[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by xrated

Another important factor to consider is the payload capacity of YOUR truck. I see that you have a F350, but one of the big differences between a tow behind and a 5ver is the amount of weight that the truck carries. Tow behind trailers typically see 10 to 15% of the trailer weight as tongue weight, averaging around 12% or so on most rigs. 5vers on the other hand can be in the 20 to 25% range.. That amount of pin weight, plus the 175-200 lb hitch, plus passenger weight, cargo weight,....EVERYTHING, can easily be more weight than you have available payload capacity. The trailer you mentioned is approaching 17,000 lbs GVWR. 20% of that is 3400 lbs, plus a 200 lb hitch plus all the other stuff I mentioned. You could quite easily be over 4000 lb for loading of your truck. So the question becomes, do you have that much available payload capacity? Check the yellow sticker on your door pillar....or better yet, run the truck across a CAT scale and get a true truck weight, then subtract that number from the GVWR of your truck......that's your available payload. And again, anything and everything that goes on or in the truck, counts against your available payload.

Well based on the statement that the OP just looked at the new Montana, and his signature states 2013 Keystone Montana (Mountaineer Edition) 295RKD, he is already towing a 5er. That and the current 5er comes in at 14,145#GVWR. The largest difference is at about 3,000# dry wight of the two 5er's.