Question about a pickup truck

[Capecodcowgirl]

Good morning and greetings from Cape Cod.

First, let me tell you that I am new to this. Four years from now I want to be on the road with my pickup and trailer -- so much homework to do! Since I love Montana and spend all my vacation time out there, I plan on spending more time in Big Sky Country once I retire (four years from now). Anyway, would a FORD 250 be an appropriate pickup for towing a trailer -- or would a 150 do the job? I'm thinking I'll end up with a five wheeler. Many thanks and all good wishes. Kristine

[Fire5er]

Please do your home work before you purchase, and crunch the numbers for yourself. IMHO: The Montana line runs heavy and most 3/4 tons will not provide the proper safe towing ratings. You will find that only a one ton will provide the cargo capacity for the pin weights you will find with the 5er fully loaded for travel, and the overall GCVW. The minimum numbers you will want to look at for the TV are CVWR and GCVW. We just went from a one ton SRW to a DRW just to provide an extra level of safety while towing and so the TV doesn't have to work so hard pulling the mountain passes.
A good resource is the Twoing Guide at Trailerlife.com, it goes from 2003 to 2001 TVs.

[RickW]

Figure out what trailer you want first. This will give you the weights of the trailer. From there you can then figure out which truck you will need to pull your trailer.

I will tell you that all Montana 5er's are too heavy for a F150 or any other 1/2 ton truck.

[Slufoot733]

I agree with Fire5er, go for a 1 ton truck. A 3/4 ton may get by for a while but in the long run you will find it lacking in the ability to handle the trailer properly. As for brand, well, I am a Ford man. However, GM/Chevrolet and Dodge have excellent tow vehicles out there. They all have the muscle to do the job. It boils down to personal preference on styling, interior features, and value for you, the owner. Keep in mine, this is a safety issue for you AND other motorists on the road. A vehicle that is not up to the task can have a catastrophic failure on the road and change your life forever. Happy traveling.

[exav8tr]

Kristine, Welcome to "The Best Darned Forum on the WWW!!!!!". Presently, I do not know of anyone that pulls a Montana with a Ford 150, just not enough truck. Many use a Ford 250 diesel and many others use a 350 diesel. The size of the truck you need is directly related to the weight of the trailer you will haul. My suggestion would be to pick a 5er out first, then pick a truck that will haul it. You can search the archives above for information on trailer weights and truck weights. It is good you are doing your homework now and not waiting to the last minute. By all means do not buy s truck smaller than your needs......

Don't be afraid to ask many questions as there is a lot to learn....

Good luck with the search and Happy Motoring!!!!!

[PSFORD99]

Welcome, on a little lighter note, you could not have picked a better place on earth to spend time, Montana. I spend time every summer up there. Was raised in northern Montana, now live in Utah. If I was to move it would be Montana.

What others have said pick the rv, and then the truck that will handle it.

[mlh]

Good morning from the Blue Ridge mountains in Virginia. NO a F150 will NOT handle any Montana camper built or safely handle any Montana ever built. An F250 is enough but it just enough. If you are going to pull one of the larger campers get the F350 DRW.
Where i Montana do you like to go?
Lymwood

[deadeye]

On your question of which truck will handle the load, a half ton of any brand would not be good advise to give to anyone wanting to pull a Monty. I pull a 2955 which is the smallest in the 5er's. I use a 3/4 ton. It handles everything well with that model of trailer in mountan and level terrain. If I changed models and went bigger, I would get a bigger truck. Pick the model of trailer first you are considering and then ask the same question of "What size of truck do I need to pull this XXXXX model." We will be happy to give you our input. Good job of thinking ahead on your research issue...JB

[Hooker]

Get a one ton...the 3/4 cannot handle the pin weight...the 1/2 ton cannot handle anything on a Montana.

[Parts Ed]

Welcome to the forum and to the MOC. Lots of helpful people here so don't be afraid to ask a question.

[WaltandLynne]

We bought a one ton Chevy diesel. Even if your 5'r is small, it will pull it. Then, if you upgrade to a bigger trailer, you don't also need a new truck. Lots of people upgrade their trailer over time.
Have fun in your Montana and safe travels.

