2014 Sierra 365SAQ ordered

cookie12 · 03-12-2013, 02:21 AM

My wife and I recently just ordered our 365SAQ and really look forward to this year camping. The kids came with us to RV show after RV show this winter and we all agreed on our favorite. They have no knowledge of the new fifth wheel on the way and am sure they will be surprised. The kids loved all the room in the back bunk area and all the storage the 365 offered. Some of the new options on the 2014 are led lighting inside the coach and a led rope light along the awning. The outside kitchen, king bed, corian counters with extension, party couch, R38 insulation, wood refers, 5 function Liepert remote are some of the addons we added. The signature package and managed to get the fall option package included as well. This is our second FR in 2 years and quite an upgrade from our 2012 Puma 31KBH. We all had so much fun and memories in our first year of camping and know year 2 will be nothing but better! I remember all the times, as if yesterday, when my parents took me and my brothers out. This is what I want for my kids the memories and the different places we camped at as a family.

I would like to ask what to expect pulling a fifth wheel over the trailer tow as well as what kind of fifth wheel hitch I should be looking at? Thanks.

golfmedik · 03-12-2013, 03:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookie12

My wife and I recently just ordered our 365SAQ and really look forward to this year camping. The kids came with us to RV show after RV show this winter and we all agreed on our favorite. They have no knowledge of the new fifth wheel on the way and am sure they will be surprised. The kids loved all the room in the back bunk area and all the storage the 365 offered. Some of the new options on the 2014 are led lighting inside the coach and a led rope light along the awning. The outside kitchen, king bed, corian counters with extension, party couch, R38 insulation, wood refers, 5 function Liepert remote are some of the addons we added. The signature package and managed to get the fall option package included as well. This is our second FR in 2 years and quite an upgrade from our 2012 Puma 31KBH. We all had so much fun and memories in our first year of camping and know year 2 will be nothing but better! I remember all the times, as if yesterday, when my parents took me and my brothers out. This is what I want for my kids the memories and the different places we camped at as a family.

I would like to ask what to expect pulling a fifth wheel over the trailer tow as well as what kind of fifth wheel hitch I should be looking at? Thanks.

First off, congratulations on the 365! Nothing else comes close as a usable floor plan for those of us with kids. My advice, call the dealer you ordered it from and have 7k axles put under it when it is built. This rig comes with 6k axles and they are not enough to support the weight of the 365. With all of the options, you will need them. It's only a $700 option I believe. And don't let anyone talk you out of it. Make them order it that way. The way you can tell, is the 7k axles have 8 lug wheels. In case you haven't sen it, read this thread from its sister rig http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ght-29605.html. They are the same rig, just different colors. Do yourself a favor and read the entire thread. It will not take that long. You have enough truck to pull it. Again, not trying to discourage you by no means. but you will be much better off with that option. It will pull much better and won't have problems down the road. Again, this is an amazing rig! Others have copied this design, but none are EXACTLY like it.
You will love pulling a 5er over a a TT. Much more stable and no sway. As far as hitches, does your truck have the factory in bed hitch prep kit? If it does, B&W makes a great hitch for the factory mount. If it doesn't, I would recommend the B&W Turnover ball under bed hitch in conjunction with the Companion hitchhttp://www.turnoverball.com/products/rvhitch. Nothing else like it on the market. In my opinion, the best hitches made, PLUS, they are 100% made in the USA. Also, either one of these hitches leaves a completely flat bed when removed! Happy camping!

AquaMan · 03-12-2013, 04:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookie12

My wife and I recently just ordered our 365SAQ and really look forward to this year camping. The kids came with us to RV show after RV show this winter and we all agreed on our favorite. They have no knowledge of the new fifth wheel on the way and am sure they will be surprised. The kids loved all the room in the back bunk area and all the storage the 365 offered. Some of the new options on the 2014 are led lighting inside the coach and a led rope light along the awning. The outside kitchen, king bed, corian counters with extension, party couch, R38 insulation, wood refers, 5 function Liepert remote are some of the addons we added. The signature package and managed to get the fall option package included as well. This is our second FR in 2 years and quite an upgrade from our 2012 Puma 31KBH. We all had so much fun and memories in our first year of camping and know year 2 will be nothing but better! I remember all the times, as if yesterday, when my parents took me and my brothers out. This is what I want for my kids the memories and the different places we camped at as a family.

I would like to ask what to expect pulling a fifth wheel over the trailer tow as well as what kind of fifth wheel hitch I should be looking at? Thanks.

