I would find a good dealer that has represents multiple lines of RV's. You want a unbiased opinion. Example.. Drv, Landmark.. ect.. My opinion RVS4LESS in TN are the best in the business.

Go sit it some.. walk around. You can buy anywhere.

Figure out your weight limitations on on the truck.. It may or may not limit your choices.

Are you looking at new or used?

I am biased to DRV , redwood, and Landmark.. And no, they are not in the same class...to most folks..

First of all, welcome to the RV Dreams forum, where you will find a lot of knowledgeable folks that are willing to share and encourage as you do this process.  So, feel free to ask questions as they come to mind.

As for your truck, unless you were only looking at at 32-foot DRV, a 3/4-ton truck "might" do the job.  However, the DRV's at 36-feet and longer will need a much heavier truck, likely a F350/3500 series truck, and preferably a dually for stability.  I'm not sure of the weight of the Landmark, so you already have some homework to do.  What you need to do is go to a dealer for your 3/4-ton truck and have them give you GVWR (Gross Vehicular Weight Rating), the GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicular Weight) rating, and the GAWR (Gross Axle Weight Rating) based off of the information on the "data plate" found on either the door or the door frame on the driver's side.

After you have found that information, you need to take your truck with full fuel, passengers and pets, and any cargo that you plan to carry in the truck and get it weighed.  Once you have the "practical" weight of your truck, subtract that weight from the GCVW of the truck to see how heavy of a trailer (the trailer's GVWR) you can safely tow.  Safely towing means having the ability to handle the trailer in an emergency stopping situation and being able to withstand sudden gust of wind from the side.  Most people like for there to be a safety "cushion" between what the GVWR of the trailer is and the weight capability of the truck.

Just as a cautionary note, I think you might find most trailers in the 35-40-foot range to be too heavy for a 3/4-ton truck, unless you are willing to get a light trailer that won't be capable of four-seasons RV'ing.  Note that in my signature, we have a 38-foot DRV Mobile Suites and we pull it with a Ford F450, however, I know a lot of folks with DRV's tow them with F350/3500 series trucks.

Good luck with your research and planning, and it's glad to have you as part of the family.

Terry

Firstly, welcome aboard, you'll find lots of knowledgeable types here, experienced too. Soon you will add yours to the mix so it's all good.

My data checking on Dodge SRW 3500( I have nothing on 2500's) , shows rear GAWR of 7000, base rear axle weight of 3030, base total truck weight of 8070 and CGVWR of 25000.  Without loading the truck that leaves 16930 for a fully loaded trailer.... less by the time you add in passengers, gear, fifth wheeel hitch and so forth. That weight will reduce rear axle payload which even at base truck weight is 4040.  A 36-40 DRV will certainly be close if not over whatever is available for the pin weight let alone total trailer weight.   Do you really want to push the ability of the tow vehicle to the max?  Do you really want to spend more on mechanical repairs due to making the truck work so hard?  Just because you  can do it doesn't mean you should.  Consider what might happen if you have a rear tire blowout downhill on a curve.  A dually just makes better sense.  Dodge makes a great truck, but this isn't about Dodge, it's about the safety of DRW vs SRW.  A SRW truck cannot handle what a DRW can handle with the same margin for safety. At the end of the day, isn't it safety that trumps all other factors?  

I would consider lighter trailers for the 2500. If your heart is set on one the larger heavier rigs, consider going to a dually at a minimum.  

JMHO FWIW

Brian

-- Edited by biggaRView on Saturday 19th of July 2014 04:37:17 PM

As a cautionary note, do not go by the manufacturer's "towing weight."  Many times that is nothing more than a very rough estimate, by which one can begin to look at capabilities.  We own a 2008 Ford F450 and information on it states that it can "tow" 24,600 lbs.  I can guarantee that if I was pulling a trailer that was that heavy, I would probably be overweight on both the GCVW and the GAWR.

As Brian stated, this is a safety issue, not a "capability" issue.

Terry