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Old 01-22-2005, 02:16 PM   #1
Montana_2843
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Tow Vehicle

We have a 2005 Montana 3650RK. It is currently on a seasonal site. Delivered 10.30.04 and we have not even used it yet. I am deciding what would be the best truck to pull this unit. What are the advantages/disadvantages of a dually? Short or long bed? Diesel or gas?

Thank you,in advance, good people for sharing you wisdom and experience.

GV
 
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Old 01-22-2005, 02:33 PM   #2
sreigle
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Welcome aboard, GV. That's a gorgeous Montana model. We really like that one. You'll find lots of posts on the truck topic in this forum. Basically, any of the big three diesels will do the job for you just fine. Likewise with their biggest gas engines, the V10 from Ford, the 8.1L V8 from GM, and the V10 from Dodge (only available used now).

We have a short bed truck and will stay with that configuration but only with a slider hitch for those occasional times you have to make a really tight turn to get into a campsite. You'll find some folks here swear by the longbed, others by the shortbed. Bottom line is either will work just fine, just be sure you go with a slider if you go shortbed. One thing to not get confused about is wheelbase. Longer wheelbase is more stable than a short wheelbase. But shortbed does not mean short wheelbase. A shortbed supercab has a longer wheelbase than a longbed standardcab, for example. A standardcab shortbed is the shortest wheelbase and something I would not consider for towing a Montana. So, when considering bed/cab configuration for your new truck, look at the wheelbase numbers.

Likewise with the dually/single rear wheel question. Either will do the job fine and you'll find proponents of each here. Some folks feel the dually gives them more stability in wind and when semis go around you. I've personally in many thousand miles never felt anything that would make me think we should have a dually. If we were towing a livestock trailer I'd want a dually as those animals moving around can wag your tail. Some here feel they do have more stability with a dually. Your call in my opinion.

My opinion on shortbed/longbed and dually/single is go with whichever best fits your other needs and with which you are most comfortable. I hope I haven't confused the issue for you.

You'll get lots of opinions here and this one happens to be mine. Others likely will see your post and add their opinions shortly. Ours is a crew cab shortbed single rear wheel and we're very happy with the truck in general and especially the way it tows our heavily loaded Montana.

You'll also find the Montanas tow beautifully.
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Old 01-22-2005, 03:43 PM   #3
trukdoc
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I purchased a 2005 Ford F250SD Lariate 6.0L Powerstroke SRW Crew cab Short bed. With the short bed definetly get the slider hitch. Do not even think about it or let someone tell you that it is not necessary.
Here are some of the reasons I went with what I did. I chose Ford for longevity. Dodge builds a good Powertrain but in all the years they have been building trucks, they do not build a strong body. I traditionally favor Chevy but I personally have issues with the Isuzu engine for diesel and their gas engines have a knock built into them that Chevy says do not worry about it. I am a professional diesel mechanic. I do not like knocks.
Leaves the Ford. I did my research and test drive. The Powerstroke is very quiet. The power and acceleration is impressive It holds the powerband far wider than the Cummins or Isuzu. I get 20.2 MPG Hiway and 17 MPG local driving. I get about 12 MPG Towing a 328RLS.
Short bed because I do not have the need for a long bed and prefer the manuverability of the shorter wheelbase which is not all that short due to the crew cab.
Crew cab for all the comforts of a car. When I get to my destination I unhook and there I go, easy to carry guests. I went with the Lariate and luxury package for added comfort.
Single rear wheel, I do not have so much pin weight I NEED a Dually. I would stay away from a dually unless I really needed one for the following reasons, (1) 2 extra tires to wear out. (2) decreased fuel mileadge. (3) more insurance (4) more weight (5) extra width, these large rigs are hard enough to manuever around without buying my own obstacle. I hear the arguement about more stability. With the SRW I have not had a stability problem. I have towed it in a head wind, cross wind and around trucks. Pulls very smooth. I also had the tow command brake controller added when we ordered the truck. I love it! Braking is very smooth. So smooth that I thought it was not working.
These are my opinions, Most of all get what you want. But do some research. Online consumer groups are a good source of information. Dealer pages are good for information, but remember they are selling their own product. They are not going to point out their flaws.
Rick
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Old 01-22-2005, 04:47 PM   #4
stiles watson
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We buy our trucks ultimately because we like the look and feel even though we try to be logical. As has been said, any of the big three will do the job.

I prefer diesel over gas due to engine longevity. My long box Crew Cab is definitely a monster to park at malls, so I park further out -- need the exercise anyway.

