Tow vehicle recommendations??

[SGhost]

Get one that runs on H2o. Everything else is either too expensive or won't get you far. Or.... Just have the dealer deliver it to the campsite then buy a trike, bike or something that you can sail, like this

https://youtu.be/97fjOmGg2jc

Diesel is projected to hit $10 gal this summer and DEF may not even be available by then.

[Zulu Kono]

Originally Posted by SGhost

Diesel is projected to hit $10 gal this summer and DEF may not even be available by then.

That ain't happening.

[JIMNLIN]

Any brand 350/3500 srw truck is limited by its small 7000 lb or 7230 lb or 7250 lb rawr as its gonna' have to carry all the trailers hitch weight/weight of the hitch and weight of other stuff in the bed.
Many one ton srw owners report their trucks rear axle weighs in the 3500 lb range leaving 3500lb up to 3750 lbs payload .....depending on rawr ratings.

JMO but by the time you load the truck and load the trailer your gonna' be adding in the 4000 lb range to the trucks rear axle/tires/wheels and rear suspension. Thats not safe even for me and I'm not a member of the forums weight police

Now look at a new gen 3500 drw GM with its big 10500 lb rawr. Now you have a truck with over 6500 lbs of in the bed payload for your rv dream trailer.

[Cumminsfan]

Originally Posted by SGhost

Get one that runs on H2o. Everything else is either too expensive or won't get you far. Or.... Just have the dealer deliver it to the campsite then buy a trike, bike or something that you can sail, like this

https://youtu.be/97fjOmGg2jc

Diesel is projected to hit $10 gal this summer and DEF may not even be available by then.

So it's 11 days until summer.
Diesel would have to rise $4 in the next month.
Really?
Was just in my local O'Reillys yesterday and they had DEF in several places in the store cause the normal shelf spot was full.

[Midlotexan]

Can you even find a new big boy truck of any brand? Where I live in Texas the lots are bare of such things. Used ones are nearly expensive as new.
I have '19 F350 SRW LWB, 6.7. One dealer offered me 4k less then I paid for it in '19 and it had 85K miles.
Drive what like, like what you drive!
Kirt

[Nwcid]

Originally Posted by Midlotexan

Can you even find a new big boy truck of any brand? Where I live in Texas the lots are bare of such things. Used ones are nearly expensive as new.
I have '19 F350 SRW LWB, 6.7. One dealer offered me 4k less then I paid for it in '19 and it had 85K miles.
Drive what like, like what you drive!
Kirt

My 2016 is with 75,000 miles is worth at least $5000 more than what I paid for it new.

[RVnAggie]

Another vote for a DRW truck. I’ve done it both ways with the same trailer which weighs 15.2-15.5k depending on how much water and a few other packing variables. I pulled it with a SRW for 3 years until I learned better.; another 3 yrs now with F350 DRW…..there is simply night and day difference.

Same trailer, same weight range, same driver but different truck = much more stability, stopping capacity, driving comfort and overall safety. Not enough difference at all in the daily driving of the 4 wheeler and 6 wheeler to compromise your safety and traveling comfort.

You certainly don’t want to risk having a rear blowout on a SRW truck with a 16k 5er on it. I had a coworker (longtime RV’er) who experienced this and it was very ugly. Many thousands of $$ in damage and almost a rollover in the median of the interstate…another point of consideration as you get set up for being a full-timer.

Safe travels and good luck with the truck search.

[MADP4301]

***DO NOT GET A 2500 anything only a 3500 regardless of SRW/DRW***

Go and test drive both driving around town. I think you will quickly learn that the difference between a long bed crew cab SRW and DRW is negligible. You cannot use most car washes and have to stay a tad further away from curb with a DRW. That’s really it. Now, if you drive a short bed crew cab SRW vs. Long bed DRW there is a big difference. I was a bit shocked when I made the switch and can only back into most parking spots even in big lots. No issue once I adapted but it was a change.

Since you’re new to 5th wheel’s nearly all will impact your truck and break your back window if you turn too sharp with a short bed. The way to prevent this is a slider hitch or simply never turning more than the max angle that the truck and 5th wheel will allow. I think we all have seen what happens when people forget and you hear the sound of smashing glass. I don’t camp that much and I have seen it happen twice, once right next to me! Thankfully their kids were outside with the mom as the dad was backing in so they didn’t get the glass shower.

If I ever downsize and go with a short bed I will get an auto sliding hitch just so I’m never “that guy” that is so focused on backing up and not paying attention to the cut angle!

Slider hitches do weigh more so you will lose another 100lbs of carrying capacity. Others have already chimed in but you will be at the max or slightly over rear axle weight with your trailer and any SRW truck. If it were me I would go DRW but a 16,500 max trailer is right on the cusp of SRW 3500 pin weights for new trucks.

Good luck make the right decision first so you don’t end up having to trade up trucks!!!!

[TB673]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

That size 5er is into DRW diesel territory due to the loaded pin weight of the trailer. Your payload on the truck will consist of the loaded trailer pin weight (ignore the brochure weight) plus the hitch plus any cargo plus passengers beyond the driver.

We are on our 3rd DRW truck and have been full-time for over 9 years now with the DRW as our only transportation. The wife drives the truck with and without the trailer.

