3/4 Ton or 1 Ton?

[brodhag]

The family and I have decided to sell the house and hit the road full time until we can find our ideal location to settle back in. We have narrowed our new home down to the Jayco 29.5 FBDS 5th wheel as it seems to be a great balance of durability and function. This RV is classified as a half ton model but I would not consider a half ton for this size RV.

The dealer claims that a 3/4 ton will tow this no problem but looking at the Ram 2500 Mega Cab 4x4 with the 6.7 diesel or the Chevy 2500 Crew Cab 4x4 short bed with the Duramax, that leaves very little room for payload. Both trucks have a payload capacity of approximately 2,000 lbs and the RV has a tongue weight of 1,600 lbs, from what I understand this leaves me with only 400 lbs of payload capacity. That leads me to believe that I should be looking at the 1 ton instead of the 3/4 ton but I have a hard time believing that I need to go with a 1 ton for a 1/2 ton series 5th wheel.

Any suggestions on 3/4 ton vs 1 ton? Thank you for any help on this.

[rynosback]

Get a 3500 DRW long bed. Better to have to much truck. I bought my 15 Ram 3500 CTD, DRW, Asin trans after doing ALOT of reading and research. Plus it gives you room for growth down the road instead of buying another truck again.

Buy a DRW because of much better handling characteristics with towing.

[skp51443]

Skip the sales guy nonsense, the 1/2, 3/4 and 1 ton stuff that is pretty much worthless to you as a driver. Instead get the factory towing guide for the trucks you are looking at and use the numbers in them as your base for calculation what truck will pull your RV.

 

On the RV side use the trailer's GVWR, you may be lighter than that but it is what you want to be able to pull.

 

I always recommend taking the factory tow number and deducting 20%, that gives you a bit of a cushion and lets you skip the calculations to convert from the factory numbers to real world numbers. The factory numbers are correct - given you read the footnotes - where you find things like tested with 1/8th tank of gas, nothing in the truck but a 150 pound driver and a single-horse type trailer with a 60 square foot frontal area.

 

I have driven a truck loaded to 80% and then 100% (well minus 200 pounds from 100%) and there is a good bit of difference in how pleasant it is to drive them. Wife refused to drive loaded to 100% except in flat rural areas during good weather, had no issues when we were at 80%.

[jeomelia]

You are on the right track being concerned about the truck, but I would also look at the trailer. Cargo capacity 1820# minus 400# water 100# propane leave 1300# for your "stuff". Stuff adds up quickly your tires on the trailer most likely are close max weight.

[markandkim]

Always go for the 3500 over the 2500 if it is available when you want it.

[Kirk W]

Let me first welcome you to the Escapee forums! There are many very experienced RV folks here that are happy to help and advise as much or as often was you wish, so please do stop in anytime and on most any subject!

 

I am also in the "bigger is better" group on the truck issue. We towed our travel trailer with a vehicle rated to tow it and even though the trailer weight was about 80% of the rated capacity, it was still a tremendous improvement when we moved to our current tow vehicle that is rated to two double what we actually tow. It is very difficult to have too much truck. Throw into the mix the factor of the available cargo weight which your chosen trailer has and it means you probably will want to carry a significant amount of your belongings in the truck, to prevent overloading the trailer, and you really want the higher capacity truck. Keep in mind that when you live in your RV you must then carry all of your possessions with you. The weight limits for both the truck and the trailer are issues for both safety and reliability so it is important not to travel with excessive weight on either of them.

[mptjelgin]

The 350/3500 truck will give you considerably more payload for very little additional money. I would stay with the single rear wheel (SRW) truck as that is plenty for the trailer that you've selected. I tow a much heavier trailer than what you are looking at with my Ford F-350 SRW and it does the job very well.

[LindaH]

Both trucks have a payload capacity of approximately 2,000 lbs and the RV has a tongue weight of 1,600 lbs, from what I understand this leaves me with only 400 lbs of payload capacity.

 

Actually, it will be less than 400#!

 

That 1,600# hitch weight is the DRY hitch weight; i.e., before you add any supplies to the rig. Once you load it up, the actual hitch weight could be anywhere from 1,990# to 2,488# (20% to 25% of the fifth wheel's GVWR).

