Tow Vehicles - RV-Dreams Community Forum

CraigAs · CraigAs

We have a 2017 F350 Super Duty Crew Cab Long Box truck. The top of the bed rails is about 60" when empty. We just purchased a 2008 Domani and the owner is delivering it to us as we do not have the 5er hitch mounted yet. He is throwing in his 22K Reese hitch. In measuring everything I could, I see that it might be a...

Cyride · Cyride

Our new truck should be here this week. I have been looking at extended warranties, which are actually service contracts, and would like some input on whether to go with the Ford ESP contract or a contract from CNA National that is sold by our dealer. The Ford ESP product will cover the truck for a m...

2014Sierra · 2014Sierra

Recently I was in the market for a new 3500 dually GMC or Chevy (I have been a general motors guy my whole life.) all I kept hearing is if you want that you can't have this. What I am looking for; general motors, capable of towing 20,000 lb. 5th wheel, 8' box, extended cab / not crew cab, (only my wife and I)sho...

Terry and Jo · Terry and Jo

I'm not too confidant in the news source, but there is a story out there that Fiat is possibly going to do away with Chrysler. The story at the link below says nothing about "selling the Chrysler Group off," so I wonder if they will just drop the brand. The story does speak of them keeping the Jeep brand b...

TonyM · TonyM

Hello. I have been following this forum for over a year and have found it very informative. I recently purchased a truck with a hauler bed and all of the locks use the CH751 key. Most of them are compression latches with T- handles. Have any of you with this setup replaced these with those with a unique key...

Cyride · Cyride

I'm looking closely at a couple of 2018 Ford diesel DRW 4X4 trucks. One has the 3:55 and the other has the 4:10 rear end. The 3:55 specs indicate it will tow up to 27,000 and the 4:10 specs show it will tow up to 31,300 for Gooseneck towing but the specs for 5th wheel hitch rating is limited to 27,000 for bot...

dmkimm · dmkimm

Just curious how many of you tow with an HDT or class 8 tractor? We recently made the switch to a 2005 Freightliner Century after tiring of being at 100% capacity with our RAM 3500 dually, what a difference in control, comfort and stopping ability.

AlanB · AlanB

As a potential purchaser of a 5th Wheel and an appropriate pickup (TV) to tow it, I have the following question. A lot of posts say to buy the 5th wheel first then match the TV to it, ensuring that all relevant load factors are covered – GVWR, GCGVWR, RAWR, etc, etc. I have no issues with that logic. Othe...

Ronjohn99 · Ronjohn99

OK, we now have our fifth wheel, it is a 2016 Bighorn 3570RS, we are getting rid of our too small 2008 Ford F250 6.4L Turbo Diesel and in the market for a (not new, but recent model) Ford F350 6.7L Turbo Diesel Dually. The Bighorn has a dry weight of 12,800 pounds and a GVWR of 16,000. Once we have the truck w...

Ronjohn99 · Ronjohn99

We found our tow vehicle now....we bought a 2015 Ford F350 DRW 6.7l diesel. Our fifth wheel is weight rated at 16,000 pounds and we have decided on the B&W Companion RVK3300 (20k hitch that fits the factory puck system in the F350). I see them out there now for $997 pretty much everywhere I look. W...

RonC · RonC

I didn’t want a dually truck. Like most people, I imagined many issues with the width. Most of that was unfounded, I assumed it would not go thru car washes and drive thru‘s. The fact is that if your SRW truck MIRRORS will fit, then a dually will fit. Another fact is that a dually is a superior towing ve...

Neil and Connie · Neil and Connie

The front tires on my 5500HD are wearing unevenly…both are wearing more on the outside edge. I run the factory recommended air pressure and the alignment is not off according to the RAM dealer. Bill Napier and I were talking about this today…and he suggested that flipping them might be the answer to eq...

Ronjohn99 · Ronjohn99

Has anyone towed this model? What tow vehicle do you use? We currently have a 2008 Ford F250 6.4l Turbo Diesel with airbags and are wondering if anyone has real life experience to share.

Jumpmaster · Jumpmaster

I am in the research phase of RV'ing and looking for some answers/help. I am almost 100% going with 3/4 or 1 ton truck and slide in camper. I am planning of buying the truck brand new and have bought trucks in the past but not for campers. I know about weight and box sizes but I am looking for assistance with a...

