Which truck do you recommend and why? - Montana Owners Club

Montana_1887 · 08-01-2004, 02:39 PM

I am seriously considering fulltiming in a Montana soon. The models that I am interested in are the 3400RL, 3295RK, and 3685FL (possibly 3380RL-haven't seen one yet). I will also need to purchase a tow vehicle. I have never owned a truck, and the only knowledge that I have of them I have learned in the last 2 weeks.

Talks with dealers just get me more confused....(what the heck is a 410 rear end?) One RV dealer insisted that a Ford 350 would get up the mountains, but a 250 would leave me in a crawl....I thought they had the same engine!!! Please help. This is a big investment for a single woman looking at fulltiming. Also, I would really like to go with a used truck if possible (diesel). I can't believe how expensive a base line truck costs!! Are there certain years and models that I should stay away from?

If you know any websites that would help me research, I would really appreciate those as well!

Thanks in advance!
Di

lightningjack11 · 08-01-2004, 03:14 PM

Ok here is my 2 cents.

1. Look for a 1 ton truck. For Ford that is an F350 and Chevy is a 3500.

2. Buy a truck with a Diesel Engine. The reason is economy and power. (For ex: 7-8mpg for the gasser and 12-13mpg for the diesel)

3. A 4:10 rear in refers to the gear ratio. A 4:10 is great if you are going to be driving in a lot hills and Mountains. A 3:73 may be better for economy and flatlands. I have a 3:55 and it does just fine.

4. You can buy a longbed or shortbed truck. My shortbed truck fits in my garage so I like it. If you get a shortbed truck you need a special attachment for the hitch called a slider. The slider lets you manuever like a longbed when needed.

5. I see your from Texas and I have known a few people that have picked up some great deals on used diesels there. Texas is the place for used diesels.

Diesels such as mine can go 300000 or more without overhaul if you take care of them. I don't think a gasser will do that and still pull a Monty.

ok somebody elses turn

Go Pokes · 08-01-2004, 03:29 PM

Have owned four Dodge Diesels. Two have over 300,000 miles pulling a trailer-- and never an engine overhaul. One was totaled in a wreck and the driver was not hit. The other truck is still pulling a trailer. Replaced the wrecked one with a 2003 Dodge Diesel 3500 Dually. This truck pulls the 3400 great. In summary, I have logged over a million miles on Dodge diesels with only general maintence required. Change the oil regularly and the Cummins diesel will keep on pulling. I would definitely get a dually 1 ton.

Montana_1887 · 08-01-2004, 03:58 PM

If they have the same engines, why does everyone recommend the 1 ton over the 3/4? I will only be towing with it, I don't have any need for heavier loads in the bed. As far as I can tell, that's the main difference (and you lower your towable load because of the increased vehicle weight.) Also, the Monty's don't seem to be exceeding the hitch weight for the 250. I will only be moving the trailer 2-4 times a year, but each move could potentially be coast to coast because of my work. Please let me know why a 1 ton is better... Inquiring minds want to know!!

Thanks,
Di

Bill Hill · 08-02-2004, 04:31 AM

I'll through in my 1 cents worth! We pull our travel trailer (we buy the Montana next year!) with a 2004 Chevy 2500HD crew cab, short bed, 4X4, Duramax/Allison.

In choosing a tow vehicle you have to look at the weight of both the truck and the trailer. Trucks are assigned not only a towing capacity, but there is what they call the Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating (GCVWR). This is the total, combined weight of the truck and the trailer. You will find that for many of the Ford/Chevy/Dodge trucks that the GCVWR is the SAME for a 1-ton truck and the 3/4-ton truck that are equipped the same. Since the 3/4-ton truck usually weighs slightly less than the 1-ton, many 3/4-tons have a tow rating that is higher than the 1-ton. This is true with the Chevy. However, you may want to go to the 1-ton if your hitch weight is high, since the 1-tons have a higher carrying capacity.

You'll find proponents for all the late model diesels: Chevy, Dodge, and Ford, and they all have attributes to recommend them. We chose the Chevy because in addition to the Duramax diesel, it was the only truck available with the Allison transmission, which is used in much larger trucks. It has a great tow/haul mode which acts like a manual transmission.

Good Luck!

