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Thread: 397th vs 320g

  1. #1
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    397th vs 320g

    Greetings, we just joined here. We have been researching rigs to death for a couple of years. The plan is to buy in a year or two, break it in for a year or two, then sell everything (else), retire, and start full-timing. We decided on the 397th but I'm starting to have second thoughts due to its size. I think 43-44 ft is awful big, harder to find sites where it will fit, etc. The 320g gives us most everything the 397th has, at a smaller length. We don't need 2 showers, but we do want 2 commodes. We don't need the dinette, but it would be nice. The big sacrifice I see is the fresh water capacity - 155 gal vs 115 gal. That's huge when boondocking. I know I can add an additional bladder if I have the weight allowance. We will be hauling a Razr in the garage in either case.
    Last edited by dannybraner; 09-10-2020 at 08:19 AM.

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    Site Sponsor Crazybanshee's Avatar
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    We love our 397th. It has a great floor layout
    2007 Volvo 780 VNL Trailersaver Hitch
    2017 Momentum 397th
    2015 Polaris RZR 900S Voodoo Blue
    2017 Polaris RZR S1000 Matte Black
    2019 Polaris RZR S1000 Titanium Matte
    3 Yamaha Banshee's 2-Honda 400 EX's
    Honda 250EX 2016 Polaris Outlaw 110 EFI

  3. #3
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    Thanks for messaging banshee. Have you always used that tow rig with the 397th? I'm curious if a 1 ton dually is enough. It should be rated to be enough, but how it handles may be a different story.

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    Site Team xrated's Avatar
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    There are quite a few of us on here that own G.D. Momentums that have a 20,000 lb GVWR....myself included. Many of us have 1T Dually trucks for the task. The 397, if fully loaded to GVWR (20,000 lbs) will be putting approx. 4500 lb of pin weight on the truck. My Dually for example has just under 5300 lbs of payload capacity, so it definitely falls within the limit of that trailer for towing safely. There are also some that went ahead and got a F450 Dually, which actually have less payload capacity for similarly equipped trucks, but it is because the F450 weighs more than the F350 as it is a heavier Duty truck. Ford wants to keep the F450 in the Class 3 category (14,000 lb GVWR) and not in the Class 4 (14,001 - 16,000 lbs). The F350 Dually should do quite well towing the 397 if you choose to go that direction, just be aware that you will be using a lot of the payload capacity of the truck IF you load the trailer all the way up to the GVWR of 20,000 lbs.
    2016 F350 CrewCab Dually
    2018 Momentum 394M...Heavily Modded!
    2023 Suzuki GSX-S1000 GT+
    Excessive Payload is a Wonderful Thing

    "If it ain't fast....It ain't Fun"

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    Site Sponsor Crazybanshee's Avatar
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    I have had the Volvo for 7 years. Our trailer weighs 22,500 lbs with a 6,000 lbs hitch weight. Kingpin has a 21,000 lbs stamp on it
    2007 Volvo 780 VNL Trailersaver Hitch
    2017 Momentum 397th
    2015 Polaris RZR 900S Voodoo Blue
    2017 Polaris RZR S1000 Matte Black
    2019 Polaris RZR S1000 Titanium Matte
    3 Yamaha Banshee's 2-Honda 400 EX's
    Honda 250EX 2016 Polaris Outlaw 110 EFI

  6. #6
    Setting Up Camp
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    We are full-timing with the 320G. I even shoehorned enough panels on the roof, and batteries in the front next to the generator to run the AC. We use the loft for storage, and plan to add access doors to the loft through the garage wall.
    Art & Leslie
    Full-Time Since March 2016
    2019 Grand Design Momentum 320G
    2014 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn MegaCab DRW Stretched (8') Bed Cummins HO Powerplant

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    Thanks for messaging, Scullerguy. Did you DIY the solar, or hire it out? I'd love to hear about the specific configuration, number of panels, number and size of batteries, controllers, etc.

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    DIY. I had originally installed it in our first 5th wheel, a 2008 Cardinal. With the move to the Momentum, we decided to add a second inverter, and higher wattage panels. The system includes:

    4 305w solar panels
    4 200w solar panels
    2 Victron MultiPlus 24/3000/70/50 Inverters (one to each side of the 50A Breaker Box
    2 Victron SmartSolar 150/70 MPPT Charge Controllers
    2 Victron Orion 24/12 - 70A DC-DC Converters wired in parallel
    4 Tesla Type 85 24v Lithium Ion Battery Modules

    Everything but the panels is shoehorned into the front storage compartment, next to the Onan generator.

    There are lots of opinions regarding the safety of the Tesla modules. I have read them all, and use the control features of Victron components to keep the batteries in the safe zone. Four of the modules gives me 1000Ah at 24v. They take up 28"x13"x17" of space, weigh 240#, and cost less than $6k The equivalent in GC2 lead-acid batteries would be 20 batteries weighing 1200# and cost $2400. As for BattleBorn, it would also take 20, at a cost of around $20k.
    Art & Leslie
    Full-Time Since March 2016
    2019 Grand Design Momentum 320G
    2014 Ram 3500 Laramie Longhorn MegaCab DRW Stretched (8') Bed Cummins HO Powerplant

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