Newb - need help determining needed TV for FW

[BCam]

This may be a dumb question, but are you sure you should get a 5r that big?

[CWSWine]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

Pushing whos limits ??
The trucks actual legal load limits or what you consider the limits are.

The OP says quote; ""Newb- need help determining needed tv for FW"".

Regardless of towing experience he needs to know his trucks legal load limits. I won't tell a newb whats best for him/her to tow.
That way he won't make the mistake many rv newbs do and some rv members push is blindly using the trucks gvwr based payload sticker number as a pin weight that in many cases that number overloads the trucks rear axle/tires/wheels/suspension.

What logic. You tell someone he can exceed his GVWR/Payload by as much as a thousand pounds by using axle ratings and that will stops a newbs make the mistake of overloading their axles.LOL Going by axle ratings all you have to do miss judge your pencil pin wieght by few pounds and you are over.

[Bill Nourse]

Lot of good answers here and I can give you one more that might or might not help. I went to a larger 5th wheel, 2021 XLR Nitro 37', dry weight 12,377. I was towing it with a 2002 2500HD Duramax CC SWB. The truck was equipped with upgraded tires, airbags and a Bully Dog chip. The truck handled the trailer just fine. No problems pulling, no problems stopping, no problems feeling out of control. No problems overheating. Took the rig from NM to Montana over high mountains, terrible roads, interstate and temperatures from 50 to 99 degrees for about 2,000 miles. The truck was a little short on power compared to the newer versions, but still had the power to safely merge and pull.

Despite the truck handling everything fine, I still felt that the 2500 was a little short in the britches based on Chevrolet's specs for the truck, so I decided to step up to a 3500 Duramax SRW which I am currently waiting for.

This video illustrates that the newer 2500 HD is capable of 16,000 even though it might not be ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJfHvfismu4

[Lonesome54]

Dave even tho with diesel ¾ ton truck could move a 40fter the wind would sure make it hard to handle even with trucks going by your dully is right on mark

[2upServant]

Audionut, I understand your desire for your truck in the garage. check the height a single wheel 1 ton may not fit height-wise. to reality ask anyone who has pulled with a single wheel when you hit strong wind the tail wags the dog with the trailer being 40 feet. then ask how many folks squirm driving a dual rear wheel in the same wind. it is substantially less of an issue with duals. For me personally, I love the dually and prefer pulling any trailer with the dually over a single rear wheel, it is so much more comfortable drive-wise. if I remember you are driving from South Dakota down to Texas that is a really long drive with a truck running at maximum capacity. you will not regret a bigger truck. and possibly you could get better mileage driving the bigger truck better tranny. then killing the smaller motor. I went from 6 MPG pulling a trailer with my 1 ton to a little over 9 MPG driving the truck I own now. I know my truck can handle any 5th wheel I choose to pull.

[Dave Pelletier]

Originally Posted by Dark Sky

Well OP, you probably feel like you've stepped in a fresh cow paddy. It is safe to say these things:

-everyone agrees to never exceed your axle rating
-everyone agrees to never exceed your tire rating
-everyone agrees to never exceed your GCWR (total weight of truck and trailer)

-there are totally opposing positions on exceeding your GVWR yellow sticker

One position is that the GVWR's on this family of vehicles is 'arbitrary' since a near identical pair of trucks can have different stickers. The 10,000 lb GVWR is relevant since in some jurisdictions the annual registration rates increase quite a bit on vehicles with a GVWR above 10k lbs. You might say the number is part of 'marketing'.
However, once the sticker is on the truck, the manufacturer will of course provide all of the appropriate legal words indicating the figure is not to be exceeded. Some are quoting these directives, certainly a valid position and worth considering. Some are quoting various rules and regs that apply to the real heavy duty OTR rigs and the argument reels on.
Nobody has produced hard evidence of a lawsuit of any kind based on an RV'er involved in an accident wherein exceeding the GVWR has brought liability into the picture. Could it ever happen? It's easy to imagine in the world we live in.
It's possible to affect your pin weight with the way you load, depending on location of water tank versus axles, where heavy items are stored, and so on. I had a 2011 F350 dually that I used to tow an 18k toy hauler. It did the job really well, even though the truck would squat over 4 inches if I didn't have any toys in the garage. Too light a pin weight will lead to handling problems so it's probably good to stay with an estimate pretty close to 20% of gross trailer weight.
I think it comes down to being practical while erring on the side of safety. I am presently shopping for a diesel that can handle a 13k 5er. All of my research has left me with a rule of thumb that the break points for our modern trucks are 9k limit for half tons, 9-12k will need a 3/4 ton, 12-15k will need a 1 ton SRW. Anything heavier is dually for me. Those extra tire sidewalls are very helpful for overall stability. Even with 18k trying to push me I was always comfortable getting around the curve at the bottom of the hill.
The trailer selection is not settled and we might go smaller Even if we get an 11 or 12k trailer, I am going with a 1 ton SRW. I figure the truck is going to be a ten year asset. I cannot predict the size of a possible next trailer, something else to consider.

This may or may not be helpful, but it's pretty tough to get a universal recommendation for something like this in the world of internet forums.

Good post.

Dave

[freestyle_freddy]

You will most likely end up wanting to carry more cargo than you're currently planning. Also, why travel with empty tanks? That doesn't make any sense & is a hassle. The other option is to reduce the size of the 5er. 41 ft is really long. My wife & I have been fulltiming in a 34 ft 5er for 12 years & love it. It is just the right size for us. Any longer than that makes it difficult to find campsites in some of the older rv parks & most National Parks. Also, you may wish to upgrade your 5er in the future, & you don't want to replace the truck again. Also, weight relates somewhat to quality. The really light units don't hold up well for other than weekend use. I would suggest getting a dually & then you're covered for any rig you get for many years to come. The first time you drive a dually, it may seem cumbersome, but you get used to it. I've been driving a diesel dually for 12 years of fulltiming, over 200k miles, & love it. My wife even enjoys it.

[philiprmcgov]

Hey, NEWB!

If you’re still reading through these responses, here’s the best advice you’re going to get:

Bite the bullet and get a badass Ford F-350 dually (diesel, of course) and you’re done. You can quit worrying about being under-trucked and, best of all, you can’t quit reading all of the well-intentioned, but never-ending, threads on this subject. Also, you will all set to tow your next bigger, better RV when that time comes.

The next step up for a TV would be a Freightliner, but that’s a whole ‘nuther subject. Good luck!