Hi Everyone. Well, after 15 years the RV-Dreams Community Forum is coming to an end. Since it began in August 2005, we've had 58 Million page views, 124,000 posts, and we've spent about $15,000 to keep this valuable resource for RVers free and open. But since we are now off the road and have settled down for the next chapter of our lives, we are taking the Forum down effective June 30, 2021. It has been a tough decision, but it is now time.
We want to thank all of our members for their participation and input over the years, and we want to especially thank those that have acted as Moderators for us during our amazing journey living and traveling in our RV and growing the RV-Dreams Family. We will be forever proud to have been founders of this Forum and to have been supported by such a wonderful community. Thank you all!!
Looking at tow vehicles for a fifth wheel. Is there any reason the Megacab with it's 6'4" bed wouldn't do just as well as the Crewcab with it's 8' bed?
Short beds have clearance issues when turning (normally while backing) a 5th wheel, so a sliding hitch is usually needed to keep the 5th wheel from contacting the corner of the cab of the truck. The 5th wheel hitch is normally mounted right over the rear axle. The extra 18" of an 8 ft bed (compared to a short box bed) puts an extra 9" between the nose of the 5th wheel and the back corners of the tow vehicle cab. The slider hitches give a short box some of that distance back to relieve the clearance issues. The extra wheelbase offered by a long box truck also adds stability in the towing environment when a big truck passes and the "bow wave" of air hits the trailer you are towing ... believe me, you can feel it, and the increased wheelbase is your friend. That said, a short box can work as long as you are careful with the clearance between truck cab and 5th wheel and you can live with the increased movement you'll experience with the "bow wave" effect.
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Ron and Janice
2016 Ford F350, King Ranch, DRW, 4x4, CC, 6.7 PS Diesel, remote control air lift system
2017 Durango Gold 381REF, Lambright furniture, MCD shades, morRYDE IS, 8K Disc brakes, GY G114 LR H Tires, 27,320 lbs CGVW
A crewcab dually longbed provides the most comfortable ride and a more stable ride when towing a 5th wheel.
Many highways are built in sections. A shorter truck will oscillate (buck) depending on how these sections were built and distance between the joints. This bucking occurs less frequently with a longer truck.
Occasional drawback to a longer truck- tougher to maneuver in tight curvy interior campground roads and campsites.
I prefer a dually longbed crewcab for the flexibilty (Passengers are comfortable, more space to carry stuff in the bed, heavier loads)
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"Small House, Big Yard "
"May the FOREST be with you" Alfa See-Ya 5'er and 2007 Kodiak C4500 Monroe