As for the wide hips, if the mirrors fit through, so will the hips. The biggest issue with the DRW is that in the crewcab and long bed, the turning radius stinks, and you have ot adjust to that.

Ken

And it won't fit in a car wash...


Tim

[Rhagfo]

Originally Posted by TXiceman

That size 5er is into DRW diesel territory due to the loaded pin weight of the trailer. Your payload on the truck will consist of the loaded trailer pin weight (ignore the brochure weight) plus the hitch plus any cargo plus passengers beyond the driver.

We are on our 3rd DRW truck and have been full-time for over 9 years now with the DRW as our only transportation. The wife drives the truck with and without the trailer.

As for the wide hips, if the mirrors fit through, so will the hips. The biggest issue with the DRW is that in the crewcab and long bed, the turning radius stinks, and you have ot adjust to that.

Ken

It always seems that those that say driving a 350/3500 CC, LB, DRW is such a hassle are those that have never driven or tow with one.

As noted in these post by those that drive them it isn’t that bad at all!
We just visited Pier 39 in Astoria, Oregon drove right out to the pier, this time no oncoming traffic, last time met a SRW pickup and passed just fine.
The size is ONLY AN ISSUE IF MAKE IT ONE! I have seen people in sub-compact cars fudging the center line leaving 4’ between them a guard rail near the edge of the road.
I park where I want front row or back row, much safer to back in the try to dive in, far better visibility when leaving.

Originally Posted by TB673

And it won't fit in a car wash...


Tim

[JDT]

Ok, I know this is a loosing cause to the dually crowd, but towing with a single rear wheel truck does not mean disaster is imminent, as long as it has the specs to support the load, of course. My previous 2 trucks were a 2015 GMC 3500 and a 2017 Ford F350, both duallies. I guess my outlook on life is skewed but I hated driving them as my daily driver to the point that I traded our heavier fifth wheel for something that I could tow with a single. My 20 srw is the same length as my 17 dual but something about not having to account for the wide rear end makes a huge difference in my simple mind. Also, stability is often said to only be available with a dual but my rig is as stable a combo going down the road that I have ever owned, and this is fifth wheel number 6 for us. A bonus is the unloaded ride is so good we tend to take it on our longer solo trips and leave the wife's Subaru at home. I can usually average around 21 mpg which means I can go a long ways with the 48 gallon tank.

Another argument is having the extra tires in case of a blow out. I may jinx myself but in 40 years of owning 6 fifth wheels, 2 motorhomes and 2 popups, going no telling how many miles, I've never experienced a blow out. Keeping proper inflation and having quality tires adds a pound of prevention.

I will concede that a dually diesel is probably the best choice but there are some singles that will work if configured correctly. He said he does not want a dually and there are some singles that will probably work. The OP's Paradigm weighs less than 13K and has a little more than 2700 hitch weight, dry. Adding a washer and generator and his stuff will add quite a bit to the hitch weight, I'm guessing 600 to maybe 700 pounds. Depending on how they are equipped it's not difficult to configure a single with over 4K load capacity. My loaded Platinum has 4054. Finding one may be another story.

[JIMNLIN]

Jim,
keep in mind that 4054 lb payload on your one ton srw is a gvwr payload. Some F350 srw owners report a 44xx lb gvwr payload.
As I mentioned above in post #17 about the most pin weight...the hitch itself weight and other stuff in the bed is 3700-3800 lb before exceeding the trucks rear wheels/tires/suspension.

Now if some how all that 4k lbs + weight could be spread to the trucks front axle then the truck can carry those 4k+ weights.

[JDT]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

Jim,
keep in mind that 4054 lb payload on your one ton srw is a gvwr payload. Some F350 srw owners report a 44xx lb gvwr payload.
As I mentioned above in post #17 about the most pin weight...the hitch itself weight and other stuff in the bed is 3700-3800 lb before exceeding the trucks rear wheels/tires/suspension.

Now if some how all that 4k lbs + weight could be spread to the trucks front axle then the truck can carry those 4k+ weights.

I totally understand what you are saying. Certainly not trying to be argumentative. I was just trying to point out that manufacturers have made some single rear wheel trucks much more capable in the past few years and can safely handle some heavier fifth wheels than used to be possible. You are right that the rear axle capacity could be overloaded but overall weight still be in specs.

Shortly after we got our rig I weighed it at a local QT truck stop. First I weighed the truck with a full tank of diesel. It was 5140 in the front and 3620 in the rear. I then weighed it with the Pinnacle which was packed for a month long trip to the Colorado Rockies. The front axle only gained 40 pounds but the rear axle came in at 6700, a 3080 weight gain. Dry hitch weight was less than 2500 but adding a Splendide washer/dryer, a Reese Goose Box and a closet full of clothes to the nose caused some bloating. I've got a decent cushion with my 7230 rear axle rating but I can see where it could be exceeded with a hitch weight in the 3700 range. It would be great if the OP knew his weights before he got a truck but it generally doesn't work that way. I have my doubts that it would gain a thousand pounds but who knows.

[kdauto]

Originally Posted by TB673

And it won't fit in a car wash...


Tim

Hmm, mine has been through numerous automated car washes across the continent. Imagine that.