Our dream is getting closer to being a reality! YIKES
BratsInABox said
08:21 PM Apr 8, 2013
Nathalie is now unemployed, getting an early retirement and severance package last month, we’ve been working on getting the house ready to put on the market, and we’re closer than ever to having made our truck and fifth wheel decisions.Now before we go out and spend all that money we thought it was a good idea to get some opinions and advice.
2013 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab DRW 4x2 8” Box – 6.7-Liter I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel, AISIN Heavy Duty 6-Speed Automatic Transmission. 4.10 Rear Axle Ratio, GVWR 14,000, Payload 5,930, Base Weight Total 8,069, Base Weight Front 4,833, Base Weight Rear 3,236, GAWR Front 5,500, GAWR Rear 9,750, GCWR 37,500, Max Trailer Weight 29,260.
Been following this forum for a while, more so since attending the rally in Oregon, and though we’re still nervous we’re also getting excited.Any comments, suggestions, insights from will be greatly appreciated, and will help us feel a bit more at ease, we know we’ll be making these decisions on a more emotional level, always good to get unbiased feedback.
Thanks in advance.
Jack Mayer said
08:48 PM Apr 8, 2013
Only thing I would add is a Trailersaver air ride hitch in the truck, and maybe an aux tool/fuel tank. You might consider a hauler body as well, depending on what your side clearances are on the truck.
I'm anxious to try out one of these Dodge "super trucks" as I call them. 37,500 GCWR seems insane to me on a truck like that. I've pulled with a Ford 550 at 34,000 gross and it was no joy, believe me.
But you should be "golden" at your weights. :)
lindy said
09:51 PM Apr 8, 2013
X2 with Jack on some of the weight capacities of these new P/U's. Drove Tractor trailer for 20 years and just have a problem seeing these p/us pulling those weights
Terry and Jo said
01:46 AM Apr 9, 2013
Brock and Natalie,
Like the others, I think your choice of truck will be a good choice for a fifth wheel that weighs in at just over 18,000 lbs. Keep in mind that if your toy hauler has the fuel tank built in for any "toys," that fuel will count against your GVWR on the trailer, thus lessening how much cargo you can actually carry. Remember that the dry weight is without any optional things like washer/dryer, inverters, solar, etc. Anything added will cut your cargo capacity, but 3900+ lbs gives you some leeway.
Like the others, and having also been both an 18-wheeler operator and bobtail driver, the new weights for the new GM's and Dodge products give me pause. My Ford F450 has a GCVW of 33,000 lbs and the new Dodge 3500 series is supposed to be about 4000 lbs more? Even though Dodge increased the GCVW, they only took the GVWR up to 14,000 lbs, where my F450 is 14,500 lbs. That keeps the Dodge just under the classification for an MDT. There has been some speculation that perhaps Dodge didn't increase the GVWR more than 14,000 lbs so as to make it easier to license the vehicle.
Good luck with all the rest of your planning and purchasing.
Terry
WestWardHo said
01:27 AM Apr 10, 2013
For us, not necessarily for you, cuz you're young and adventurous (to say nothing of being the Pop Up people 😄) we need living space which a toy hauler lacks, but you're young as I said so maybe toys are more important to you at this point in life.
Hope to see you on the road! You two have a great attitude!
Sherry & Jesse
NWescapee said
04:13 PM Apr 10, 2013
So excited to see your dreams becoming a reality. Amazing how many of the people we met at the Harrisburg Rally are seeing their dreams come true so quickly. Hope to see you guys on the road, we're headed to CA in September with our new house on wheels and hopefully by then we'll also have sold the Stix and Brix!!!
BratsInABox said
04:56 AM Apr 11, 2013
Funny how differently people see things.
Brock’s preferred way to spend an afternoon at home is putzing around in the garage with golf or football on TV, he’s also a beer maker that needs his area for his equipment and his kegerator, where I’d rather be reading a book, beading, or on the computer, without watching golf. A toy hauler with a garage gives us that option, it actually adds the living space we need. Once we’re parked and the Harley comes out, we roll out a carpet and transform the garage in to our family room, and with the patio option our 40’ home becomes 48’ (when space is available). We like the Fuzion 375 for the added counter space in the kitchen and an island without the higher shelf thing, enabling us to cook together. Also it’s one of the few toy hauler models with the entertainment center in front of the couch. We’ll take out the stock couch and customize that area to fit our needs, all that’s left is figuring out where to put my exercise ball.
We’ve also considering a Chevy Silverado 3500 LTZ, Crew Cab DRW 4x2 long Box – Duramax 6.6Liter Turbo Diesel V8, Allison 1000 6-Speed Automatic Transmission. 3.73 Axle Ratio, GVWR 13,000, Payload 5,448, Base Weight Total 7,552, GAWR Front 5,600, GAWR Rear 9,375, GCWR 30,500, Max Trailer Weight 22,800.
Thanks for your input, it’s nice to have a place to bounce ideas around.
BratsInABox said
04:59 AM Apr 11, 2013
We're working on getting the house ready to put on the market now, would like to be out of California by September.
Speedhitch said
03:32 PM Apr 11, 2013
I had a 6.7 turbo and pulled a Carriage 5th wheel for 3 years. We did mountains with towhaul in cruise and never missed a lick. Ours was the Mega cab with duals. You have a good choice in trucks. We wish you the best on your upcoming adventure.
WestWardHo said
03:36 PM Apr 16, 2013
Your toy hauler sounds great for you both, Brock and Nadia. Hope I didn't sound disapproving just was pointing out we all have different needs. Jesse would love Brock's workspace!