Walt & Lynne

[CamillaMichael]

quote:Originally posted by RickW

Figure out what trailer you want first. This will give you the weights of the trailer. From there you can then figure out which truck you will need to pull your trailer.

I will tell you that all Montana 5er's are too heavy for a F150 or any other 1/2 ton truck.

Agree...the 2011 F150s are pretty capable, but not even close to the capacity you will need to tow a Montana fifth wheel.

[skypilot]

There are a lot of other brand trailers out there that claim to be able to be pulled by a 1/2 ton. Look at them carefully -- you will see where they lightened them up (frame, sidewalls, roofing,and inside features). My wife (the boss if you will) saw several this last January at the Kansas City RV Show and told one of the dealers that they should advertise them as tent trailers with just a bit more fabric on the sides -- if you are looking at spending any time in your final unit then you will need a truck larger than a 1/2 ton as your trailer is going to be substantially heavier. Even the Keystone Cougar line is heavy enough to require at least a 3/4 ton to pull (AND STOP) safely. Best wishes on your final decision and, as many others have already said, welcome to a great forum!!

[NCFischers]

Welcome to the forum. I tow with a 1 ton diesel dually. My pin weight is nearly 3000#. I personally wouldn't feel comfortable with anything less than a 1 ton and I wouldn't tow with anything but a diesel. Remember that it's more important to be able to stop your rig. You want enough truck to do that and a 1/2 ton just isn't stout enough.

[klash]

Every response to this topic hits the nail right on the head. In the RVing business you will
find many,many great people who own rigs and are traveling all over the country. However, in some cases you will find a truck salesman who will look you right in the eye and tell you that your F-150, or your Chevy S-10 will pull a 39 foot fifth wheel. Then you go down the road to the RV dealer and he or she will swear on a bible that yes, your cute little truck
will pull this 39 footer. Be careful, talk to lots of other RV owners, they all have so much to
offer. Always remember pulling the fifth wheel is only part of the equation, you will always need to stop it!!!!!!
Over a period of 25 years we have owned 7 trailer and 7 trucks. It was like a teeter totter, get a slightly bigger trailer, then needed a slightly bigger truck. About 4 years ago, we finally decided to get really smart. Got a 1 ton diesel, because diesels develop most of their power
from the start up to around 1,500 rpm, and they tend to last longer, and get better mileage. Don't let the HP confuse you. In most cases the big gasoline engines develop
lots of HP, but it is at the higher speeds and RPM's and then the power and speed drop
off quickly when you start climbing.
We currently own a 2007 Montana 2955RL that is 12,000 lbs when road ready. We have a 2011 GMC 3500 HD that is rated to tow 17,900 lbs. Our truck is hardly working at all
when it is pulling, gets excellent mileage and with a hitch weight of 2,150 lbs the rear of
the truck sinks about 1" when we hook up.
Keep reading the forum, so much to learn from all the different categories, and so many
knowledgeable people in this forum.
Enjoy your last few years of work, and happy retirement and smooth RVing when you get your toys.

[hikerdoc]

Talking as someone that owns an F250 my advice would be the same, get the 1 ton duelly. I love my 250 long bed diesel, but when I bought it 6 years ago, I didn't own a fifth wheel. I now own a Montana 3750FL, trailer wt 12300 with hitch wt 2150. The curb weight of my truck is 6682 lbs, my gvwr (the maximum amount the truck should weigh when loaded) is 10000. That gives me 3318 lbs to load into the truck total. The hitch weighs 2150, giving me 1168 lbs to work with. After that you have to figure people weight (240 for me, 130 for my wife, 160 each for my 2 boys) as well as fuel weight, approx. 277 lbs full tank. Subtracting all that from the 1168 lbs gives 201 lbs for gear and extras in the truck (fortunately most of that goes in the Montana), ie we are real close to capacity for our truck. I plan on upgrading when financially feasible for us, but if I had to do it over again knowing I would have this Montana, I'd definitely go with a one ton. Happy shopping and enjoy your new adventures!

[CORattler]

I agree with those who say pick out your RV 1st THEN purchase the truck that can best tow it. Too many people make the mistake of doing it the other way around.
Take a look at my signature... this combination works great for me and I tow in the Rockies, with no problems.
Welcome to the forum!