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Old 04-16-2013, 05:40 PM   #1
Scottie Dogs
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Default Ram Heavy Duty 2500 Turbo Diesel

Hi,

I have a question on this truck as far as hauling any type of RV up to 16,000 pounds like a 5th wheel. I am "not" a truck person but the guy I was talking to says it is a total hauler, he has a large horse trailer in Montana and carries 4 horses all the time. It appears to be a short bed but I am not sure if you can haul a 5th wheel trailer weighing 16,000 pounds.

I know this would handle any TM so it seems like a good truck to have so down the road if you decide to go into the 5th wheel world (as life changes and you want more comfort) you would be prepared for all trailers.

I would appreciate feedback from the pro truckers here. This may help our group to decide when they want a new towing vehicle and be prepared for all trailers as time goes by.

The guy says the gas mileage is super, better then my 2010 Ford Explorer and lots of power.

Thanks, Dave
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Old 04-16-2013, 07:43 PM   #2
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I know this statement has been made before around here, but IMO no towing combination should exceed the GCWR for the tow vehicle. Doing so could expose you to liability in an accident.

I just sold a toy hauler, 39 feet, with an empty weight of 12,700 and a gross weight of 17,200. I used a Ford F350 with Tow Boss rated for 26,001. In most states 26,001 lbs is the magic number you can tow without a commercial license. People selling trucks will claim they can tow the White House, so take that into consideration. Has the horse owner ever weighed the trailer with all the horses in it? Maybe, maybe not.

This thread will offer a lot of opinions, pro and con. Mine are:

Short bed trucks can tow fifth wheel trailers using a sliding hitch. Use a dealer to install the equipment, they can be dangerous if mis-installed.

If you buy the truck first, look for trailers that fit the towing numbers and ignore the anecdotes RV dealers will tell you about what you can tow.

IMO don't carry everything including the kitchen sink because you now own a fifth wheel with lots more storage. I never towed with water in the tanks, and I could have had nearly 200 gallons of fresh and waste combined if I wished. The old adage about whatever you start has to eventually stop should never be forgotten.

Invest in a pinbox for the trailer that absorbs shock. Do a search for videos on "chucking" to see the effects of creating a hard connection between a truck and trailer pinbox. After being slammed around for a couple of hundred miles on our first trip to Florida, I bought a MorRyde pinbox, best money I spent on the trailer. I don't understand why the manufacturers don't put them on all fifth wheels.

My last comment is to take some time now and look at fifth wheels before you buy a truck. It's a lot easier to find a vehicle if you have a good idea about what sort of trailer you want in the future. The truck will easily tow the TM until you make the purchase later.
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Old 04-16-2013, 07:44 PM   #3
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Having just spent several months researching trucks, I will make a couple of observations.
1. Diesel will haul and pull lots of weight with relatively good mileage.
2. Diesel is expensive to run. Fuel and urea additives, plus maintenance and oil changes are all more than a gas truck.
3. Diesels are more expensive to buy, especially new. The conclusion I came to (and I was seriously looking at a 3/4 ton Diesel), is that unless you are towing for more than half your driving, the cost difference is not in your favor.
4. The compromise I chose was the Ford Eco-boost. Right at 12,000 lbs towing capacity with lower initial cost and better mileage (except when towing). Since my truck will be used more for other things, this seemed the best way to go.
5. It is very difficult and expensive to get a 5th wheel hitch to work in a short bed pick up. Long bed is much better for 5th wheel hitches. They are cheaper (non-sliding) and no risk of clipping the cab when turning. Also, for my garage, a long bed literally had only 2 inches to spare. Shot bed crew cab is long enough...20 feet.
Those are things that influenced my decision. Hope this helps you. There are lots of good trucks out there and everyone's needs are different. As they say, your mileage may vary
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Old 04-16-2013, 08:15 PM   #4
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I will take issue with MarcoPolo's comment #2. I will also state that I only have a Grand Cherokee 3.0L diesel ownership experience, so it is not representative of all vehicles.

I have found it to be cheaper to have the diesel. My wife has a 5.7L Hemi Grand Cherokee, so I am comparing apples to apples.

Anyway, while oil changes are more expensive, the recommended interval for my vehicle is 12,000 miles. It costs me $120 for the full-service change. With $48 for the gasser oil changes, and 3,500 mile interval, I spend $44 less every 12,000 miles on oil changes (not a chain oil-change shop).

I have done all recommended service, and there is no difference that I have seen in overall maint. costs. In the one year I have owned the vehicle, I have put on 42,000 miles, so I am not basing it on few miles.

Also, when I punched-out the numbers before buying the diesel, I found, over the course of 125,000 miles, with a $0.50 difference in price of fuel, I would spend about $100 less for the diesel, all maint. and fuel costs considered. I have had about 4 months where diesel has only been $0.20 more than regular, so with my high mileage, I am well ahead on my savings.