Congratulations on the new 365saq! As you can see, I have the same. Make sure it has the 7000lb axles under it!!! They've made a few improvements to them since my 2012, and they keep getting better. I'm sure your family will enjoy it as much as mine. As for hitch, I went with a Curt 20K, I have a long bed and don't need a slider, although most 5th wheels say you can pull with short bed without on, most of the forum members reccommend having one just in case. As it stands now, I would stay away from Reese, not because it's a bad product, but because of their current bussiness practices.

Wiscampsin · 03-12-2013, 06:45 AM

Congrats on putting in your order for your 2014 S ierra 365SAQ. You tricked it out pretty good. Keep building those those memories that will last a lifetime.

chiro · 03-12-2013, 07:17 AM

I have a 2013 sandpiper and love it. I have the 2011 f 250 also. you will need to put a set of air bags on it. If not you will be ridding on your bumpstops when you hit a bump. Once you do that the truck pulls it like a dream. Enjoy we used ours over 60 days last year and loved every minute. Ill post some mods when I get a few minutes.

**ependydad** · 03-12-2013, 07:45 AM

I'm another huge fan boy for the B&W hitch products. Other than maybe ending up with a air-ride hitch, I don't ever see me changing.

Beausdog · 03-13-2013, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ttrost65

Congratulations on the new 365saq! As you can see, I have the same. Make sure it has the 7000lb axles under it!!! They've made a few improvements to them since my 2012, and they keep getting better. I'm sure your family will enjoy it as much as mine. As for hitch, I went with a Curt 20K, I have a long bed and don't need a slider, although most 5th wheels say you can pull with short bed without on, most of the forum members reccommend having one just in case. As it stands now, I would stay away from Reese, not because it's a bad product, but because of their current bussiness practices.

Congrats on your purchase, we love our 365 and would love to see some pics of your 14 when u get it. As golf and those stated above, I will second all their recommendations and advice. As far as hitch, I have a shortbed and use a Reese 16k slider (although I have never actually needed to use the slider yet) but tows beautifully.

rbcdp98 · 03-13-2013, 08:20 PM

Congrats. I have a 13 365. We bought it in august last summer and put 2000 miles on it. it tows great. I use a 16K reese slider(only used the slider once) We have very poor roads up here in Maine so the chucking and bounce was bad. This winter I bought a Reese 5Th airborne pin box and just installed it last weekend. It is night and day. Most of the time you don't even know the trailer is back there. Good luck

cookie12 · 03-14-2013, 01:15 AM

Thank you for all the comments. I joined this site last year and have been reading and studying this forum at length before we bought the 365. I spend almost 4 hours with the rep when the RV show started with some of my concerns. One particular was the one golf talked about with the 7000# axles. I did indeed read your posts many times. I relayed this to the Sierra rep and directed him to this forum about the underrated axles on the size of this unit and of my safety concerns for my family. He told me that he has no idea of this situation and this was the first he heard of it. He did say he would call from the RV show to the engineers and get an answer for me. I met him again the next day and he said that after talking to some engineer that the upgrade to the axles is not needed. He went on to say that if I did feel it was a safety issue that for $500 they would put the axles on for me. He also said that if the 6000# axles were a safety issue/liability that FR would have put them on the 2014 which they did not. I am split on my decision whether or not I should call and get this added or not?

As for the hitch concern the rep and the sales person told me that I would not need a slider hitch because of the beveled front cap. I told them that I did not want to pop a window and was told it would not come close.I am not sure of this and would hope some of you can set me straight on this. I see beausdog uses a slider but said he never had to utilize it yet. How close can you get to 90 degrees or can you? I should also mention that this rep was very knowledgeable and has been in the industry a very long time.

AquaMan · 03-14-2013, 04:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookie12

Thank you for all the comments. I joined this site last year and have been reading and studying this forum at length before we bought the 365. I spend almost 4 hours with the rep when the RV show started with some of my concerns. One particular was the one golf talked about with the 7000# axles. I did indeed read your posts many times. I relayed this to the Sierra rep and directed him to this forum about the underrated axles on the size of this unit and of my safety concerns for my family. He told me that he has no idea of this situation and this was the first he heard of it. He did say he would call from the RV show to the engineers and get an answer for me. I met him again the next day and he said that after talking to some engineer that the upgrade to the axles is not needed. He went on to say that if I did feel it was a safety issue that for $500 they would put the axles on for me. He also said that if the 6000# axles were a safety issue/liability that FR would have put them on the 2014 which they did not. I am split on my decision whether or not I should call and get this added or not?

