New here and new to 5th wheel. Towing and trucks..

[Guvner]

Read a lot here tonight and you guys have some awesome equipment. Especially the picture with the two generators. I have two but being new I didn't think of lugging them along. I bought a used 2000 Montana 5th which weighs around 9300 lbs dry I believe. I didn't even have a pick up yet but I don't travel much. Just mostly stay at a lot near my favorite lake 4 hours away. I have always kept my pull along there. Now I have bought a 2004 Silverado 2500HD with crew cab and short bed with a 6.0 gas engine so I could use the truck in my business without paying for the oil around town. (Plus it was a bunch cheaper even used.) Any advice you could give including what to search for here would be great especially if you remember the poster. I'm an commercial HVAC contractor/serviceman and can probably eventually lend some expertise around here on something.

I read as much as I could about measuring. It sounds like you want a level camper. I was told by someone that on my short bed normally you need a slider but with the Montana front end it isn't a necessity. Any comments on that would be appreciated.

Thanks... Gary

[stevemc]

Welcome Gary. The newer Montana's have a rounded front cap that makes them more compatible with short bed pickups. The older models like yours and ours has the old style front end that will more readily contact the truck cab in a tight turn. That being said I have a manual slider hitch in our truck but have never used it. If you're not going to pull your trailer that much and won't be encountering tight places to manuever into you can get along without the slider hitch. You just have to watch the tight turns because it will hit the corner of your cab if you get it too tight on a corner.

[Tom S.]

Welcome aboard Gary. I may be the one you referred to about the generators. 90% of the time we don't lug them along, but when we went to Alaska, they came in handy a few times. Actually more than just 'handy'. We had to spend a night in a Billings Montana parking lot waiting for emergency repairs with the day time temps at 106 and no power available.

[Bill-N-Donna]

Welcome to the forum Gary; this is certainly a place with a lot of collective information. You can find out just about anything you may come across concerning your Montana or tow vehicle. Don’t be shy, jump on in and start posting. We’re certainly looking forward seeing you postings.

[thor]

hi gary yes you want to have a level trailer when hooked to the truck.you can achieve that by raising or lowering the hitch pin box on the trailer or the fifth wheel hitch or both

[Guvner]

Thanks Thor. I just got the truck tonight so I appreciate the nuts and bolts explanations. I'm starting out with a 16K Reese Proline with the manual slide for the few places I'll have to turn tight. On the camper I've noticed I have an intermittant furnace so I guess I'll post that on the another forum that looks at that.

Gary

[Guvner]

Also have a question about what tires for the used 2004 Silverado 2500HD I purchased. It has 265/75's on it at C load range so they're gone. GM sticker says it had 245/75 E range from factory. It's a 4 wheel drive also if that's important to your thinking.

Thanks.. Gary

[8.1al]

Gary,
You definitely need load range E tires. While the stock tires were 245/75 many people use the 265/75 as they have a higher load capacity

[thor]

i agree with 8.1 that you need a e rated tire i had a 2003 2500 and put a one size bigger with no problems .they were firestone transforce tires.they have a heavier sidewalls.they wore verywell.the down side is they are a little pricey.