Truck for Voltage 3500

[sammybenjamin]

The Voltage 3600 is rated at about 13500 lbs dry weight.

Do I need a Long bed 8' box to pull this Voltage Toy Hauler? One RV technician told me in a certain turning situation the front end of the 5th wheel can come in contact with the truck cab and crush it.... OUCH!!!

1. How realistic is this and does this warrant a 8' box or is it better and/or ok to get a 6' box with an automatic slider hitch that pulls away during turns?

2. 2500HD or 3500HD

3. How important is it to get air suspension added to the truck?

Thanks for your responses.

Regards,
Sammy

[ATCguy]

1) VERY REALISTIC!

Your best options are a long bed truck, or a medium bed with a sliding hitch. You "can" just use a standard hitch in a medium bed, but you won't be able to make any turns of more than 40-degrees before you risk crushing the cab of your truck.


2). I'm a Ford guy, so can't advise you about those trucks. You need to consider the RV's GVWR and Pin Weight, along with the truck's payload ability, GVWR, and GCWR.


3). I wouldn't think you'd "need" an air suspension, but it's a matter of personal choice.

[Mike]

I learned this lesson the hard way. I purchased a 1 ton pickup several years ago and it was my dream truck, fully loaded, tons of power, looked great, tons of room and it was perfect until... I went to weigh it and I discovered that my one ton pickup had a GVWR of 10,100 pounds and it weighed 8,100 pounds with just a full tank of fuel (No hitch, cargo, passengers...). Don't forget about the pin weight of the trailer! Some people will load up a triple axel 5th wheel and exceed their truck's GVWR by a substantial amount and never have a problem. I don't recommend it because the risk outweighs the reward. Do the research and find out all of the weight factors prior to purchase ( Truck: GVWR, Max Axel Weights, Towing Capacity, Trailer: Pin Weight, Trailer GVWR). As far as the bed length goes, that's a matter of opinion. I opted for a long bed so I could have a tool box mounted in the back without interfering with the 5th wheel hitch. Also not having to worry about impacting the cab with the trailer or having to deal with a slider hitch is nice as well. So just to review, can you tow with a 2500? Yes, it can absolutely be done, but you will more than likely be exceeding weight ratings on the truck by a good margin. In regards to air suspension, it all comes down to what happens when you hook everything up and get the pin box and 5th wheel hitch adjusted properly. In my case air suspension would be a waste of money because my truck barely squats and the butt of my trailer is slightly lower then the front. Some truck and trailer combinations could use a little assistance with handling and ride height, others don't need any help at all.

[Mole]

I just picked up a Ram 2500 Tradesman pickup with a 6.4L gasoline engine, 4.10 rear end and a 6'4" bed. It has a carry rating of 3,281 with a tow capacity of 15,600 as our long term plan is to full-time. We've only been looking at 5ers that we like and so far our favorite is a Cougar 333MKS with a pin weight of 1690 and a GVWR of about 12,090. Being realistic, I tend to look at about 2/3 of our total capacity, just in case.

[jeffwelsh]

I am pulling a 3605 with an F-250. I put Timbrens Home - Timbren Industries Inc. Suspension Products on and I am very happy with the ride and how it pulls.
-Jeff

[Sinecure]

I've towed my Voltage 3600 with a GMC Sierra 2500HD short bed and it didn't come close to hitting the cab. The truck did squat a little (leveled out the truck) so I added Firestone Ride-Rite airbags to improve the ride and bring it back to stock unloaded ride height.

[azdryheat]

My 3600 has a pin weight of 3,500 pounds and an overall, lightly loaded (nothing in the garage), weight of 16,500 pounds. Do you really want to pull that with anything less than a 1-ton dually?

My dually is bone stock and doesn't need airbags.

[Sinecure]

Just for the record, I agree with azdryheat. You really should have a dually at minimum to pull these heavy rigs. My post was intended to answer your questions about cab clearance and squat.