As for the hitch concern the rep and the sales person told me that I would not need a slider hitch because of the beveled front cap. I told them that I did not want to pop a window and was told it would not come close.I am not sure of this and would hope some of you can set me straight on this. I see beausdog uses a slider but said he never had to utilize it yet. How close can you get to 90 degrees or can you? I should also mention that this rep was very knowledgeable and has been in the industry a very long time.

It's true, the 6000# axles are sufficient if you're not going to load up your camper, but as several have found out, that after adding accessories, their payload was only a couple hundred pounds. NOT enough. I don't have a washer dryer, generator, multiple batteries or heavy items. I feel I'm on the safe side with a dry weight of 12,600, but I would spend the extra money for the 7k axles regardless.

golfmedik · 03-14-2013, 05:46 AM

When I started investigating the axles under my rig, and talking with everyone including the dealer, I was told that the 6ks were sufficient. I knew better, so I went and weighed my rig. And went back to the dealer. The factory rep was called and then I was put in touch with the engineer. I knew something was WAY different when I pulled the 365 off of the lot. I had just pulled a new 355 on the lot to trade. 3 feet of camper didn't make that much difference compared to the weight I was then pulling off the lot. There have already been campers ordered with the 7k axles under them. There are others that have already inquired as well. When dealing with FR, as stated above, I was put in contact with several GMs in the process. So, I do not believe that this is the 'first' they've heard about this. Maybe that one particular individual maybe, but not the department. I have been told on two different occasions now, by two different individuals, that they agreed to change my axles just to "shut me up". Make no mistake, they read these forums. They've quoted things to me and other members here, that have been word-for-word right out of some of these posts. I love that. It shows that they are listening, or at least reading and getting feedback from their customers instead of just relying on dealer feedback. One point for example was the heat vents in front of the TV cabinets getting the TVs and cabinets too hot. Another was the placement of the furnace in relation to the air flow in the master bedrooms. So , they are reading these. I've kept this to myself until now, but here is my take on why 6k axles are put under these units. If you put 7ks under them coming out of the factory, they would eliminate most all 3/4 ton truck owners, due to 20% of the gvwr being(15,500) on the pin. That would make the pin weight around 3100 lbs. Too much for 3/4 ton trucks. The other thing that I haven't said is, that just a plain 365 coming off of the lot, YES, the 6k axles are fine for it! I truly believe they are correct. However, once certain options are ordered, I believe they should 'make' you pay the upgrade fee to the 7k so you would be able to carry the weight as you should. In my opinion, the upgrade to 7k axles will only benefit you on down the road. First off, the rig pulls better. Secondly, you can later put on 17.5" tires and wheels on it(due to 8 lug wheels) to get the "china bombs" off of it and put on high weight capacity tires. I am only sharing with you my experience with this unit so far. If anything happened to my rig today, would I get another one after what I've been through? ABSOLUTELY! But I would order it with a few more of the fancier things they've come out with in the last year and a half, and I would most definitely order it with 7k axles.

Beausdog · 03-14-2013, 06:05 AM

Once again golf, you hit it in the head! With the question about my slider, I have gotten pretty close to 90 on a small turn around and a lot closer than I am/was comfortable with. My experience and opinion would say you don't need to use the slider for regular driving or most campgrounds but rather if you have to u turn in a small area at the end of a tiny cul-de-sac that u might find in some campgrounds or wrong turns into neighborhoods. As golf seems to be the same type if person I am in my opinion, I have the mentality to get the comfort of having one just in case. Rather have and not need then need and not have. If you don't have one, and turns out you need it one day, could be an expensive/costly error in judgement

ehorn · 03-14-2013, 08:29 PM

Hey just noticed you are from moosejaw did you order it through Davidson? We are just currently working in the same thing through fast toys for boys.

cookie12 · 03-14-2013, 11:27 PM

What are guys doing up so early? LOL Anyways you convinced me golf. This afternoon I called the dealer and had them add the 7K axles. The fact that you have real world experience towing this unit I trust your comments and suggestions. I was unaware that you could go with a bigger tire. So thanks for that. I figure being this is going to be a long term RV for us that with the upgrade I should have no weight problems in the future. The unit has not been built yet so the dealer said adding the extra option is not a problem. I agree with you that people are listening as they have made the changes. This is not only great for the consumer but also for FR as they are willing to adapt and modify based on user comments.

I had Firestone Ride Rites on 09 F150 and felt the difference immediately pulling a Puma 31KBH. I am just wondering if I really need them on the F350 pulling this unit?

