Ok, I admit that the light bulb is just not going on over my head with regard to these matters. I must have an extreme mental block. I have read all the guides available, all the posts here, attended a seminar at an RV Dreams rally... but I'm still just not getting it.
I am strongly considering the purchase of a used 5'er and truck combo which according to the owner are in excellent condition (last step before purchase will be hiring a certified RV technician to inspect). It is a 2006 Excel 33RSE and a 2007 Ford F350 dually. According to the owner, they originally bought a different truck but were having trouble, so replaced it with this one and it has been driving like a breeze, including in the mountains.
The owner provided me with photos of the tags. I'd be very grateful if my knowledgeable "family" members can take a look and tell me if it all looks copacetic -- that the truck is a good match for the rig.
Truck has a GCWR of 26,000# and GVWR of 13,000#. The GVWR of the trailer is 17,500#. Not sure if it helps any -- it has a 4.3 axle ratio.
Let me know if I'm missing any information.
Thanks!
(edited to add more info)
-- Edited by cherylbrv on Wednesday 12th of March 2014 08:56:58 AM
bjoyce said
09:28 AM Mar 12, 2014
The Truck GCWR is 26,000#, so the combination of the truck and the trailer can't be more than 26,000#. How much does the truck weigh with the stuff you want in it and yourselves? Subtract that from 26,000# and you know how much the trailer can weigh. The tongue weight of the trailer will add to the weight in the truck, but 13,000# GVWR should be plenty. The trailer and contents can't be more than 17,500#.
Alie and Jims Carrilite said
09:49 AM Mar 12, 2014
You will be fine with that combo. The Excels are very well built RV's, we were looking at several when we found this Carri-lite.
Bill and Linda said
10:32 AM Mar 12, 2014
Cheryl:
Good for you.You looked at the placards on both the truck and trailer and didn’t look at the marketing material.You have learned more than you think.
Assuming just a few things the combination looks fine weight wise, IMO. I doubt you will be adding much additional weight to the truck in upfits. Good choice on the dual rear wheels.
If I were purchasing this truck and trailer I would want to know for sure I could get an extended warranty for both; but most especially the truck engine.The truck is actually now just short of 6 years old from date of manufacture. (It was built in May, 2006.)A warranty would be well advised, IMO.
Bill
cherylbrv said
10:38 AM Mar 12, 2014
Thanks, Bill - yes, an extended warranty is definitely in the plans. In fact, I checked with Howard this morning to make sure that it's available. He said there were extended warranties available for up to 12 years. For the truck, since it's a diesel, isn't 73K miles relatively low?
I can't say I personally chose this combination -- it's the way it's being sold so someone else put it together. I guess that's why I want to verify that they did a good job. I do feel a certain amount of trust and that if they say it's great, then it is. But the skeptic part of me says there are lot of crooks out there, so verify and confirm!
Lonney Wade said
11:07 AM Mar 12, 2014
Cheryl, I test drove 6 or 7 2008 Ford trucks and almost bought a 08 Ford diesel truck when I was looking at diesel trucks, 3 things I did not like, the truck was very loud, you almost had to turn the truck off when you go to a fast food drive through to put your order in, (2) it does not turn as sharp as the newer trucks, and (3) it road a little rough because it had leaf springs on the front, the newer ones have coil springs that let you turn sharper but other than that the truck drove nice, I ended up buying 2010 Chevy diesel very very quiet. Hope this helps.
P.S. I still like the Fords, just the newer ones.
Lonney
cherylbrv said
11:48 AM Mar 12, 2014
It helps, Lonney. If possible, I'd prefer not to have to buy a truck separately if I can help it. So I guess to rephrase my question ... is this a good truck / rig combination? Will this truck handle the weight and have the torque needed for mountains, as the owner claims?
Bill and Linda said
12:20 PM Mar 12, 2014
cherylbrv wrote:
Thanks, Bill - yes, an extended warranty is definitely in the plans. In fact, I checked with Howard this morning to make sure that it's available. He said there were extended warranties available for up to 12 years. For the truck, since it's a diesel, isn't 73K miles relatively low?
I can't say I personally chose this combination -- it's the way it's being sold so someone else put it together. I guess that's why I want to verify that they did a good job. I do feel a certain amount of trust and that if they say it's great, then it is. But the skeptic part of me says there are lot of crooks out there, so verify and confirm!
Cheryl:
Yes, 73K is reasonably modest for a diesel.But there are some issues with diesels, such as this one is, and a warranty is a very good idea.Beyond that, mileage is not the only determining factor.Unless garaged and driven reasonably often, age is also a deterrent to any vehicle’s health. So there are many factors including brand, model year, age, mileage, and overall condition which determine a trucks “quality” so to speak.
As Howard will tell you I believe, you will need to have a pre-inspection done on any vehicle / trailer, before the warranty will go into effect.If they won’t allow this to be done before you purchase – IMO - run away.
As to your other posted question about towing in the mountains: This truck will pull the trailer up the mountains just fine, IMO. I, personally if affordable, would prefer a truck with an exhaust brake for going down the mountains. Others may have different viewpoints. While exhaust brakes can be installed after market, I would prefer one factory installed. However, this limits brand and year selection and so after market installation is probably the way to go in your case as this will be more difficult to find in trucks prior to 2011.
This is not a huge trailer, but it is a rather large one at 17,500lbs. Pulling is usually not the problem, it is slowing down and controlling the trailer going down the mountain. You asked about mountain trailering and are my opinions.
