What is your tow rig?

[bigcntry13]

2011 RAM 3500 DRW, with the cummins

[07dmax360]

2015 Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD dually, crewcab long bed, 50gal. taylor wings tool/fuel box, completely stock, but I did put in an Edge CTS Insight monitor to keep an eye on the important things, like exhaust temps and boost pressures, and transmission temps. I don't tow very fast, I usually tow around 65-70, depending on the hiway if its double lane, and wind conditions. I find best fuel economy around 1700rpm, so if I can maintain 6th gear on a straight flat stretch, I can usually manage around 10-11mpg. GCWR 30,500lbs. Truck only has 22,000miles on it, so its not really broken in yet, hoping it gets better with age, after warranty expires, then i'm planning a full delete kit.

I pull a 2014 V3605, dry weight is 13,380, loaded it scales in at 15,900 with the commander and water, and 2 full fuel tanks.

[HudsonFrog]

Here's my setup. So far i am an happy camper. Pulls well and stops perfectly with RV brakes adjusted correctly.

I fully understand dually would provide more lateral stability but i am not ready to run with the bulk of it all year long.

When i am due for a replacement i will probably consider the dually now that the 3.73 and 4.10 are only available on dually.

I upgraded the wheels, tires and suspension as the stock could not handle the payload.

2011 Ram 2500, Cummins 6.7 diesel with 3.73 rear and AA 11.5. Upgraded 1+rear springs blade, air bags and tire/wheels (Fast Poker with 1705kg (3750) tire). Empty Front 2210kg (4862) and Rear 1470kg (3234), 3680kg (8096).

Towing a 2013 Voltage 3600 Epic + Artic package.
Empty :
1390kg (3058) pin, 5610kg (12342) on three axles. 7000kg total (15 400).
Loaded with the two bikes and full propane (No water).
1270kg(2794) pin, 6700kg (14740) on three axles. 7970kg total (17534)

[RVNevada]

I have a 2013 Chev 3500HD LB CC DRW with airbags, I get 10 to 12 mpg when loaded, around 20k lbs...I also have one of the largest Lance Truck Camper, I use for winter, no trouble even in the wind, carry extra gas and larger tool box, when towing the Voltage with the toys...Had a Banks system in my 2500HD, makes for more power, will be added the system to my 3500, once it gets a few more miles on it....

[RobertoFilice]

Heres my set up, love the DRW on the 3500HD. It's like the trailer isn't even there, except for when you need to stop...

[Mr. Cob]

Howdy All,

2014, 3818 towed with a Freightliner Columbia.


Dave

[RVNevada]

The two ways, my truck gets used
Mr. Cob, Now that's the truck, I would like to have,
Power to PULL and STOP

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by RobertoFilice

Heres my set up, love the DRW on the 3500HD. It's like the trailer isn't even there, except for when you need to stop...

Two words, "Disk Brakes."

The best money I've spent on upgrades. That and the wet bolt kit.

[lcv800]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

Howdy All,

2014, 3818 towed with a Freightliner Columbia.


Dave

Damn it Dave! Just bought a boat. Now how am I going to talk my wife into letting me get a Freightliner?
Rusty

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by lcv800

Damn it Dave! Just bought a boat. Now how am I going to talk my wife into letting me get a Freightliner?
Rusty

Easy, don't tell her and takes the lumps. It's worked for me for 46 years.

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by lcv800

Damn it Dave! Just bought a boat. Now how am I going to talk my wife into letting me get a Freightliner?
Rusty

Howdy Rusty,

BEST money I ever spent buying a real truck to tow such a large trailer. Seriously, I paid 25K for the Freightliner setup as you see it ready to tow, wish I could sell my one ton Dodge diesel dully for that much.

Over the many years I have been married I have ALWAYS bought what I wanted, when I wanted it, its much easier to beg forgiveness after the fact then to beg for permission before buying any form of toy.

Dave

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by hddecker

Easy, don't tell her and takes the lumps. It's worked for me for 46 years.

Howdy Jim,

Wise words that I have lived while married 45 of my 68 years.

Dave

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

Howdy Jim,

Wise words that I have lived while married 45 of my 68 years.

Dave

Hey Dave,

After the first broken nose, the next one don't hurt as much.

We have a mutual understanding, as long as you can pay the Visa bill at the end of the month, you can buy whatever you want, when you want it.

[donzinger]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

Howdy Rusty,

BEST money I ever spent buying a real truck to tow such a large trailer. Seriously, I paid 25K for the Freightliner setup as you see it ready to tow, wish I could sell my one ton Dodge diesel dully for that much.

Over the many years I have been married I have ALWAYS bought what I wanted, when I wanted it, its much easier to beg forgiveness after the fact then to beg for permission before buying any form of toy.

Dave

Much better price than the $150k SportChassis that has caught my eye...

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by donzinger

Much better price than the $150k SportChassis that has caught my eye...

Howdy donzinger,

Medium duty trucks are the most OVERPRICED truck you can buy. And unless special ordered often have very little other then larger brakes and a full crew cab to offer the guy who needs something larger then a one ton which is a light duty truck regardless of brand.

