new with a few questions

[stephan dittrick]

hello and thank you for your time and responses.
The wife and I will be purchasing a 2018 3121RL Keystone Montana. The spec sheet says that the dry weight is 12,060 pounds. I will be purchasing a truck to pull it with and thinking about getting the Dodge 2500 2 wheel drive which I think has a towing capacity of 17,800. After I add the generator and fill the water tank up and just our regular stuff do you think we will still be within our towing capacity? This truck will not be a dually.
We will be renting out our house in the panhandle of Florida and heading out west to surf, take our kayaks out in the mountains and catch some fish. I will be flying back and forth to work while my wife and 2 labs will be staying on location . I work on a boat 28 days on and 28 days off. We can't wait to see what we have been missing in the USA

[rollingdownthehighway]

You'll be fine towing it, just check the payload sticker on your truck. I've seen some 3500 SRW with low payloads.

[stephan dittrick]

Originally Posted by rollingdownthehighway

You'll be fine towing it, just check the payload sticker on your truck. I've seen some 3500 SRW with low payloads.

sorry I edited my post, It is a 2500. So what is a comfortable payload for this weight of trailer?

[rollingdownthehighway]

Ah, 2500, no, you'll be over your payload. That unit has a dry pin weight of 2385, so you'll most likely be over just taking it home. What does the yellow sticker on your door jam say for your payload?

[The Landrys]

Here is a link to a Ram site where you can plug in your cab size, bed size, engine size, ect to find out the payload. https://www.ramtrucks.com/towing-gui...E&gclsrc=aw.ds

[lensnel]

Check out this site. http://fifthwheelst.com/how_much_can..._tow_2014.html
I installed Firestone Air springs to my 2500 and it tows great. My 3610RL falls within the limits of the weight and pin weight the truck can support. Be careful...

[team bradfield]

The Towing capacity is not the important number to understand, its the GVWR. the total of your 5th wheel, loaded, Pick up, with fuel and people. I'm shocked when i see a 15K fifth wheel being pulled by a 3/4 ton truck. its called the tail wagging the dog. My F350 Dually was at max with all 3 kids, DW, Dog and i with a full tank of fuel. I went to a 450, I know I can stop in an emergency.

[TLightning]

A 2500 will be way over weight with this Montana...sure, it will tow it, but the important issue is can it carry the pin weight and everything else in the truck. Find the GVWR for your trailer and multiply that by 20%, that will be your approximate pin weight. You need a dually...you'll love it.

[PNW Fireguy]

Please note that air bags have no effect on towing capacity or payload. They merely level your truck from the sag of the weight on your rear.

[mtlakejim]

Welcome to the forum. You have asked one of those get the popcorn questions.


There are a lot of trains of thought out there regarding what is "enough" truck to tow a given trailer. I am not going to get into the numbers too deep as others already have but I would highly advise getting at least a little more truck than what it takes to meet the minimum. As I have said at least a 100 times "it isn't getting it rolling that matters its getting it to stop rolling"!!!


Everyone has their thoughts on 4x4 vs 2x4 and SRW vs DRW etc etc.....


I went the route of long bed DRW 4x4 diesel. Not because I LIKE driving a big rear ended heavy truck but because I wanted to be darn sure I had plenty of truck to STOP what I was putting behind it! But then my ONLY use for the truck is as a tow vehicle. If we want to go on a trip without towing we take the car.....Each vehicle has it's primary purpose.


Since you work 28/28 I have to ask if your on a supply boat for offshore oil? I spent 14 years chasing deepwater GOM oil.

[mtlakejim]

A bit off subject but since you like to kayak touch base. We are in our kayaks a lot on the North Arkansas mountain streams!!!

[stephan dittrick]

Originally Posted by mtlakejim

Welcome to the forum. You have asked one of those get the popcorn questions.


There are a lot of trains of thought out there regarding what is "enough" truck to tow a given trailer. I am not going to get into the numbers too deep as others already have but I would highly advise getting at least a little more truck than what it takes to meet the minimum. As I have said at least a 100 times "it isn't getting it rolling that matters its getting it to stop rolling"!!!


Everyone has their thoughts on 4x4 vs 2x4 and SRW vs DRW etc etc.....


I went the route of long bed DRW 4x4 diesel. Not because I LIKE driving a big rear ended heavy truck but because I wanted to be darn sure I had plenty of truck to STOP what I was putting behind it! But then my ONLY use for the truck is as a tow vehicle. If we want to go on a trip without towing we take the car.....Each vehicle has it's primary purpose.


Since you work 28/28 I have to ask if your on a supply boat for offshore oil? I spent 14 years chasing deepwater GOM oil.

