new Heartland - what truck would be the best?

[mkcay2004]

HI,

Im buying a new Heartland Cyclone 3950.

now Im looking for a new truck to pull this big thing I have never pulled something this big so I want to get the right truck.

I was going to get a ford but my step dad says they have issues with there trans.

I can get a new 2008 GMC 2500 with airbags for a really good price.

but I do like the look of the dodge ram the best but there coming out with a newer model in 2009..

basically I dont know witch truck to buy.
if anyone has any input I would love to hear it.

thanks

 

[jimtoo]

Hi mkcay2004,

Welcome to the Heartland Forum and Heartland Family. You will find lots of information here,, maybe more than you want, especially when you ask about tow vehicles.

But there is a lot of good info here and a lot of good folks with lots of experience in many different areas.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M

 

[Pulltab]

All of them are great trucks, I prefer the dodge cause I love the cummins engine, it is a 6 cylinder and relies on torque to pull your load. I had a duramax but those and the ford are both v8's and heavily rely on rpm to help move the load. I did not care for that myself. To have a diesel screaming at 3200 makes me nervous but none the less they are durable good engines in both. Just be sure to buy the right size! Kept safety on your side not hopes you wont have a problem!

 

[trdeal]

I believe it is really a matter of preference. All three trucks will do the job.My dad raised me to be a Ford man. Love my 2007 F350 Ford ,cc,,dually. As Pulltab said,just be sure you get enough truck to do the job,SAFELY.Good luck in your decision. Hope to see you down the road.Terry

 

[Tom of Ypsi]

Without knowing weights of the trailer or what the truck capacity is but my guess would be the 2500 GMC would not be enough truck when you get all loaded and ready to roll. While the air bags are nice they do not allow you to carry more weight they just level the load out.

 

[Pulltab]

Well said guys!

 

[wyleyrabbit]

Well you asked, "which truck would be best?" I think for towing something that big you really need to consider a 1 ton with dual rear wheels. You didn't mention which Cyclone but they have GVWR of 18,000 lbs. And heavy pin weights too.

My $0.02.

Chris

 

[russell]

I have a 4012 Cyclone and tow with a F-450. These fifth wheels are HEAVY I would suggest getting the most truck you can. Towing one of these with a 2500 would definitely not be a good idea.
Good Luck and enjoy your new fifth wheel!

Russ

 

[wyleyrabbit]

Russell,

Do you know the pin weight on your unit when you're towing it? Might help mkcay2004 make his decision.

Chris

 

[pmmjarrett]

IMHO with big toyhaulers you should seriously look at 1 ton duallies minimum and skip the 3/4 ton and single rear wheel 1 tons.

Most any large toyhauler has around 3000# pin weight. The Cyclone 3950 is listed at 3195lbs pin weight..... EMPTY!!!

That much weight on the pin + the weight on the rear axle of the avg truck loaded with humans and fuel will easily put you over the weight rating for E rated tires on a single wheel truck.

 

[mkcay2004]

well I think IM going to go with A C4500/C5500 or the ford f650 .
I like the look of the f650 but more then likely it will end up being the C4500/C5500 I have found some good deals on them and the f650 is a little to pricey .
Is there any thing I should look for when buying this truck?
Like any good add ons that I should get?

sorry for all the questions just want to get the right truck from the start.

thanks for everyone's input ..

 

[russell]

If I'm remembering correctly the pin weight for my 4012 is around 4100lbs empty. Once the motorcycles are on board they act as a counterweight and reduce the pin weight a few hundred pounds at best.
Russ

 

[wyleyrabbit]

If I'm remembering correctly the pin weight for my 4012 is around 4100lbs empty. Once the motorcycles are on board they act as a counterweight and reduce the pin weight a few hundred pounds at best.
Russ

Russ,

Excellent. So (based on Chevy specs...Ford might be different), the max payload is as follows:

• 2500 SRW: ~ 3100 lbs
• 3500 SRW: ~ 3600 lbs
• 3500 DRW: ~ 4700 lbs

Looks like the 2500 would be approx. 1000 lbs overweight, not even counting passengers, fuel, or hitch.

IMHO, the 3500 DRW (as a miniumum) is the only way to go with the Cyclone.

Chris

 

[rvv]

My 3912 weighed a touch over 17,000 at the Branson Rally. Probably around 300 lbs. of LP and fresh water. No grey or black water. No toys. Obviously wouldn't take much to put it over the 18,000 max. gross rating. Pin weight is affected by what's in the garage so its hard to say what you should expect with your use. (I have the 5,200 lbs. axles; wish I had the current 6,000 pounders.) I originally pulled it with an F-350 Dually and, as mentioned above by another poster, I would consider that size truck the minimum. Pulling is not the issue; control and stopping is. I know many will argue that the 3/4 ton trucks are big enough. My personal opinion is otherwise. I read on another forum that when you ignore and exceed the manufacturer's ratings you are "experimenting." Sorry for the long answer. rvv

 

[jtcfishing]

Mr mykay I have had both a 250 swh and now a 350 drw the differance is like night and day . The stable ride and safety of the dually is worth every penny.Your concern on the trans should not be an issue with the 100k warranty.The weight of the trailer and cargo would really suggest a 450,Good luck hope to see you down the road, be safe, John

 

[Pulltab]

I think you need to look at a 450 and that may be close.

 

[fjspinelli]

We have the 3950 and pull it with our 2006 F350 Crew Cab DRW. The key to any purchase is not just the ability to handle the weight on the springs, but to be geared adequately low enough to not put too much strain on the transmission. Anything higher than a 4:10 (3:73, etc) is an invitation to the transmission shop according to the Ford dealer I have dealt with.

If I had to do it over again I probably would have gone for the F450, however they were just getting into those when I purchased the 350. I do look at the 500 and 600 series trucks with envy. Then I remember that I drive the truck every day and those just don't make allot of sense for me. The 6.0 TD has done us well so far (70k) KNOCK ON WOOD and I really have no complaints. A few months ago I got the truck itch again, however, after sitting in the rear seats where my kids ride, I discovered that the Dodge and GM rear seats have very little leg room comparatively.

So there you have it....

 

[jmgratz]

We have a good friend who has a Ford F650 Supercruzer. Very nice has no trouble towing. His only problem is when he goes to park he has to pay for two parking places.

 

[crazybanshee]

Mkcay You are on the right track. Public safety and the lives of your family are not worth running an overloaded truck. IMO
Doug

 

[pmmjarrett]

The 5R110 torque shift tranny behind the 6.0 and 6.4 is a good transmission. The E4OD (aka E4DOA) in the old bodystyle trucks wasn't very good. The 4R100 behind the 7.3 in the early superduties was a beefed up E4OD and did OK but was still lacking a bit.

Current Dodge AISAN 6 speed, GM Allison 6 speed and Ford 5R110 Torque shift 5 speed are all holding up pretty well.