Can a Solitude Overload a Daully?

[chemist308]

I see two schools of thought in the towing discussions. One school would tell you that if you tow anything more than a pop up camper with a half ton truck, then you are seriously overloaded, and the 5ers should only be towed by daully or semi tractor. The over, equally as proposterous, would hook a triple axle toy hauler to a three-quarter ton truck because it’s under the 18,000 pound towing capacity. So yesterday I went to dealers for Ford and Chevy, and looked at F350 and 3500hd SRW and DRW trucks, specifically axle ratings. I didn’t see many differences between the axle ratings of my 2500 and the 3500 SRW. Payloads of 3500 and 350 SRW trucks varied between 3000 and 3680 lbs, but I saw no differences over mine other than a leaf spring. Also, the 3500HD daully that I did find had a payload of 4700 lbs. I’m certain a Solitude or other drop frame 5th wheel with a 3000 or 3200 lb dry hitch weight could easily exceed that when loaded and with a 250 lb driver, full tanks and a steel 5th wheel hitch added. The real difference with the daully was the axle rating (over 9000lbs). So WTF? Will i need a class 7 semi tractor or other commercial truck to tow a Solitude? Or is it that you can only buy certain daully—maybe only Dodge can do it because I didn’t look at those... Or is handling the hitch weight really in the axles?

[phonemannn]

In the real world, There are LOTS of tow rigs overloaded. That is why they make an F450. Or a Ram 4500. Or even a 5500 Ram. It is in the axle. For sure. But my F350 can tow a 32K goose neck trailer. Easy to convert a Fifth wheel to goose neck. 5700LB payload. on my F350.

[FT4NOW]

F450s typically have a lower payload than a similarly equipped F350 dually. My F350 has a payload of 5300lbs. Just look around and you will find high payload duallys, even higher in gas version if that's what you want.

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[Second Chance]

Payload capacity can vary depending on how the truck is trimmed, the drive train weight (diesels are much heavier, of course), and a number of other things. My 2012 F350 has a payload capacity of 5,120 lbs. subtracting the actual scale weight(s) from the sticker ratings. That's with the hitch, full fuel, driver, and a truck box full of junk in the bed. Weight ratings have increased with newer models, as well. I would imagine that you could work with a dealer to order a truck equipped and spec'd the way you want/need. In my opinion, "regular" sales people don't know what they're talking about when it comes to trucks - even though they have them on the lot and sell them. I would look for a dealership and salesperson who does commercial and fleet sales. A couple of years ago, we had a long conversation with a fleet truck salesman at a GMC dealership in Tyler, TX. He had a much better understanding - and talked about trucks in different terms - than any other salesperson I've ever encountered. Same is/was true of the fleet/commercial side of the Ford Dealership I use in Augusta, GA (the folks I use for most service on our current truck).

Rob

[gbkims]

Saw a Solitude in town a few days ago pulled by a Ram SRW. didn't have time to see what model of Ram.

[Aridon]

The limiting factor is usually payload rating and if you want to ignore that rear axle and tire ratings. People justify things however they want to, "I'm over on payload but under my rear axle". Most don't even bother to weigh the RV and go off the factory sheet, guesstimate or just live in blissful ignorance.

The new dually's can pull any Grand Design and most other fifth wheels. When you start getting into the custom category or in Luxe territory you have to watch the Pin weights more closely. The more options you add and stuff you buy in the truck the less payload you will have. My Ram Tradesman is right up at 6k LBS of Payload. They don't all have that and that payload drops from there if you start adding crap to the truck.

Older trucks don't have the same ratings. It has been the last 5? or so years where the ratings have gone through the roof.

[Txfivver]

As stated above, any new dually will tow and carry the pin weight of anything Grand Design makes. My F350 has a 5460 pound payload rating and a 14000 gvw rating. My Dana 300 rear axle has a 9900 lb max rating and Cat scale without trailer was 4900 lbs on the front axle and 3900 on the rear, leaving 6000 pounds of room on the rear axle. Scaled pin weight of my loaded for travel 375RES was 3860 pounds leaving 2100 pounds for junk in the bed. However to stick to the 14K max GVW of the truck I really only have 1340 pounds left for me and junk in the bed, that's still a lot! If you're looking at any of the bigger Solitudes they are flat heavy when loaded for travel. I'm more comfortable with 4 tires carrying that pin weight than 2. your mileage may vary.

[phonemannn]

Like I said LOTS of rigs overloaded concerning payload.
2019 F450 payload is 5400/6270 F350 is 3775 /7044. LBS. Tough to overload IMO.

[chemist308]

Seems to me those high payloads are only if you get a near stripped RWD WT model (work truck). But if you want niceties like a quad cab, 4WD and maybe even a truck bed, then no you won’t be seeing payloads much above 5000. What I’m really asking is the likelihood of upgrading my rig to one of the 40+ ft Solitude, or better maybe an Open Range, without going to a medium duty truck or semi tractor, none of which work well as a daily driver.

[Second Chance]

Seems to me those high payloads are only if you get a near stripped RWD WT model (work truck). But if you want niceties like a quad cab, 4WD and maybe even a truck bed, then no you won’t be seeing payloads much above 5000. What I’m really asking is the likelihood of upgrading my rig to one of the 40+ ft Solitude, or better maybe an Open Range, without going to a medium duty truck or semi tractor, none of which work well as a daily driver.

Although it is rear wheel drive (don't need and don't want to bother with 4WD), with 5,120 lbs. payload (per the scales) and all the stuff I described, my truck is a long-bed, crew cab Lariat with a front cattle guard and all the bells and whistles except a sink and porta-potti in the cab (although I hate the built-in navigation and use a Garmin RV GPS...). So, no - it doesn't have to be a stripped-down work truck. As @Txfivver said above, any newer, properly equipped DRW 1-ton will handle anything Grand Design makes. No MDT or HDT needed. Now - if someone were to put a Duramax/Allison powertrain in a Freightliner class 6 chassis with a Ford cab and seats and call it a 1-ton, I might go for that...

Rob