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Old 06-14-2016, 11:38 PM   #1
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Travelling with a 41 foot 5er

So I've decided to get a 1 ton diesel SRW, will order it in September when 2017 order forms come out. Next is picking out a 5er. We are planning on snow birding with it but also would like to do some travelling around the country. I have read snippets here and there that even as well as 5th wheels tow that a large one is difficult to deal with. Is this true? I currently pull a 30 foot trailer and in the past had a 36 foot motorhome towing a car. Don't feel either of those were ever a problem but I have never owned a 5th wheel. I know a smaller would be easier travelling but for sitting in Florida during the winter and having the kids visit bigger would be better. I will probably have to restrict myself to commercial "big rig" campgrounds but just how practical is touring the country in a 40 or 41 foot 5er? Thanks.
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Old 06-15-2016, 05:51 AM   #2
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Since you plan to stay at campgrounds that are big rig friendly, touring the country shouldn’t be an issue at all. Have fun and enjoy.
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Old 06-15-2016, 06:56 AM   #3
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Get a dually.


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Old 06-15-2016, 07:35 AM   #4
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You sound as though you are comfortable navigating larger units through roadways. I suspect you will really enjoy the fiver. I moved up from an SUV and 25ft trailer to my crew cab long box dually and 42'ft fiver and have had no issues at all. If you are already 'aware' of the extra thought process in pulling something, you are good to go...

There are lots of state parks that accommodate large rigs and still have spaces that aren't 'right next door' to your neighbor!

,,,I agree that you should look at a dually, I never regret having mine.

Enjoy!
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Old 06-15-2016, 08:04 AM   #5
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Thanks for the responses. I am not sure what I read about large 5ers being difficult but good to hear a large one is practical to travel with. I know a dually would make a big improvement but I just can't get myself talked into that yet as the truck will also be my daily driver and I still would like it to fit in my garage when home. Thanks again!
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Old 06-15-2016, 08:12 AM   #6
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We just went on a 3500 mile trip with our new 41' fiver and F350 diesel dually. I have never enjoyed towing so much. It was a breeze. We did some long long days with me doing all the driving. I expected to be exhausted at the end of the day when we pulled in to the campgrounds but I wasn't. I was still very fresh after up to 8 hours in the seat. I used to pull a 36 ft bumper pull with an F250 gasser. We had planned the trip when I had that and to be honest I wasn't all that excited about the drives. I would get tired on just a short 4 hours trip. Anyway, the 41' fiver we have now is extremely easy to deal with. We did stay at KOA's the whole way so space was not really an issue except at Mariposa KOA. it's tight but I didn't had any problems. Just go slow and steady while getting in and out. We had a blast and will do it again in a heartbeat. I love pulling that thing.
Dually is my daily driver when the weather is not good enough for my motorcycle. I have no room in my garage anyway as that's where my bike and my wife's 67 Mustang live. It would have to be a big garage for the truck.
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Old 06-15-2016, 09:28 AM   #7
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I drive a crew cab long bed F350 dually pulling a 40 foot 5th wheel and have no problems. I do stop mostly at truck stops for diesel regular gas stations are normally just to crowed. I also would recommend a dually truck. If you stay with the single rear wheel truck make sure that you are under the carrying capacity of the truck. A 42 foot fifth wheel loaded can very easily be over the max that your single wheel truck can carry. You would be OK with the tow rating but maybe not the load capacity.
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Old 06-15-2016, 09:44 AM   #8
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I'm with you OP. I've had duallies and srw and will stick with the srw as I want it to fit in my garage and can still park it anywhere as my daily driver. I'm not a member of the weight police so I add air bags and use common sense

I've also found the longer the 5er is the easier it is to back. Don't really notice any difference going down the road either.

My 82 year old father has a 1 ton Ford SRW with a 43' 5er and has no problems going coast to coast. Yep... amazes me also

Have fun!!!
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Old 06-15-2016, 10:33 AM   #9
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I fulltime in a crew cab/long bed truck + 42' fifth wheel. We've never been unable to find somewhere to stay near where we want to be. There are some campgrounds/RV parks that we're restricted from, but overall- we have always found a place we could use.

Fueling up is a little more tricky. I try to stick to truck stops, but that isn't always possible.

