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one ton


racer808

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Confusing myself doing the google with with tongue weights, max weights, etc.  We are wanting to get a 5th wheel, or possibly a pull behind but it's hard to find one with the privacy of a 5th wheel, either way my Ram 1500 is not up to snuff.  I have been looking at ram 3500's but not sure if I need the duallies?  I think a 35' trailer would be my max size & based on what I am reading the single should be plenty.  Anyone chime in here & set me straight?

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Also keep in mind the difference between most 1 tons and 3/4 tons is a leaf spring. With a 5th wheel I would think 3/4 ton would be a good starting point. Don't think I would move to a dually unless going over 30ish' 

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The dually offers better tracking for longer loads. But you also sacrifice size when not towing, they are wide. Look at the GVWR of the vehicle you have in mind and the LOADED tongue weight of the trailer as well as everything you are going to throw in the truck. It all adds up quickly. My parents had a 36' fifth wheel and when all said and done, a 3/4ton was borderline. But it was a heavy 36 with 2 pullouts and extra amenities. They went with a 1 ton dually crew long bed (GM). That truck towed so nice, but driving it around was like driving a limo (conjecture, never drove a limo).

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7 hours ago, Pnwrider said:

Also keep in mind the difference between most 1 tons and 3/4 tons is a leaf spring. With a 5th wheel I would think 3/4 ton would be a good starting point. Don't think I would move to a dually unless going over 30ish' 

What do you mean by 30iss, trailer length?

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I am open to other options, the 2500 as mentioned above being one of them.  For the most part the trailer is going to sit at my lake.  The plan was just to pay someone to haul it up there & haul it back in the off season.  But then I decided I don't want to be dependent on others for it, plus everyone at the lake moves the trailers around as the water goes down we all head to the beach.  However, it would be nice to be able to take the trailer elsewhere too should we want.  I would want to be able to haul it over the passes if we decide go west, but for the most part we would be on normal highways

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You ought to decide on a rig first and then decide on the tow vehicle.  The newer 3/4 ton diesels will pull a sh*t ton of weight.  I pull 36' bumper pull that can get to 10-11k when its loaded up and I also pull a 14K dump trailer with it.  Old jeep is correct on the sway control, as a dually will obviously track better when loaded, but they are a pain in the a** driving around town unloaded, and unnecessary IMO unless you are pulling a really big and heavy triple-axle 5'er, for example.  It really depends if you want to use the truck for anything other than as a dedicated tow vehicle.

If you are pulling from the bumper, they make a hitch that will allow a more 5th-wheel like towing experience called the Hensley Arrow (and there are other brands like it) that will eliminate trailer sway.

https://hensleymfg.com/faq/hensley-hitch-works/

With my 3/4 ton, I can hit the pass at 65-70 on cruise control with my bumper pull and it will rarely even downshift.  And you don't really want to pull a rig any faster than that.  

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4 minutes ago, jjackkrash said:

You ought to decide on a rig first and then decide on the tow vehicle.  The newer 3/4 ton diesels will pull a sh*t ton of weight.  I pull 36' bumper pull that can get to 10-11k when its loaded up and I also pull a 14K dump trailer with it.  Old jeep is correct on the sway control, as a dually will obviously track better when loaded, but they are a pain in the a** driving around town unloaded, and unnecessary IMO unless you are pulling a really big and heavy triple-axle 5'er, for example.  It really depends if you want to use the truck for anything other than as a dedicated tow vehicle.

If you are pulling from the bumper, they make a hitch that will allow a more 5th-wheel like towing experience called the Hensley Arrow (and there are other brands like it) that will eliminate trailer sway.

https://hensleymfg.com/faq/hensley-hitch-works/

With my 3/4 ton, I can hit the pass at 65-70 on cruise control with my bumper pull and it will rarely even downshift.  And you don't really want to pull a rig any faster than that.  

I'd be down with the pull behind if the master had a door & some separation.   

 

I'm gonna hit up the RV show in Jan, at least I can walk around & figure out exactly what we like, not really seeing it on Craigs & haven't had time to use the local RV store to just browse

Edited by racer808
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Just throwing my 2 cents in here.  If you're going to use the truck for anything other than towing then go with a 3/4 or 1 ton without duallies  and a 5th wheel trailer.  Only get the dually setup if you have to have a bumper pull.  Diesel worth the extra $$ only if you are doing a lot of towing miles.  You're going to be surprised at how much more space a 5th wheel RV has for a given overall rig length.

