newbie needs input on truck and 5er

[Got2golf]

Hi - we have never RVed before. Looking at 6 months of RVing as snowbirds. We want to go off the beaten path a bit - so will move around rather than staying in one park the whole time. Looking at something like an Arctic Fox 29 footer with a Ford F250 or 350 diesel, SWR, 4 door, leather interior with all bells/whistles. Dually seems a little over the top for us. Looking at a 6 foot bed so truck can fit in the garage.

We will definitely be doing the west coast, through the mountains, and also to Midwest to visit family. Want well constructed vehicles that will last - we tend to keep our cars at least 10 years - and with the truck/5er we plan to do the same. Two adults, no kids, no pets, golf clubs and who knows what else we will want down the road?!

Where we are struggling is how to match the "numbers" from the tow vehicle and the 5er. Can we use the actual numbers (GVWR, hitch weight, etc) or do we need to buffer them a bit?

We do not own either vehicle yet - plan to purchase new. Trying to do as much researching before buying so that we don't make a major mistake and have to trade in after just a year or so.

We drove an F250 diesel Lariat and it seemed pretty nice. How would ride change with F350? Any other options we should be sure to include? omit?

Thanks in advance for your replies - we are learning a ton!

Diane and Paul

[RustyJC]

Since you own neither at this point, pick out the 5th wheel you want. With the GVWR of the 5th wheel available, we can then help you size a truck that can pull it within its ratings.

Rusty

[Scottybdivin]

If you definitely want to stay with a SRW, go with the F-350. Same footprint, drive train, but more GVWR, and there is very little difference in cost.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by RustyJC

Since you own neither at this point, pick out the 5th wheel you want. With the GVWR of the 5th wheel available, we can then help you size a truck that can pull it within its ratings.

Rusty

X2. If a salesman starts quoting you " Dry weights" as part of your calculations .. walk away.
Use the trailer GVWR and figure 20% of that will be the pin weight required for a good ride/control, on the rear axle of the truck. Then Take the pick up your considering accross the scales, get individual axle weights, before you buy , to make sure all the advertised payload capacities are correct. Many times the payload is calculated from a " base " model truck and every option takes away from the payload.

[menoble]

Originally Posted by Got2golf

Hi - we have never RVed before. Looking at 6 months of RVing as snowbirds. We want to go off the beaten path a bit - so will move around rather than staying in one park the whole time. Looking at something like an Arctic Fox 29 footer with a Ford F250 or 350 diesel, SWR, 4 door, leather interior with all bells/whistles. Dually seems a little over the top for us. Looking at a 6 foot bed so truck can fit in the garage.

We will definitely be doing the west coast, through the mountains, and also to Midwest to visit family. Want well constructed vehicles that will last - we tend to keep our cars at least 10 years - and with the truck/5er we plan to do the same. Two adults, no kids, no pets, golf clubs and who knows what else we will want down the road?!

Where we are struggling is how to match the "numbers" from the tow vehicle and the 5er. Can we use the actual numbers (GVWR, hitch weight, etc) or do we need to buffer them a bit?

We do not own either vehicle yet - plan to purchase new. Trying to do as much researching before buying so that we don't make a major mistake and have to trade in after just a year or so.

We drove an F250 diesel Lariat and it seemed pretty nice. How would ride change with F350? Any other options we should be sure to include? omit?

Thanks in advance for your replies - we are learning a ton!

Diane and Paul

You're off to a good start, you've told the forum HOW you plan to use your rig. Cheating on the numbers is never good, but there's a big difference between putting in serious road miles or just dragging your RV down to the local campground and back on the weekends. IMO, the bigger the tow vehicle the better, you'll need it. My SRW is solid as a rock, but I like the redundancy of duals, so I'll have one some day. I'm a diesel fan, but I hear some of the new gas motors are rivaling the coal burners in power and torque. An F-350 will ride a little rougher empty, but you'll enjoy the ride a lot more when you're loaded. You'll be warned about the short bed, but I've seen several 'shortbed friendly' models out there, and there's plenty of threads about slider hitches, etc to read through. There's lots of good information here, use it.

[Got2golf]

Thanks ... It sounds like it would be better and cheaper to get an eight foot bed and park it in the driveway! What is difference in driving 8footer than a 6 foot bed...with about a30 foot fifth wheel. Still hesitant to do dual lays, but you guys might convince me yet.

[JIMNLIN]

The Artic Fox 29 5k and 5t show a 16600 GVWR with a 5390 CCC and 15700 GVWR with a 4800 CCC. I see many Artic Fox owners with the 29 series report trailer weights in the 13k-14k range. That equates to around 2600-2800 lbs pin weight. Fits the F350 SRW nicely.

IMO the F250 simply doesn't have the axle capacity for carrying pin weight for those numbers.

I would look at the 2wd F350 SRW with a 11500 GVWR 6730 RAWR super cab 141" wheel base.

The same truck in a 4x4 has those bigger 7000 RAWR and another 200-400 lbs of payload according to Fords body advisory spec sheets.

Be warned not all F350 SRW truck are equal. Some have the same 10000 GVWR as the F250 but have a 6290 RAWR vs the F250 6100 RAWR.

[Got2golf]

We will go with f350 with 11500 gvwr. Want the 4x4 for snow. The super cab with 8 foot bed just barely fits in garage. Can not find one with the lariat plus package. I really want those heated seats!

Agree, the artic fox 29 will work. We would like to have some wiggle room just in case we want a little bigger floorplan...31 or so should be plenty for us.

[Skip426]

Originally Posted by Got2golf

We will go with f350 with 11500 gvwr. Want the 4x4 for snow. The super cab with 8 foot bed just barely fits in garage. Can not find one with the lariat plus package. I really want those heated seats!

Agree, the artic fox 29 will work. We would like to have some wiggle room just in case we want a little bigger floorplan...31 or so should be plenty for us.

Snow ? Heated Seats? Thought you were setting up for Snowbirding?
Just Kidding.
Canadian Snowbird Rules , morning after Canadian Thanksgiving, start loading RV. Oct. 15 th. hook up and point south, keep driving until no local resident you meet , understands the term " wind chill " do not return home till your neighbors tell you your grass needs cutting.

[Fred1609]

Here is the Ford Link for conventional towing and 5th wheel towing.
2013 Ford Super Duty | View Towing Specifications | Ford.com

[Blacksmith9]

The short bed(6.6ft ) will work just fine. Use the Pullrite Superglide 18K and no worries. I pull a 36QRE Grand Junction with my short bed F-350 . Much easier to maneuver around town .

[chief02]

Dodge Cummins 3500 and an Excel behind it.

[JohnBoyToo]

We have the 350 cc sb swr with the 11.5k gvwr and have to say it SEEMS to ride better than our 250 did with airbags. IMHO

And a great surprise is the turning radius is better than the shorter ford excursions I had !

now it is a 2013 platinum versus the 2012 lariat so it has a FEW more bells and whistles :-) :-) :-)
Like heated front AND rear seats with special platinum leather & heated steering wheel, among other things .....

And the pullrite superslider is automatic so one less thing to worry about !

This combo works perfectly for us. Good luck .

[SkiSmuggs]

If you get a fiver with extended pin and cutaway lower front, often called Max Turn or something similar, the 6.5' bed will be just fine even without a slider hitch. Added plus is better aerodynamics for better fuel mileage.