ChefMom · ChefMom

Can anyone tell me what make and model truck, 2500, diesel, with crew cab has the greatest towing capacity? Did I word that correctly? Not sure.

Gregk · Gregk

We have a New Horizon Majestic that is being built. I also have ordered a Ram 5500 w/ Hauler bed on order from Tom Martin at Classy Chassis. We will not be full timing but will spend extended time out, returning home periodically. My question relates to generator storage in one of the front compartments...

coldcash57 · coldcash57

I would prefer to have a truck rated for 12,500 GVWR for safety. I've never owned a full size truck in my life, but just in looking at some of the Trailer Life towing guides I'm starting to discover that I need either a heavy 3/4 ton or even a 1-ton. A friend of mine told me that the cheapest route would be to go...

Barb and Frank · Barb and Frank

Hi Everyone - My name is Barb, and hubby is Frank and this is my first post. Frank is retired, and I will retire in a couple of years. We've owned a couple of TT's in the past and we plan on replacing our current TT with a fifth-wheel soon. We will also need to purchase a new tow vehicle. We plan on purchas...

the Parentals · the Parentals

We currently tow a 21.5 ft. fifth-wheel trailer with a Ram 2500 that has an 8-foot box. We're looking to replace the truck and wondering if we need to have a long box or if a short one works as well for pulling a fifth wheel. I would appreciate any insight from the experience of others. Thanks.

7point3diesel · 7point3diesel

TRUCK: 1997 F-250 Heavy Duty 7.3L Powerstroke 4x4. There seems to be lots of detailed information about weight (dry v. loaded, what the truck's rated at, etc). According to Ford, provided I'm reading the document right, the GCWR for a 1997 4x4 manual 7.3L F-250 is 20,000lbs & 14,000 trailer weig...

ahull · ahull

Sorry if this is long…attempt will be made to make this organized, short, and concise as possible. What I will attempt is combine my research & opinion on the topic of F350 vs F450 in DRW configuration for 2015 & 2016 model years.Background & AcknowledgementI have a degree in Mechanica...

Ohioken7 · Ohioken7

I live about 60 miles from Canada. On another forum I read of someone buying a tow vehicle in Canada to take advantage of exchange rates and bringing into USA. He explained forms needed etc. and it sounded plausible. Can any Canadian rvdreamers comment? Thanks.

ChefMom · ChefMom

I know this topic has probably been asked about and answered more than once. However, we're on the brink of purchasing our pickup and need to be able to save where ever an opportunity presents itself, without sacrificing safety. I am aware that individuals have preferences as to whether or not dual re...

Team Murc · Team Murc

Hello All, Our 2014 F450 is about to exit it's warranty period. While at the dealer today for some service work I inquired about Fords Premium Care Extended Service Plan. This plan would extend us another 5 years or another 75,000 miles whichever comes first. The plan cost $3,860 and there is a $100 p...

kb0zke · kb0zke

Today our daughter and son-in-law mentioned the idea of possibly being full-timers for 6-12 months. They are very early in the process, so they have lots of questions and few answers yet. One idea that was tossed out was leasing a truck or car for this time. The car they really want is not towable four-d...

IrishRover · IrishRover

Lots of scary advice out there from truck and RV salespeople!! F350 will pull any 5th wheel. Worst case a F-450. Even a suggestion of a F-350 SRW. Must be what they have on the lot. So, will wait until we make the final decision on the RV, but either way it will be heavy. So need advice and guidance.5th whee...

ahull · ahull

In my research I found very little actual vehicle weight numbers. This left me playing around with online calculators like http://rvtowcheck.com/rvtc_calculator.html somewhat guessing at what the actual weights would be. I would urge others to contribute their weights to this list. My wei...

Kato · Kato

Greetings.....Just picked up our DRV Fullhouse and was curious what the brake setting should be on the integrated brake controller. There are 4 choices: Light Electric, Heavy Electric, Light Electric over Hydraulic and Heavy Electric over Hydraulic. I assume with a 24,000# 5th wheel that the cho...

