How to Choose the Right Truck to Tow an RV
Behind every successful full time RV family lies a crucial decision: choosing the right truck to tow your RV. This decision can significantly impact your safety, comfort, and overall enjoyment on the road.
In this blog post, we'll guide you through the essential factors to consider when selecting the perfect truck for towing your RV including the details about OUR truck and why we love it.
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What you should consider when choosing your truck
1. Your RV's weight and truck’s towing capacity
Before you start exploring truck options, you must have a clear understanding of your RV's weight and towing capacity.
This is the “what comes first, the RV or the truck” conundrum. And we think you definitely need to know your RV’s exact specs before you can even start considering your truck. You don’t need to OWN your RV first, you just need to know which one you’re getting.
Your RV's weight, including its cargo, water, and waste, should never exceed the truck's maximum towing capacity. Consult your RV's manual or speak to a professional to determine this weight.
Our RV (42 foot Montana High Country Fifth Wheel) weighs 14,000 pounds dry, and can weigh up to 17,000 fully loaded (which is the max trailer weight rating of our truck).
Ram specifically puts out a trailer towing chart for each year model and body configuration. It was one of the things that made us choose a Ram over other manufacturers. It was easy take the specs of our trailer and narrow down which truck we needed to find and ultimately purchase.
It was an easy Google search of 2016 Ram 3500 towing capacity. It is usually the first link in the list.
Remember, towing beyond your truck's capacity can strain its engine, transmission, and suspension, leading to potential safety hazards.
2. Gross Vehicle Axle Rating (GVAR)
The Gross Vehicle Axle Rating (GVAR) is extremely important when it comes to towing a 5th wheel RV, as it directly influences the safety, stability, and performance of the towing setup.
GVAR refers to the maximum weight that the axles of a vehicle–in this case, the towing truck–can support safely. When towing a substantial load like a 5th wheel RV, understanding and adhering to the GVAR is crucial.
Exceeding the GVAR can result in overloading the axles, which can cause diminished control, increased wear and tear on the vehicle's components, and affect the vehicles braking efficiency.
Properly matching the 5th wheel RV's weight with the towing truck's GVAR ensures that the entire setup operates within safe parameters, providing a smooth and safe towing experience.
3. Towing suitability
There are three primary types of towing: conventional towing, fifth-wheel towing, and gooseneck towing. Conventional towing involves hitching the RV to the truck's rear bumper, suitable for smaller RVs. Fifth-wheel towing involves a specialized hitch in the truck bed, providing increased stability and higher towing capacity. Gooseneck towing is similar to fifth-wheel towing but uses a gooseneck hitch system.
Depending on your RV's size and design, you'll need to choose a truck with the appropriate towing system.
Most modern trucks equipped with a towing package will have provisions built into the bed of the truck for 5th wheel/gooseneck towing and bumper towing.
One of the most prominent and convenient is the puck system which allows installation and removal with the turn of four locking levers. Others systems require bolts which can be difficult to get to under the bed of the truck.
Choosing a truck with a tow system already in place can make your life a lot easier when it comes time to choose the right hitch and install it. We use the B&W 25k Companion hitch. It is easy to install and makes hitching a breeze. Our favorite feature is that there is no need for a tug test. If the lever closes it is hitched.
Modern trucks come equipped with advanced towing technology features that enhance your towing experience. Look for features like trailer sway control, which helps maintain stability, and backup cameras that aid in hitching and maneuvering your RV. These technological advancements can make towing safer and more convenient.
4. Engine power and torque
A powerful engine and ample torque are essential when towing an RV. A truck's engine should provide enough horsepower and torque to handle the additional load without struggling.
Opt for a truck with a robust engine that's designed to handle towing demands efficiently. Diesel engines often provide higher torque and better fuel efficiency for towing heavy loads.
There is some debate on wether you should choose gasoline over diesel or vise versa.
The diesel engines are bigger and heavier which adds weight to the truck reducing its GVWR. Ford currently makes an F350 with a 7.3 L V-8 that can tow larger 5th wheels effectively and is much lighter giving that truck more payload capacity.
For us the drawback is that you are limited to filling the gas tank on the car side of truck stops and that means you won’t always fit underneath overhangs or even be able to make the turn into the pumps if that is required. We chose diesel for the power and the convenience of filling up at the same pumps that semi trucks use.
5. Suspension and braking
Towing an RV introduces extra stress on your truck's suspension and braking systems. Upgraded suspension components, such as heavy-duty shocks and springs, can enhance stability and minimize sagging.
There are a few aftermarket parts you can install to give your truck a little extra help. The first and most well known are air bags, which is what we have on our truck. You can be fancy and have a system installed that you can air up and down on the fly from inside the cab or go super crude and put some schrader valves on the bumper and air it up just like you would your tires.
We put 45 psi in the air bags before towing and that seems to be the sweet spot for us and our configuration.
