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Old 08-17-2012, 03:01 PM   #1
poncho37
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Another 2500 fifth wheel question

Hello, I recently looked at a 300MP and I'm seriously considering buying one.

My vehicle is a 2007 GMC Sierra CC classic 4wd Duramax 6.6 diesel. That is the old style truck that was made in 2006 to circumvent the 2007 diesel emission regulations.

My current trailer is an ancient 26' Avenger Travel trailer that my father bought new in 1974.

I did a search, and saw that people on the site generally discouraged towing the 300mp with the 2500 and recommended the 3500 to stay within the recommended ratings.

Now here is the kicker, that I am asking you to consider..

The 2500 SRW and 3500 SRW trucks are virtually identical.

Same Engine, trans ,rear,trans axle, front axle, brakes ,rims, tires and frame.

The difference between the trucks is different leaf springs in the back and different torsion bars in the front to increase payload.

Why can't I just change rear springs and maybe torsion bars to upgrade my rated tow load from 14,200 to 15,400?

The 300mp weighs 12K ,right?

If a 3500 SRW can do the job safely, why can't a 2500 SRW with heavy leaf springs (3500) do it just as well?
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Old 08-17-2012, 03:32 PM   #2
rnkburg
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I have towed my 2012 300mp with my 3/4 dodge long bed 4x4 and it does great. I do have firestone ride rites on the truck. I don't see why you couldn't beef the suspension and make it work.

I do tow mainly with a duramax one ton dually and it does great too.
Most on here from what I have read are more concerned if you have an accident and the insurance says its payload is off and won't pay

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Old 08-17-2012, 04:40 PM   #3
mhs4771
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Yes you could beef up the suspension, but in the end legally it would still be a 2500 with a 2500 Payload, (door sticker), unless you could get it recertified for a higher payload.
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Old 08-17-2012, 06:48 PM   #4
smiller
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The 3500 SRW is pretty much a product of the marketing dept., similar to the 2500 'Camper Special' package that was popular in years past. The same situation exists with Dodge trucks in that the 2500 and 3500 SRW are identical in every way except for a set of overload springs and a '3' instead of a '2' on the nameplate. There is also the difference on the door sticker and people love to freak out about that and if you want you can too , otherwise your 2500 with a spring upgrade (if necessary) is every bit as capable as the 3500 SRW.

And FWIW with Dodge (not sure about GMC) there is no even no difference between the 2500/3500 SRW and the 3500 DRW, other than the extra set of tires on the DRW. Otherwise drivetrain, brakes, frame, etc. are identical.
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Old 08-18-2012, 05:50 PM   #5
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The 3500HD in my sig has a 5" drive shaft the 2012 2500HD gasser has a 4" drive shaft, in addition the 3500HD has a larger axle and heavier springs. There is more to it than just heavier springs. Go to a dealer lot and compare them. I did before I bought. I am referring to gassers. DMAX may be same axle and driveshaft, I'm not sure.
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Old 08-18-2012, 05:55 PM   #6
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My research was only on the diesel trucks, gas may well be different.
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Old 08-18-2012, 08:00 PM   #7
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What is the cost difference between the 2500 and 3500srw? What is the cost to change out the tbars and leafpacks? At the end of the day what is the cost (labor and all) between them - if that is your plan it may be easier to just get the 3500srw.
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Old 08-18-2012, 08:04 PM   #8
smiller
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The 3500 SRW isn't that much more (about the cost of a set of springs ) and yeah, if you don't own a truck and are considering the two then it would probably be easier to get the 3500 (plus you get the sticker to make the forum weight police happy.) But many who ask the question already have a 2500, as in the original post. Actually I should say the dealer's cost isn't that much more for the 3500 vs. 2500 but they markup the 3500 option so if you are paying invoice price getting the 3500 can be cost-effective, but if you are paying retail it may be less expensive to upgrade a 2500.
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Old 08-19-2012, 05:12 AM   #9
poncho37
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OK guys ,thanks for your input..

