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Old 08-13-2020, 08:43 PM   #1
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Well we did it!

Signed the paperwork yesterday afternoon, we will pick up our new Voltage in a couple of weeks.

Many questions remain. To start does anyone have airbag recommendations? We have a 2017 F250 Shortbox.

My thought is to install airbags, as well as an onboard compressor, wired to one of the upfitter switches.

I've looked at a set of Air Lift Loadlifter 7500XL's, with the matching Air Lift 72000 Wireless Air Leveling Compressor, which seems to get ok reviews on Amazon, but is there a better solution?

What about having an accessory port on the compressor so I could air up the bikes, or inflatables, etc.?
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Old 08-13-2020, 10:45 PM   #2
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No experience but be careful with the hitch. Short boxes can present problems when turning. I went with a Reese Sidewinder pin box and B&W companion which has been great. Other opt for sliders which have pros and cons.

My Ram 2500 has factory air suspension so I have no issues there.
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Old 08-13-2020, 11:26 PM   #3
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Pro's and Con's of the sliders?

Thanks for the info, what are some pro's and con's on the sliders?
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Old 08-13-2020, 11:36 PM   #4
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Ok, wow... where to start except to respectfully suggest... you don't have enough truck to pull that rig safely. At least, not once you load it up.

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According to the specs above... your new RV has a GVWR of 16,800 lbs (dry weight + payload capacity).

And although you don't say whether your F-250 is a regular cab, super cab, or crew cab... or whether it's gas or diesel... 2wd or 4wd... or what rear end gear ratio you have... according to the specs below, the maximum weight any configuration should be pulling is 16,300 lbs.

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And we haven't even discussed pin weight... which is why, I guess you're asking about air bags.

General rule of thumb: The longer the wheelbase, the more weight you can safely tow. And your short-bed truck is already one strike against you.

Now I know you're thinking that there's no way you're going to load your rig up with 3,687 lbs of stuff, so you figure that you should be well under that 16,800 figure. But keep in mind, that "dry weight" figure is based on a bare-bones model. If your new rig has any of the Epic packages, or upgrade options like a 2nd AC unit, or the garage package with the sliding beds... the weight of those items is not included in the generic OEM dry weight specs.

In a previous post, you already said you're going to haul 2 motorcycles. Being conservative, let's say they only weigh 500 lbs each. Now add clothing items you intend to bring... cookware... some tools... camp chairs... bed linens, bath towels, riding gear, etc, etc... and it all begins to add up pretty fast.

And with lots of weight in the rear (2 motorcycles), you're gonna want a decent amount of weight up front to balance it out. And that brings us to the pin weight issue. Lots of pin weight is a good thing for road stability... up to the truck's capacity. But go over it, and now you're asking for trouble. And another factor to consider with pin weight is your truck's payload capacity. There's your weight, your passengers, and cargo you're gonna carry inside the cab & in the truck bed. Add all of that weight to the pin weight... and a full tank of fuel's weight... and you're gonna have well over a ton & a half of payload. Can your truck handle that?

Now let's talk about your truck's short bed. I hope you've either got a nice slider-hitch picked out, or don't plan on making any sharp turns... lest you find the nose of your rig slamming into the back of your truck's cab.

Bottom line... Yes, your F-250 will easily pull your rig, even on steep upgrades. It shares the same drivetrain as the F-350 & F-450. Where the differences come into play is when you're driving DOWN hill... steep downgrades on twisty mountain roads, especially if those roads are wet. Even if you don't manage to load your rig to its full capacity, you're still gonna have the force of 15,000+ lbs of RV trying to PUSH your 7,000 lb truck around curves.

When I first got my Voltage 3200, with a GVWR of 16,500 lbs, I pulled it with my 2012 F-250 too. I was careful to just load my Goldwing in the back, and very little else for weekend trips and such. But on my 3rd or 4th trip, coming down a 7% grade on I-40 one stormy night in NC... I quickly discovered I needed more truck, especially since I'd be headed west the next month, away from the gentle slopes of the Blue Ridge, and headed across the Rockies. To say I felt as though I was gonna be pushed over the side, as the physics of my rig wanted to continue going straight through various curves, was unnerving at best. That's when I traded my F-250 on a new F-450 dually that I continue to drive today.

