What to look for when shopping for a truck to tow 5th Wheel?

[66newbie]

I recently bought a new Cougar 30' 5th Wheel, but I have never bought before a truck so I really don't know what is important to look for. My 5th Wheel has a Ship Weight of 7560, carrying capacity of 2760 and hitch weight of 1520 = 11,840 lbs. I have learned that I will need at least a F-250, Chev/Ram 2500; I want a cab with an abbreviated back seat, and realize I need an 8'bed. I have googled real axle ratio so I suspect I need at least a 3.73. But what size engine/horsepower do I need? I have seen such things as GVW rating, extendable mirrors, integrated trailer brakes control, transmission issues, trailer wiring adapters, mounting holes for 5th wheel hitch and towing "packages" for towing up to 18K-very expensive and perhaps overkill. I suspect that asking a seller/dealer these questions will result in biased, unreliable responses. You guys are experienced with no ax to grind. Can any of you help me out as to what I need to buy that will properly tow this 5th wheel? Thank you!

[Weldon]

Are you going fulltime or just for occasional trips.Fulltime diesel occasional gasser.

[W5CI]

I still think I got a Good deal on my RAM 3500 Diesel DRW, it cost less than the GMC 2500HD that I traded for it. If you really shop you can get a 1 ton for less than a 3/4 ton

[valhalla360]

Snip:
You are free to give OP your assessment of what constitutes the best value, but that's an individual assessment. To me a diesel is a substantially better value because I strongly prefer the performance, and I think the cost is a wash at the end of the day. I don't "need" a diesel, but most of us have a lot of things we don't need - like an RV!

FWIW, the diesel upgrade is closer to $8k, or in the Ram it's $6500 over the 6.4, which is the higher volume gas engine. I spent the better part of the last couple of years truck shopping, new and used. Outside of the 6.0/6.4 Fords, diesel trucks command a substantial premium on the used market (at least in my part of the country).

Thank you for allowing me to share my opinion...and you are free to give yours (you are welcome). It is also an individual assessment but mine is backed by the manufactures tow ratings which say the base gas V8 is fine.

If you are doing 0-60 times sure the diesel is better but the base V8 will likely serve the OP just fine (which happens to change your cost figure for a new diesel back to the $10k range as he doesn't need a big block V8).

In pricing used trucks, the was nothing close to a $10,000 or even $6500 pricing difference due to diesel. Maybe I just happened to find the odd diesels that were offered for less but I was watching prices for over a year and in a few areas of the country.

[IdaD]

valhalla360 wrote:

IdaD wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Unless you plan to tow a lot of miles (ie: 30-50k miles per year), a diesel is a waste of money.

Completely misguided. You don't buy a diesel to save money. You buy a diesel because you want/need the pulling power. PERIOD...

I agree but there are some still claiming the fuel savings are an advantage. Back in the day when diesel ran 20-30% less per gallon than gas and the diesel got 20-30% better MPG, at moderate annual milage, a diesel could provide enough savings to significantly (if not completely) offset the initial price.

Now that diesel seems to typically be higher price than gas, you need to drive a lot of miles to gain anything significant back. If you want it to pay for itself, you probably need to be running 30-50k miles per year, which is extremely rare even among full time RVers.

I also agree with your second statement, which actually supports my point, that it is a waste for the OP to get a diesel. For a 7-8,000lb trailer, a gas engine will do just fine. He doesn't need the pulling power of a diesel, so other than an ego boost, there is no point in getting one.

There also no point to all of the luxury features that most buy these days but nobody argues about those. You're also overlooking resale value. In the grand scheme of what you'll spend on a new truck the cost difference between gas vs diesel is irrelevant.

The luxury features fall under my ego comment. If you want a diesel just so you can brag about it, go for it but since the OP is asking the question, I assume he wants an assessment of the best value.

Having just bought on the used market (a little over a year ago), the prices for similar gas and diesel trucks were pretty much the same with condition being the main variant. I wouldn't count on getting your money back when you sell.

On the other hand last I checked, the diesel option is around $10k. Maybe irrelevant to you but that's a few years worth of gas money.

You are free to give OP your assessment of what constitutes the best value, but that's an individual assessment. To me a diesel is a substantially better value because I strongly prefer the performance, and I think the cost is a wash at the end of the day. I don't "need" a diesel, but most of us have a lot of things we don't need - like an RV!

FWIW, the diesel upgrade is closer to $8k, or in the Ram it's $6500 over the 6.4, which is the higher volume gas engine. I spent the better part of the last couple of years truck shopping, new and used. Outside of the 6.0/6.4 Fords, diesel trucks command a substantial premium on the used market (at least in my part of the country).

[valhalla360]

larry barnhart wrote:
I just finished a long bike ride in the rv resort we stay in each winter since 2002. I was surprised how many large fifthwheels with a f-150 or a 2500 pickup of any brand sitting along side of a larger fifth than our 35 ft alpenlite.

chevman

I helped a couple who just bought a 35'er last year. The park wanted it moved that day and they hadn't bought a truck yet.

I thought my poor little 3/4 ton was going to die and that was just a slow 5mph tool to a new site in the park. I couldn't imagine taking that out onto the freeway.

Of course, the OP is talking about a much smaller 5th wheel where a 3/4 ton is likely going to be fine (maybe even a heavy duty package 1/2 ton)

[valhalla360]

IdaD wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Unless you plan to tow a lot of miles (ie: 30-50k miles per year), a diesel is a waste of money.