Switching trucks isn't really an option as my truck has 40k miles and was broken in just the way I wanted. I did a 1000 mile oil change then used synthetic oil in the engine (after 1st change). I also switched to synthetic oil in the front and rear axle and trans-axle after the first 500 miles.

At 30K I switched to Allison synthetic trans fluid and added an after-mart deep pan for more capacity.

My point is that my current truck is a known quantity, paid off , and is kept well maintained, so changing trucks seems foolish to me. And, I sort of took care of it just the way I wanted too, so I'm some what attached.

If the 300MP is too much, I'd probably go with a different Toy hauler.

I love the fact that the new GM's have a new chassis and bigger brakes, but I love the fact that my LBZ has no DPF or Urea tank to fiddle with. In my area trucks are emissions tested and need a cat and EGR if so equipped ,so my pre-2007 emissions standard truck is desirable to me.

I am a hot rod guy and switching out leaf springs in the driveway on a fairly new vehicle that has no rust will be rather easy for me to do.

Torsion bars seems very do able too.

As for the weight police guys...I'm interested in their input too. How common are real Police "Motor Carrier" type inspections in different parts of the country? Is this a concern only in case of serious accidents??

Most of my camping has been within NYS about 5 to 6 hrs from home and I haven't run across it...

The 300MP weighs 10780 unloaded? That's with empty propane tanks and all other tanks empty?

I saw 12K as another weight on the site for that camper, what does that reflect?

Could steps be taken to travel in a "travel mode" where water and waste tanks are empty until close to destination?

I would be carrying one or two 500Lb motorcycles and a few plastic Kayaks in the back toybox area.

In case anyone is interested , I built a custom Vista Cruiser Hot Rod with the intent of restoring a 72 airstream to match, but I have gotten older and the comfort of the D-max makes life easier. Towing a 26 ft TT with that Vista was a handful. I reworked that entire car with heavy duty parts and there still wasn't much margin for error when conditions got bad. I have some "close call" towing stories in New York traffic to tell there...

Sorry to hijack my own thread, but some background is sometimes interesting to some..

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Old 08-19-2012, 05:17 AM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smiller View Post
...make the forum weight police happy.
The forum weigh station never seems to close.
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Old 08-20-2012, 07:44 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by poncho37 View Post
How common are real Police "Motor Carrier" type inspections in different parts of the country? Is this a concern only in case of serious accidents??
I used to drive for an RV/Motorized transport company several years back and I did it for over 4 years. Any time I entered a weigh station 9 times out of 10 they would send me down the bypass lane and I have never been weighed if I ever got stopped. The only time I ever got ran across the scales is if I was delivering a truck or tractor, there was a couple of states that said all RV's/trailers had to enter the scales but of course was usually sent down the bypass lane there too. I was told by one tropper that they really don't waste their time with the rver's even though I had ICC numbers in the windows showing I was a commercial transporter. As for being in an accident I really couldn't tell you how that would work because I've personally never had that experiance or hope I never have to.
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Old 08-20-2012, 12:59 PM   #12
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This has been gone over a zillion times before. State weight stations/state troopers/etc. aren't going to care a whit about a private RV unless it appears to be obviously and grossly overloaded (and maybe not even then.) Likewise the odds of some kind of accident where being a few hundred pounds over some door sticker number amounts to any kind of legal issue is probably about the same as being hit by a meteor. Just be responsible and use some common sense and none of the above concerns will be an issue.
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Old 08-21-2012, 06:58 AM   #13
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I've also never hear someone on any of the RV forums that I check come back and mention that an insurance claim was denied based on the truck and trailer combo being overweight. That doesn't mean I'm saying it doesn't happen, I've just not heard any reports.

I don't soo much think it's the trailer weight you are needing to worry about with the 2500 but the pin weight. If your tires, axle suspension and frame can handle the pin weight with or without upgrades and it is comfortable enough to tow then you should be good to pull it.
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