Need Help sizing tow truck - RV-Dreams Community Forum

Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog · RV-Dreams Family Member

Need Help sizing tow truck

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

1 Ton Dually at minimum(350..3500)

Bill and Linda · RV-Dreams Family Member

Short answer: Chevy 3500HD or Ford F-350. ("1-ton") But you want a dual rear wheel truck and naturally we assume you are talking diesel, not a gasser. Don't short change yourself with too little truck. That trailer could become a 16,000 lb rig in a heart beat and you will have more weight in the truck than just that 2K hitch weight from the trailer.

Keep in mind that the ratings of the 3500 and 350 were improved significantly beginning in 2011. However, some of the earlier models (dual rear wheel) will do the job for that trailer. Just make sure you check the specification for the exact model year you are looking at, Chevy, Ford or Dodge. Chevy was somewhat stable (didn’t change) for a lot of years. Ford and Dodge were a bit more variable, up and down in some of the earlier model years and “it depends.”

Enjoy the hunt

Bill

PD CFK · RV-Dreams Family Member

When we picked out our Cameo 37CKSLS, we immediately went on a hunt to buy the truck to pull with. We were fortunate to be able to get a new one and quickly decided on Ford even though DH drove a Chevy for 10 years prior and loved it. The Ford just felt better to us and the 2011 version was really improved for pulling. But we bless the day that an older, wiser salesman stepped in to suggest to us that we really would be safer with a DRW, rather than the SRW we were considering. The weight and size factor really warrented the extra capacity and tread on the ground. Just our experience. Good luck and enjoy RVing. Pk

The Bear II · RV-Dreams Family Member

Go for the biggest truck you can afford. You'll be glad to have a safety margin.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

road of happy destiny wrote:
OK I agree with almost everything I've read of having a bigger truck and able to haul more weight. I've alwauys thought that having a dually would be better for towing a fiver. DW states she doesn't want one or will drive one. Can't go through drivethru's, bank, MacD's. We rarely do that now. But have heard from other's that say they wished they had never bought a dually, difficulty in filling, changing or if a blowout happens on tthe inside tire eetc. According to a seminar at the Good Sam Rally in Phoenix this past spring, they said stay away from those dually. When adding weights, most people don't add the added weight of those tires, extra expense, decrease gas/diesel mileage. Inqiuring minds need to know.
Tom & Fran

You had made a similar comment on another thread about this and to some degree it was addressed. See this thread:

Chev 2500 or 3500 hd Silverado

Personally, I would never pull a fifth wheel larger than 32' with anything but a truck with dual wheels. In addition, there are numerous advantages to having a dually with regards to stability and safety.

I would really like to know who it was that gave that Good Sam Rally seminar, because I seriously question his recommendations.

Terry

-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Friday 6th of July 2012 11:45:42 AM

road of happy destiny · RV-Dreams Family Member

OK I agree with almost everything I've read of having a bigger truck and able to haul more weight. I've alwauys thought that having a dually would be better for towing a fiver. DW states she doesn't want one or will drive one. Can't go through drivethru's, bank, MacD's. We rarely do that now. But have heard from other's that say they wished they had never bought a dually, difficulty in filling, changing or if a blowout happens on tthe inside tire eetc. According to a seminar at the Good Sam Rally in Phoenix this past spring, they said stay away from those dually. When adding weights, most people don't add the added weight of those tires, extra expense, decrease gas/diesel mileage. Inqiuring minds need to know.

Tom & Fran

53 Merc · RV-Dreams Family Member

road of happy destiny wrote:
OK I agree with almost everything I've read of having a bigger truck and able to haul more weight. I've alwauys thought that having a dually would be better for towing a fiver. DW states she doesn't want one or will drive one. Can't go through drivethru's, bank, MacD's. We rarely do that now. But have heard from other's that say they wished they had never bought a dually, difficulty in filling, changing or if a blowout happens on tthe inside tire eetc. According to a seminar at the Good Sam Rally in Phoenix this past spring, they said stay away from those dually. When adding weights, most people don't add the added weight of those tires, extra expense, decrease gas/diesel mileage. Inqiuring minds need to know.
Tom & Fran

You need a new set of friends. Dually trucks go through drive thrus all the time. Mileage is not going to be appreciably better or worse whether 6 wheels or 4. You have to make the determination of whether you want a big 5th wheel or a small one. Without a doubt a dually is safer when towing, although a bit more cumbersome to drive when empty. Probably need to sit with your wife and determine if she wants to arrive safely or not arrive but looking cool with the SRW truck. Just sayin'. I have a F250 and every time I hook up, I wish for 2 more wheels, just can't afford it now. Maybe someday!

Jack Mayer · RV-Dreams Family Member

Anyone that makes the statements represented as being made at a Good Sam Rally is dangerously ignorant. I sure would not want them as a presenter in the future!!

First of all, duallys go thru drive thru's all the time. You do have to deal with the etra tires - no doubt about that. No different than dealing with a motorhomes dual tires. A 16K trailer needs a dually, IMO.

Making statements that "I won't have a truck that is a dually" by anyone with a 16K trailer is simply showing a lack of education. So I would say to those folks to get the education you need to make an informed decision. And then if you feel you CAN'T have a dually for some reason, then simply buy a smaller trailer.

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

In my opinion not buying a dually because you can't drive it through a drive thru(which is a false statement)is a very poor excuse.Shame on the presenter at that rally.In the four years I drove my dually I never once had a problem with an inner tire anyway.

RVKevi · RV-Dreams Family Member

Good grief! This is Vi. We got our dually in December. I had never even driven a truck before, let alone a dually. But I'm now pretty comfortable driving this one. I even back into parking spaces! It wasn't that hard to get used to it, not even to the extra wheels! btw, I'm a very feminine woman who generally prefers to let my husband do the driving, so if I can learn to drive it, I think most women could. I haven't driven it with the 5th wheel yet, but I intend to learn to do that, too.

TheHarveys · RV-Dreams Family Member

We own a Ford F550 for towing our 18,000 lb Carriage. When we are not on the road, the truck is my wife's daily driver. She has no problem driving the truck and actually enjoys the high position, good view, and being surrounded by 10,000 pounds of steel. So I say, go for the dually. You will not be disappointed.

Lucky Mike · RV-Dreams Family Member

Sometimes I wish we had a like button for some replies!!!!!........good answer with all needed info in a short version

Better sometimes to be informed and ditch your opinion........than to find you you spent all your money misinformed to find it in a ditch or worse!!

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

RVKevi wrote:
Good grief! This is Vi. We got our dually in December. I'm a very feminine woman who generally prefers to let my husband do the driving, so if I can learn to drive it, I think most women could.

Good grief, indeed.

My wife learned to drive the 5W pulled by a big dually. She learned to drive our present 40 ft MH. She was good at both tasks.

Tom> Respectfully suggest you find another DW who is more open minded to all the good advise that is presented here...dually. And one that perhaps doesn't mind walking from the truck to the McDonalds window.