IrishRover · IrishRover

A number of people here have RV-hauler bodies on their tow trucks. Three companies I’m reviewing below (probably in order of choice). Have heard opinions (preferences) here about Utility Bodywerks and Classy Chassis, but not any rationale of one over the other. www.utilitybodywerks.com/ cl...

TwoTiredTeachers · TwoTiredTeachers

We searched diligently before the first time we towed in the mountains, and we found very little information. We made a YouTube video about what we learned, but we truly want more information. If you have suggestions or ideas, please leave comments. [video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa...

Topic		Started By	Replies	Views	Last Post
	Bed rail clearance? (Preview) We have a 2017 F350 Super Duty Crew Cab Long Box truck. The top of the bed rails is about 60" when empty. We just purchased a 2008 Domani and the owner is delivering it to us as we do not have the 5er hitch mounted yet. He is throwing in his 22K Reese hitch. In measuring everything I could, I see that it might be a...	CraigAs	6	2616	09:25 AM Aug 30, 2018 by Dave and Denise
	Extended Warranties for tow vehicles (Preview) Our new truck should be here this week. I have been looking at extended warranties, which are actually service contracts, and would like some input on whether to go with the Ford ESP contract or a contract from CNA National that is sold by our dealer. The Ford ESP product will cover the truck for a m...	Cyride	5	2358	07:26 PM Jul 17, 2018 by Terry and Jo
	HELP, THIS IS JUST TO TIRING..... (Preview) Recently I was in the market for a new 3500 dually GMC or Chevy (I have been a general motors guy my whole life.) all I kept hearing is if you want that you can't have this. What I am looking for; general motors, capable of towing 20,000 lb. 5th wheel, 8' box, extended cab / not crew cab, (only my wife and I)sho...	2014Sierra	38	5771	04:26 AM Jun 3, 2018 by Rob_Fla
	Questions About the Future of Ram Pickups (Preview) I'm not too confidant in the news source, but there is a story out there that Fiat is possibly going to do away with Chrysler. The story at the link below says nothing about "selling the Chrysler Group off," so I wonder if they will just drop the brand. The story does speak of them keeping the Jeep brand b...	Terry and Jo	9	2363	03:59 PM Jun 2, 2018 by Cummins12V98
	Hauler Bed Compression Locks (Preview) Hello. I have been following this forum for over a year and have found it very informative. I recently purchased a truck with a hauler bed and all of the locks use the CH751 key. Most of them are compression latches with T- handles. Have any of you with this setup replaced these with those with a unique key...	TonyM	11	2518	06:33 AM Apr 28, 2018 by TonyM
	2018 Ford Diesel 3:55 or 4:10 (Preview) I'm looking closely at a couple of 2018 Ford diesel DRW 4X4 trucks. One has the 3:55 and the other has the 4:10 rear end. The 3:55 specs indicate it will tow up to 27,000 and the 4:10 specs show it will tow up to 31,300 for Gooseneck towing but the specs for 5th wheel hitch rating is limited to 27,000 for bot...	Cyride	12	3269	05:23 PM Apr 16, 2018 by Zeek
	How many tow with an HDT? (Preview) Just curious how many of you tow with an HDT or class 8 tractor? We recently made the switch to a 2005 Freightliner Century after tiring of being at 100% capacity with our RAM 3500 dually, what a difference in control, comfort and stopping ability.	dmkimm	6	2782	10:52 AM Apr 4, 2018 by Glenn West
	How to avoid a costly problem with mis-matched TV and 5th Wheel (Preview) As a potential purchaser of a 5th Wheel and an appropriate pickup (TV) to tow it, I have the following question. A lot of posts say to buy the 5th wheel first then match the TV to it, ensuring that all relevant load factors are covered – GVWR, GCGVWR, RAWR, etc, etc. I have no issues with that logic. Othe...	AlanB	10	2979	03:56 PM Mar 16, 2018 by LarryW21
	Anderson Fifth Wheel Hitch (Preview) OK, we now have our fifth wheel, it is a 2016 Bighorn 3570RS, we are getting rid of our too small 2008 Ford F250 6.4L Turbo Diesel and in the market for a (not new, but recent model) Ford F350 6.7L Turbo Diesel Dually. The Bighorn has a dry weight of 12,800 pounds and a GVWR of 16,000. Once we have the truck w...	Ronjohn99	16	5346	07:55 AM Mar 2, 2018 by Zeek
