I need some advice on which diesel truck

Hello all, it has been quite a while since I have been here so bear with me. First, let me explain that I was one of the first Duramax/Allison truck owners back in 01. We had a crew cab dually and we were pulling a Hitchhiker 36 foot fifth wheel. We fulltimed for 3 years before coming in off the road and settling back down. We got to missing the travel so bad that we bought a used class A motor home. We hate it. We have decided to go back to a fifth wheel trailer of roughly the same size. But, I find that I might not be able to afford to go back to a GM Duramax truck. If it comes down to that situation, what would you more learned folks suggest in the way of a truck? We want a 3/4 ton short bed this time around. I am not a Ford guy but would settle for that if necessary. I'd prefer a Dodge/Cummins. My problem is that I really like the Allison tranny. So, how about some feedback from you all? I'd sure appreciate it. And if any of you know of anybody who has a truck/fifth wheel combo for sale, I'd like to hear about that too.

Thanks a bunch,

Ray

Ray, you were not clear if you are in the market for a new or used truck. In my opinion pulling a 36' 5th wheel with a non dually short bed is not the best choice of truck. We full-timed in a 38' 5th wheel for 3.5 years and having a crew cab, dually is definitely the safest way to go with a large trailer. Additionally with a short bed you may have a clearance issue between the front corner of the trailer and the back of the truck cab in sharp turns. A sliding 5th wheel plate would solve that clearance issue. Back to the truck (if used), I would stay with Duramax Allison, 2006 and newer because of the six speed Allison. I like the paddle shift in manual mode for towing in mountains and the dually stays stable on a windy day.
Welcome back & Good luck
John

Hi John, and thanks for your reply. Your input is valuable. I know about the dually being a better way to go for towing a heavy rig. We are not intending to go back to full time so we will be looking at lighter weight fifth wheels. Also, we are going to try to stay under 36 feet. I only mentioned that because that's what we had before. But, this time, we will have to stay with a SRW truck because where we are now living, the width of a dually won't work. Also, the equation this time around definitely includes a much smaller budget than the last time. I am now retired and don't have the income I had back in that time. So, definitely looking at used trucks and 5ers. We will be selling our motor home and my wife's car and hope to not have to add too much to that to get what we want. I really want to stay with the GM trucks. I only mentioned the others because of prices. Since I posted this originally, I have done some research and I think I will be able to find what I want in a price range that works. I'd really love to find someone who is coming in off the road and has a combo to sell. When we sold ours, we sold it to a couple who wanted exactly what we had and we both went away happy. We have stayed in touch and they still have both.

Thanks again and if you have any more input, send it along.

Ray

Hi, Ray. Have you even considered a tag-along (what everyone wants to call a travel trailer, these days) ? We've put over 100 k miles on ours, over the last 9 years, and love it. With a dual-cam hitch, you don't lose any handling quality to a fiver. The tow-behind is much lower and a SRW rig does a great job. It's easier to get in and out of, and the bedroom is more convenient, too. Our 33 footer has two slides and gives us quite a bit of room. And, I don't have to remove, or modify, anything to access the bed when the trailer is parked, or hooked up!

Not trying to insult anyone who prefers a fifth-wheel, heck, I've towed quite a bit with a goose-neck and know they're good for large loads and handle well. Still, in all my full-timing, I've never been tempted to trade, because of all the above reasons.

Seems like a good used single rear wheel DM - Allison, and a nice tag-along could be had for reasonable money. As with any home, the thing that matters most in a travel trailer is --- floor plan, floor plan, floor plan.

Good luck with your search.

DW

Hi Dick Wells, thank you for your well written and thought out reply. Yes, I have given some thought to a tag trailer. But, and here is the big BUT, my wife likes the fifth wheel better. So, that settles that. Also, we have had both. I like the way a fifth wheel pulls much better than a tag. So, that pretty much says it all. It's a matter of personal preference. We full timed for 3 years with a very nice Hitchhiker and want to go back to something in that line. We don't want or need a big heavy 4 season rig anymore because we will not be living in it. We just like to go for one to three months at a time to warm climates. Actually, what we are looking for is a Jayco 35 RLTS. We have friends who had one. We loved it. And they pulled it with a 3/4 ton 07 Chevy D/A short bed. That's what I want. And after checking the other brands of trucks, I see they are all pretty much the same price for what I want. So, I will be sticking with a GM product. I have heard that anything later than 08 will need to have an additive also. I don't want to have to do that. More expense. A 2006-7 is what I'm aiming for.

Thanks again for your help,

Ray

At 38ft overall, isn't that a bunch of trailer to pull with a 3/4 ton truck?
http://www.rvt.com/Jayco-Designer-35...509623-UX47647
I had a 2002 3/4 ton Duramax, and it would pull a 32.5 footer, but I sure knew it when it came to stopping. The truck loaded and fiver scaled out to 17,600 lbs.

Thanks for your reply. It's not actually that long. We have friends who have the same trailer and have been pulling it with a 2007 Chevy 3/4 Z71 short bed quite well. If we were going to be using it full time again, I'd probably opt for a 1 ton SRW. But, we will just be vacationing in it for extended amounts of time. The trailer is not all that heavy. Our other rig was a 36 ft. Hitchhiker and it was much heavier.

Thanks again,

Ray