Jose_de_Sucre
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Re: Tow behind VS Fifth wheelers
Got it, thanks! Actually, in my previous post I said something thats not correct about the mpg I get from my Laramie Ram. When I am not towing anything and I am gently on the gas pedal my mpg on the road is about 19. That number drops to 14 when I am towing and/or I drive more "enthusiastically". Fourteen is also my bottom when driving errands in traffic, etc. And that is double what I used to get from my Pace Arrow with a Magnum engine. So, let's see what happens when I start towing a TT :)476Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow behind VS Fifth wheelers
dodge guy wrote: As far as mileage goes, towing a TT isn't going to any better in the mileage department! You'll be lucky to hit 8 mpg. With a MH you are only driving a gas guzzler on vacations. With a truck you will be driving a gas guzzler daily. As far as maintenance is concerned, on a MH you only need to do an oil change once a year. As well as transmission services around 50k mile interval. So in reality owning a MH isn't more to maintain. As far as insurance goes. You will still have to insure the trailer. I truly think you will regret going to a trailer from a class A. Looking back that is the route I wish I would've went when we got into RV'ing. Ide much rather have a better vehicle for everyday driving. Just something to think about. Thanks. I will have all that in mind. But, my wife and I are both retired and empty-nesters, so we will be RVing more than just during "a vacation". And my RAM gives me almost the same mileage on the road when I am towing or not towing my boat. But of course the boat is not as heavy. So I am going to experiment and we will see. ;)476Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow behind VS Fifth wheelers
dodge guy wrote: Since this part hasn't been covered yet and it's been bothering me for 5 pages! Any trailer is a tow behind, PuP, Travel Trailer and fifth wheel (there is no r in fifth wheel BTW ,LOL). They all get towed behind something. OK I feel better now! The fifth wheel tows better than a TT. But a TT can tow just as well if it's setup properly. However since you have a class A now I don't think you'll like going to a TT. I would find a newer class A in good shape rather than buy a new trailer. Thanks for your advice. I already sold my class A, and the reason for switching to a TT is money. The mpg with any MH is terrible, and even more having to tow a car. Plus the cost of two insurances, two registrations, two engines and transmissions to maintain, etc.477Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow behind VS Fifth wheelers
lawrosa wrote: Jose de Sucre wrote: Soooooorry, shame on me. My RAM is a Laramie, not a Dakota. And it does have a 5.7 Hemi. With a class IV hitch it can tow up to 10.000 lbs, and same weight for a fifth wheeler/gooseneck. He has the laramie... If this ram PDF is correct he has the 20" wheels that are frowned upon for towing.. That puts him at 1400 lbs payload. http://www.rambodybuilder.com/2008/docs/dr/mlup1500.pdf ( I have a 1400 pound payload too but mine was cat scaled with 34 gal fuel and me 200 lbs in the truck. Thats 414 lbs) So technically 1850 is my payload dry.. From that PDF he has identical specs to my 2006 silverado. Axles rates and all.. But best part is he has the 5 speed with 3:92 rear.. I have 3:42 and 4 speed.. Page 6 bottom shows the larimie.. Yes you are absolutely right on everything here. I didn't know the 20' wheels were frowned upon for towing, but I guess I can't change them because it will throw out my speedometer/odometer. However, I've been towing my boat without problems, so I'll take my chances with a small or mid-size trailer of no more than 5000 lbs.476Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow behind VS Fifth wheelers
A good education, indeed! Obviously, the first silly idea that I have to put to rest is the possibility of switching to a mid-size SUV in order to get better gas mileage. What we all need is more torque, and that means poor MPG. Right? Well, at least 14 mpg with my RAM is twice as much what I got from my old Pace Arrow!240Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow behind VS Fifth wheelers
TurnThePage wrote: For the moment, ignoring the fifth wheel option, your truck has a gross weight rating of 6700 lbs. That means the weight of the truck + the weight of the passengers + the weight in/on the bed + the weight of the trailer tongue should not exceed 6700 lbs. (If you weighed your truck, you might be shocked to learn you probably only have 400 or 500 lbs left for the tongue weight of the trailer.) In order for a travel trailer to be towed safely, it's tongue weight needs to 10% - 15% of the total trailer weight. Likely closer to 12% or higher in most cases. So, if you towed a 10,000 lb trailer, your tongue weight would be between 1000 - 1500 lbs. That 1500 lbs would count against your truck's gross vehicle weight rating. If you exceed that GVWR by a couple hundred pounds, you'll likely be just fine, but you should already see that you are pushing the envelope. If you chose a fifth wheel, it's pretty typical for about 20% of it's total weight to be resting on the hitch in the bed of your truck. Fifth wheels always weigh more than similar trailers simply because of their beefed up and more complex frames. Sorry for the bad news, but it's best to find out now before you buy something you can't tow. Very useful. Thank you very much. I think I can live with a 5000 lbs trailer, for which I already have the proper hitch. So, 15% would be about 750 lbs. We'll see.187Views0likes0Comments
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