The second, and less know option is Super Springs (or Leaf Super Springs). They work the same as air bags but are a little softer and are always supporting your suspension which can cause a bumpy ride when not towing.
Having the option to air up your bags can make a big difference and increase your confidence in your truck and its abilities.
Additionally, consider a truck with integrated trailer brake controllers. These controllers improve braking efficiency and control, promoting safety during your travels.
6. Bed configuration and length
A longer bed offers better weight distribution and more room for hitch components. But that might mean a shorter cab. Consider your personal preferences and whether you'll need the extra space for passengers or storage.
We decided that having a long 8 foot bed was a MUST with our fifth wheel. We read too many stories about the cap of a fifth wheel hitting the truck’s cab. And from personal experience, we can verify that our cap has come within INCHES of our truck’s cab (sometimes you just get wedged into sticky situations).
Yes, a longer bed is a nuisance for parking. But it’s worth it! Go with a longer bed.
7. Cab and interior features
Consider your seating capacity needs, room for carseats, and space for both passengers AND pets in your truck’s cab. You’ll also want a comfortable interior for those long drive days, and smart storage spaces throughout the inside that allow you to tuck away snacks, tools, first aid supplies, etc.
While we didn’t need the fancy features of our truck model, we did need the seats to fold up a certain way to allow both our children and two dogs to fit in the back seat. So that drove our truck decision pretty heavily.
8. Budget
This is a given, but it never hurts to stress the point that buying an older truck is OKAY. Especially if you have a good engine, the right mileage, and an outstanding reputation. You can find a truck with all of the perfect specs, but if it’s going to stretch your family financially, look at other options.
We were simply priced out of all new trucks, and quite honestly, most Chevys.
Our Truck: Ram 3500 Heavy Duty
We were browsing for a truck for a few months online, and were starting to feel the pressure of buying one as our house closing was approaching in just two short weeks. God provided, and one afternoon a Ram popped up, still in the shop getting checked over, and not even on the lot yet.
We headed to Denver for a test drive that evening and were the first to take it for a spin (not even cleaned yet from the previous owner). When we got back, there was a line of people ready to check it out, and we had to tell the salesman that they could not check out the truck because we were going to take it!
A note about buying an expensive truck: If you are anything like our family, we had to purchase both our RV and truck with hefty loans prior to closing on our house and being able to pay for the things we were financing. At the time, John didn’t even have a job, and we were riding on Melody’s modest salary.
But we have a great credit score.
So we quickly found out that we could get qualified for anything. A $1,000 a month payment on a truck later, we were skipping out of the dealership office knowing we could officially pick up our RV in Texas.
Note: if you don’t have a house to sell, it’s doable to make monthly payments for both truck and RV (combined, our payments would have been around $1500 a month). That’s a mortgage.
But with RV resorts and campgrounds being as expensive as they are, try to keep those payments as low as possible.
A few of our truck’s issues
We bought a 2016 Ram 3500 Heavy Duty which is a good year since it is several years past the first model year. The transmission also has a better track record although still not great. We haven’t had issues with it though.
We purchased the truck with just under 60k miles.
It had a few issues that needed attention from the get go. The first and most pertinent was that the shock absorbers were blown. The second was the need for new tires. We had been recommended the Cooper Discoverer AT3’s and have really been impressed with them.
After half a year of driving the U-Joints on the rear driveshaft went bad and we had to get those replaced. More recently after another 60k miles the steering box has started to show signs of needing to be replaced. All in all the truck has performed excellently and I would choose it again.
To dually or not to dually?
As you may have noticed, we have a single rear axle on our truck.
Is having a dual rear axle necessary for towing a large fifth wheel?
This is something that the weight of your trailer should decide. A lot of people like it for the peace of mind it provides.
For our truck it takes the rear Gross Vehicle Axle Rating from 7,000lbs to 9,000lbs. Based on our trailer and the hitch weight in the bed this was not a necessity and we chose the convenience that a single rear wheel offers when driving around town and parking in smaller parking lots and on the side of the street.
Our fifth wheel does not have a bumper, and the ladder isn’t sturdy enough to support a bike rack with three bikes on it. So we opted to mount a receiver to front of the truck. You can buy them for most trucks on Amazon. They can mount to the front tow hooks or from underneath to the frame itself.
Mounting to the front tow hooks can make your bikes sit too high and obstruct your view, so if you go that route choose a bike rack that can be easily modified. Ours was square tube and the upper tube fit into the lower tube so I was able to drill a couple of new holes and drop it low enough to improve the visibility.
Selecting the right truck to tow your RV requires careful consideration of various factors. By understanding your RV's weight, towing requirements, engine power, and technology features, you can make an informed decision that ensures a safe and enjoyable journey. Remember that safety should always be your top priority, so never compromise on towing capacity or equipment quality! With the perfect truck-RV combination, you'll be ready to hit the open road.
What questions do you have about our tow vehicle that we didn’t answer for you? Let us know below!