As for SRW vs. DRW- I won't enter that debate. There are newer SRW trucks that have the same payload as my 2012 DRW. But at the same time, my issue is generally turning radius, length, and height vs. width when I'm in small towns + cities.
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Old 06-15-2016, 10:36 AM   #10
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Note that at least in Nevada if you get pulled over the officer may check the GVWR's for the truck and trailer and compare the sum to the trucks GCWR.

As the trucks GCWR is normally smaller than the trucks tow rating + the GVWR you may have a problem. They can require you to disconnect and call for another truck that has the proper GCWR.


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Old 06-15-2016, 10:43 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taylorjw0831 View Post
Note that at least in Nevada if you get pulled over the officer may check the GVWR's for the truck and trailer and compare the sum to the trucks GCWR.

As the trucks GCWR is normally smaller than the trucks tow rating + the GVWR you may have a problem. They can require you to disconnect and call for another truck that has the proper GCWR.
Do you have any links to the regulations that apply to this?

This is literally the first that I've heard of a US state that actually has laws/regulations pertaining to GCWR/GVWR for non-commercial folks.
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Old 06-15-2016, 10:50 AM   #12
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Below is a link to the Nevada DMV website page that has the information. I spoke to the DMV office this week and the different licenses only apply to Nevada residents but the police can cite anyone that is over the trucks GCWR

http://dmvnv.com/nvdl.htm



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Old 06-15-2016, 10:55 AM   #13
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... but the police can cite anyone that is over the trucks GCWR

Nevada Driver Licenses and ID Cards
(Honestly and not being snarky.)

I wonder what they're citing them with? I did a quick search of "GCWR" on the site that you linked to and the only thing that returned are the different license requirements.
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Old 06-15-2016, 11:00 AM   #14
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Joking about the weight police is usually tongue-in-cheek and limited to nit-picking.

A 40ft 5vr with SRW might be a genuine issue. I would mostly be concerned about pin weight and exceeding the rear GAWR and the max tire ratings. GCWR is not something I would worry about.


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Old 06-15-2016, 11:18 AM   #15
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I have pulled a 40 foot 5th wheel all across this country and never a problem finding a campsite. We mostly stay in state parks and Corp parks because of the extra room between sites, and I'm a bit cheap. Just last month, stayed in a Federal park in N.C. with a paved site 117' long. You won't have a problem finding a site, and will appreciate the space in a larger rv. I will also stay out of the SRW vs DRW debate
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Old 06-15-2016, 11:35 AM   #16
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Not sure what the actual citation would be. I know that insurance companies could have an issue though. Of course they wouldn't say anything until you file a claim.



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Old 06-15-2016, 12:01 PM   #17
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One other note on this issue:

You can not even take the driving test for a non-commercial class A license (GVWR over 26k and towing 10k+) if your test setup is not compliant. You can make use of a rented or borrowed trailer though. The tow vehicle can as well be borrowed but can not be rented (note for a CDL test you can use a rented truck though).

So if you have a new 44' long 5th wheel and a DRW truck you will need to take the test without your new trailer as even a DRW truck would have a GCWR that is less than the GVWR of the truck and trailer combined.


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Old 06-15-2016, 12:23 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 325BH View Post
Joking about the weight police is usually tongue-in-cheek and limited to nit-picking. A 40ft 5vr with SRW might be a genuine issue.
Ah.. I'm glad you caught my intent

Look at your rig setup, look at the weights, use common sense. Don't worry about every single pound and the myriad of calculations of which most don't meet the common sense yardstick (unless you're in the weight police club

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Old 06-15-2016, 12:24 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by taylorjw0831 View Post
One other note on this issue:

You can not even take the driving test for a non-commercial class A license (GVWR over 26k and towing 10k+) if your test setup is not compliant. You can make use of a rented or borrowed trailer though. The tow vehicle can as well be borrowed but can not be rented (note for a CDL test you can use a rented truck though).

So if you have a new 44' long 5th wheel and a DRW truck you will need to take the test without your new trailer as even a DRW truck would have a GCWR that is less than the GVWR of the truck and trailer combined.


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So what you are you saying is no one can tow a 44' 5th wheel without being over GCWR? That makes no sense. It all depends on the RV in question.
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Old 06-15-2016, 12:34 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ependydad View Post
(Honestly and not being snarky.)

I wonder what they're citing them with? I did a quick search of "GCWR" on the site that you linked to and the only thing that returned are the different license requirements.
I found this topic interesting and ran across this informative site which talks about rules by states for licenses. Can't find much about penalties yet.

RV Driver's License Requirements
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