While MarcoPolo says that diesels are only justified if at least half of your driving is towing, I would qualify that with how much you drive. If, like me, you put on lots of miles each year, the diesel definitely will be beneficial, even if not towing.

I am definitely glad the salesman spent some time telling me about the diesel when I was considering a replacement for my old Cherokee. I had not known Jeep made any, so had never considered them. After having one for 42,000 miles, for me, it was a great decision. If you don't drive as much, then no, it may not be the right engine for you.
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Old 04-17-2013, 06:29 AM   #5
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Very good information guys. Thanks.

Dave
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Old 04-17-2013, 12:20 PM   #6
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A quick follow up to address Love to Camp's comments.
I think your comments about an SUV or even a sedan with diesel are right on. My "other" car is a Volkswagon Tiguan and if it were available as a diesel in the US I would have jumped on that for sure.
But, the OP was asking about heavy duty pick ups. I priced a Ford F-250 as close as possible with the same options my F-150 has. So, first off you are looking at a 3/4 ton pick up vs. a 1/2 ton. The F-250 is a bigger, beefier truck with an inch or two more ground clearance. I think the frame itself is heavier duty as well. At any rate, it priced out nearly $5000 more than the F-150.
So, in pick ups at least, the HD is a more expensive way to go, unless you really need the extra tow power.
I started out much like Dave, trying to buy a tow vehicle that was "future proofed" as much as possible. I was wondering about fifth wheels and larger TT's, too. But after seeing the new Trailmanor 2922 and looking at a lot of 5th wheels and travel trailers, my wife and I realized that for the type of camping we really enjoy, ie; dry camping at forest service campgrounds and even some boon-docking, the larger trailers and 5th wheels just wouldn't work. So once we had the trailer decision made, it was easy to back down to a 1/2 ton F-150 with the Eco-boost engine. I kind of resisted that engine until I talked to two different mechanics I know that have worked at Ford dealerships and they both gave it a big thumbs up. I have read it has at least as much torgue and pulling ability as diesels of 10 years ago. The only penalty I see is the mileage is not as good as a diesel when towing, but as good as or better the rest of the time. The other big plus, is high altitude performance. We spend most of our time there, so the turbo really works in our favor vs. a non-turbo gas engine.
Sorry for the long winded post, but I thought that might clarify how I perceived the diesel vs gas issue.
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Old 04-18-2013, 01:06 AM   #7
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MarkoPolo - not trying to pick on you, but your last post appears to answer the question "why I chose a F-150 over another truck to tow my Trailmanor". Good info, but not the OP's question. Your F-150 will limit your choices if you later decide you want a fifth wheel, which I believe was the question.

I also don't agree that it is "difficult" to use a short bed truck with a sliding fifth wheel hitch. Again, it may limit your choices of trailers, but there are a lot of fifth wheels in lengths similar to TMs that work well with sliding hitches.

If someone is buying a truck now for a future fifth wheel purchase, then I again say they should look at the trailers they might buy and get the truck needed for that size or load capacity. Buying a 150 now because it works better now may be false economy if you really needed a 250 or more to safely haul the fifth wheel you expect to buy later.
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Old 04-18-2013, 08:20 PM   #8
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Point well taken Mr. P. I did not directly answer the OP's question. I thought he might appreciate a comparison of 1/2 ton gas vs. 3/4 ton diesel. For what it's worth, I read that a fair number of Eco-boost owners pull 5th wheel trailers. I presume it is over the recommended weight limits and not something I would do. Also, thanks for the insight about sliding fifth wheel hitch. But, you sure are right that a diesel is the way to go if a 5th wheel is for certain in your future.
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Old 04-19-2013, 06:28 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MarkoPolo View Post
Point well taken Mr. P. I did not directly answer the OP's question. I thought he might appreciate a comparison of 1/2 ton gas vs. 3/4 ton diesel. For what it's worth, I read that a fair number of Eco-boost owners pull 5th wheel trailers. I presume it is over the recommended weight limits and not something I would do. Also, thanks for the insight about sliding fifth wheel hitch. But, you sure are right that a diesel is the way to go if a 5th wheel is for certain in your future.
You can get an F150 Ecoboost with the HDPayload option (sort of half way between an F150 and a F250). That can get you up to 3000# payload with reg cab. But usually around 2500# with crew cab. Depends upon the options.

And Pin weights on the newer light weight 5th wheels are usually under 1500#. So with a little care, a lot of people on the F150 forums are happily and legally hauling light weight 5th wheels.

Summary: you need an F150 Ecoboost with HD Payload option and a Light-weight 5th wheel.
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