Bill Hill

Montana Sky · 08-02-2004, 06:20 AM

All the above have some great points. Now I am a Chevy guy so I will throw you what I know about this one only as I am not up to date on Ford or Dodge. The only difference between the 2500HD and 3500 is the 2500HD has 3,000lbs of kingpin weight max and the 3500 has 3,500lbs of kingpin max weight. That is it. I tow the 3400RL with my 2500HD and I have more than enough truck for towing this coach. Also to let you know there is a 3685FL, a 3295RK and my 3400RL in the rv park all summer at the lake and all three are being towed by the 2500HD Chevy or GMC truck. None of us have had any trouble towing with this truck. I agree with going with the Diesel no matter who you buy. I average 15mpg towing the 3400RL and empty I get upwards of 21-22mpg running down the highway. One final thought, if you do go with a shortbed as I have, I would highly suggest the Superglide 5th wheel hitch. Well worth the extra money to have. Good luck on your truck purchase. Let us know what you end up buying.

lightningjack11 · 08-02-2004, 07:57 AM

justdiana,

The reason I recommended the 1 ton is strickly for an increased GVWR(Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). It does provide a greater margin of safety.

I have a small Montana with a loaded pin wt of about 2350. My truck axles are real close the GVWR of 8800(Within 100lbs) I think you will find that most of the Montana's when loaded will be heavier than my smaller unit. The dry pin wt in the specs will go up when you load the vehicle. Also as part of that 8800 you may want a crew cab, 3 or 4 passengers. extra tank, 4 wheel drive, etc. Whatever yu put in the truck will cost you some of the GVWR. GVWR is simply the total wt allowed on the axles.

You are correct about the engines.

The 3/4 will pull just as good as the 1 ton if they have the same rear end. (ie 4:10, 3:73 etc)

Therefore I recommend the 1 ton for increased safety margin. It is too easy to violate the GVWR with a 3/4 ton.

A lot of people buy a 3/4 then beef the springs to handle the load. Your decesion.

My next truck will be a 1 ton. Any brand diesel will do the job. The new 6.0Liter Ford introduced in 2003 has had a lot of problems. I think they have just about worked out the problems. If buying used I would be a little cautious buying a Ford 2003 6.0Liter. It would be safer to get the 7.3Liter 2003 and before. The 7.3L is a great engine. So is the Cummins and Duramax. My Opinion. I like all of them. I bought my Ford used because it was availble and fit my needs.

DrivesBGM · 08-02-2004, 10:09 AM

Also the 1 tons are available as a dually.

You will find folks that will argue about the merits of a dual rear vs single rear wheel configuration but I think that the dually has a stability advantage. My crew cab, long bed, dually is a monster to manuver in tight places but provides an unbelievably solid platform for towing.

And for my piece of mind, I went out of my way to find a tow vehicle that would pull a 14,500 pound 5th wheel and be within every published weight limit.

But I'd agree with the gas vs. diesel debate. While my 8.1 liter gasser has pulled every hill in style, with gas prices being what they are, a diesel looks mighty attractive!

Craig

kdeiss · 08-02-2004, 11:38 AM

I agree with the 2500HD doing the job. But don't rule out the 8.1 Gas I remember an article I read that the break even point is 90,000 miles to ofset the additonal price of the diesel and maintance not to mention the noise and smell I use my truck for pulling the fiver and a boat 5,000 miles per year. So the gaser works best for me.

Coro from Maryland · 08-02-2004, 03:39 PM

I also agree that you need a 1 ton diesel for that weight.
But the price difference between a F-250 and F-350 is only a few hundred dollars last time I checked.

Merv · 08-02-2004, 05:16 PM

since a few people have siggested not to forget the gas engine, i thought i would put in my two cents also.
one thing the gas engine people didnt say too much about is that the gas milage really sucks! i have the Dodge 2500 V10. it does tow very well. but the gas milage ranges between 5 mpg to 8 mpg. the worst i have had in windy condidtions is 3.5 mpg and the best i have had with a tail wind is 9 mpg. at $2.00 a gallon for gas versus $1.75 a gallon for diesel and with better milage, the diesel is first choice.
my next truck is going to be a Dodge 3500 diesel Dually.
Merv

NJ Hillbilly · 08-03-2004, 04:01 AM

The advertised pin weights are correct for the 3/4 and 1 ton trucks. This is true if You have a regular cab stripped truck. My 3500 dualie weighs 8000 lbs when packed, full of fuel and 3 occupants. This gives me 3400 lbs to add to the truck before I am over my 11,400 gvw. With 3/4 tank of fresh water, holding tanks empty, packed for the weekend My truck is under the rear axle weight rating but over the gvw by about 300 lbs. So my trailer with an advertised pinweight of 2220 lbs actually has a pin wt of 2800 lbs.

I would reccomend the dualie for the extra weight capacity yet the 3/4 ton or newer single rear wheel 1 tons will handle the load just fine for the amount of time You plan to tow.

John

Thunderman · 08-03-2004, 04:41 AM

My 2 cents worth, get the F250 3/4 ton diesel matched with a 2955 Montana or lighter unit. Single rear wheel....crew cab, this should fit your needs. You probably do not need the 4 wheel drive. Good luck

Montana_1887 · 08-03-2004, 07:42 AM

I don't know why all of you keep insisting that your opinions are only worth 2 cents!!! This is helping me tremendously!! What options do I need to consider "essential" for my purchase? If I buy used, is it easy to add any upgrades that I will need, if the truck is not exactly what I need?