Really great deals can be had on used HDT's Heavy Duty Trucks, as at around 650-750,000 miles they are retired but still have MANY miles of useful life in them especially if used to tow even a very large RV type trailer. I have had my HDT for around three years now, have towed my RV trailers over 70,000 miles in that time up and down mountains and have NEVER lacked for pulling power or being able to STOP the trailer safely in any condition. Like I said, best money I ever spent, wish I had done it 20 years ago.

Dave

[calewjohnson]

Other than the tremendous amount of pulling and stopping power, was there anything down to the suspension? I was interested in a truck like this at one time, but read that the suspension was too harsh for the pin boxes as they are currently made. Caused some frame cracking and what not. Have you done anything to the Voltage to ensure its integrity?

Thanks,
Cale

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by calewjohnson

Other than the tremendous amount of pulling and stopping power, was there anything down to the suspension? I was interested in a truck like this at one time, but read that the suspension was too harsh for the pin boxes as they are currently made. Caused some frame cracking and what not. Have you done anything to the Voltage to ensure its integrity?

Thanks,
Cale

Howdy Cale,

This is a photo of the new trailer and the pin box it came with when I bought it, you can see that it has air suspension on the pin box itself. This type of pin box works well in a pickup but in combination with the air suspension hitch that is mounted on the truck it didn't work very well.


You MUST use an air suspension hitch if you use an HDT as a tow rig. Here is a photo of the hitch on my truck, you will also note that I removed the long pin box that is needed when towing with a pickup and built a straight down pin box which I mounted to the trailer.


An RV trailer even a heavy one such as the 3818 doesn't put enough pin weight on the suspension of an HDT to make the suspension work as it was designed to work. With out the air hitch there is a lot of stress transferred to the trailer which will in time crack the frame. Removing an axle from the HDT also softens its suspension making for an easier ride to the truck and the trailer. Using the straight down pin box not only made the over all lenght of the truck-trailer two feet shorter it also took a lot of stress off of the trailer frame as the pin box didn't have two feet of leverage moving up and down. This is the smoothest riding trailer I have ever pulled, the stability of the HDT coupled with the air hitch which has its own air supply and automatically adjusts for weight changes is the only way to tow with an HDT.

Towing with an HDT is not for everyone, but if you drag a large trailer especially where I live where I can't go anywhere more then 50 miles from home with out pulling a mountain grade of at least 7% and cross many mountain ranges as I travel to and from the places I enjoy going to, its something one should seriously consider.

Dave

[07dmax360]

Mr. Cob. You know how to find a smashing deal. Any truck like that in my area is still around $55K. When my duramax grows up it wants to be a frieghtshaker too. Looks like a great setup. Thanks for sharing, and when it's time for me to buy a tractor like that, I have a good idea of how the hitch setup should be.

[Mr. Cob]

Originally Posted by 07dmax360

Mr. Cob. You know how to find a smashing deal. Any truck like that in my area is still around $55K. When my duramax grows up it wants to be a frieghtshaker too. Looks like a great setup. Thanks for sharing, and when it's time for me to buy a tractor like that, I have a good idea of how the hitch setup should be.

Howdy 07dmax360,

It was NOT my intent to derail this thread but it seems that I have. However here is a link to a web site that deals with towing with an HDT, this web page is an excellent source of information concerning this way of doing things. Click here.

HDT - Escapees Discussion Forum

Click here, to be taken to a web page where HDT's and other types of RV's can be bought.

RVs, Tows, and Toads for Sale - Escapees Discussion Forum

I was lucky and found my truck about 350 miles from home already converted and ready to tow an RV trailer, most folks just buy a retired HDT and then do the conversion. HDT RV haulers are like anything else, they come as mine did already done or ready to have them as nice as you can afford to build them, I would guess that the average cost of a ready to use HDT is around 40-50K.

One thing to keep in mind if your thinking of going down this road, depending in which State you live in, it can be very easy to do, or it can be impossible. For example, I live in Washington, "IF" an HDT is converted into and legally registered as a "motor home" which my truck has been, I do NOT need a CDL to drive it. There are a few States that allow this, most States have some provision for turning an over the road HDT into some sort of privet vehicle, be it a house car, motor home, or privet truck, with differing types of licensing depending on the particular States laws.

The nice thing about my truck and most HDT's that have been converted to tow RV trailers is this, my truck is a stand alone motor home, it has a small refrigerator, two comfortable bunks, a nice TV-DVD, a micro wave, shore power and inverter, and as one of the requirements in Washington to make it a "motor home" a portapotty that NEVER has been and NEVER will be used that is located under a table. There are times when I have just tied a couple of bikes on the rear deck and taken off for a day or two or a month, leaving the trailer at home. Bottom line is this, you can't buy a pickup truck that will do what a converted HDT will do for so little money.

Dave

[hddecker]

Originally Posted by Mr. Cob

50 miles from home with out pulling a mountain grade of at least 7% and cross many mountain ranges as I travel to and from the places I enjoy going to, its something one should seriously consider.

Dave

Dave you need to live in a place like I do. No matter which way I go, it's all downhill.