Just don’t be forced into buying something if you have any question. If you don't personally like this combination, IMO, move on. There are a LOT of used trailers and trucks out there.
cherylbrv said
01:11 PM Mar 12, 2014
Personally, I really, really LOVE this trailer. It feels right and my gut says it's meant for us. It's just so far away (literally on the other side of the country: from NJ to CA) so there's a lot of $ to be invested even before buying it. I just want to make sure everything is copacetic. Obviously a full inspection first is required.
Terry and Jo said
06:32 PM Mar 12, 2014
Cheryl,
Everyone is giving you good advice, so I'd follow what they are saying, especially with regards to a pre-purchase inspection.
As for the 4:30 rear axle ratio, that is pretty good for your needs, even in the mountains. Our truck has a lower gear ratio (4:88), so it would be better on grades but worse than the 4:30 on fuel mileage.
Check to see if the truck has a transmission that is equipped with the "Tow/Haul" feature. (On our 2008, the control button for that is at the end of the shift lever.) The Tow/Haul feature is used to help with keeping your speed down when going down grades. Normally, one engages the Tow/Haul and then when beginning to go downgrade, tap the brakes to engage it. It works similarly to what an engine or exhaust brake does. For many years, most truckers used their transmissions to keep their speed down.
Ok, I admit that the light bulb is just not going on over my head with regard to these matters. I must have an extreme mental block. I have read all the guides available, all the posts here, attended a seminar at an RV Dreams rally... but I'm still just not getting it.
I am strongly considering the purchase of a used 5'er and truck combo which according to the owner are in excellent condition (last step before purchase will be hiring a certified RV technician to inspect). It is a 2006 Excel 33RSE and a 2007 Ford F350 dually. According to the owner, they originally bought a different truck but were having trouble, so replaced it with this one and it has been driving like a breeze, including in the mountains.
The owner provided me with photos of the tags. I'd be very grateful if my knowledgeable "family" members can take a look and tell me if it all looks copacetic -- that the truck is a good match for the rig.
I can't seem to be able to insert the image, but they can be found here (I hope): http://s64.photobucket.com/user/cherylbnj/library/?sort=3&page=1
Truck has a GCWR of 26,000# and GVWR of 13,000#. The GVWR of the trailer is 17,500#. Not sure if it helps any -- it has a 4.3 axle ratio.
Let me know if I'm missing any information.
Thanks!
(edited to add more info)
-- Edited by cherylbrv on Wednesday 12th of March 2014 08:56:58 AM
Cheryl:
Good for you. You looked at the placards on both the truck and trailer and didn’t look at the marketing material. You have learned more than you think.
Assuming just a few things the combination looks fine weight wise, IMO. I doubt you will be adding much additional weight to the truck in upfits. Good choice on the dual rear wheels.
If I were purchasing this truck and trailer I would want to know for sure I could get an extended warranty for both; but most especially the truck engine. The truck is actually now just short of 6 years old from date of manufacture. (It was built in May, 2006.) A warranty would be well advised, IMO.
Bill
I can't say I personally chose this combination -- it's the way it's being sold so someone else put it together. I guess that's why I want to verify that they did a good job. I do feel a certain amount of trust and that if they say it's great, then it is. But the skeptic part of me says there are lot of crooks out there, so verify and confirm!
Cheryl, I test drove 6 or 7 2008 Ford trucks and almost bought a 08 Ford diesel truck when I was looking at diesel trucks, 3 things I did not like, the truck was very loud, you almost had to turn the truck off when you go to a fast food drive through to put your order in, (2) it does not turn as sharp as the newer trucks, and (3) it road a little rough because it had leaf springs on the front, the newer ones have coil springs that let you turn sharper but other than that the truck drove nice, I ended up buying 2010 Chevy diesel very very quiet.
Hope this helps.
P.S. I still like the Fords, just the newer ones.
Lonney
Cheryl:
Yes, 73K is reasonably modest for a diesel. But there are some issues with diesels, such as this one is, and a warranty is a very good idea. Beyond that, mileage is not the only determining factor. Unless garaged and driven reasonably often, age is also a deterrent to any vehicle’s health. So there are many factors including brand, model year, age, mileage, and overall condition which determine a trucks “quality” so to speak.
As Howard will tell you I believe, you will need to have a pre-inspection done on any vehicle / trailer, before the warranty will go into effect. If they won’t allow this to be done before you purchase – IMO - run away.
As to your other posted question about towing in the mountains: This truck will pull the trailer up the mountains just fine, IMO. I, personally if affordable, would prefer a truck with an exhaust brake for going down the mountains. Others may have different viewpoints. While exhaust brakes can be installed after market, I would prefer one factory installed. However, this limits brand and year selection and so after market installation is probably the way to go in your case as this will be more difficult to find in trucks prior to 2011.
This is not a huge trailer, but it is a rather large one at 17,500lbs. Pulling is usually not the problem, it is slowing down and controlling the trailer going down the mountain. You asked about mountain trailering and are my opinions.
Just don’t be forced into buying something if you have any question. If you don't personally like this combination, IMO, move on. There are a LOT of used trailers and trucks out there.
Cheryl,
Everyone is giving you good advice, so I'd follow what they are saying, especially with regards to a pre-purchase inspection.
As for the 4:30 rear axle ratio, that is pretty good for your needs, even in the mountains. Our truck has a lower gear ratio (4:88), so it would be better on grades but worse than the 4:30 on fuel mileage.
Check to see if the truck has a transmission that is equipped with the "Tow/Haul" feature. (On our 2008, the control button for that is at the end of the shift lever.) The Tow/Haul feature is used to help with keeping your speed down when going down grades. Normally, one engages the Tow/Haul and then when beginning to go downgrade, tap the brakes to engage it. It works similarly to what an engine or exhaust brake does. For many years, most truckers used their transmissions to keep their speed down.
Terry