Good luck with it, but do your homework on those weight figures.
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Old 08-13-2020, 11:39 PM   #5
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Pros—easy to connect to your trailer and if auto slide then they just work.

Cons—really heavy, especially the auto sliders which means they basically live in your truck bed. I think close to 200lbs. If not an auto slide you have to get out of the truck to release the slide for tight turns.

Some will tell you you can survive with a short bed with a standard hitch unless you make a really tight turn but I would hate to have the one time where the trailer pops out your back can window or dents it.

The sidewinder that I have is tricky to hook up but gets easier after a few times. It also uses a standard hitch so it is easy or easier to remove from your bed. My hitch is two pieces. The head weighs like 70 pounds and can be handled by one person but the base is over a hundred and big so requires two people. Also I can go past 90 degrees when turning so that is the best. For the first several trips we would get out of the cab and watch in cup de sacs but no matter how hard I tried I could never turn sharp enough to make any contact.
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Old 08-14-2020, 04:40 PM   #6
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Thanks for the info

Wow, thank you both for the info, I'm now in the boat of I have the truck... and I have the RV, so I have to figure out how to make it work. I may very well find I need more truck, but for now am going with what I have so the advice on how to load it, excetra is really appreciated.
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Old 08-14-2020, 09:28 PM   #7
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Suggestion:

When you first pick up your rig... before you load anything into it... take it to a CAT scale at a local truck stop, and get your baseline weights. You wanna go across the scales TWICE:
- once with just your F-250 with a full tank of fuel
- once with the truck & RV combined

You’ll receive a weight ticket that looks like this:

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Subtract the weight of the truck by itself from the combined weight... and you now have the accurate empty weight of your RV.

Next, subtract the drive axle weight of the truck by itself from the drive axle weight of the truck & RV combined, and you now have your accurate empty pin weight.

With these numbers, you now know how much real cargo capacity you have for your rig.

Now, when you do load up your rig for a trip... go back to the CAT scale, and do it again. Same procedure... 2 times across the scales. You’ll now know exactly whether you’re legal, or overweight.
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Old 08-14-2020, 11:31 PM   #8
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Just for clarification... if you do the procedure as I said, you'll get TWO of those weight tickets: one for you truck, and another for your truck & RV combined.

Obviously the weight ticket shown is for my truck & RV combined.
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Old 08-17-2020, 04:38 PM   #9
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Thank you

Thanks Tom for the detailed instructions, we plan on doing exactly that.
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Old 08-19-2020, 10:23 PM   #10
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well said, ATC guy
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Old 08-20-2020, 03:04 AM   #11
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Tom has really nailed the problems with pulling a Voltage 5th wheel with a short bed 2500 truck. I originally was pulling my 3605 with a rating 16,800 lbs. with a Ford 2500 short bed. I had air bags on my Ford along with upgrading my brakes to heavier calibers and disks. Took a trip to the high sierras and could not stop my rig going down one of the mountain grades. Before I returned home I bought a 3500 Dodge dually with exhaust brakes and entire trailer package. Truck rated to pull 30,000 lbs. I now have peace of mind when I either have to pull those long grades or going down them knowing that I can stop 16,800 lbs or more if I have to. I strongly recommend you need more truck to pull your Voltages 5th wheel.
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Old 08-20-2020, 04:08 AM   #12
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Everyone is right on....Guys don't forget to advise him about how it is during very windy days with 2500 vis a 3500 or 4500 duel wheel truck....even when a semi truck is passing...........
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Old 08-20-2020, 12:33 PM   #13
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I started out pulling my 3305 with a Chevy 2500. I used Torqlift Stableloads on my rear springs. ( check them out) Although the truck did fine, I wore down a brand new set of Michelin’s slick on the rear in just over a year. The fronts looked like new. That’s when it dawned on me that I needed more truck. I now have a dually along with an exhaust brake which I installed. There is something to be said for peace of mind.
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Old 08-21-2020, 01:08 AM   #14
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I have a 3605 and my 2014 with Timbrens pulls and stops just fine. We did change out the suspenion to Moryde IS 16K with disk brakes. I like the Timbrens vs the air bags.
-Jeff
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