Pulling a heavy fiver

[Jonah]

Hey guys

Wasn't sure where to post this so please move if nneeded. We are getting very close to a decision and is coming down to either the Bighorn 3875 front bath or possibly the Landmark Ashland / Keywest. As we will be full timing, whatever it is will end up near its CCC limit.
So my question is about pulling / parking / braking etc. We will pull it w a dually one ton HD (still undecided on which of the big three but leaning toward Chevy).

Id like to hear from anyone pulling same or similar and what your experience is with the stock suspension - brakes setup. (We plan to upgrade to morryde IS and disk brakes within a couple years)

Also would like to hear your experience w the tow truck - all 3 if possible. (capability, mpg towing and free, reliability issues if any and comfort level)

Also would welcome comments on a hitch

appreciate any any help you can give me
thanks.

 

[marine4ever]

We just purchased and pulled our 2016 Bighorn 3875FB from Oklahoma to Arizona with our 2015 Ram 3500HD SRW. No problems at all with power, but would like a little more braking capability occasionally. We are also a bit heavy in the front with on-board generator, so we will be adding air bags. (Recommendations?) I am also trying to remember to make wider turns. It's a big departure from our previous 26' travel trailer!

 

[billyjoeraybob]

I love pulling our Ashland with our 13 Chevy Diesel Dually. Those are heavy rigs.

 

[Dean-Pam]

We just purchased and pulled our 2016 Bighorn 3875FB from Oklahoma to Arizona with our 2015 Ram 3500HD SRW. No problems at all with power, but would like a little more braking capability occasionally. We are also a bit heavy in the front with on-board generator, so we will be adding air bags. (Recommendations?) I am also trying to remember to make wider turns. It's a big departure from our previous 26' travel trailer!
View attachment 41532

We went with the Firestone airbags with the on-board compressor. I love the capability of adding or removing air pressure from the cab of the truck as we are driving.

 

[jmgratz]

same here. sometime the road you on requires more/less air.

 

[Bob&Patty]

You will need a 3500 DRW D/A (no gas motor) for the weight of either coach. You will love the stability of the DRW.

 

[sengli]

I currently have a 2014 RAM 3500 DRW pulling my big horn. Had a chevy silverado 3500 DRW before this, so I have had both. Either of these two would do a great job. Again both of those rigs you are looking at are very big and heavy, I wouldnt scrimp on the tow vehicle choice. Even with the exhaust brakes on these tow vehicles you need to plan on stopping way ahead ahead of what you are used to.

 

[Mrsfish]

We just purchased and pulled our 2016 Bighorn 3875FB from Oklahoma to Arizona with our 2015 Ram 3500HD SRW. No problems at all with power, but would like a little more braking capability occasionally. We are also a bit heavy in the front with on-board generator, so we will be adding air bags. (Recommendations?) I am also trying to remember to make wider turns. It's a big departure from our previous 26' travel trailer!


consider adding Moryde disk brakes to your trailer. we did this summer and it was worth every penny.

 

[Jonah]

Really appreciate the great replies! We have no idea of scrimping on the tow vehicle. One ton diesel dually is our target. I see a lot of Ram and Ford in the signatures and not so many Chevy. Want to hear from all about their experiences, especially the later models as we will be purchasing new (hope anyway). Would like to know real world mpg while pulling and free around town. Are you satisfied with the exhaust braking ability? Is there a huge difference in pulling 16 vs 18 thousand pounds? I definitely want disk brakes but was hoping the stock setup would be good for couple years until budget would be better for the upgrade. Keep the comments coming. Thanks!!

 

[wehavefun]

I have pulled a Bighorn 3800 with a Dodge 2500 Mega cab and a 2012 3500 Longhorn dually. I have to say Dodge has done very well with the comfort level inside these trucks! I also have a 2011 Ford F250 daily driver 6.7 diesel. The no exhaust brake sucks!!! So Dodge is king in my opinion, for power they are evenly matched in my opinion. The Mor Ryde and disk brake option is the BEST UPGRADE anyone can do, complete night and day difference when towing and stopping! I also love B&W hitches, very easy install, best latching and unlatching hitch I have ever had in my trucks.

Good with your search, there will lots of comments about what truck is best, the one your most comfortable in is the truck you want, but make sure it has an exhaust brake!

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

 

[TomMar]

We have a LM 365 that was weighed at Goshen, 17500# and are pulling with 2016 F-350 DRW. It has the new exhaust brake like the Dodge and seems to work fine. We went to a DRW truck when our rig at the time exceeded the load rating of the truck rear tires ( single rear wheel). The stability of a DRW is a bonus to the load capacity.