I do have the Trailer Prep Tow package on my truck with the fifth wheel wiring harness. That turnoverball from B&W is a really cool idea. Since I have the TT package, provided to Ford by Reese, I am leaning towards a Reese hitch that I can pull out and utilize my full bed with no rails. TTrost had mentioned something about their current business practices and curious as to what that means. B&W does also make a OEM Ford version which utilizes the TT package. I have both being priced out and will decide in the next few days. The slider hitch was something I really wanted to have in my back pocket but they are not giving them away up here by no means. I will just have to be more careful and not get into precarious positions. Does anyone know of any other brands that makes an Ford OEM version using the TT package? I have searched and can only find the 2, Reese and B&W.

cookie12 · 03-14-2013, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehorn

Hey just noticed you are from moosejaw did you order it through Davidson? We are just currently working in the same thing through fast toys for boys.

Yes we did and they were nothing but a pleasure to deal with. They are only a little over an hour from us which was a deciding factor in case any work needs to be done in the future. I know you will not regret from buying from them.

**ependydad** · 03-15-2013, 12:04 AM

Cookie- I'm a B&W fan boy and feel it's a top notch hitch. I have nothing bad to say about it!

I don't have a Ford, so I can't help you there with other drop-in hitches for the OEM setup.

golfmedik · 03-15-2013, 03:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cookie12

I had Firestone Ride Rites on 09 F150 and felt the difference immediately pulling a Puma 31KBH. I am just wondering if I really need them on the F350 pulling this unit?

I do have the Trailer Prep Tow package on my truck with the fifth wheel wiring harness.

I have a '10 F350 4x4 Dually that you see in my sig, and I put airbags on it. Did it NEED them, no!. Did it help? TREMENDOUSLY! I put the Firestones on it and then put it a Viair on board air system so I could adjust it on the fly. I did a write up on it here http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...led-35846.html The bags added stability, even for the dually. It also helps a great deal with the interstates to stop some of the bouncing you get from uneven joints. When it gets too bouncy, I just add a little pressure to the bags and the problem is solved. They also help save the suspension components from wear and tear. In my opinion, airbags are the best mod you can do to a tow vehicle. I won't tow heavy without them again if at all possible.
As far as hitches, I am a TRUE believer in B&W hitches. And with you having the Ford Tow Prep, it would only take you less than 2 minutes to have a completely level bed with nothing in the way with the B&W Companion OEM. I love the fact that the jaws of the hitch completely surround the pin. It stops a lot of jerking and looseness in that area. They are made completely in the USA and have the best customer service in the business by far. Reese just announced last week that it is moving all of it's production to Mexico. I am by no means putting down the Reese hitch, just telling you what has become important to me in the last several years. Two of my camping buddies that have Reese hitches have 'hitch envy' towards my B&W due to the ease of operation and how easy it is to hitch and unhitch. Good luck and give us some pics when you can!
Oh and by the way, the B&W slider hitch was unveiled in late December with an unknown delivery date. Shouldn't be long though, but I believe it will first be made for their standard Turnover ball bed system, then the rest of their products.

cookie12 · 03-23-2013, 08:38 PM

I ended up ordering a Reese Elite 18K hitch that drops right into the Ford OEM under bed system. The under bed rails are part of the Ford trailer tow package which is made by Reese. I talked to B&W and they indeed are coming out with a slider but have no plans for it to be released for the Ford OEM underbed system. Since I dont want to replace the OEM rail system with a turnoverball undermount I went with the Reese. If I do decide in the future to goto a sliding hitch part #30070 is all I need as the the head is compatible. I went to a local Ford dealer and test fitted the hitch and it was extremely easy to install. The Ford fifth wheel hitches are also made by Reese as is the OEM TT package. Thanks again for all your input on helping me make my decision.

cookie12 · 04-18-2013, 01:15 AM

Well got word that our unit has been built and should be at dealer next week. Plan on picking it up next weekend. I want to setup the Reese Elite 18K hitch before going out to pick it up. There are 4 sets of mounting holes for the height. My truck is not lifted and was wondering which set of holes I should use. I know that if it needs to be adjusted the dealer would do that for me. I would just like to have it all ready to go. Can anyone comment on this? The hitch height settings are 14.5, 15.75, 17 and 18.25 inches. Out of the box it is set to 15.75 I believe.

ehorn · 04-18-2013, 07:57 AM

Hey that's exciting. Means mine shouldn't be to far off either as for your hitch settings not to sure, I run a b&w but I know my hitch is set almost right In the middle of its settings, I have an 06 F350 with no lift but 35" rubber. I sat with our old fifth wheel perfect hoping this one will sit the same haha. Hope you find out what you need and have fun getting your new unit all stocked up.

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