Montana H/C 305RL or 374FL for Full Time?

Uneasyrider · 10-31-2018, 09:54 AM

Jeannette and I keep bumping ourselves up and now she would like the 374FL which I like too and see it as better full time living space but I have concerns.

First is it's overall length of 41'6" which is a little harder to manipulate turns and parking. Plus can I take this everywhere that we want at this length?

Second is it's another 2,000 pounds of weight to pull... not really a big deal with a 3500 Ram Diesel but I have single rear wheels which means 3950 pounds of payload 18,000 pounds of towing, I would be looking at 3500 pounds of payload and towing about 15,500 pounds.

Any thoughts on this? FYI we intend to park, move, park, move etc. at 3 or 4 week intervals. Sound right?

notanlines · 10-31-2018, 10:26 AM

Bob, I hope you realize up front that all your answers will be opinion only. I would take a close look at your belief that you will be moving every three weeks or so. In the beginning maybe. After a few months of this it would be my opinion that your urges to move so often will subside.
I'd ignore the length and just deal with it. If you can't always get in where you might like, i.e. Yellowstone, just pull into a park somewhat close. It is a lot easier to deal with that then to deal with an RV that doesn't have enough space.
I'll go ahead and bring up the pin weight dilemma you are facing. I'm not saying you shouldn't pull at that weight, just warning that you should be aware of it and head to the CAT scale so you know exactly where you stand.

Kansas Gary · 10-31-2018, 11:45 AM

Take this with a grain of salt but in my opinion that is way to much for a single rear wheel 1 ton truck to be pulling.".Second is it's another 2,000 pounds of weight to pull... not really a big deal with a 3500 Ram Diesel but I have single rear wheels which means 3950 pounds of payload 18,000 pounds of towing, " I know the numbers the truck manufacture says it ok but in the real world you will have a death grip on the wheel tow that much weight on you truck............ Just my opinion ....

Uneasyrider · 10-31-2018, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notanlines

Bob, I hope you realize up front that all your answers will be opinion only. I would take a close look at your belief that you will be moving every three weeks or so. In the beginning maybe. After a few months of this it would be my opinion that your urges to move so often will subside.
I'd ignore the length and just deal with it. If you can't always get in where you might like, i.e. Yellowstone, just pull into a park somewhat close. It is a lot easier to deal with that then to deal with an RV that doesn't have enough space.
I'll go ahead and bring up the pin weight dilemma you are facing. I'm not saying you shouldn't pull at that weight, just warning that you should be aware of it and head to the CAT scale so you know exactly where you stand.

Thanks, good advice, we have done this summers (teacher schedule) on a Goldwing motorcycle and never stayed in the same place 2 nights for 8 weeks. We are nomadic by nature. Looking forward to digging in deeper in our favorite areas around North America. But things change and our goals may too, as you say. Jeannette makes the same argument for the longer 5W and it is valid, plus we like the kitchen!

With our plan being 3 weeks parked and 1 day of travel I really would like to keep the SRW's for parking, cities, etc. but if need be I will buy a DRW. I would like to push the limits of SRW technologies first.

Uneasyrider · 10-31-2018, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kansas Gary

Take this with a grain of salt but in my opinion that is way to much for a single rear wheel 1 ton truck to be pulling.".Second is it's another 2,000 pounds of weight to pull... not really a big deal with a 3500 Ram Diesel but I have single rear wheels which means 3950 pounds of payload 18,000 pounds of towing, " I know the numbers the truck manufacture says it ok but in the real world you will have a death grip on the wheel tow that much weight on you truck............ Just my opinion ....

How much 5W are you pulling; hitch weight, length and loaded 5W if you don't mind?

**chuckster57** · 10-31-2018, 12:17 PM

Push the limits? I’d hate to push the brake pedal with a whole bunch of trailer hooked on and find out I pushed it too far. JMHO, but parking a DRW just means you park at the end of the row and walk a bit. I drive in the city with ease and in ‘09 on our cross country trek didn’t find a single town I wasn’t able to negotiate in.
1 Ton DRW minimum for that size trailer IMO.

**JRTJH** · 10-31-2018, 01:34 PM

Look for posts regarding one ton SRW RAM truck capabilities that have been posted by a member named gearhead. He started with a Cougar XLite 28CSG and a SRW F350. Traded the trailer for a Montana Mountaineer and upgraded the truck to a RAM 3500 SRW (similar to yours) and recently upgraded to a RAM DRW 3500. Part of his upgrade was the consideration of hauling a 9' cab-over camper when not using the fifth wheel, but he posted some extremely reliable weights for his "lighter than yours" trailer...

You're going to need to make some decisions, you'll get lots of "hell, just go ahead, I do" as well as lots of "OMG, you'll kill everyone you love with that rig"... The truth rests somewhere between those two extremes, but each of us knows our ability on the road, our financial risks as well as capacity to "spend money to buy a bigger truck"....

Good luck on your decisions and also on your transition from "part timing" to "full timing".....