 

[Jonah]

We have a LM 365 that was weighed at Goshen, 17500# and are pulling with 2016 F-350 DRW. It has the new exhaust brake like the Dodge and seems to work fine. We went to a DRW truck when our rig at the time exceeded the load rating of the truck rear tires ( single rear wheel). The stability of a DRW is a bonus to the load capacity.

Curious as to your hitch weight when loaded to 17,500#. Looking in depth at the big 3: Chevy payload is 5200, Ram is 5,780 and Ford is 6,460!! Maybe that's why I see so many fords in the signature??

 

[kakampers]

We have been pulling our almost 18K pound Landmark with a Chevy 3500 dually for three years...first a 2011 and the last year with a 2015. We have a 4,200 pound pin weight and have been full time for over ten years....we are well within all of the towing specs of this truck with no issues.

Both trucks have done exceptionally well! The 2015 is amazing...we just did a 2,100 mile trip from Cody, WY to Philadelphia, PA. We pulled over the Bighorn mountains in Wyoming, and the truck handled the pull with ease..up and down! We do have Mor Ryde IS and disc brakes on the trailer, but the truck with the tow-haul, grade braking and exhaust brake made the trip absolutely enjoyable.

 

[For20hunter]

Like others have mentioned, a dually is really the only thing out there that gives you some buffer room on capacities as well as provides more stability and breaking ability (six tires on the ground) than a SRW. Will the SRW set ups do it, yes, but after having both, I would never attempt to pull these things down the road without a DRW again. IMHO

Rod

 

[Jonah]

We have been pulling our almost 18K pound Landmark with a Chevy 3500 dually for three years...first a 2011 and the last year with a 2015. We have a 4,200 pound pin weight and have been full time for over ten years....we are well within all of the towing specs of this truck with no issues.

Both trucks have done exceptionally well! The 2015 is amazing...we just did a 2,100 mile trip from Cody, WY to Philadelphia, PA. We pulled over the Bighorn mountains in Wyoming, and the truck handled the pull with ease..up and down! We do have Mor Ryde IS and disc brakes on the trailer, but the truck with the tow-haul, grade braking and exhaust brake made the trip absolutely enjoyable.

The DW really likes the Silverado so this is great news (we have yet to actually drive the ford). Mind sharing your fuel mileage for the trip?

 

[For20hunter]

We get 10.5 to 12 MPG average when we pull our Landmark fully loaded. The worst we have ever got with our Ford 6.7 is 9.4, which was fighting a strong headwind with 2 pass crossings. My dad who has a 2008 Chev 3500 DRW averages 9.5 - 10.5 MPG on his traveling over the same terrain also fully loaded.

Rod

 

[pegmikef]

We get 10.5 to 12 MPG average when we pull our Landmark fully loaded. The worst we have ever got with our Ford 6.7 is 9.4, which was fighting a strong headwind with 2 pass crossings. My dad who has a 2008 Chev 3500 DRW averages 9.5 - 10.5 MPG on his traveling over the same terrain also fully loaded.

Rod

We get about the same with our Ford 6.7 pulling our Big Horn and sometimes a little over 13 (going to AZ from TX when there is often a strong tail wind).

 

[donr827]

I have always pulled our trailer with a SRW. With the know weight limitations I have always had to stay with a shorter trailer to stay within the truck's limit. I had to stay with SRW trucks due to preference.
Don

 

[TomMar]

Curious as to your hitch weight when loaded to 17,500#. Looking in depth at the big 3: Chevy payload is 5200, Ram is 5,780 and Ford is 6,460!! Maybe that's why I see so many fords in the signature??

My hitch weight was 3940 lbs

 

[Bob&Patty]

We are not pulling as heavy of a 5er as many do. Our '13 GMC 3500 D/A C/C L/B DRW get about 11.8 average towing by the "Lie O Meter". The exhaust brake works great. Never compared a Ram but I believe the GM's has a better exhaust brake than Ford. Test drove both. JMHO OK..now starts the fight. When you compare all 3, remember, compare what the truck itself weighs. Ram's and Ford's are heavier going in than the GM trucks.

With either the BH or the LM you are looking at.......you better figure on a 4K pin weight. That's 20% of the GVW of the fiver. BTW, pin weight has to be figured in by everything in the truck also. People, fuel, firewood, tools, hitch....etc,etc. Not by what the trailer weighs. Also, when hooked up. some of the pin weight is transferred to the front axle. Mine is about 200#.