I have my preferences, but there is nothing magical about them. Whatever catches your fancy, just go for it. Don't get caught up in analysis paralysis or wonder if you made the perfect decision. When you get it, enjoy the heck out of it because, for you, it WILL be the perfect truck.
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Old 01-23-2005, 02:47 AM   #5
Thunderman
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Quote:
quote:Originally posted by trukdoc

I purchased a 2005 Ford F250SD Lariate 6.0L Powerstroke SRW Crew cab Short bed. With the short bed definetly get the slider hitch. Do not even think about it or let someone tell you that it is not necessary.
Here are some of the reasons I went with what I did. I chose Ford for longevity. Dodge builds a good Powertrain but in all the years they have been building trucks, they do not build a strong body. I traditionally favor Chevy but I personally have issues with the Isuzu engine for diesel and their gas engines have a knock built into them that Chevy says do not worry about it. I am a professional diesel mechanic. I do not like knocks.
Leaves the Ford. I did my research and test drive. The Powerstroke is very quiet. The power and acceleration is impressive It holds the powerband far wider than the Cummins or Isuzu. I get 20.2 MPG Hiway and 17 MPG local driving. I get about 12 MPG Towing a 328RLS.
Short bed because I do not have the need for a long bed and prefer the manuverability of the shorter wheelbase which is not all that short due to the crew cab.
Crew cab for all the comforts of a car. When I get to my destination I unhook and there I go, easy to carry guests. I went with the Lariate and luxury package for added comfort.
Single rear wheel, I do not have so much pin weight I NEED a Dually. I would stay away from a dually unless I really needed one for the following reasons, (1) 2 extra tires to wear out. (2) decreased fuel mileadge. (3) more insurance (4) more weight (5) extra width, these large rigs are hard enough to manuever around without buying my own obstacle. I hear the arguement about more stability. With the SRW I have not had a stability problem. I have towed it in a head wind, cross wind and around trucks. Pulls very smooth. I also had the tow command brake controller added when we ordered the truck. I love it! Braking is very smooth. So smooth that I thought it was not working.
These are my opinions, Most of all get what you want. But do some research. Online consumer groups are a good source of information. Dealer pages are good for information, but remember they are selling their own product. They are not going to point out their flaws.
Rick
Rick,
A very good post, very informative.
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Old 01-23-2005, 04:20 AM   #6
Glenn and Lorraine
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gvtakinthe5th,
After years of conversing on the various interent forums I have come to realize one thing when the discussion is centered on tow vehicles.

99 and 99/100th percent of the time the TV most favored by any given individual for towing their 5er turns out to be the very TV he is currently driving.

And so with that said, If you want my opinion on which is the best TV all I can say is see my signature.........
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Old 01-23-2005, 05:45 AM   #7
tbhd
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Just one small thing to add to all this great information about tow vehicles---you can't take a dually through a car wash. Nothing techinical or profound just being lazy. Do it yourself ones are okay. The reason we know this is we have one.
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Old 01-23-2005, 12:05 PM   #8
trukdoc
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Please understand I am not badmouthing duallys. My old service truck was a dually, weighing in at 13000 lbs I do not believe I could have got away with single tires. Weight is why I now went to a Freightliner FL70. I am up to 26K
If a person just wants one, go for it!
But from a professional point of view in most cases it is not needed.
I know of several people who thought they wanted the bigger truck and after tearing off fender flares and extra expense of fuel and tires wish they had not made the purchase. Considerable increase in price of a truck as well.
Rick
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Old 01-24-2005, 12:48 AM   #9
Montana_31
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Something else to think about, do you want a truck that is working at 100% or more of its max or one that works at, say 75% of its max? Logic would say that one working under max would have fewer problems in the long haul, so to speak. Just some food for thought.
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Old 01-24-2005, 02:47 AM   #10
Montana_2304
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We have had a 2000 Chev 3500 dually with a 7.4 gas engine, it did well pulling our 3295rk. Better after 3" dual exhaust and K&N air filter. We did find a 2002 Ford F-550 7.3 powerstroke, crew cab with a custom RV body and 20k hitch.This was equipped with air ride, Banks exhaust,big head turbo, exhaust brake, transcommand,Amsoil synthetic oil,dual filter system, and many other extras. It had 22,000 miles on it and was well cared for. We then bought the 3650rk, it has been a pleasure towing with this unit.The larger tires, huge rear axle, brake rotors and stiffer frame make a great difference in handling. When you're towing all that weight and money invested, saving a few dollars on a tow vehicle hardly makes any sense at all to me. We have all worked for this time in our lives to travel and have fun. When you look for your truck get everything you want. enjoy!

Charlie and Sue
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Old 01-25-2005, 01:59 PM   #11
Native Tex
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The best way to determine your TV is to look at your needs, examine all the options, and make the decision based upon your cognitive powers and of course your wallet. As you can see, you will get a lot of ideas, all of which are great, but if you are a novice, it can be somewhat confusing. Half the fun is in the search, the examination, the anticipation, and finally the execution.

Have a great time.
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Old 01-26-2005, 05:26 AM   #12
sreigle
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Charlie and Sue, good information. FYI, the '05 Ford F250/F350 SuperDuty has the same frame design and thickness as the F550 you have. Plus considerably larger brakes than last year and a new front suspension under the 4x4 that's not only stronger, it also allows a much sharper turn radius. All resulting in tow ratings to 19,200 with GCWR to 26,000. Still won't be an F550 but the gap is narrowing...
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Old 01-26-2005, 04:52 PM   #13
Bill Hill
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Lots of good information given above. You can see how I feel by looking at the list under my signature. In addition to the good advice given by several others that if you get a short box, get a slider hitch, I say that when you get a slider, get a Pullrite SuperGlide, the automatic slider. In the month that we've had our first 5th wheel (but 4th trailer), I've been in several situations where I needed to make a sharp turn and didn't have to think about getting out, sliding the hitch back, make the turn, slide the hitch forward again. You just don't have to worry about it. Congratulations and good luck.
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