Truck upgrade time. Eyes open please.

[JShort880]

Hello Friends.

This is following up to https://www.keystoneforums.com/forum...ad.php?t=53763 (TLDR = Truck not safe to pull RV).

Moving into the solution stage. We are parked in Arizona until July 1st. I owe 63k on my F250 (Paid 73k) and I'm starting to hunt for the right truck to tow my 2021 Fuzion 379. In the post above, all numbers for the trailer are present including the scale numbers. Thanks again for everyone pointing out the problem.

So. I'm not a truck guy. I'm here to ask for recommendations and links to any good deals around the nation. I'm up to driving for a good deal, but to far east might not be worth it right now.

Biggest reason for this thread is to make sure I have some of you experienced folks spot check that the trucks I'm shopping are right for the job.

Thanks

[rhagfo]

Well while a bit impressed that you seem to have kept the GVW of the Fusion to 16,920#, but the longer you full time the the heavier it will get.
Your pin works out to 3,680#, you may not like it, but you are in DRW territory!
We full time and our only vehicle is a 2016 Ram Laramie Crew Cab long bed DRW.
Pretty much park where I like. You learn to back in a lot.

[sourdough]

If you are looking for a purchase in the short term in AZ, as you should, it seems there are some trucks out there? Deals...I figure that is going to depend on how you negotiate. I've seen some DRWs selling for about 73k online. What they have vs what you want I don't know. In your situation a good deal is great but you need to have a truck capable of carrying that trailer. BTDT many times on many things, but your truck isn't meant for that trailer so I would be getting the best deal I could get wherever I was before I hitched up again. Good luck.

[Max23]

While I'm not a DRW or die guy, I have to agree with everyone, that monster your pulling, while extremely nice, is probably gonna be in that area to be safe. No one can really tell you what you are willing to live with or without for features so it's gonna be up to you to find. If it were me, I'd go to a Chevy, a Ford and a Ram dealer and say, what can you find me. They'll have the best resources to look out in their network to see what's available. That's just me but that's where I'd be starting.

[jasin1]

i’d give a serious look at an f450..the wide track front axle gives you a better turning radius then standard f350,ram 3500 and chevy drw..may not feel so much like your driving a battleship around..

i have a ram 3500 laramie drw coming from a bunch of srw shortbed rams and i miss the maneuverability.

And before anyone chimes in that they have no problem driving a drw ( looking at you Russ lol) …yes i know i don’t either …have had all kinds of trucks including big drw box trucks…. BUT it’s definitely different then a smaller truck..it just feels less sporty to me …not as fun to drive

i Think i would have been happier with the 450 and would have bought one but they were very few and far between when i was looking 2 years ago.
i think the stance looks nicer also..looks like it already has a leveling kit on it but that’s just my opinion
I may end up getting a 450 xlt in the future without all the bells and whistles because i tend to treat my current truck more like a luxury vehicle then a pickup truck.

you may want to look at 2019 up as they will still have some factory warranty on them

[Blueswede]

Originally Posted by jasin1

i’d give a serious look at an f450..the wide track front axle gives you a better turning radius then standard f350,ram 3500 and chevy drw..may not feel so much like your driving a battleship around..

i have a ram 3500 laramie drw coming from a bunch of srw shortbed rams and i miss the maneuverability.

And before anyone chimes in that they have no problem driving a drw ( looking at you Russ lol) …yes i know i don’t either …have had all kinds of trucks including big drw box trucks…. BUT it’s definitely different then a smaller truck..it just feels less sporty to me …not as fun to drive

i Think i would have been happier with the 450 and would have bought one but they were very few and far between when i was looking 2 years ago.
i think the stance looks nicer also..looks like it already has a leveling kit on it but that’s just my opinion
I may end up getting a 450 xlt in the future without all the bells and whistles because i tend to treat my current truck more like a luxury vehicle then a pickup truck.

you may want to look at 2019 up as they will still have some factory warranty on them

I'll chime in here and agree totally with the above. I looked long and hard and finally found an F450 to tow our Cougar. Great truck, great maneuverability, great for towing. A little hard to find, but a great truck.

