Community Forums

EnolaEagle · 06-03-2012, 08:55 PM

Hi! Sorry, I'm not an NH owner so I don't mean to crash this area. I've kinda followed these over the years and just wondering what ya'll are towing the Majestics with? Looks like the rock bottom selection is an F450

Loren B. · 06-17-2012, 09:56 PM

Todd,
　
That’s a wide-open question. The answer, of course, is, "It depends."
　
We bought a travel trailer, not a fifth-wheel. Ours is 36-feet long and weighs about 15,000 pounds empty. We tow it with our 2008 Dodge with a 6.7 liter Cummins diesel. The truck is working hard to tow that much weight, and it may be over Dodge’s specified towing capacity, but I am unwilling to drive around town with a mini-semi after I get where I’m going and unhitch the trailer. I am pretty sure that my truck would be within specs if I had a fifth-wheel trailer that weighed the same amount. Generally pickups are rated to tow more weight if you put the hitch in the bed of the truck.
　
Most New Horizons trailers weigh more than ours. A great many are towed with the larger series Fords, like the F450 you mention. I am not at all familiar with the Ford line and towing capacities for their trucks, so I’ll leave that for someone who does know.
　
I also see some of the New Horizons fifth-wheel trailers being pulled by the single-rear-axle tractors made by Freightliner and other semi-tractor manufacturers.
　
A New Horizons trailer is custom-built for the customer who orders it. If you order a big, heavy one, be prepared to get a heavy-duty truck to tow it.
　
Good luck,
– Loren

EnolaEagle · 06-17-2012, 10:12 PM

Thanks Loren. I'm pretty much the same way as you in that I won't use a tractor for reasons of transportation after the unit is parked.

Marnin · 06-18-2012, 05:10 PM

If your truck meets the requirements of your RV's weight I agree to get a smaller truck, however not buying a strong enough truck to safely tow and stop your rig because you are unwilling to drive a F450 or 550 because it is the size of a semi and may be a little inconvenient to use around town, in my opinion, is very short sighted and dangerous to you and others on the road.

chaunclm · 06-18-2012, 06:34 PM

I don't think the 450 and 350 pickups are different in length and width. I would expect that the 450 is a little stiffer and has a stronger frame as well as bigger brakes. The standard rear end has a higher ration.

I would not purchase a tow vehicle knowing that the manufacturer does not recommend the towing capability needed for the rig that I planned to purchase.

When we travel we gross around 20,500 pounds, and our truck is designed to handle 21,000 pounds. We are at the point where if we add something we must get rid of something.

We recently had to shut down hard for a red light and our anti-lock on the truck engaged. Afterwards, I cranked up my trailer brakes a bit harder to have a little more capacity. I really like to have the trailer trail the truck as a jackknife occurs when the trailer wheels lock up. Its a compromise as to how to divide the braking between the trailer and truck.

Back in 2005 we did about 2000 miles of gravel in Canada and Alaska. I pulled the fuse after the first hundred miles for the anti-lock brakes because in gravel the anti-lock just did not work. After pulling the fuse we had 250% better braking.

I not 100% convinced that anti-lock braking is better when towing.

EnolaEagle · 06-18-2012, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marnin

If your truck meets the requirements of your RV's weight I agree to get a smaller truck, however not buying a strong enough truck to safely tow and stop your rig because you are unwilling to drive a F450 or 550 because it is the size of a semi and may be a little inconvenient to use around town, in my opinion, is very short sighted and dangerous to you and others on the road.

My intentions are not to be dangerous for my convenience. If I save enough pennies someday to get, for instance, a New Horizons coach I would purchase the largest pickup style truck (f450 etc...) and match the trailer size/weight to it. I'm just not a fan of the flatbed conversion look or HDT's and was wondering what the ratio is between larger scale pickups or HDT's.
Even though an F450 is rated to tow 24k lbs, I hear that getting over 21k becomes unsafe(r) with stopping.. by NH's site, a 34-36' coach with 3 slides is on average around 17k lbs, dry which fixes you up right around 21k cargo'd up. I'm wondering how many push Fords ratings to the limit and either deal with it or get a bigger truck.

Loren B. · 06-18-2012, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnolaEagle

I'm wondering how many push Fords ratings to the limit and either deal with it or get a bigger truck.

Remember a motto to live by: If the minimum weren’t good enough, it wouldn’t be the minimum.
　
Okay, that’s a joke. But my point is that if Ford rates a truck to tow 21,000 pounds, then it seems to me that you can safely tow 21,000 pounds. Naturally, you can tow a pop-up camping trailer with a Freightliner, and it would undoubtedly be safer than towing a flatbed trailer loaded with 50,000 pounds of steel. Does that mean that the 50,000 pound load is unsafe even if the truck is rated to tow 80,000 pounds? Sure it’s less safe than towing the pop-up, but it’s still within the limits.

Again, if the limits were unsafe, they wouldn’t be the limits.
– Loren

greyt-parent · 06-23-2012, 03:22 PM

Just to throw in my 2 cents worth (2.06 cents as we are currently visiting family in Canada).
The 5th Wheel Loaded Trailer weight for a 2011 F450 4x4 dually is 24,400 with a GWR of 33,000 using a 4.3 axle ration. To smooth out the ride, we outfitted the truck with a Kelderman Air Bag suspension.
We tow a 41' Majestic coming in at just under 23,000 loaded with triple E/H Disc brakes.
So far our only experience with hills has been I24 east bound to Chattanooga, a 6% grade. We had no problems accelerating up the hill to pass the 18 wheelers and the exhaust brakes & Tow/Haul mode downshifting as needed kept us under control on the down side with the occasional tap on the disc brakes.
At 22' of long bed crew cab and 8' wide, the most difficult task is finding a spot in the grocery store parking lot (We needed the crew cab as the dogs take up all of the back seat).

Marnin · 06-25-2012, 08:35 AM

I looked at the 450 and 550 and decided for the few thousand more, the 550 was a stronger and safer truck. The parking is an issue sometimes in larger cities. When we go shopping we know we will not be parking up close. LOL. Instead we always look for the spots furthest away and have not had problems parking.

NULarry B · 06-27-2012, 06:43 AM

The one draw back I see with the F-550 is that they down grade the motor100 hp from 400 to 300 hp.
That to me is a lot of power to lose.

Marnin · 06-27-2012, 05:43 PM

I could be wrong but the new 6.7l power stroke engine that Ford engineered last year is 400 hp in all models.

NULarry B · 07-01-2012, 07:38 PM

Marnin
One of my buddies has an F550, and he called me and asked what horse power my F450 was, because his was 300 horse.

Marnin · 07-02-2012, 07:38 AM

Larry,
What year is his 550? As far as I know the last two years 2011 and 2012 there is no difference between the 450 and 550.

wa8yxm · 07-02-2012, 08:52 AM

If that is a 5th wheel (Heck I think they do TTs too)

Google: Trail Hauler

Check that out.. For sure it can tow the rig.

One word of caution though:

IF you buy one of those, You wil have lots of folks asking "Do you think that is big enough to tow your trailer"

And the proper response is to laugh,, Just laugh. That's all the answer they need.