77cruiser · 10-31-2018, 02:12 PM

My 331 Montana HC is about a thousand lighter, my 04 2500HD handles it fine. Doesn't drive like a sports car but what 20K rig does.

gearhead · 10-31-2018, 04:49 PM

You would be fine with the 305RL. I don't have a clue about the bigger model. Just thinking out loud, I think you are in dually territory with 18,000GVW. We are pretty close to our GVW of 12,500. We don't do many short trips..mostly longer 2-4 weeks. We're probably loaded similar to full timers. Saying that, you might end up close to the GVW. And, the trucks payload doesn't leave much spare for cargo and people.
I'd be looking real close at my tire and axle ratings.
If you go for the bigger model, I would load it up and visit a CAT scale.
And, be prepared for a dually.

Gary4 · 10-31-2018, 06:12 PM

I own a 305RL and pull it with a Ram 3500 6.7L. It pulls and stops safely, but in emergency situations it’s all that it needs. The truck is a srw. Anything less would not be safe. Just speaking from experience.

NotyetMHCowner · 11-01-2018, 03:59 AM

We pull our 2015 305RL with a 2006 dually. I would not pull it with a single rear wheel. We are front heavy though with generator, washer combo, 4 golf cart batteries, and under bed and closet storage full. We are basically loaded like full timers. We have pin weight of 3660. My truck's GVW is 13k and we are over 12.5k when loaded for a trip. It handles like a dream with the extra sidewalls on the rear side. The dually has been my daily driver since winter 2014/2015.

rhagfo · 11-01-2018, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kansas Gary

Take this with a grain of salt but in my opinion that is way to much for a single rear wheel 1 ton truck to be pulling.".Second is it's another 2,000 pounds of weight to pull... not really a big deal with a 3500 Ram Diesel but I have single rear wheels which means 3950 pounds of payload 18,000 pounds of towing, " I know the numbers the truck manufacture says it ok but in the real world you will have a death grip on the wheel tow that much weight on you truck............ Just my opinion ....

To add to this, I just got my DD to buy a 2004 Ram 3500 DRW for towing her 30' four horse, with Living quarters GN trailer. The empty pin was about 2,600# loading with horses and gear it would easily gain 1,000#.
I am currently looking to upgrade our TV to something newer than our 2001 Ram 2500 with 312K miles. We tow at 20,500# GCVW which the truck handles well, but I have driven her DRW and it is nicer.

The hips you will get use to, I have ridden with DD and followed her, she does just fine, she knows how wide she is, meaning on a narrow bridge she can stay in her own lane, nicely centered.

Irv gates · 11-08-2018, 08:36 AM

I pull a 40ft Montana 343Rl and I wouldnt think of anything less than DRW for that truck , The extra traction , stability , and Larger brakes, all add up to a more controlled pull vehicle. Stay safe and you fellow RV's will appreciate it.

idcruiserman · 11-08-2018, 03:37 PM

You need a DRW pickup.

Have you fulltimed before? Montanas are nice, but not really suitable for fulltime use.

Phil Saran · 11-08-2018, 04:55 PM

We have a 2019 Keystone Cougar 30 rls 5th wheel (34 feet) and tow it with a 2012 Ram 3500 4 Dr, 4x4 6.5 box. Truck is rated to tow over 16000 # and our rig is about 11.5 to 12k loaded. Truck toes and stops great. I use tow mode and on hills also engage the factory engine brake (jake brake).

I’m averaging 9.5 to 10 mpg. My 2015 Thor Hurricane gas class A averaged 6 to 7 mpg.

But with only a 34 gallon diesel tank I am starting to look at a 50 gallon replacement diesel tank underneath the bed.

notanlines · 11-09-2018, 03:17 AM

ID, "Montana's are nice, but not really suitable for fulltime use" I'm curious what aspect of a Montana makes it less than suitable for full-timing. We see a ton of Montana's on the road.

gearhead · 11-09-2018, 07:14 AM

^^A "real" Montana would be good I think. A Montana HC, not so good in my opinion. I've never had them side by side and gone back and forth comparing build quality and features. I would hope a Montana has better cabinets and wood work than our HC. The HC floor has been discussed here. The Montana has supposedly better slide mechanism...hydraulic vs. cable. I think Keystone has done some upgrades on the HC line but they, and the dealers, seem to purposely blur the differences between Montana and HC.
I've mentioned this before but if I was looking for something to live in 24/7 I would look at DRV, Montana, Alpine, or Landmark in that order. If budget was driving my choice I believe I would go used in those brands.

travelin texans · 11-09-2018, 07:38 AM

Look at the classifieds on this forum for some nice, clean used fulltime 5ers, some with trucks available also.

gearhead · 11-09-2018, 08:35 AM

It's raining outside so...I looked at the Houston mega dealer...HWHRV.com has two Montana 3121RL models 2018 for $59,995. You might haggle them down a little more. That's not a bad deal for a new Montana.
https://www.hwhrv.com/instant-search...ntana%203121rl

Sokcap48 · 11-12-2018, 03:03 PM

We also have a 2018 model, 305RL. TV is a Ram 3500 short bed but is a Dually, pull, stop, and handling wind side to side etc. it is a dream to pull. If I went bigger 5er I would go bigger TV. Now my other concern is are you going to be in moderate climates? We bought yours in 2017 so have had it 1 1/2 years or so. We have 2 ACs, and if it is Hot you will need a third stuck out the window, like if it is 90+. Cold the same applies we dry camped in the teens to 30 degrees and with the temp set at 90 the coach got pretty cool I am speaking high 50’s to low 60’s. If you are on shore power and can run the electric heater it does much better. Other than those two factors we like ours just fine. Nice interior and layout. Hope this helps.

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