	B&W Hitch (Preview) We found our tow vehicle now....we bought a 2015 Ford F350 DRW 6.7l diesel. Our fifth wheel is weight rated at 16,000 pounds and we have decided on the B&W Companion RVK3300 (20k hitch that fits the factory puck system in the F350). I see them out there now for $997 pretty much everywhere I look. W...	Ronjohn99	3	2934	01:25 AM Feb 22, 2018 by dovenson
	Dually Trucks (Preview) I didn’t want a dually truck. Like most people, I imagined many issues with the width. Most of that was unfounded, I assumed it would not go thru car washes and drive thru‘s. The fact is that if your SRW truck MIRRORS will fit, then a dually will fit. Another fact is that a dually is a superior towing ve...	RonC	23	6537	08:52 PM Feb 18, 2018 by Zeek
	RAM 5500HD tires flippable? (Preview) The front tires on my 5500HD are wearing unevenly…both are wearing more on the outside edge. I run the factory recommended air pressure and the alignment is not off according to the RAM dealer. Bill Napier and I were talking about this today…and he suggested that flipping them might be the answer to eq...	Neil and Connie	8	3583	03:35 PM Jan 25, 2018 by Rickl
	2016 Bighorn 3570RS (Preview) Has anyone towed this model? What tow vehicle do you use? We currently have a 2008 Ford F250 6.4l Turbo Diesel with airbags and are wondering if anyone has real life experience to share.	Ronjohn99	4	3149	05:08 PM Dec 29, 2017 by Cummins12V98
	Future RV'er doing research (Preview) I am in the research phase of RV'ing and looking for some answers/help. I am almost 100% going with 3/4 or 1 ton truck and slide in camper. I am planning of buying the truck brand new and have bought trucks in the past but not for campers. I know about weight and box sizes but I am looking for assistance with a...	Jumpmaster	4	3443	03:31 PM Dec 8, 2017 by LarryW21
	2500 Diesel Crew Cab (Preview) Can anyone tell me what make and model truck, 2500, diesel, with crew cab has the greatest towing capacity? Did I word that correctly? Not sure.	ChefMom	46	12022	09:51 AM Nov 4, 2017 by Cummins12V98
	Question for Ram 5500 Owners (Preview) We have a New Horizon Majestic that is being built. I also have ordered a Ram 5500 w/ Hauler bed on order from Tom Martin at Classy Chassis. We will not be full timing but will spend extended time out, returning home periodically. My question relates to generator storage in one of the front compartments...	Gregk	6	3526	10:56 AM Oct 7, 2017 by Bill and Linda
	Best vehicle to tow trailer 10,500 GVWR (Preview) I would prefer to have a truck rated for 12,500 GVWR for safety. I've never owned a full size truck in my life, but just in looking at some of the Trailer Life towing guides I'm starting to discover that I need either a heavy 3/4 ton or even a 1-ton. A friend of mine told me that the cheapest route would be to go...	coldcash57	22	6745	07:49 PM Oct 3, 2017 by Terry and Jo
	Tow Vehicle - Ram 3500 (Preview) Hi Everyone - My name is Barb, and hubby is Frank and this is my first post. Frank is retired, and I will retire in a couple of years. We've owned a couple of TT's in the past and we plan on replacing our current TT with a fifth-wheel soon. We will also need to purchase a new tow vehicle. We plan on purchas...	Barb and Frank	40	9812	08:04 PM Sep 30, 2017 by RonC
	Long or Short Box? long box short box (Preview) We currently tow a 21.5 ft. fifth-wheel trailer with a Ram 2500 that has an 8-foot box. We're looking to replace the truck and wondering if we need to have a long box or if a short one works as well for pulling a fifth wheel. I would appreciate any insight from the experience of others. Thanks.	the Parentals	12	4111	08:22 AM Sep 29, 2017 by rocketman
	Can my truck handle a Fifth Wheel? (closed) tow suspension weight (Preview) TRUCK: 1997 F-250 Heavy Duty 7.3L Powerstroke 4x4. There seems to be lots of detailed information about weight (dry v. loaded, what the truck's rated at, etc). According to Ford, provided I'm reading the document right, the GCWR for a 1997 4x4 manual 7.3L F-250 is 20,000lbs & 14,000 trailer weig...	7point3diesel	10	17562	05:06 AM Sep 21, 2017 by GloriaCessna