We recently watched Technomadia's video about managing your expectations. I would recommend it to everyone whether in this lifestyle or contemplating it. It's long but thoughtful.
Sherry
BratsInABox said
06:18 PM Apr 24, 2013
Big trucks aren't easy to find in So Calif. We're still considering the Dodge but it being the first year with the new configuration makes us a bit nervous. Today we're driving 1 1/2 hrs to test drive a Chevy 3500HD 2WD DRW LTZ.
PS. The sticker shock is kicking in too!
Terry and Jo said
07:05 PM Apr 24, 2013
I'm not sure of all your needs and plans, but if you are considering a diesel truck, don't rule out used ones. A diesel engine is likely to last longer than a similar sized gasoline engine. And, the used ones will be cheaper than buying a new one. When we were researching for our rig, I figured I'd have to get a new truck as any used ones here in Oklahoma would be "very well used" from the oil field businesses. It was a great surprise one day to find a used one (one year old) that was listed at about half the cost of a brand new truck.
That same day, and after a 10 minute test drive, we bought the 2008 model and freed up a lot of money for options on the coach we wanted.
Nathalie is now unemployed, getting an early retirement and severance package last month, we’ve been working on getting the house ready to put on the market, and we’re closer than ever to having made our truck and fifth wheel decisions. Now before we go out and spend all that money we thought it was a good idea to get some opinions and advice.
So here is what we’re looking at:
2013 Fuzion 375 Toy Hauler – Length 40’ 3”, Shipping Weight 14,160, Hitch Weight 3365, Cargo Capacity 3969
2013 Dodge Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab DRW 4x2 8” Box – 6.7-Liter I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel, AISIN Heavy Duty 6-Speed Automatic Transmission. 4.10 Rear Axle Ratio, GVWR 14,000, Payload 5,930, Base Weight Total 8,069, Base Weight Front 4,833, Base Weight Rear 3,236, GAWR Front 5,500, GAWR Rear 9,750, GCWR 37,500, Max Trailer Weight 29,260.
Been following this forum for a while, more so since attending the rally in Oregon, and though we’re still nervous we’re also getting excited. Any comments, suggestions, insights from will be greatly appreciated, and will help us feel a bit more at ease, we know we’ll be making these decisions on a more emotional level, always good to get unbiased feedback.
Thanks in advance.
I'm anxious to try out one of these Dodge "super trucks" as I call them. 37,500 GCWR seems insane to me on a truck like that. I've pulled with a Ford 550 at 34,000 gross and it was no joy, believe me.
But you should be "golden" at your weights. :)
Brock and Natalie,
Like the others, I think your choice of truck will be a good choice for a fifth wheel that weighs in at just over 18,000 lbs. Keep in mind that if your toy hauler has the fuel tank built in for any "toys," that fuel will count against your GVWR on the trailer, thus lessening how much cargo you can actually carry. Remember that the dry weight is without any optional things like washer/dryer, inverters, solar, etc. Anything added will cut your cargo capacity, but 3900+ lbs gives you some leeway.
Like the others, and having also been both an 18-wheeler operator and bobtail driver, the new weights for the new GM's and Dodge products give me pause. My Ford F450 has a GCVW of 33,000 lbs and the new Dodge 3500 series is supposed to be about 4000 lbs more? Even though Dodge increased the GCVW, they only took the GVWR up to 14,000 lbs, where my F450 is 14,500 lbs. That keeps the Dodge just under the classification for an MDT. There has been some speculation that perhaps Dodge didn't increase the GVWR more than 14,000 lbs so as to make it easier to license the vehicle.
Good luck with all the rest of your planning and purchasing.
Terry
Hope to see you on the road! You two have a great attitude!
Sherry & Jesse
Brock’s preferred way to spend an afternoon at home is putzing around in the garage with golf or football on TV, he’s also a beer maker that needs his area for his equipment and his kegerator, where I’d rather be reading a book, beading, or on the computer, without watching golf. A toy hauler with a garage gives us that option, it actually adds the living space we need. Once we’re parked and the Harley comes out, we roll out a carpet and transform the garage in to our family room, and with the patio option our 40’ home becomes 48’ (when space is available). We like the Fuzion 375 for the added counter space in the kitchen and an island without the higher shelf thing, enabling us to cook together. Also it’s one of the few toy hauler models with the entertainment center in front of the couch. We’ll take out the stock couch and customize that area to fit our needs, all that’s left is figuring out where to put my exercise ball.
We’ve also considering a Chevy Silverado 3500 LTZ, Crew Cab DRW 4x2 long Box – Duramax 6.6Liter Turbo Diesel V8, Allison 1000 6-Speed Automatic Transmission. 3.73 Axle Ratio, GVWR 13,000, Payload 5,448, Base Weight Total 7,552, GAWR Front 5,600, GAWR Rear 9,375, GCWR 30,500, Max Trailer Weight 22,800.
Thanks for your input, it’s nice to have a place to bounce ideas around.
We're working on getting the house ready to put on the market now, would like to be out of California by September.
We recently watched Technomadia's video about managing your expectations. I would recommend it to everyone whether in this lifestyle or contemplating it. It's long but thoughtful.
Sherry
I'm not sure of all your needs and plans, but if you are considering a diesel truck, don't rule out used ones. A diesel engine is likely to last longer than a similar sized gasoline engine. And, the used ones will be cheaper than buying a new one. When we were researching for our rig, I figured I'd have to get a new truck as any used ones here in Oklahoma would be "very well used" from the oil field businesses. It was a great surprise one day to find a used one (one year old) that was listed at about half the cost of a brand new truck.
That same day, and after a 10 minute test drive, we bought the 2008 model and freed up a lot of money for options on the coach we wanted.
Terry