Share your TV experience with Reflection Fifth Wheels

[turtypointbuck]

I like many out there are trying to figure out their tow vehicle needs. I hope I can persuade everybody who reads this and owns a Reflection fiver to share what they are using, and critique it. Stubbornly, I want to pull a 323BHS with a 3/4 ton diesel short box. I just want a better ride for the >75% of the time I am not using it as a TV.

Points of Discussion include but not limited too:
Hitch
Long Box or Short Box
20" or 18" wheels
1 ton or 3/4 ton
suspension modifications

Thanks in Advance,

[Cate&Rob]

Hi turtypointbuck,

Expand the history in this Reflection Tow Vehicle section to everything posted and you will find lots of threads related to your question.

Rob

[campinfool]

We have the 337RLS and pull it with a Dodge 3500 Quad Cab short bed, Cummins engine with automatic transmission and 4:11 rear end. Other than Bilstien shocks it is stock. It has 17" wheels and we use a Reese 15K Pro series hitch which I am looking to upgrade. We have had zero problems with the hitch but it is 12 years old and just time to replace it. I have the slider and have only ever used it twice in 12 years and not sure if I will get a new one.
After being close to truck limits in the past I buy the heaviest truck I can fit in my garage. I know that it rides a little stiff when not towing but I have had trucks my whole life so I am used to it. I do not drive my truck daily, only about once a week when not towing and never in the winter.

[Ciaran1]

Tow a 337RLS with a 2013 Ram 3500 dually, long bed. Love it, will never go back to a short bed. Towed my last fiver with a 3/4 ton short bed dodge and ford (used a slider). No problems with the 3/4 tons but the one ton long bed rides soooo much smother and effortless. Frankly, I do not see that much difference in the empty ride in the 3500. Not a big deal to me.

[Bamaman]

2003 F250 diesel crew cab has the 6 3/4' bed--slightly longer than the competition. The truck has a 60 hp tow tune with a different auto transmission program.
Hitch is a B&W Patriot 16K mounted on rails. I have a Curt custom frame mount that required a bunch of drilling to install. B&W's as good a hitch as there is.
16" Michelin tires--brand new. Also have new brakes and shock absorbers. Undercarriage is in 100% condition.
I installed AirRide air bags at the same time as the hitch.

If you are towing in the mountains or if you think you'll go to a larger/heavier fifth wheel in the future, go for a 1 ton dual rear wheel diesel.

My suggestion is to make sure the brakes have been properly adjusted during PDI. Mine needed adjusting.

[gestern1]

I guess if I am going to be a part of this forum I might as well jump in as often as possible.
I tow with a long bed 04 Dodge 2500, 5.9 Cummings Turbo Diesel, stock suspension, no extras for power control, 16k Reese hitch. I have been towing a 33' toy-hauler since 04 (most of the time with 2 Harley Davidson Motorcycles in it) with this truck and it always did what was expected of it. Now with the lighter 27RL the truck doesn't even know there is a 5th wheel behind it. Hard to justify buying a new truck with only 65000 miles on this one, {not even broke in yet} however there are some new features on the 2016 Dodge models that make me want to upgrade in the near future, probably when we get back from our three month Alaska trip.
Towed with a Ford many years ago, powered by a 460cid gas engine (passed everything on the road except a gas station) and it did good. Now I am a Dodge fan only because of the power of the Cummings and the reliability of the entire truck. Getting an average of about 14 mpg when towing and around 20 mpg when empty. Thinking of adding an extra fuel tank in the bed but probably will not have time before our trip.
Mike

[Boomer]

Interesting topic I hope more people share their experience. We have a 303RLS that was scaled loaded for a two week trip and 1/3 fresh water. The trailer weighed 10,540 pounds, the pin weight was 2,140 pounds. Having said that I tow with a 2001 Silverado 3500 dually with a 6.0l and a 4L80e with a 4:10 rear end. The truck has over 116K miles and is still going strong. I typically drive between 55 mph and 65 mph. The only time I slow way down is when I encounter 6+ percent grades. There is to much of a drop in RPM between gears to keep it on top of the torque curve. My speed drops to 35mph or so in second. My gas mileage is about 10-11mpg around town, when towing I average 8-9mpg on those hills I described I drop to 4- 5 mpg. I am now researching trucks and will be buying a new one next March for my wife's birthday. I am leaning towards another Chevy with a gas engine.

[turtypointbuck]

Thanks Cate&Rob, I did not see the option to expand the history until you pointed it out.


I do hope that this thread will stay active none-the-less with people sharing their TV experience and set-ups. Thanks to all that have responded.

[Scott and Jan]

We pull our 337RLS with a 2002 F350 CC, LB, 7.3 Diesel, Dually. 237,000 miles. Pulls like a champ. Hoping to get a couple more years out of it before upgrading to a new (or newer) truck. Been looking - DANG they're expensive now!!
Will definitely be a one ton long bed. Still undecided on single or dual wheels, and gas or diesel engine.

[Steve and Lynne]

The answers to the question are in the signature! Reasoning for our choice are that I believe that our 337 is the top of what our truck can handle prudently and safely. When folks talk about ride quality, my opinion is that a long box is the proper choice, and the long box makes it so that a slider hitch is a non-issue, and with our B & W (and others), the fore and aft position can be fine-tuned for weight distribution, access to the front storage when hitched, and ride quality. We have visited lots of states with mountain roads and passes, came over Wolf Creek from east to west for our current camp hosting situation in Pagosa Springs. The 6.7 with 6 speed automatic, rocker shift, and engine brake made that journey not stressful, used second gear on the down slope with strong intermittent braking to lose 10 mph in about 10 seconds. Air Lifts with on-board compressor are kept at 50 psi, and our Trail Air airbag fifth wheel hitch smooths the ride a lot. Truck has about 101,000 miles now, very few dings from "oopses" hitching, unhitching, and tight parking structure in Philadelphia. Because we are full-timers, we love that we owe nothing on anything! The features of the new Rams are very tempting, but expensive! Should we want more space in a fifth wheel, it would bring up the necessity of a one ton, probably dually. Tire and wheel loading, stability are my reasons for that.