Proper tow vehicle

[fredandfred]

When we bought our rig I had the dealer deliver it to its current spot. I have an F250 and I know I can't tow this unit with that truck. I am looking at a 1 ton dually and there are a few out there but not sure what to get. It seems that Dodge can haul more weight than Chevy or Ford. The Fords I looked at state a tow weight of 10,000lbs. I know the 379 is heavier than that but am I to rule out any tv that can't haul what this units weight loaded? If that's the case then I need a large tv that may fall in the commercial class. I don't want to go that route. I would like to know what others are using for their tv and any issues?

[gordofuchs]

I do not know the weight specifics of the 379, but we are towing a 305RE with a 2008 Dodge, 3500 Diesel, single rears. It tows like a dream, the only tough choice I had to make was the dually or single. If I knew that the truck was only used for towing, I would have gone with the dually. The dually is much more stable when towing. Our problem is once we set the trailer up in a location, we use the truck for sight-seeing in the area. The single wheel makes it possible to do that. A dually would be tough to find parking spaces in the smaller parking lots. The weight of our fifth wheel when fully loaded is around 18,000#. We tow with the Cummins, 3.73's, fully deleted.

Gordon and Janet Fuchs
Cleveland, Ohio

[WhittleBurner]

The new Ford gas engine srw 4x4 is rated to tow 12000#s. The diesel is rated for 15700#s. The dually goes up to 26500#s. Those are all crew cabs. This is off the ford spec sheet from ford.

[Bamaman]

Your 379FL is a 14K lb. unit (dry) and it has a pin weight of 3K (dry). That means your best bet would be a 1 ton dually diesel pickup truck.

Any of the Big 3's trucks will do the job.

For your full size trailer, I like the 8 foot beds with the factory pucks built into the beds to mount the hitch on.

[Thumper]

I just left the dealer looking at the 375RE. We had our hearts set on the 379FL until we saw the 375 but they are basically the same trailer when it comes down to towing and I had pretty much decided on going with a Chevy/GMC 3500 dually as everything I've read says the stability is so much better. I do fear that parking and driving unloaded will be undesirable so I'm kind of in the same boat as you. I'm going to go drive a 3/4 ton single rear and a full 1 ton dually to get an idea of how much difference there really is in ride quality. I'll report back in the next week or so and let you know what I find.

[2butler]

I tow my 328M with my Chevy 3500 and get an average 12 to 15 MPG towing. I live in the Pacific northwest, so I cannot go more than 40 miles without hitting a steep grade. When I started looking to buy my tow truck, I felt over kill is the best way to go. I started looking at looking at the Dodge 3500, because my best friend had one, towing he averaged 10 to 12 MPG. But for me it boiled down to the motor and transmission. The Duramax and Allison power train seems to be the best on the market. My brother bought the Ford 350, and he has had the transmission rebuild, motor build and still does not have the power and fuel mileage I do with my stock Chevy 400hp 750 ft lbs of torque. So in a nut shell they are all great trucks, Ford has the comfort and tech some people have to have. Dodge has the Cummins that has a history of being a great motor. Chevy has the Duramax. the great part about my Chevy is I have towed both my friend and brother home when they broke down .

[Bamaman]

You can buy whichever truck you want. Any of the Big 3 diesel trucks can do the job just fine. But if you go with a 3/4 ton truck, you will need to order a different model trailer because you won't be equipped to handle a FL or full size fifth wheel with single rear wheels. (I have a F250 and never had any idea it's such a bastard truck.)
I bought a Reflection 323BHS @ 11k lbs. and 2K lbs. pin weight. My truck is max'd out with it in king pin weight capability. Although I'm missing my washer and dryer, we're not suffering in the least bit with our mid weight trailer.

[dloase]

As you can see from my signature, I drive a 3500HD DRW. However, I believe any of the big three would work. Actually my 3500HD drives nicer that my 2500HD did. Newer truck better suspension. Of course it is not my daily driver, but I have taken road trips to PA with it and would not bother me to drive cross country in it.

[fredandfred]

My other issue is I don't want to purchase a new or close to new truck. Right now I just don't have the funds. I am looking at used DRW trucks but don't want to make a purchase mistake on buying an older truck. I know it's a crap shoot with buying used but finding the right one is tough.

[Edward Lester]

When we bought our rig I had the dealer deliver it to its current spot. I have an F250 and I know I can't tow this unit with that truck. I am looking at a 1 ton dually and there are a few out there but not sure what to get. It seems that Dodge can haul more weight than Chevy or Ford. The Fords I looked at state a tow weight of 10,000lbs. I know the 379 is heavier than that but am I to rule out any tv that can't haul what this units weight loaded? If that's the case then I need a large tv that may fall in the commercial class. I don't want to go that route. I would like to know what others are using for their tv and any issues?

I tow our 369RL with a 2014 F350 dually with the 6.7 diesel. If you look in the RV parks, by far, Ford outnumbers the other two brands.

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