 

Additionally, the 2,000# payload capacity on the truck is for a basic truck with no options, no gear, a partial tank of fuel, and only one 150# driver. Once you fill the truck up with fuel, load all the supplies into it that will normally be carried in the truck (including the fifth wheel hitch), and load all the passengers in it, that 2,000# will go down.

 

You don't say how many people are in your family that will be traveling with you, but based on the fact that the proposed fifth wheel has two sets of bunk beds at one end, I'd guess at least four, possibly as many as six? The 1,820# isn't going to go very far for four to six people, especially considering the *actual* CCC may be less since that figure is unlikely to include any options. As an educational exercise, you may want to gather all the things you think you'll be loading into the fifth wheel (clothes, pots and pans, dishes and silverware, food, toys, etc.) and start weighing them. You'll be surprised, I think, at how soon you'll reach 1,820# (and remember, that figure also has to include propane and at least some fresh water to use to flush toilets as you travel).

[TXiceman]

Another, more is better. AS a minimum, get the one ton SRW. If you plan to upgrade your trailer anytime soon, I'd seriously look at the dually. In any case get the 8' bed rather than worry with a slider hitch.

 

Also consider the Ford 6.7L diesel. Strong engine and a great truck. A long time Chevy duramax friend of mine just said adios to Chevy and bought a new Ram diesel dually. Right now, my feelings is that the Duramax is behind the times and in need of a major face lift.

 

Ken

[trailertraveler]

Welcome to the Escapees Forum!

 

As Linda stated, the Jayco 29,5 specifications show a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of 9,950#. Using 20-25% of this weight as the estimated pin weight means that between 1990-2487# will be placed on the truck. The Chevy website lists the maximum payload of some configurations of the 2500HD at between 3,000 and 3,500#.The 3500HD DRW can have a payload capacity of over 7,000#. How much payload capacity you need/want and how much extra margin you want is a decision for you to make. Here is a link to a website with a calculator that may help you in matching a truck and trailer.

 

Again, Welcome to the Escapees Forum!!

[Smitty77_7]

Going with the 1 Ton, as stated, gives you a higher safety margin on load ability.

 

Going with the 1 Ton, could also allow you to move to a different Fiver down the road, without needing to replace a truck, if ever desired.

 

Going with the 1 Ton, should also five you higher pay back at time of selling the truck.

 

And also agree with the advice on looking at, and learning about, the actual numbers put out by the manufacturers. I will say that some salesman really know their stuff, and are reputable enough to not sell you a truck that is undersized for your stated needs. But, they're few and far apart!

 

Best of luck to you, welcome, and have fun,

Smitty

[brodhag]

Thank you for all the great information, sounds like 1 ton is the way to go. My original concern with the 1 ton was having a GVW of over 10k lbs. In California having a GVW of over 10k lbs changes the registration and it is no longer considered a pick up truck, I believe that you are supposed to stop at weigh stations and follow the commercial rules... Does anybody have information on this? Will it be a problem having a GVW of over 10k in other states? Thank you again for the support.

[Big Greg]

CA is unique (I'm being polite) and I can't say what they do out there. We have never stopped at a weight station, including CA, on 9+ years. Greg

[mptjelgin]

I

 

Thank you for all the great information, sounds like 1 ton is the way to go. My original concern with the 1 ton was having a GVW of over 10k lbs. In California having a GVW of over 10k lbs changes the registration and it is no longer considered a pick up truck, I believe that you are supposed to stop at weigh stations and follow the commercial rules... Does anybody have information on this? Will it be a problem having a GVW of over 10k in other states? Thank you again for the support.

 

Ford offers a no-cost optional "10,000 GVWR Package" that labels the GVWR to exactly 10,000 pounds for just this reason. I "think" that it is the same exact truck, but the registration reads 10,000 pounds. I suspect that the other manufacturers would have something similar.

[HamRad]

.

[Kirk W]

. Does anybody have information on this? Will it be a problem having a GVW of over 10k in other states?

