Prospectivel Purchaser / Bighorn Silverado 365qbs or 36TB

chapmcd

Member
Hello all, I am very interested in finding a bunkhouse fifth wheel. I have researched hours of time trying to find the perfect one. I am frustrated b/c when visiting a dealer, all they will tell you is what you want to hear, so that they can make a sale. I am looking for some opinions of veteran fifth wheel owners out there that can tell me what kind of camper I can tow (safely). I am looking at the new Silverado 365qbs or the 36TB. Does anyone know the weight specs on this unit yet. Not posted on website, so I thought I would try here.

Anyway, I have a 2011, Ford F-250 6.7 L Diesel crew cab pickup 4X4. The ford website references a total towing weight of 14,400 lbs. based on a fifth wheel configuration. I am not trying to tow the limit, besides, you have to be able to safely stop what you are towing. I would like to know, if anyone has the same truck or setup, what can this truck pull without compromising safety issues and spending additional money on extra leaf springs etc. I have looked at the ultralite fifth wheels, and they are nice, but you give up alot of quality for the less weight. Any help or opinions would be appreciated.
 

jimtoo

Moderator
Hi chapmcd,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

On the Heartland RVs site they have the specs for the 36TB and most likely they will be close to the 365qbs. But you might call Heartland Customer Service, 574-262-8030 or 877-262-8032, and ask for someone in the Silverado area and they can most likely give you the info.

Enjoy the forum.

Jim M
 

danemayer

Well-known member
Hi chapmcd,

I have a 2011, Ford F-250 6.7 L Diesel crew cab pickup 4X4. The ford website references a total towing weight of 14,400 lbs. based on a fifth wheel configuration.
The problem you're most likely to have with an F-250 is exceeding payload. For 5th wheels, you can assume that about 20% of the RV's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) will be carried by the hitch and constitutes a vertical load on the rear axle. The truck's payload defines the max load but also includes you, your passengers, pets, tools, cargo, weight of the hitch, bed liner, bed cover, and anything else that isn't part of the base truck configuration. A 3/4 ton truck typically has a payload somewhere in the 2000-2500 lb range. Using the 20% rule of thumb, if you tow a trailer with GVWR of 14,400, the hitch weight could easily be 2900 lbs. Your total actual payload could easily be 1000 lbs over max spec.

Overloading the rear axle may create a safety issue by unbalancing the truck, can cause the truck to squat because of the excess weight, and may cause premature wear on truck components. Some people use airbags to address some of these issues, but of course airbags won't fix everything.

That all said, there are many people towing 15,000 lb Bighorns with 3/4 ton trucks who say they have no problems.

You can find out everything you ever wanted to know on this subject at Fifth Wheel Safe Towing.
 
K

karykatz

Guest
Chapmcd, The 365QB will not go into full production until March. We will not have any of the weight numbers until then, however the numbers will be comparable to the new 38QBS we just cam out with. We have all the weights and measurements for this coach online at www.heartlandrvs.com under Silverado. I hope this helps
 

caissiel

Senior Member
The trailers you are looking at have similar specs to my BC.
But W/D location on the pin in the front closet. Therefore you need a dually if W/D required.
My truck is a F250 with 3.73 rear. With same torque as the 2011 at 1800 rpm i feel you truck needs the 3.73 rear to tow the unit if not it will be loafed.
I would not worry about brakes because a pickup cannot stop any fifthwheel without proper brakes the front tires will loose grip before and the bigger tires are best. But the 7K axles on the trailer are great.

I tow with full water tank all the time and never felt loaded except in 12deg grades.

Stability will come on the form of extra leafs like i always do to my trucks to suit the load. After all my trailer weight is on the truck sometimes for months while we travel.
Ford springs will sag and ride on the overloads and ride will be rough unlike my experience with GM. So take it from me the F350 SRW is no different.



Sent from my LG-LS720 using Tapatalk
 
Top