new member from las vegas, nevada

[Montana_4572]

Hello
I am in the process of buying a 2001 montana 2955 in las vegas, nevada.
Could anybody give me some advise as what size of truck I should be buying to pull my fifth wheel.This is a new experience and life style for me and my 12 year old son.
We are both nervous and excited. I would appreciate any kind of input on this matter.

thank you
Marion

[Sunshine]

Welcome Marion. Can't give you any advice about buying a truck to tow that Montana - can only tell you that we tow our 2000 3255RL with a 1996 Ford F250 powerstroke, and she pulls it like it wasn't even there. There are many knowledgeable people here who I'm sure will be happy to help you out with information on tow vehicles. Safe travels.

[patodonn]

Marion: Welcome to the Forum!

Re the truck decision, your RV weight, fully loaded should be around 12,180 lbs. Given that, you should be able to use any fairly recent Heavy Duty 3/4 or one ton truck which is set up for towing. Check out the "Tow Vehicles and Towing" section of the Forum. More info there than you could possibly need.

Since your rig is an '01 model, I would call Keystone Customer Service soonest to see if it is one of the '01 or '02 rigs needing a frame "fix" (a recall item). Should be at no cost to you, if it is needed. Call Keystone at 866-425-4369 with the VIN #, Model and year. They will have the info needed in their data base. Your dealer should know, but I would call Keystone, regardless of what the dealer says.

Remember, with dealers, until you give them the $$, they are very accommodating in fixing any problems...after the $$ changes hands, it is sometimes "Who?"

Lots of good folks and good info to be found here. Enjoy, and, again, welcome.

Best,

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Hi Marion and welcome to the MOC family.

For an RV newbie you could not have found a better place to get the answers you require. So, having said that, here are my 2 cents worth...

If you look at our signature you will see that we pull a 2004 2955RL and we use a GMC 2500HD with the Duramax diesel. The 2500 HD is classified as a Heavy Duty 3/4 ton. In fact other than a bit more pin weight there is little or no difference between my HD 3/4 ton and the 3500 one ton.

As I said ours is a GMC but anyone one of the big 3 manufacturers, the GMC/Chevy 2500HD, Ford F250 or Dodge 2500, 3/4 ton trucks will handle the 2955RL quite easily and not just the diesel engine but the gasoline engines as well.

Initially, buying the diesel is a bit more costly but when you consider the longer engine life of a diesel and the better MPG's diesel vs a gas powered and the better towing capabilities the diesel is by far and large the better choice.

Now I will step aside and let someone else kick in their 2 cents.

[Just148]

Well said Glenn,
Welcome Marion to the MOC. As Glenn said any 3/4 ton will work I pull my 2980 with a Chevy. 2500HD. Happy camping.


Wendell

[Northstar]

Welcome and I second Glenn's advice.

[toolmanroy]

We love our 2955 and tow it with a Ford F250 4 x 4 diesel. We live in the mountains, so we do a lot of towing up and down the mountain summits. We have no problem even in 100+ degree temps we get in southern Oregon.

[trukdoc]

I love Las Vegas. Few places on Earth that one can have so much fun for so little money....that is if you do not gamble. Welcome to the MOC. As for truck! A lot has to do with preferance. My opinion the Ford F250SD with Powerstroke at this moment is the better truck. But as I said a lot has to do with preference. In most cases a 3/4 ton with the tow package will do just fine. Then to Diesel or gas. A diesel will have longevetity over the gas engine and definetly will get better fuel economy and better pulling. But up front cost is higher. If you plan to be an occasional RVer probably not worth the extra cost. If you plan to tow a lot will definetly pay for itself. Just do your reseach as to what is available and what you want. If you have a specific question you will find that there is someone here with an answer. Good luck!

[sreigle]

Lots of good advice so far, I'm not sure how much I can add. Looking at the specs for the 2001 2955RL, the unloaded vehicle weight is 9030, the carrying capacity is 3150. That puts max rated weight you can safely load it to at 12,180 lbs. Realistically, if you fulltime you'll likely have it at around 11,500 pounds. Pinweight is 2020 according to the specs but will be higher when loaded. Those weights are close to the lightest of any Montana, so, you should have no problem at all towing it with a 3/4 or 1 ton diesel or the Ford or Dodge V10 gas or the GM 8.1L gas engines, assuming the truck has the tow package. As point of reference, we're towing a Montana scaled at 14,360 lbs with a 2005 3/4 ton Ford diesel and the way it tows has me grinning all the way to the top of the mountains. All three mfrs make trucks that can do a nice job for you. In your shoes I'd be comfortable with that fact and let my purchase decision be based on my other preferences and desires. Good luck. The 2955 is a nice rig and very popular here on the forum.