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Old 08-14-2017, 08:26 AM   #1
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8' truck bed vs shorter bed, pulling a 37' fifth wheel

Good morning,

I would greatly appreciate thought's on how important, or not, it is to have an 8' truck bed when pulling a 37' fifth wheel. I am looking into changing from an F250 to a RAM 2500 and it appears that the 8' beds are as scarce as hen's teeth.

Thanks
Tim
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Old 08-18-2017, 10:10 AM   #2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tim L. View Post
Good morning,

I would greatly appreciate thought's on how important, or not, it is to have an 8' truck bed when pulling a 37' fifth wheel. I am looking into changing from an F250 to a RAM 2500 and it appears that the 8' beds are as scarce as hen's teeth.

Thanks
Tim
IMHO, the longer wheel base will work much better. Are you sure a ¾ ton truck is enough? I used an F-450 to tow our 37' Redwood. The dual rear wheel setup is much more stable. Of course we towed a LOT of miles with ours.
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Old 08-18-2017, 10:55 AM   #3
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I have towed with both short & long bed trucks.

There are special concerns, when towing with a short-bed truck. Like, watching the corners of your cab, when making a tight turn while backing.
You can get a "slider hitch", which will allow you to slide your hitch point back to allow more room while in tight slow-speed maneuvers.

I would absolutely recommend going with a long bed truck for fifth-wheel towing. No hitch worries and a long-bed truck will give you a much better ride.
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Old 08-18-2017, 01:37 PM   #4
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According to Keystone's website, your hitch weight (dry) is over a ton. I wouldn't tow it with a ¾ ton truck.
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Old 08-18-2017, 04:10 PM   #5
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I would be hard pressed to justify pulling any type of rv with a shortbed pu. Now using it for hauling trash to the dump is another consideration.
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Old 08-18-2017, 05:03 PM   #6
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Any 250/2500 would be an unsafe choice for pulling a 37' 5th wheel. Even if the specs say it can pull a 16,000# trailer, it is the pin weight that will kill it and the gross combined weight rating GCWR is most likely lower than your actual combined weight. In adverse weather like wind, rain, ice and snow, downhill or emergency situations a short bed truck is much less able to control a large trailer than a long bed truck, no matter how good the brakes are. It is the larger footprint and mass that make the difference.
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Old 08-18-2017, 05:16 PM   #7
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Sounds like a lot for a 3/4 ton. Check your numbers carefully. Short bed... get a good auto- slide not a manual slide. 8 ft bed would be a better choice. Good luck with your decision.
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