Yes I run a 312 foot supply boat under contract for chevron right now. I can't wait to stop chasing the oil field, but until I do , I am riding the train

[stephan dittrick]

Originally Posted by mtlakejim

A bit off subject but since you like to kayak touch base. We are in our kayaks a lot on the North Arkansas mountain streams!!!

will do, How is the fishing?

[GAinaMontana]

You might push the limits of your ship with a good weather forecast but probably not with a hurricane moving in. Pulling your 5er, you will only have seconds to react to the "hurricane " that jumps in front of you on the road. Spend the extra money and go with at least a SRW 1 ton. DRW is even more stable. The first upgrade I made to my 3402RL was to install disc brakes and I pull with a F350 SRW. A 3/4 ton will pull it but will it control it when the unexpected happens? Remember who is in the cab with you.

[mtlakejim]

Originally Posted by stephan dittrick

Yes I run a 312 foot supply boat under contract for chevron right now. I can't wait to stop chasing the oil field, but until I do , I am riding the train

I worked for Baker Hughes (production chemicals). We had all of Chevron GOM at that time but I worked all over the gulf. Lived in New Iberia then Bolivar. Working for Exxon now onshore. Can’t say I miss the steel islands!

[mtlakejim]

Originally Posted by stephan dittrick

will do, How is the fishing?

Really good. Fished a Crappie tourney in the below freezing/sleet weekend before last. Going to campground on Arkansas river this week to chase largemouth. We fish a wide mix here. Great Trout fishing here too we will do that before long.

Your likely to catch me down on the gulf with a rod in my hand too....

[Rondo]

If it were me, I'd be going for a 350 or 3500 to be on the safe side. A 3/4 ton is fine IF you don't have anything in the unit BUT it's always better to have the extra power and stopping power than not enough. Better to have it when you need it than not have it and get yourself in a pickle. You don't say whether you are looking at a gas or diesel but I would recommend a diesel if you can afford it. More power is great especially in the mountains. I tow our 3582 with a four wheel drive SRW set up and have had no problems with it. Some will tell you a DRW is better but as I said I've had not problems with ours and the 4WD will help IF you should get into a situation where you have sand or wet soil to pull through or out of. Just my "two cent" and you are the only one that can make up you mind so good luck and enjoy that Monte and which ever tow vehicle you decide on.

[BiggarView]

There are old drivers, and bold drivers but no old bold drivers... so the saying goes. Think about that. Applies to safety too. Get a more capable truck. Put disc brakes on the trailer. Lose the "oh yeah, my truck can tow this" ego mentality because it's not just the truck but the person behind the wheel as well. Remember, you are not the only one on the road. We don't know what you are going to do, why you are going to do it or how you are going to do it, whatever it may be, when it happens. Even when you are the only one on the road when it happens. And "it" happens. I, for one, would prefer not to be collateral damage when "it" happens. Safety first. Forewarned is forearmed. What good will your ego be at the Pearly Gates after "it" happens? JMHO. Alas, we all still have free will.

[lensnel]

The Air bags provide additional spring capability that GM adds with the extra set of springs provided in the back of the 3500. I contacted GM and here is the meat of that conversation:

Me: Other than an extra set of springs on the rear axle. are there other differences in the 2500HD LTZ SRW Duramax 4x4 Crew Cab short bed and a comparably Equipped 3500?

GM Representative: Other than the obvious differences that the 3500 has a higher payload and towing rating than the 2500, I'll need a time to find out.

Me: I am aware of that. But is it due to anything other than the extra set of springs? Is there a different rear axle? different front suspension? different gearing in the Allison tranny?

GM Representative: I cannot find anything that mechanically distinguishes the 2500 from the similarly equipped 3500, other than the suspension.

You may need to look at both trucks to see this extra set of attached springs inside the rear wheels. That is the difference. Airbags should provide similar additional support for the additional pin weight payload. Other components are apparently the same on the GM HD trucks.

[JABURKHOLDER]

Originally Posted by stephan dittrick

hello and thank you for your time and responses.
The wife and I will be purchasing a 2018 3121RL Keystone Montana. The spec sheet says that the dry weight is 12,060 pounds. I will be purchasing a truck to pull it with and thinking about getting the Dodge 2500 2 wheel drive which I think has a towing capacity of 17,800. After I add the generator and fill the water tank up and just our regular stuff do you think we will still be within our towing capacity? This truck will not be a dually.

Simple mathematics. Take the GVWR of your RV, multiple times 25%. That will be the MAX pin weight you should ever have. Find the Payload rating for the truck. If the max pin weight number is close to or higher than the trucks payload rating, WALK AWAY FROM THAT TRUCK !