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14 hours ago, racer808 said:

Confusing myself doing the google with with tongue weights, max weights, etc.  We are wanting to get a 5th wheel, or possibly a pull behind but it's hard to find one with the privacy of a 5th wheel, either way my Ram 1500 is not up to snuff.  I have been looking at ram 3500's but not sure if I need the duallies?  I think a 35' trailer would be my max size & based on what I am reading the single should be plenty.  Anyone chime in here & set me straight?

You need to know the Pin weight of the trailer. Then the next important thing is getting the highest weight E tires you can buy.  

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I have a 2011 F250 Crew Cab diesel, I added airlift bags in the back to level the truck when towing. We have a 38ft fifth wheel that is around 12K loaded up. Been running this set up for 5 years and have had no problem. We live in Lincoln, NE and have gone as far as Colorado Springs and back with it. Truck handles the weight just fine and can run interstate speeds without batting an eye. 

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Thanks everyone, all this is good stuff & helps simplify it for me.  Now;  Short Bed / Long Bed.  From what I've read, long bed only, short bed can't turn sharp or risk hitting the cab, but then I read about jumping out & doing something with sliders?  Short beds are everywhere, long bed you got slim pickings in the used market

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9 minutes ago, racer808 said:

Thanks everyone, all this is good stuff & helps simplify it for me.  Now;  Short Bed / Long Bed.  From what I've read, long bed only, short bed can't turn sharp or risk hitting the cab, but then I read about jumping out & doing something with sliders?  Short beds are everywhere, long bed you got slim pickings in the used market

You have to get a slider hitch if you go short bed. 

http://www.hitchreview.com/best-sliding-fifth-wheel-hitches/

https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Andersen/AM3139.html I found this adapter that might also work for you with a short bed. 

 

If I was to get a 5th wheel I would go with this because you don't to remove the hitch when not in use. 

https://www.etrailer.com/Gooseneck-and-Fifth-Wheel-Adapters/Convert-A-Ball/CAB-C5G.html

Here's a video on it.

 

Edited by malibu2004
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We have had 3 short bed gas trucks over the years with our 5th wheel and not one problem. When you get your hitch just choose one for a short bed. Ours stays in the forward position all the time because if you move it back the hitch is touching the tailgate and even with the short bed it's fine.

also driving the short bed around town is so much easier. But don't even attempt big cities, parking garages hate you. 

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Looks like it's harder to back the truck unassisted to the 5th wheel?  That's the least of my concerns, we always figure that stuff, just throwing it out there.  Guess, I'm go look at trucks & figure out if I want to trade my 1500 for a larger truck, or keep it & just buy a used 3500 to haul the trailer around.  My wife works from home so she always has the truck, she goes to the gym & store mostly which are less than a mile from the casa so her using that is not a concern, I drive her Kia to work & run around in that so a newer 3500 may be the way to go for us.  However, I really like my ram 1500 & it has such low miles it would almost be foolish to part with it  

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7 hours ago, RyanB said:

 

Thanks man, good stuff.  I'm not sure I'll want to do the towing trailer & boat, that just sketches me out.  I suppose you really have to plan your route cause I don't see backing up as an option?

 

 

 

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I had a 40' toy hauler that I used my 2500 duramax with no issues. I also pulled it with  my dads ram 3500 and I was worried the 3500 was not going to make it. The Allison in the chevys make a world of difference. Both trucks were automatic, I'd stay away from the auto ram3500. Was not a good choice for us, the toyhauler was 13k when loaded full.

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2 hours ago, racer808 said:

 

I can back up (straight) for a little bit.  I have a friend that is actually pretty good at backing up towing tandem, so it can be done.  When boating, if I am going to a new area, I just drop the boat at the boat ramp parking lot.

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26 minutes ago, RyanB said:

@malibu2004, sorry if I wasn't clear.  A gooseneck is no problem on the frame of a truck.  Big potential problem on the frame of an RV.  

Got it.

I would also argue that because the dealerships sell the adapters so I would assume they would be warrantied. 3 of my friends have purchased them from the dealer when they purchased the trailer. 

 

Just curious have you ever heard of a frame fail because of it? 

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