UK citizen, bought an RV, help with registering pls

[UKMark]

Truck numbers. They are driving me nuts! Sorry but this whole area seems so fraught with possible problems that I really don't know what to do for the best.

I have previously posted the numbers for our RV. 12000 GVWR, 1794 hitch weight. Palamino Sabre, 32ft. Dual Axle.

 

I would really prefer a SRW truck to make driving/parking a bit easier when unhitched.

 

I initially thought a 250 rated truck of some flavour (Ford, Chevvy, Ram I don't have any personal preference) would do it but now I am not sure as some folks have posted that a 350 would be a better bet. Looking at the figures for a 350 the towing weight limit is actually lower than a 250 (????) so I am not sure why a 350 is better.

 

I am pretty sure that the Diesel engine option will be best, whatever truck rating ends up being the right one. But I could be wrong....

 

Then I have read many articles about axle weight and loading and I just can't get my head around it. I can see the numbers in the vehicle spec sheets but what many folks are saying is to get it all weighed when hitched up etc. That is fine after the event but I doubt any truck dealer is going to let me drive off to get my RV hitched up and then head off to a weigh station to check it all out. And that is even if there happens to be a fifth wheel hitch in the bed.

 

So this all has to be done before buying, from paper based figures. And I just am not getting it. Can someone pls help me out of this maze

 

I will be returning to the UK in a couple of weeks so looking at trucks and speaking to dealers, even by phone, will be much more difficult. I really wanted to be sure of at least the general model before we left so that I can spend the time we are back in the UK researching prices and availability before we return in September.

 

Thanks in advance for any help.

Kind regards

Mark

[atchos@gmail.com]

Truck numbers. They are driving me nuts! Sorry but this whole area seems so fraught with possible problems that I really don't know what to do for the best.

I have previously posted the numbers for our RV. 12000 GVWR, 1794 hitch weight. Palamino Sabre, 32ft. Dual Axle.

 

Hi Mark, I totally understand your frustration - the whole process of choosing a truck was much more complicated then I imagined. I think one reason why it is hard to get a direct answer on this, is because there isn't one.

 

You have to navigate the information flow of personal preference, some algebra, a degree in truck capacities, then some guesswork. Also since only doing this process a few weeks ago, I have already pushed it far back into the depths of my mind and even deleted some memories to keep my sanity.

 

This information is far from comprehensive but will try to recall some key points that may help you.

 

The two main factors I recall for me were payload and towing rating.

• Payload - How much weight the truck can actually carry, including the following:
  • passenger weights
  • hitch weight of hitch itself
  • 5th wheel hitch weight - load of trailer
  • other supplies carried in the truck
  • also factory extras - like Ford King Ranch, has seat heaters and lots of options that take up some payload.
• Towing - How much your truck can actually tow - recommended by trailer life guide, or factory guides

 

Lets take a 2011 Super Duty Ford F-350 Crew Cab SRW 4x4 6.7 Diesel

5th Wheel Tow Rating of #15,700 also a F-250 of same comes out at #14,400 >> Both seem doable in regards to towing ability

 

Now for Payload - these values can vary greatly, and you need to know the actual details of the truck itself that you are looking at (Yellow sticker/decal inside door). For example: Above truck as F-350 short wheel base with 17" tires rates at #2,850 for standard or only #1,650 for all options. So you could be short here. Whereas the F-250 rates at #1,683 - which appears to be short of what you require.

 

Then also you need to look at the yellow sticker's GCVW - which for F-250 could be #10,000 or F-350 at #11,300+ (There is a fancy formula somewhere that is used to work out the GCVW, see trailer life guides for explanation. For me I ended up getting a dually because the TV GCVW was #13,000 and the SRW was about 300 pounds over what I needed but that didn't give me any buffer to carry extra stuff in the tray. And then i'ld have to worry about being weighed to be sure.

 

If you want some light reading here are some blog posts which helped me (and confused me) ForestRForums.

 

I would guess a 2014/15 2500 could do the job, otherwise a F-350 / 3500 would easily, but please check the detail, i'm likely to have missed something.

 

All the best with your search. If you have a specific model in mind, its easier to evaluate.

 

Matt

[bruce t]

A question for the 'experts'. With a dually doesn't the weight of the extra two wheels actually come off the capacity of the truck? So in affect having a dually is both a good and a bad thing at the same time!!! Dual wheels for stability. So then a 3/4 ton pickup, in theory, can have a greater capacity than a 1 ton dually? But only if there are no options added to the pickups to complicate the calculations! So then wouldn't a 1 ton non dually be better still? I'm getting a headache thinking about it.

 

I know that there is a 'technical' answer to all of this. But when I drive up the highway I see 1000's and 1000's of pickups towing all sorts of trailers. Some BIG ones at that. So are all those pickups 'legal'/safe'?

 

Maybe a MDT would solve the problem. Yeah bigger is always better. Isn't it?

 

I'm glad I only ever had motorhomes.

 

regards

[skp51443]

MDTs are an option but usually pretty expensive and under performing in power and comfort when compared to a much cheaper HDT.

 

Since the weight rating of a truck is based on a lot of things, frame, suspension, wheels, tires it is not really possible to say you can tow less with a dually compared to a single rig as the combined weight ratings are usually different.

 

There are a lot of overloaded rigs out there of all types, how legal they are doesn't seem to matter because they are almost never checked. Safety and durability are impacted by the load but few seem to care.

[Kirk W]

A question for the 'experts'. With a dually doesn't the weight of the extra two wheels actually come off the capacity of the truck? So in affect having a dually is both a good and a bad thing at the same time!!! Dual wheels for stability. So then a 3/4 ton pickup, in theory, can have a greater capacity than a 1 ton dually? But only if there are no options added to the pickups to complicate the calculations! So then wouldn't a 1 ton non dually be better still? I'm getting a headache thinking about it.

The answer is in many cases yes. If you look at load capacities of pickups it is often true that the dual wheel version will have slightly lowered weight capacity rating. Remember that all that is different between the same truck in dual or single wheel configuration is the added wheels & a cover for them, which increases the weight of the truck but does nothing to increase design limits on things like axles, suspensions, and other parts.

 

But when I drive up the highway I see 1000's and 1000's of pickups towing all sorts of trailers. Some BIG ones at that. So are all those pickups 'legal'/safe'?

The numbers which we discuss on these forums are not laws but design specifications. They have no relationship to the legal issue as those are laws and regulations that are devised for the commercial trucking industry and the numbers are quite different from the ones from the truck designers that we deal with. You might run into those in the heavy truck market but they are never even mentioned in the pickup sales/service shops or discussions. For whatever reasons, they are not applied to the RV community and most of us don't know what they are or concern ourselves with them. The scales along the highways are for commercial operations. I have often wondered what there has never been an effort to connect the design weight limits to the safety inspection stickers that some states require, but if there has been, I have never heard of it.

[bigjim]

6 or 7 years ago where I was volunteering they had 2 brand new chevy p/u to be brought from the supervisors office to the district. Me and an employee got them and drove them back. 1 was a 2500 and 1 was a 3500 both were single rear wheel. The 2500 had the smaller engine the 6000 and the 3500 had the 8.1. Surprisingly the 2500 had the greater load capacity. It can definitly be a conondrum.