	Ford F350 vs. F450 Comparison ( 1 2 ) (Preview) Sorry if this is long…attempt will be made to make this organized, short, and concise as possible. What I will attempt is combine my research & opinion on the topic of F350 vs F450 in DRW configuration for 2015 & 2016 model years.Background & AcknowledgementI have a degree in Mechanica...	ahull	59	43803	10:07 PM Aug 29, 2017 by Terry and Jo
	Is it a deal to buy truck in canada? (Preview) I live about 60 miles from Canada. On another forum I read of someone buying a tow vehicle in Canada to take advantage of exchange rates and bringing into USA. He explained forms needed etc. and it sounded plausible. Can any Canadian rvdreamers comment? Thanks.	Ohioken7	5	3281	08:22 AM Aug 28, 2017 by igotjam
	Dually---a must for a safe, smooth ride? (Preview) I know this topic has probably been asked about and answered more than once. However, we're on the brink of purchasing our pickup and need to be able to save where ever an opportunity presents itself, without sacrificing safety. I am aware that individuals have preferences as to whether or not dual re...	ChefMom	28	4910	09:33 AM Aug 17, 2017 by Cummins12V98
	Extended Warranty (Preview) Hello All, Our 2014 F450 is about to exit it's warranty period. While at the dealer today for some service work I inquired about Fords Premium Care Extended Service Plan. This plan would extend us another 5 years or another 75,000 miles whichever comes first. The plan cost $3,860 and there is a $100 p...	Team Murc	9	3453	09:51 AM Jul 21, 2017 by BLTWISTED1
	Leasing a truck or car? (Preview) Today our daughter and son-in-law mentioned the idea of possibly being full-timers for 6-12 months. They are very early in the process, so they have lots of questions and few answers yet. One idea that was tossed out was leasing a truck or car for this time. The car they really want is not towable four-d...	kb0zke	4	2080	07:19 PM Jul 2, 2017 by Terry and Jo
	2017 Truck Feature Selection – Heavy Hauler F-550 5500 Heavy towing (Preview) Lots of scary advice out there from truck and RV salespeople!! F350 will pull any 5th wheel. Worst case a F-450. Even a suggestion of a F-350 SRW. Must be what they have on the lot. So, will wait until we make the final decision on the RV, but either way it will be heavy. So need advice and guidance.5th whee...	IrishRover	30	7267	09:06 AM Jun 14, 2017 by BiggarView
	Tow Vehicle & 5th Wheel Actual Weights ( 1 2 ) (Preview) In my research I found very little actual vehicle weight numbers. This left me playing around with online calculators like http://rvtowcheck.com/rvtc_calculator.html somewhat guessing at what the actual weights would be. I would urge others to contribute their weights to this list. My wei...	ahull	54	20598	10:36 AM May 22, 2017 by ahull
	Ram 5500 Integrated Brake Controller (Preview) Greetings.....Just picked up our DRV Fullhouse and was curious what the brake setting should be on the integrated brake controller. There are 4 choices: Light Electric, Heavy Electric, Light Electric over Hydraulic and Heavy Electric over Hydraulic. I assume with a 24,000# 5th wheel that the cho...	Kato	9	3150	05:52 AM May 13, 2017 by Kato
	RV Hauler Truck Body Selection UtilityBodywerks Classy Chassis Higway Products (Preview) A number of people here have RV-hauler bodies on their tow trucks. Three companies I’m reviewing below (probably in order of choice). Have heard opinions (preferences) here about Utility Bodywerks and Classy Chassis, but not any rationale of one over the other. www.utilitybodywerks.com/ cl...	IrishRover	11	6628	07:20 AM May 8, 2017 by Bill and Linda
	Towing in the Mountains, Help! (Preview) We searched diligently before the first time we towed in the mountains, and we found very little information. We made a YouTube video about what we learned, but we truly want more information. If you have suggestions or ideas, please leave comments. [video=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa...	TwoTiredTeachers	24	5466	01:53 PM Apr 29, 2017 by Lynn and Ed
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