Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post

sreigle · 03-26-2006, 05:24 AM

Welcome aboard. Both those models are excellent choices. You are correct that a 1500 is not going to do it. As for what to upgrade to, you'll find many opinions. There are many of us towing with 3/4 and 1-ton trucks very successfully. The key point is that you buy something properly rated to handle the load. All three brands do a credible job if equipped with the diesel. Likewise, the GM 8.1L V8 and the Ford V10 gas engines do a good job. So does the Dodge V10 but it's not currently available in the new trucks. We've towed this Montana (scaled at 14,360 lbs) with both a '99 Ford F350 V10 gas and with this '05 Ford F250 (3/4 ton) 6.0L diesel with the highly rated TorqueShift automatic. We have been very pleased with both.

The 3400 has a very light (relatively speaking) pinweight. A 3/4 ton handles that pinweight with ease, given the proper engine, axle ratio, and tow package. Check the ratings of the truck. Of interest is GCWR (max load including truck, passengers, fluids, and trailer, etc.), GVWR (max weight rating of the truck with everything including pinweight), GAWR (max weight rating on the axles), and payload (max load in the bed).

Be careful not to automatically assume 3/4 ton is less capable than a 1 ton. The 2005 and 2006 Fords, for example, have higher ratings than the prior year's single rear wheel 1 tons and more than most other brands' 1 tons (with exceptions). That doesn't make Ford better, it's just an example that the ratings are more important than whether it is a 3/4 or 1 ton.

Both shortbed and longbed are very capable. You will want to make this choice based on your personal needs outside of towing. If you get the new Montana with the new nosecap you may not need a sliding hitch to tow it with a shortbed without risking hitting truck to trailer on sharp turns. That's what we're hearing from Keystone but I have no personal experience with that new cap. If you get the older cap, you'll want a sliding hitch. Note that in 11 years of towing with a shortbed we've only had to use our slider four times and only twice with our Montanas since January 2001.

Darryl, you are smart to ask the questions before the purchase. I hope you know you can ask any question here. There are no dumb questions here.

03-26-2006, 05:24 AM	#11
sreigle Montana Master Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Oceanside Posts: 20,028 M.O.C. #20	Welcome aboard. Both those models are excellent choices. You are correct that a 1500 is not going to do it. As for what to upgrade to, you'll find many opinions. There are many of us towing with 3/4 and 1-ton trucks very successfully. The key point is that you buy something properly rated to handle the load. All three brands do a credible job if equipped with the diesel. Likewise, the GM 8.1L V8 and the Ford V10 gas engines do a good job. So does the Dodge V10 but it's not currently available in the new trucks. We've towed this Montana (scaled at 14,360 lbs) with both a '99 Ford F350 V10 gas and with this '05 Ford F250 (3/4 ton) 6.0L diesel with the highly rated TorqueShift automatic. We have been very pleased with both. The 3400 has a very light (relatively speaking) pinweight. A 3/4 ton handles that pinweight with ease, given the proper engine, axle ratio, and tow package. Check the ratings of the truck. Of interest is GCWR (max load including truck, passengers, fluids, and trailer, etc.), GVWR (max weight rating of the truck with everything including pinweight), GAWR (max weight rating on the axles), and payload (max load in the bed). Be careful not to automatically assume 3/4 ton is less capable than a 1 ton. The 2005 and 2006 Fords, for example, have higher ratings than the prior year's single rear wheel 1 tons and more than most other brands' 1 tons (with exceptions). That doesn't make Ford better, it's just an example that the ratings are more important than whether it is a 3/4 or 1 ton. Both shortbed and longbed are very capable. You will want to make this choice based on your personal needs outside of towing. If you get the new Montana with the new nosecap you may not need a sliding hitch to tow it with a shortbed without risking hitting truck to trailer on sharp turns. That's what we're hearing from Keystone but I have no personal experience with that new cap. If you get the older cap, you'll want a sliding hitch. Note that in 11 years of towing with a shortbed we've only had to use our slider four times and only twice with our Montanas since January 2001. Darryl, you are smart to ask the questions before the purchase. I hope you know you can ask any question here. There are no dumb questions here.