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?

[atwowheelguy]

A fellow I know is about to go full timing in a huge toy hauler and bought this to tow it. I think he paid about $15K-$20K.

[Tony_B]

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.

[AFChief_and_Pil]

Me Again wrote:

Lwiddis wrote:
Mortimer, two half tons...like coupling train engines? You may have something!

Train engines do not have hold up extra weight. 350/3500 SRW!

I noticed your 5th wheel .. very nice. FWIW, I have a 2017 5er also, my GVWR is 15,000 (yours is 16,000) and I had a 2014 F350 SRW truck. Before we went full time, I weighed the rig and I was 15,200 on the 5er and a pin weight of 3,240. That truck's RAWR was 7,000 lbs. I was 900 lbs over on the trucks CGVWR and 200 lbs over on the RAWR. That truck "towed and stopped the rig just fine", but I was overweight. If anything "bad" would have happened, Lawyers and Insurance Companies become very interested in your weights. Based on that, I felt it was prudent to upgrade the truck and get legal. I now have an new (2016) F350 King Ranch.

I suspect you are in a similar situation ... just FWIW.

[Durb]

While payload, axle ratings and towing capacities are all important there are other numbers to look at. Namely, will your trailer fit the truck you are considering and tow level. The money you might save on a truck could possibly get eaten up in expensive trailer modifications. If you bought a used older trailer it could be that newer trucks can't even enter the conversation.

[Grit_dog]

IdaD wrote:
You don't need to limit yourself to one tons for that size fiver. Since you're buying used that's an important point to consider as it would eliminate a significant percentage of inventory that's available. Tire and axle ratings are the critical limits you need to consider on 3/4 tons, much more so than the payload which is nothing more than GVWR minus curb weight at the factory - in many cases it means nothing.

^This.

[Grit_dog]

time2roll wrote:

Tony B wrote:
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 a diesel truck was taken care of, and has 225,000 miles, is that too much?
I will probably not drive more than 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year.

Even a well cared for gasser is fine at 225,000 miles.
For the money you save on the truck you should be able to repair anything it needs and still be way ahead vs new.

But the odds aren't in your favor that the engine will last long.

TonyB, here's my unsolicited advice. Based on your post, 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.

[time2roll]

Tony B wrote:
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 a diesel truck was taken care of, and has 225,000 miles, is that too much?
I will probably not drive more than 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year.

Even a well cared for gasser is fine at 225,000 miles.
For the money you save on the truck you should be able to repair anything it needs and still be way ahead vs new.

[IdaD]

You don't need to limit yourself to one tons for that size fiver. Since you're buying used that's an important point to consider as it would eliminate a significant percentage of inventory that's available. Tire and axle ratings are the critical limits you need to consider on 3/4 tons, much more so than the payload which is nothing more than GVWR minus curb weight at the factory - in many cases it means nothing.

[blt2ski]

As noted, look at the payload of the truck you buy. My reg cab C2500 has 3800 lbs of payload, my now sold crew cab diesel dually had 4100 lbs of payload per the door stickers. Meanwhile going back a few years, my 88 sw K3500 ext cab had 3000 lbs, and a 96 sw K3500 crew cab had 2600 lbs.

I would go after something with 4000 lbs or there about also. you will need 2400-3000 lbs or so for the hitch, two people and asst gear can be 400-750+ lbs or so depending upon the size of the people. 200-300 lbs for a hitch......

Marty

[alexleblanc]

some combinations of 250/2500 will have enough payload and axle rating for that fiver, but any combo of 350/3500 will work as they will have have enough capacity, heck my F350 Platinum has 3400lbsa of payload and its about the most equipped heaviest version of the F350 SRW that can be bought, most others will have nearly 4000lbs of payload.

[Tony_B]

STEVEO496 wrote:
...... 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.

Thanks

[STEVEO496]

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.

[Tony_B]

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 a diesel truck was taken care of, and has 225,000 miles, is that too much?
I will probably not drive more than 10,000 to 12,000 miles a year.

[Tony_B]

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

[Tony_B]

Bionic Man wrote:
I would be willing to bet that the cargo capacity that the OP has posted is the cargo capacity of the trailer, not what the pin weight will be. That would put the GVWR for the trailer at 12,000 and change. The hitch weight of 2029 puts it into the territory of just about any newer 250/2500 truck. If you want room to grow, look for a 350/3500 SRW.

Or, in RV.net fashion, you HAVE to have a DRW, otherwise you are putting everyone on earth in jeopardy..... 😉

YES!. The cargo capacity i mentioned is for the trailer.
Thanks for the info.

What is GVWR?