Completely misguided. You don't buy a diesel to save money. You buy a diesel because you want/need the pulling power. PERIOD...

I agree but there are some still claiming the fuel savings are an advantage. Back in the day when diesel ran 20-30% less per gallon than gas and the diesel got 20-30% better MPG, at moderate annual milage, a diesel could provide enough savings to significantly (if not completely) offset the initial price.

Now that diesel seems to typically be higher price than gas, you need to drive a lot of miles to gain anything significant back. If you want it to pay for itself, you probably need to be running 30-50k miles per year, which is extremely rare even among full time RVers.

I also agree with your second statement, which actually supports my point, that it is a waste for the OP to get a diesel. For a 7-8,000lb trailer, a gas engine will do just fine. He doesn't need the pulling power of a diesel, so other than an ego boost, there is no point in getting one.

There also no point to all of the luxury features that most buy these days but nobody argues about those. You're also overlooking resale value. In the grand scheme of what you'll spend on a new truck the cost difference between gas vs diesel is irrelevant.

The luxury features fall under my ego comment. If you want a diesel just so you can brag about it, go for it but since the OP is asking the question, I assume he wants an assessment of the best value.

Having just bought on the used market (a little over a year ago), the prices for similar gas and diesel trucks were pretty much the same with condition being the main variant. I wouldn't count on getting your money back when you sell.

On the other hand last I checked, the diesel option is around $10k. Maybe irrelevant to you but that's a few years worth of gas money.

[larry_barnhart]

I just finished a long bike ride in the rv resort we stay in each winter since 2002. I was surprised how many large fifthwheels with a f-150 or a 2500 pickup of any brand sitting along side of a larger fifth than our 35 ft alpenlite.

chevman

[deltabravo]

DIESEL!!!!!!!!!!

[IdaD]

valhalla360 wrote:

N-Trouble wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Unless you plan to tow a lot of miles (ie: 30-50k miles per year), a diesel is a waste of money.

Completely misguided. You don't buy a diesel to save money. You buy a diesel because you want/need the pulling power. PERIOD...

I agree but there are some still claiming the fuel savings are an advantage. Back in the day when diesel ran 20-30% less per gallon than gas and the diesel got 20-30% better MPG, at moderate annual milage, a diesel could provide enough savings to significantly (if not completely) offset the initial price.

Now that diesel seems to typically be higher price than gas, you need to drive a lot of miles to gain anything significant back. If you want it to pay for itself, you probably need to be running 30-50k miles per year, which is extremely rare even among full time RVers.

I also agree with your second statement, which actually supports my point, that it is a waste for the OP to get a diesel. For a 7-8,000lb trailer, a gas engine will do just fine. He doesn't need the pulling power of a diesel, so other than an ego boost, there is no point in getting one.

There also no point to all of the luxury features that most buy these days but nobody argues about those. You're also overlooking resale value. In the grand scheme of what you'll spend on a new truck the cost difference between gas vs diesel is irrelevant.

[valhalla360]

N-Trouble wrote:

valhalla360 wrote:

Unless you plan to tow a lot of miles (ie: 30-50k miles per year), a diesel is a waste of money.

Completely misguided. You don't buy a diesel to save money. You buy a diesel because you want/need the pulling power. PERIOD...

I agree but there are some still claiming the fuel savings are an advantage. Back in the day when diesel ran 20-30% less per gallon than gas and the diesel got 20-30% better MPG, at moderate annual milage, a diesel could provide enough savings to significantly (if not completely) offset the initial price.

Now that diesel seems to typically be higher price than gas, you need to drive a lot of miles to gain anything significant back. If you want it to pay for itself, you probably need to be running 30-50k miles per year, which is extremely rare even among full time RVers.

I also agree with your second statement, which actually supports my point, that it is a waste for the OP to get a diesel. For a 7-8,000lb trailer, a gas engine will do just fine. He doesn't need the pulling power of a diesel, so other than an ego boost, there is no point in getting one.

[gmw_photos]

lots of complicated answers in this thread. Let's make this simple. The title of the thread is:

What to look for when shopping for a truck to tow 5th Wheel?

The easy answer is: "look for a truck that has four tires under the back axle, and 350 or 3500 on the badges".

then go camp, and have fun.

[eb145]

The biggest regret I had when buying my first truck was assuming there was a huge price and size difference between a 1 ton and a 3/4 ton, so I went with a 3/4 ton as it met my needs then.

It turns out the price difference between a 1-ton SRW truck and a 3/4 ton SRW truck is pretty small.

And the biggest difference between them seems to be the rear suspension that can handle more weight in the bed of the truck. Maybe the tires are beefier also.

So with just a little more money, you can get the 1-ton version of the same truck (rather than the 3/4 ton version) and if you didn't see the 3500/2500 badge you probably couldn't tell the difference.

And with the 1 ton version you can put a LOT more weight on the rear axle. The 5th wheel "pin weight" sits on the rear axle of the truck.

Anyway, that was my experience. I now have a RAM 3500 SRW Diesel.

Ed

[W5CI]

It kinda like your Camper, Get the biggest you can afford or you wont be happy until you do

[zb39]

randygk wrote:
Keep in mind one thing you get with a diesel over a gasser is the exhaust brake. If you tow in the mountains once you have one you'll probably never be without it.

The first time your in the rockies you will be glad you have it.