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by Max23

While I'm not a DRW or die guy, I have to agree with everyone, that monster your pulling, while extremely nice, is probably gonna be in that area to be safe. No one can really tell you what you are willing to live with or without for features so it's gonna be up to you to find. If it were me, I'd go to a Chevy, a Ford and a Ram dealer and say, what can you find me. They'll have the best resources to look out in their network to see what's available. That's just me but that's where I'd be starting.

Max, the camper being discussed has a 17,000 lb. gross weight. Pin weight will be just under 4K lbs and with passengers, hitch and stuff in the tow vehicle the payload weight will be near 5000 lbs. I suggest a 17K lb. 5th wheel absolutely needs to have a dually pulling it. I have a one ton F350 but my camper is less than half the weight and a SRW is fine but would NEVER consider trying to tow a 17K 5th wheel.

[rhagfo]

Well Jasin, I many times I include the line “No it isn’t a Smart Car”, but I need to keep up with my DD! She has horses and I steered her to get a DRW to tow her four horse goose neck trailer. Hers is a 2004.5 Ram SLT 3500 Club Cab long bed. It is a few inches shorter than ours, but she whips it around very well.
Yes, there are drive throughs that I will not go into, but there are also many parking garages that I will use without issue. It is all about getting use to the size.
This includes Portland airport (PDX) and its spiral ramps.

ON EDIT: Don’t get me wrong, Yes a CC LB DRW is a big truck! That said one can get use to the size and deal with it.

[JShort880]

Starting to get numbers today.

Biggest thing is I just want to spot check with the experience here to make sure I'm getting what I need.

For instance, I've found a 350 that long term I would love to have (Plenty of others things to use a truck for other than pulling the RV once we stop full-timing).

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...348736928/NONE

Then 450's around like noted that I'd be fine with as well.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...347240574/NONE


In the big picture, I don't really care if it's full bells and whistles but would rather it not be fully bear. Just need it to be able to do it's job and check the approved engine box.

[JShort880]

The above is just starting local. Will be looking at near by states throughout the next week.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by JShort880

The above is just starting local. Will be looking at near by states throughout the next week.

Well when we were looking four years ago, I set the search range at 500 miles. We ended up traveling to northern Washington state, from the central Oregon Coast. It was a long day, but got a great truck, at a great price.

[JShort880]

Originally Posted by rhagfo

Well when we were looking four years ago, I set the search range at 500 miles. We ended up traveling to northern Washington state, from the central Oregon Coast. It was a long day, but got a great truck, at a great price.

Funny thing is plenty of good trucks around. I'll be linking what I'm thinking once I have a list.. Seems like we have a lot of support for the 450 here. We have absolutely no issue making a trip out of it and I haven't been to Oregon yet (so I'd be happy with that).

[JRTJH]

Good Luck with your searching for the right truck !!!!! Part of the fun (the frustrating part for me) is the uncertainty of trying to determine if it's the right truck, in many cases, all "sight unseen" until the investment of several hundred miles to finally get a glimpse....

That said, as Danny mentioned, be very cautious with a "lifted truck" when trying to find the perfect tow vehicle for a fifth wheel. Not only does lifting the truck make it "taller" thereby causing the trailer to "sit pin high" shifting weight from the front trailer axle to the rear axle, and in some situations, overloading the rear trailer axle.... But also, those "taller and wider tires" can induce greater tire sidewall flex, making controllability of the trailer more difficult in sway conditions....

For me (others likely have a different opinion), I wouldn't want to be climbing into the cab of a taller than stock HD truck and I can assure you my DW would NEVER find it "amusing" which would almost always make the "towing adventure less enjoyable" on every trip as she complains about that "first step".....

Looking at the F350 you posted the link to, those larger 35X12.50R20LT Toyo tires with the "aggressive tread" would, very likely be much louder on the road and may not tow as well in crosswinds or when encountering the bow wave from passing trucks..... I'd "shy away" from any truck that's been extensively modified to "excel in desert offroading" and then expect it to retain all the towing characteristics of the OEM suspension and tires.....

The truck may be in excellent condition, but as it sits, it's not going to be a "great fifth wheel tow truck"....

