What is the BEST Trk

joshua · 10-02-2017, 12:36 AM

I have a 2013 rl36 and is pulling it with a 2014 f250 and it's apparent that this truck is not the one for long haul vac and not too great for the short ones either. What do u guys and gals think the best tow/daily driver unit that I should be looking at for? ( Gear Ratio, Fuel cap, Fuel capity, Make, or Dully)

travelin' texans · 10-02-2017, 12:43 AM

You are opening one, big, ugly can of worms!
I was told by a wise old fulltimer when we first started fulltiming that there are 3 things you don't discuss in rv parks, #1 - politics, #2 - religion, #3 - the best brand of truck! Whatever you get NEEDS to be a dually!
Read my signature to see my favorite & that's all I have to say about that!!!
Surprised some of you, didn't I?

markw · 10-02-2017, 01:11 AM

I have the same trailer, get the dually

Mark

rickc · 10-02-2017, 01:14 AM

Dually for sure, if it happened to be a diesel ram that wouldn’t suck!

atom ant · 10-02-2017, 01:29 AM

Dually made for a nice tow machine, kind of sucked otherwise.

I had both the 4.10s in a 2008, and 3.73 in a 2014. The 4.10s did better in the Rockies, even with the smaller hp 6.4L. The F450s get as deep as 4.30s.

Ford truck guy · 10-02-2017, 01:34 AM

Just to stir the pot a bit . . .

ANY of the newer SRW's will handle that RW.. Not for fulltiming, but the average weekend warrior and daily driver... That is , IF you do not hoard,and load that RW for bear.....

MY "15" SRW handles our 38RL RW with ease, BUT you have to know ALL your weights... I am at my limits on ours...

Belly up to a scale, that will tell you what you need..

markw · 10-02-2017, 02:19 AM

I just replied to this thread with my weights for my 36re. It posted in the Keystone acquires Crossroads. Go figure. Short version. 3400 on the pin, 12,100 on the axles and 16,500 total. Loaded for 2 weeks and a full 100 gallons of water.

Mark

Shane Wood · 10-02-2017, 03:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

You are opening one, big, ugly can of worms!
I was told by a wise old fulltimer when we first started fulltiming that there are 3 things you don't discuss in rv parks, #1 - politics, #2 - religion, #3 - the best brand of truck! Whatever you get NEEDS to be a dually!
Read my signature to see my favorite & that's all I have to say about that!!!
Surprised some of you, didn't I?

Yes sir totally

joshua · 10-02-2017, 03:03 AM

Thanks for all the posts and information. Just making this decision isn't a easy one but finding a trk. that will do what I want without it being in the shop like the last trip would be nice. Thanks for all the posts again.

Shane Wood · 10-02-2017, 03:10 AM

Joshua
I have a 36rl as well and I had a 2008 1 ton srw. ended up selling it once I got the trailer as the pin weight was putting me over on gvwr, gawr and tire weight rating. Ended up going with a drw that I really did not want but had no choice. Mine is running at 17500 with 3950 pin weight

joshua · 10-02-2017, 04:00 AM

That was a diesel truck that u are using correct?

travelin' texans · 10-02-2017, 06:12 AM

For towing a large 5er I'd not buy anything but a diesel, more power, more torque, exhaust brakes, & better mileage in most cases.

atom ant · 10-02-2017, 07:13 PM

Attached are the CAT scale tickets for our 36RL with generator and W/D. Fully loaded our pin weight was 4,350 lbs. Running empty back to storage it was 3,480 lbs.

xtasee · 10-02-2017, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelin' texans

You are opening one, big, ugly can of worms!
I was told by a wise old fulltimer when we first started fulltiming that there are 3 things you don't discuss in rv parks, #1 - politics, #2 - religion, #3 - the best brand of truck! Whatever you get NEEDS to be a dually!
Read my signature to see my favorite & that's all I have to say about that!!!
Surprised some of you, didn't I?

For Several hours, I have resisted even posing an answer but,

I upgraded my 2010 Chevy 2500 Duramax to a 2017 3500 SRW Duramax. You will see in my signature that I chose a 31SL because the 36 would have required a DRW just because of the weight on the rear tires.

I loved my 2010 but the difference in power and adding the exhaust brake was HUGE!

Plus I got the sexier new hood.....

coloradolivin · 10-03-2017, 02:00 AM

I love my dually. It's my third one. First was a 98 Chevy with a 454, toted around a Kodiak slide in camper. We upgraded to a Keystone Everest 5er, and found the 454 could not pull a dead possum to save its life !! So, got a 08 Duramax and it did just fine. Had a 9.5' commercial plow on that one and proceeded to rip both rear fenders off in the snow. $3500 later, I quit plowing snow. When we got the RW, decided to upgrade to the RAM. Pulls like a dream.

These were/are my daily drivers, and I love it. However, I will disclose that I am a country mouse, not a city mouse. At Walmart, I park way out, but, I like the walk. I have taken the RAM into Denver, and sure, I drive on the sidewalk and piss off the prius folks, but hey, I don't know any better.

jarleigh · 10-14-2017, 05:53 PM

The only time I ever used a dually was on an 11 1/2 ft pickup camper.

I have pulled a 2003 Jayco 3610 with a 2002 and a 2007 2500 4WD Duramax -- I preferred the 2007 classic because of the 6 speed Allison.

I also pulled a 2010 Carraige Cameo 36 ft with a full wall slide with the 2007 Duramax. That had over 3K of pin weight.

I also pulled the Cameo with a 2016 3500 4WD SRW RAM CC short box.

We now have a 2016 38ft Redwood that we are pulling with RAM.

I enjoy the RAM, but the 2007 chevy had more get up and go (3.73 and 16" tires vs RAMs 3.46 and 18" tires).

No matter what you pull, make sure you understand all the weights and go to a scale and weigh your axles!!

Shane Wood · 10-14-2017, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshua

That was a diesel truck that u are using correct?

If you were responding to me the answer is diesel

UNDRPSI · 10-29-2017, 02:14 AM

One and done. Our dually was good and towed great. But the comfort in towing with the M-2 is so much better.

spindrift · 10-29-2017, 02:22 PM

Very nice!

woodman1 · 10-29-2017, 04:50 PM

I agree with those of you who recommend diesel dually's, however; they are a behemoth and they're generally used for a single purpose, pulling large trailers. They are a beast in size otherwise and you have to contend with that in parking, navigating and storage. Like many of us, I owned trucks for most of my life and use them for their practicality and in my case, a business. That played a huge role in determining the type of RV we chose and eliminated any thoughts of purchasing a motor home. Thus, choosing a 5th wheel was a natural extension, but I had to move up from a half ton to a one ton diesel pickup. Since I use my truck for other purposes, I decided that a diesel SRW was the most logical. I've talked to several well regarded hitch installers and the one scenario that has been repeated by them over and over is, good tires and good suspension along with good driving habits are the keys to successful traveling. Good habits include not overloading your hauling capacity and avoiding excess speeds. I had airlifts installed and feel it made a profound difference in handling capabilities. Deciding on a brand has more to do with your bias and what conveniences or layout your familiar. I don't think there's a bad brand, be it Chevy/GMC, Dodge or Ford, so to stay with the original question in this post, I think the answer has more to do with your needs. Dually's are great for pulling 5th wheels, but are more one-dimensional and sized accordingly. I opted for a diesel SRW with a 3.55 axle, short box and glide hitch because it fits my needs much better, and I think can be very safe and secure if you follow practical guidelines. I've driven over 30K miles towing 5th wheels; it pulls with the best and will be my next model of choice as well.

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