PS I am really leaning toward the 3400RL...it seems to best meet my needs.

Thanks,
Di

lightningjack11 · 08-03-2004, 08:29 AM

I have not spent a lot of time with Chevy or Dodge so I will leave that to others.

If you are contemplating a used Ford Diesel I recommend you spend some time at www.thedieselstop.com The guys talk their own language there but someone will help you with all years.

They have a lot of links there and a lot of Vendors. Forum search functions will also provide vendors

For older Fords
EXHAUST BRAKE - This will help you for going down steep grades. It provides a controlled blockage to allow your diesel engine to become a pressure generator. In other words it acks like compression braking. Not need for a gasser. It saves your brakes and prevents white knuckle descents. (not really essential for the east)

TORQUE cONVERTER LOCKUP CIRCUIT(Auto Tranny only) - sometimes sold with your exhaust brake. This allows your TC to remained locked for descents. Otherwise you will be on fluid flow which is bad for braking and bad for the transmission.

HITCH with a Slider(shortbed only)-When you place the slider to the manuever position you can turn more sharply when backing into a place. A lot of people turn to sharp and the endcap of the trailer crashes into the cab of the truck.

The only thing you need to start is truck and hitch. Hope this helps. It is just my opinion. Some of the people here have been towing 5er's a lot longer than I have.

tollmann · 08-08-2004, 05:14 PM

Boy you sure know how to start a discussion!! I am a dyed in the wool Ford 7.3 man but any of the later model 1 ton diesels should do a good job for you. Be careful of the early 6.0 Ford diesels they had lots of problems. The newer ones seem to be better but you still can't beat cubic inches when it comes to towing thats why I prefer the 7.3.

Countryfolks · 08-10-2004, 02:56 PM

Something that hasn't been mentioned, the dually has more tire weight capacity, look at the max cap of the rear tires on a 3/4t and the same on a dually. The rear axle caps and drive trains may be similar but 4 tires can carry a given weight with greater safety than 2. Case in point, my brother-in-law has a newer 3/4t Dodge diesel that has specs that would indicate it can handle our 3280 with ease, the rear tires are marginal for the weight they would have to carry tho. I have also had a sudden, bad blowout on a rear tire on our dually while pulling the 5er, no problems at all, drove slowly to a truck stop, dropped the trailor and then took the truck to a tire dealer to have the tire replaced. Don't want to guess what it would have been like with my b-i-l's truck.

Skip

Montana_1887 · 08-11-2004, 05:08 AM

Be careful of the early 6.0 Ford diesels they had lots of problems. The newer ones seem to be better but you still can't beat cubic inches when it comes to towing thats why I prefer the 7.3.

Thank you all for your opinions! I was out of town and just got back to check out the new posts. What year did the 6.0 diesels come out? I had heard that there were some problems early on.

Di

larryngail · 08-11-2004, 05:21 PM

Hi justdiana,

I suggest you take a look at Trailer Life's Towing Guide. TL isn't hung-up on any make or model of vehicle.

What's important is that you feel safe and comfortable with what you're doing.

I was totally confused about the whole weight/towing thing (still am, actually -- which shows by the truck I bought!). But I do feel safe

. and yes, those dealers are real crazy-makers.

Good Luck in your search. My two-cents: At minumum, a 1-ton dually. I really appreciate what lightningjack11 has to say.

Montana_107 · 08-13-2004, 06:11 PM

My Montana 30.5fks is pulled by a F250SD CC 7.3L 4X2. The total package weighs around 17,000 lbs. 8500 on the truck and around 8500lbs on the trailer. I weighed them at a COOP grain scale for certified weights. The trailer GVWR is 9800lbs so I still have around 1300lbs if I need to put more in it and lighten the truck. Truck and trailer are both in their GVWR classifications.
How does it tow? Outside of the mountains in normal flatlands and hills on interstates I travel at 65mph (I could run 75mph if I wanted to) two reasons I don't, you have to be able to stop it, and travel trailers are not made to run 75mph and sometimes you loose windows and aluma-domes buy going to fast. This is speaking from experience, go to bed some night and look up and see the stars. Really happened on the way back from Minnesota.
Having had a Ford V10 (good engine but can't pass a gas station) lots of pulling power, I would recommend a diesel of 7.3L Ford or a 5.9 Cummings these two engines have proved themselves over the long haul the jury is out on the rest of them.
Get 3/4 minimum or a 1 ton nothing less. I chose a 3/4 ton because of the easier ride when not towing.
If you tow all the time get a 1 ton but if its only a couple of thousand miles a year get a 3/4.

TMO
fknipfer

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