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by JShort880

Starting to get numbers today.

Biggest thing is I just want to spot check with the experience here to make sure I'm getting what I need.

For instance, I've found a 350 that long term I would love to have (Plenty of others things to use a truck for other than pulling the RV once we stop full-timing).

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...348736928/NONE

Then 450's around like noted that I'd be fine with as well.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...347240574/NONE


In the big picture, I don't really care if it's full bells and whistles but would rather it not be fully bear. Just need it to be able to do it's job and check the approved engine box.

Its a great idea to not confine your search to new vehicles as used expands your pool much wider. My personal opinion (and budget) tells me it is best to let someone else eat the initial depreciation and used makes more sense. An examination by a trusted diesel mechanic is also a good idea for something that will cost so much especially if used.

[JShort880]

Originally Posted by wiredgeorge

Its a great idea to not confine your search to new vehicles as used expands your pool much wider. My personal opinion (and budget) tells me it is best to let someone else eat the initial depreciation and used makes more sense. An examination by a trusted diesel mechanic is also a good idea for something that will cost so much especially if used.

Yeah I bought the 2022 because I just planned on keeping it forever. Sadly, the forum pointed out my error and I do have to trade up. Love the truck I have, but I'm not going new again. Seen so many 2016 and up in great condition for a great price. We will without a doubt be having a mechanic test for anything before making the drive.

[JRTJH]

Something else to consider that I failed to mention is that a chassis/cab with a "rectangular utility bed" has square corners on the rear of the bed. On a pickup truck bed, the rear of the truck is "sculpted in" so the truck width under the fifth wheel nose is the same width as a SRW truck. With that utility bed, those square corners extend to the sides at the same width as the "dually fenders"... What that means is that "normal placement of a fifth wheel hitch over the rear axle" could pose a problem with truck bed clearance with the sloped front of the trailer (under the front overhang)...

You may find that you can't turn enough to maneuver the trailer into camping spaces or even make tight turns in a parking lot without the corner of the bed contacting the front of the trailer....

That can be overcome with a sliding hitch (extra expense, extra weight and extra mechanical maintenance)... But, don't "just look at the utility of the bed for other things" if the primary purpose of the truck is towing a fifth wheel, make sure it can do that job without having to "patch in more stuff so it can work"....

Truck bed clearance is a primary concern with any fifth wheel. If you can't turn the truck to navigate a parking lot without damaging the trailer, that type bed is a "NO GO" for towing.....

[jasin1]

Originally Posted by JShort880

Starting to get numbers today.

Biggest thing is I just want to spot check with the experience here to make sure I'm getting what I need.

For instance, I've found a 350 that long term I would love to have (Plenty of others things to use a truck for other than pulling the RV once we stop full-timing).

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...348736928/NONE

Then 450's around like noted that I'd be fine with as well.

https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/l-Used...347240574/NONE


In the big picture, I don't really care if it's full bells and whistles but would rather it not be fully bear. Just need it to be able to do it's job and check the approved engine box.

funny i looked at that second one after doing a search..it’s a nice color also that looks good almost all of the time..i have a black truck now and it’s either spotless or looks dirty,..no inbetween

[JShort880]

Originally Posted by wogg

Look at this truck http://www.kendallgmnampa.com/invent...k1e86gf192273/

Yeah I have a couple of these on my radar that I'm going to check out! Thanks for the recommendation!

[61Hawks]

If I was in your shoes I would look in Canada. You can buy a used truck for about the same money and import it into the US. Not difficult to do. I have done it in the reverse. Dealers will not sell new in Canada or the reverse but used are ok. At 35 % exchange rate would seriously make me look.

[rhagfo]

Originally Posted by 61Hawks

If I was in your shoes I would look in Canada. You can buy a used truck for about the same money and import it into the US. Not difficult to do. I have done it in the reverse. Dealers will not sell new in Canada or the reverse but used are ok. At 35 % exchange rate would seriously make me look.

When I was looking a shied away from Canadian truck figuring oil sands field trucks. I was looking for Rams and had access to build sheet from the VIN including delivery city. So I would deduct for a Canadian truck.