New RV'er needs help


JDHDKID

New Member
I need info or opinons, We have a 31ft 5th wheel with a G.V.W. of 12,400 lbs. And we look forward to our retirement, but you mite say that we got the (horse before the cart), I'm now looking at trucks and I'm thinking of a 2004 or 2005, F250 or a F350 diesel, 4x4 crew cab.
I'm not sure if I need the F350 but do I need Dual Rear Wheels. or is Single Rear Wheels ok. I'm thinking of the F250 with (SRW). I want to buy the right truck the first time around. I'm open to all opinons of information.

Thanks :laugh:
 

Gary B

Senior Member
New RV'er needs help

Hi JDHDKID, welcome to the forum, for that size/wieght trailer you can get by with the F-250 SRW, but if you should decide you would want a bigger trailer than you would need a bigger truck, having towed 5th wheels for 10+ years and many miles with both a F-250 srw and a F-350 dually I can assure you that there is nothing like a dually for stability and ease of mind when it comes to towing. The extra tires provide so much more stability and less worry about tire failure and with the extra tires your cost per mile for tires is the same or slightly less then with srw. With my dually I regularly get 60 to 65000 miles on the tires and on my F-250 I end up replacing them at around 40000 miles, another thing to consider is the F-350 dually has larger brakes and more rubber on the hiway for braking. Another thing to consider is a 4X4 and crew cab diesel make for a heavy truck to start off with you'll be at the limit with a F-250. Our F-350 is a 2 wd supercab gas and has served us very well over the years, I know you are problay set on a 4X4 but it really isn'r needed for towing, and the crewcab is nice if you have kids or friends you take with regularly. Good luck with the search. :) :laugh: :cool: :bleh: ;) :approve:
 

JDHDKID

New Member
New RV'er needs help

Thanks for the info, you have some very good points, after the wife and I read your reply we feel that maybe we should go with the F350 dually. Do you have the 5 speed auto trans? And If we were to buy used is there any years to watch out for.
Our trailer is a 2004 Holiday Ramber Alumascape and we can't wait to take it out.
Thanks Again :) :laugh: :cool:
 

Gary B

Senior Member
New RV'er needs help

Hi JD, our truck is older now its a 1993 with a 460 and the Ford E4OD 4 speed OD auto. We have 122000 miles on it now and haven't had a single problem with the engine or tranny, I have of course done regular maint. I run Mobil 1 15W-50 in the engine and change oil at 6000 miles and have chnged the tranny fluid at about 50000 miles. I do use and have aux transmission fluid filter with a temp gage. We have towed up to a 34' 5th wheel and when not using it for towing the 5er we have had a slide-in camper on it. It has served us very well we did have to replace the air cond. compressor and the turn signal switch. This was the first automatic truck I ever owned and wasn't sure at first but now I would never consider a manual tranny its is soo nice to just sit back and drive and sip the coffee with no shifting. The five speed tranny is good I think that most all years are good Ford had some problems with the 6L powerstroke when it first came out but all those engine should have been repaired or replaced by now. This is me but I would never consider a used diesel with 100000 or more miles on it, this is my reasoning, when most poeple get 90000 miles + on a vehicle they are thinking trade and the maint starts fall off, and with diesel's regular maint is much more then on gas so they start cheaping on the oil & filters etc. Diesels are great when towing (they have the power) and are gratify when at the fuel pump and checking milage but the break even dollar point is now well over a 125000 miles. But finding and buying a good 50000 to 70000 mile diesel is possible and can be a good way to go. Hope this helps, by the way I have had 2 diesel pickups both F-250's and still have one and they have served me well, and I know exactly what it costs to operate them and the 460 has them beat hands down. :) :laugh: :bleh: ;) :approve:
 
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