Alannyiri
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Re: New truck.....now what?
I was concerned about this same issue. We purchased a RW 38GK last September at the Hershey RV Show, and the dealer agreed to store it a year since we don't start FT until the end of 2014. This gave me time to get the best TV for our useage. I had already decided that a standard pickup box would offer awfully low clearance and little lockable storage, so I started looking for utility bed bodies I could mount on a Ram 3500 crew cab chassis cab dually, and found the Knapheide Westerner body. The bed sits an inch higher than the standard pickup, but the rails are seven inches lower, so this should give me plenty of clearance while also giving us about 40 cubic feet of lockable storage for tools and stuff. This rig will be delivered in June and will go to the Knapheide dealer, where they'll install the body. They will have to fabricate some brackets for the 22K Reese's hitch, but this shouldn't be a big problem. The moment of truth will come when I get the TV and drive the 300 miles to the RV dealer to pick up the 5er. It may be perfect, we may have to adjust the height of hitch and/or pin box, or it may all go horribly wrong. I did the research for two months, but some times the best laid plans of men... :-) If I had the $30K I'd have ordered a hauler body from Classy Chassis, but that was too rich for my blood. I'll let you know how it all works out.350Views0likes0CommentsRe: new ram 3500 4x4 tailgate height and fifth wheel clearance
I was concerned about this same issue. We purchased a RW 38GK last September at the Hershey RV Show, and the dealer agreed to store it a year since we don't start FT until the end of 2014. This gave me time to get the best TV for our useage. I had already decided that a standard pickup box would offer awfully low clearance and little lockable storage, so I started looking for utility bed bodies I could mount on a Ram 3500 crew cab chassis cab dually, and found the Knapheide Westerner body. The bed sits an inch higher than the standard pickup, but the rails are seven inches lower, so this should give me plenty of clearance while also giving us about 40 cubic feet of lockable storage for tools and stuff. This rig will be delivered in June and will go to the Knapheide dealer, where they'll install the body. They will have to fabricate some brackets for the 22K Reese's hitch, but this shouldn't be a big problem. The moment of truth will come when I get the TV and drive the 300 miles to the RV dealer to pick up the 5er. It may be perfect, we may have to adjust the height of hitch and/or pin box, or it may all go horribly wrong. I did the research for two months, but some times the best laid plans of men... :-) If I had the $30K I'd have ordered a hauler body from Classy Chassis, but that was too rich for my blood. I'll let you know how it all works out.560Views0likes0CommentsRe: Cable operated dump valves
What have you all found to be an effective preventative maintenance procedure to keep the cables pliable and easy to open/close? We'll be taking delivery of a new Redwood 38 GK at the end of June. This unit uses cable controlled waste valves as well. We'll be full-timing soon after, and I plan to keep the valves closed for daily living, then opening and flushing tanks when the BW tank reaches about half full. So this may be every 3-5 days - time will tell. I read about the problems people have, and just wonder if many could be averted by an effective regimen from the beginning. Thanks in advance.555Views0likes0CommentsRe: CM hauler bed, model TM
I've "solved" this dilemma by going for a Knapheide Westerner body instead. The bed height increase is lower - 5.5" rather than 7.75" for the TM - and the toolboxes are all just 12" above the bed. There is not a taller box in front, so that concern is eliminated. Not the maximum amount of additional storage (about 40 cubic ft),but the maximum amount of confidence. Thanks again to you who responded!372Views0likes0CommentsRe: Pulling a 5th wheel
We're doing something similar to pull our new Redwood 42 footer. Ordering a dual wheel, crew cab (no rear seats for extra storage) chassis cab Ram 3500 TODAY, Yay. Going to put a Knapheide Westerner bed on it for additional locked storage and no rail issues. The low profile toolboxes will end up at 51" - the Redwood sits at 58". The bed will sit at 39" so we'll select the hitch last, choosing the one which best fits. There are low-profile hitches out there from Reese, Pullrite, even B&W. As new full timers, we want as much storage as possible. See ya out there!446Views0likes0CommentsRe: CM hauler bed, model TM
Thank you gents for your knowledgable input. I'll be visiting my RV dealer this coming week, and will give them this info. Hopefully, we'll come to a decision which will be workable. I'd hate to give up the additional storage that a utility bed like the TM would provide, but I'm also wary of the low clearance issues which the new, taller pickups can introduce. This is exactly why we bought the Fiver first, to allow us to then make the best TV decision. Any other ideas?373Views0likes0CommentsCM hauler bed, model TM
Does anyone have experience with the model TM hauler body manufactured by CM? I'm looking for a solid hauler bed to put on a 2014 Ram 3500 crew cab dually chassis, and really can't justify the $20-30K for an aluminum bed by ClassyChassis or Douglas. I can get a TM body with a 22k Reese hitch installed for about $8K. I'll be pulling a 2014 Redwood 38GK (42 foot). I've read in a TDR forum that when someone looked at the TM body, it rode too high to haul his fiver flat, but he didn't specify what he was hauling. I can only afford to do this once, so I've got to get it right the first time. Thanks.4.3KViews0likes7CommentsRe: Deisel vs. Gasoline
Thanks to everyone who has shared their knowledge and experience. The Hemi gasser was just a passing thought and is no longer in the running, and neither is a HDTV hauler, :-) That's just a huge overkill on my budget and my needs: the truck will be parked 90% of the time and I'm not a retiring investment banker, lol. I'll consider a 4500 but will need convincing of the advantages, if any (increased braking power?). The bigger decision I've been focused on is the body I'll put on the chassis. ClassyChassis and Douglas make nice aluminum bodies, but they take months to build and deliver and are over $20K. CM bodies make a nice model TM with a fair amount of storage, but being steel it's heavy and rust-prone. But since I don't expect to be towing longer than ten years or so, that body will probably outlast mine. Thanks again ... See ya'll down the road!230Views0likes0CommentsRe: Deisel vs. Gasoline
AuntSmurf wrote: Think about what each engine was designed to do. The gas engine was built to basically "toodle" us around. The diesel was built to WORK. When you look at it that way, kind of a "Decision Made" moment. :) My mind was already made up until I let myself second-guess myself ... :-)244Views0likes0Comments
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Interested in fifth wheels? You've come to the right spot.Jan 13, 202519,006 Posts
