Bighorn 3655rd

CAMPER DAVE

JUNIOR MEMBER
My bride and myself plan to start fulltiming it around the middle of January 07. We are considering purchasing the BIGHORN model 3655RD. I'm woundering if anyone out there has this model and is pulling it with a 2500HD 4WD crew cab Duramax diesel 6600 V8 engine, Allison 5 spd automatic trans, and a 3.73 rear axle ratio. Your comments are welcome.
 

cdbMidland

Past Michigan Chapter Leader
Congratulations on your consideration of this floorplan. We've had ours nearly one year and think it is the greatest. We are not full-timers, though, but did spend ten weeks in ours at one time this past winter in Florida. During three weeks, my wife's sister and her husband joined us and used the rear den as their bedroom and thought it was very comfortable (with the addition of a pad on top of the sleeper bed).

However, with the Trail-Air hitch we had a pin weight of 2,700# which brought my Dodge 3500 Cummins SRW (3.73) about 300# over the truck's GVRW. We sold that and now have a 3500 Megacab DRW (4.10) Cummins which has a GVRW of 10,500#, so we are now "legal", both on the truck's GVRW and the GCWR.

We do not have a washer/dryer nor a generator, but do have dual pane windows. You may want to have the trailer weighed prior to purchase to see how comfortable you are with its weight. I do think that you would be better off with a 3500 and a 4.10, and probably DRW if you only have SRW.
 

Trap

Well-known member
I have to agree with cdbMidland that your 2500HD will pull it, but if your fulltiming you will probably be very close to the 3655RD max GVWR of 16,000 lbs. Thats a lot of 5'er for your 3/4 Ton truck, especially if your fulltiming. I too would recommend a 1-ton dually for that 5'er. Good luck with your new journey.

Trap
 

phranc

Well-known member
Dave ,, Although you might be over by what the door sticker may read , the truck will pull that load just fine.. Do a little research with the various chev forums and web sites and compare your 2500 and the specs on a 3500 . Now I don't just mean the weight sticker but I do mean the differentials ,transfer case , U joints ,Trans,Radiator etc,and most importantly the brake size.If you find that there are more similarities than differences, then you can make an informed decesion weather to trade trucks or not .. Certainly any brand 1 ton dually would be more appropriate, but the $40,000.00 may not be
 

CAMPER DAVE

JUNIOR MEMBER
Thank you all for your input and good advice. My truck is to new and with very low mileage (only has a little over 5,000 miles) so I guess you know I'm not about to get rid of it. Based on that, do you think I would have any trouble pulling the bighorn 3400RL?
 

L'l John

Well-known member
I am pulling a 3400RL with nearly the same truck as yours (see signature). It pulls just fine, even though fully loaded to GVW it is within 200 lbs. of my allowed towing weight. ;)
 

kognito

Well-known member
I just traded my 2005 GMC 2500HD in for a 350 dually. I own a Keystone 5th wheel that has a hitch weight of about 1700 pounds. (am now shopping for a new heartland)

A few months ago, I was stopped on interstate 78. the DOT made me move stuff in the bedroom and basement storage, until I was at the 9200 GVW of my 2500HD. I had to remove the mattress, and everything else that wasn't bolted down. At least they let me move stuff, and re-weigh me, instead of just giving me a ticket.

I really miss the mileage I got with that Duramax, and it pulled just fine, but I got nailed by the weight police:mad:

If you get the 3655, be careful of the DOT in PA, they seem to watch out for 2500HD's (the cop told me I was his 3rd 2500HD of the day)
 
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