The answer to the first part, only commercial trucks are required to stop at the scales, per the CA code. (emphasis added)

 

CVC Section 2813 outlines who must stop at weigh stations and inspection stations:

2813. Every driver of a commercial vehicle shall stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection of the size, weight, equipment, and smoke emissions of the vehicle at any location where members of the California Highway Patrol are conducting tests and inspections of commercial vehicles and when signs are displayed requiring the stop. Every driver who fails or refuses to stop and submit the vehicle to an inspection when signs are displayed requiring that stop is guilty of a misdemeanor.

CVC Section 260 defines "commercial vehicle" (bolding added):

260. (a) A "commercial vehicle" is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.

( Passenger vehicles which are not used for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit and housecars are not commercial vehicles. ...

The same is true for other states. Even the heavy trucks that have been converted from 18 wheel service to fifth wheel haulers are not required to stop at scales in CA or any other state. The operators and truckers don't appreciate it if you do when they are busy and they all laugh if they are not busy.

[brodhag]

PERFECT! Thank you again for all the help. I look forward to spending some more time here and then hitting the road.

[skp51443]

Something else you may want to look at is a temporary relocation until you find your dream spot. We were Arizona residents and we moved to a mail service in South Dakota for several years before settling down. The SD address saved us a bundle, cheap sales tax, cheap licence fees, no income tax made it a great deal.

 

Texas is often the best choice but Florida and South Dakota are also good for some folks. Escapees can help you with relocating to any of them if you are interested.

 

I still grin when I recall the nice licence lady in SD being really upset that my MDT fees came to just over $100, she was sure that was too high and re-ran the numbers a couple times. I was paying over $2000 in AZ at the time and wanted to jump over the desk and grab the papers to sign!

[Kirk W]

Stanley makes an excellent suggestion! California (where Pam's family live) happens to be one of the most expensive states in which to domicile while living and traveling in an RV. In addition, if you sell your present home, what will you use for an address to register & insure your vehicles and maintain you driver's license? You may have to keep the CA address for health insurance reasons, but if you do not, I'd strongly consider changing domicile to a new state. If you are interested in checking this out, you might find this article about domiciles to be helpful.

[LindaH]

We have never stopped at a weight station, including CA, on 9+ years.

 

X2.

 

When we were fulltiming, we did it in a 32' fifth wheel pulled by a 1-ton dually with a GVWR of around 11,000#. We never stopped at a weigh station in California or any other state...and no law enforcement ever chased after us because we didn't stop.

[brodhag]

We have been looking into domicile in other states and are currently undecided. I like the idea of this, but because our income while on the road will be coming from rental properties in California our accountant states that we will be paying California income tax regardless. There is definitely a registration benefit in other states vs the very expensive California, but we are also looking into schooling regulations. We have a 6 year old (1st grade) and an 8 year old (3rd grade) that we will be "road schooling" and we need to consider state rules and regulations on that as well. As far as an address goes is it okay to use a family members address? We will likely set up a mail forwarding service but was wondering how to do the physical address. Thank you again for all the help and support! I love the RV community already!

[I'mdonewiththis forum]

I would agree with the others about getting a 3500 vs a 2500. I have a 2500 (granted it is older) pulling a supposed 1/2 ton towable, but I am real close to the CGVW of my truck fully equipped. This is one place where bigger IS better, plus later on if you decide to get a bigger trailer you would need another truck.

[Kirk W]

You may want to consider starting new threads on the domicile/home school issue to get better responses. TX is one of the states with very little regulation of home school practices.

[jamtracy]

Thank you for all the great information, sounds like 1 ton is the way to go. My original concern with the 1 ton was having a GVW of over 10k lbs. In California having a GVW of over 10k lbs changes the registration and it is no longer considered a pick up truck, I believe that you are supposed to stop at weigh stations and follow the commercial rules... Does anybody have information on this? Will it be a problem having a GVW of over 10k in other states? Thank you again for the support.

I live in California and have a 2015 Chevrolet 3500 Duramax Longbed 4x4 SRW. It runs about $800 a year to register. Oh and since it's diesel you have to smog it every 2 years even in its new stage unlike a gas vehicle which I think gives you 5 years before you have to smog it.

SRW VS DRW can be debated for days..... But one thing that is agreeable is you can never have to much truck.

Good Luck!

 

James