itself could easily go for over 500,000 if serviced regularly.

Look at my signature! Not the 2500 number, the Cummins ISB 5.9 6 cylinder with 299,000 miles pulling 11,500# with 3.55 gears.
Better yet look at Cummins12V98 towing about 23,000#!

Yes, six in a row will make it go!

[Grit_dog]

time2roll wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
But the odds aren't in your favor that the engine will last long.

IMO most any motor running good at 225,000 will probably go 300,000 and work fine 7+ years for the OP.

Don't go to Vegas buddy.....

[Grit_dog]

Tony B wrote:

Grit dog wrote:
......
But the odds aren't in your favor that the engine will last long.
.... you know next to nothing about vehicle maintenance/repair or vehicles different capabilities and inequities.
A 225,000mile truck, unless you get lucky or know what you're looking at, is a money pit waiting to happen sitting in your driveway.

And what makes you think That I am not smart enough to get professional services?
I do it with my other vehicles and boats. I even have my mechanic inspect every used vehicle I buy. I taught nyself to sail and I Sailed the Carribbean and crossed the Gulf of Mexico twice, once I did it solo. I even taught myself to fly an ultra light airplane that I built myself. Guess what? I'm still alive and well.In life, you don't have to know what to do, just have to know when someone else should take over.
I don't have to know what specifically is wrong with my car to know that something just ain't right. Keeping a vehicle alive is not rocket science.

Maybe you took this as a dig, it was not. I was speaking towards the economics of owning an old vehicle with high miles and having to pay retail to fix everything that may go wrong.
You're right, it's not rocket science, in fact it it may not require any skill at all with a thick wallet. Point was thick wallet vs skills will come into play much quicker or more often when buying something older and well used.
I bought an old zero turn mower last year. Similar situation. Not going to spend $7-12k for a mower, at least not now. It's a good mower, but I've put several hundred $ into it and some time and have a little more to do. I'm gambling on the engine and pumps and rolled those dice when I bought it. Difference is, the $3-400 in parts and my time would be probably $1500 if I was jsit calling a shop and having them come pick it up and fix it when something broke. Add a couple, more years of that and now I shou do have just bought a $7k mower because I'll have 7k into an old mower which is still an old mower.

[hone_eagle]

burningman wrote:

Wild Card wrote:
Peterbuilt

Well at least spell it right... it's "PETERBILT".
Next you'll tell him to get a "Cummings" engine...

you know about spell check right?

makes us all look like fools

[burningman]

Wild Card wrote:
Peterbuilt

Well at least spell it right... it's "PETERBILT".
Next you'll tell him to get a "Cummings" engine...

[time2roll]

Grit dog wrote:
But the odds aren't in your favor that the engine will last long.

IMO most any motor running good at 225,000 will probably go 300,000 and work fine 7+ years for the OP.

[Lwiddis]

"I'm sure a lot of these questions may sound silly to some of you guys but I'm 70 years old and all of this is new to me."

If you are new, we all were new. No sweat. But being 70 has nothing to do with anything.