TV Advice for new Classic 30!

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by Countryboy59

Actually when you compare roughly similar trucks the 6.2 Ford F350 I just traded in was 14,500. I got a Ram 2500 6.7 CTD to replace it. It’s a 2500 with towing capacity of 12,500 if I’m reading the specs correctly. (I know, a 2500 is not exactly like a 3500; I’m talking relative power). The Ram has 36000 miles on it and, while twice the cost of a used gas truck I went for it. Got the 34 gallon tank so should improve on the Ford’s need to gas up every 200 miles when towing.

Got a surprising amount for the Ford, above book value but it’s still amazingly like new even with over 100,000 miles. Someone will get a nice tow vehicle for under $30k.

I passed on a couple real nice low mileage Superduty trucks on advice of the family diesel guy. The newer ones are 450+ horsepower ( vs 385 for the Cummins) and very impressive but he showed me some common failure modes and cost to repair, and also the cab off scenario, and I said no thanks. He recommended the Cummins but said to take meticulous care of it which I will. Maintenance on this ain’t gonna be cheap. He said even with 36,000 miles we need to check for loose suspension components which we will do next week.

Only thing I noticed right away is the CTD truck does everything at a much lower rpm. Of course redline is much lower too. And I’m sure the cylinder pressure is much higher. It has the exhaust brake which will be interesting to try. Roughly the same horsepower as the gas Ford which had no problems in the mountains I’ve been on so guessing the Ram will handle them OK too. This truck is only for towing the Airstream but I won’t be able to resist commuting in it once in awhile.

My 17 2500 ram short box, crew cab..6.7...3.42...10,000 gvwr.......25,300 gcwr ..with my 31 Classic. It is only grossing around 17,000....

[bckroll2954]

I tow my 30’ Classic with a 2018 Expedition Platinum with heavy duty tow package. It has 400hp and 480 ft-lbs of torque. It tows very smooth and had no issues in the mountains around Asheville,NC.

[Granitefines]

Regarding bed length, I asked my farming buddy who drives a Chevy 3500 crew cab with an 8ft box. His answer was to get the shortest one possible, as the longer box is a lot tougher to maneuver in parking lots, etc. It is also easier for spouse to drive. My Chevy 1500 crew cab with 5.5 foot bed is already over 19 feet long. I have found his advice to be very good. A shorter box also forces you to travel with less. And, just remember, you can always find something longer than the bed length you go with, so you will just need to come up with another solution to what you were trying to fit into it.

[CRH]

Long bed, short bed....Its all in what you get used to driving. I prefer a long bed.

[rgg123]

Originally Posted by bckroll2954

I tow my 30’ Classic with a 2018 Expedition Platinum with heavy duty tow package. It has 400hp and 480 ft-lbs of torque. It tows very smooth and had no issues in the mountains around Asheville,NC.

Interesting - your vehicle is rated to tow a max of 9000 pounds and 15000 gross combined vehicle weight. You may want to check your weights if you are pulling a 30 ft Classic

[pontzdav]

Chevrolet’s Silverado 1500 with max tow pkg has 420 hp. Tons of torque and rated to pull well over 11,000 lbs. It’s worth a look. I tow my 30’ FC with a crew cab 4WD short bed version of this truck easily. Rocky Mountains included. 30,000 miles and going strong. Average over 14 mpg using premium gasoline.

[CRH]

14 mpg towing?

[tjdonahoe]

I like our 2500eenalot of coun ram crew cab.short box,6.7....now has 27,000 pullin our 31’ Classic ..it has no problems..21 empty.....13-14 loaded...just made a 7 week trip to Nova Scotia...7400 miles..seen a lot of country...

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by pontzdav

Chevrolet’s Silverado 1500 with max tow pkg has 420 hp. Tons of torque and rated to pull well over 11,000 lbs. It’s worth a look. I tow my 30’ FC with a crew cab 4WD short bed version of this truck easily. Rocky Mountains included. 30,000 miles and going strong. Average over 14 mpg using premium gasoline.

Must be something different about that Silverado to get 14 mpg towing. My F350 has averaged 12 to the east coast and back (mild mountains) towing a 19’! 385 hp gasoline engine. With my 27’ attached it was about 9.5 overall (truck is used only for towing). Maybe the Silverado is lighter or the transmission is improved over the 6 speed in my Ford.

Ironically after reading and discussing gasoline vs diesel on here, test driving a few diesels, and being warned about high maintenance costs by my mechanic, I purchased a used 36,000 mile Ram short bed crew cab Laramie edition 6.7 Diesel. I got top bucks for my Ford due to its condition and paid very dearly for the Ram which is like a brand-new truck. So far, I’m amazed how different this truck is from my other diesels.

[bckroll2954]

Originally Posted by rgg123

Interesting - your vehicle is rated to tow a max of 9000 pounds and 15000 gross combined vehicle weight. You may want to check your weights if you are pulling a 30 ft Classic

The GCWR is 15,200 with a curb weight of 5692. We could put about 1400 lbs of stuff in the airstream and be at or below the 9200 max tow weight. This doesn’t leave a lot of weight for cargo or people (driver + 300lbs) in the Expedition but it works for us. It is close and but even with the airstream loaded to 9200 lbs it tows very nice with no swerve. If anyone is thinking about getting an SUV the new Expedition is great and feel free to ask me questions.

[Daquenzer]

Originally Posted by bckroll2954

The GCWR is 15,200 with a curb weight of 5692. We could put about 1400 lbs of stuff in the airstream and be at or below the 9200 max tow weight. This doesn’t leave a lot of weight for cargo or people (driver + 300lbs) in the Expedition but it works for us. It is close and but even with the airstream loaded to 9200 lbs it tows very nice with no swerve. If anyone is thinking about getting an SUV the new Expedition is great and feel free to ask me questions.

i would like to know how that works. I have an 2017 F150 and it's great for towing. But my wife likes to lie down on the back seat to sleep. The F150 isn't as nice of a ride. Andy at CAN AM recommended the Expedition XLT (shorter model). Says the suspension is a nicer ride than the F150. I have a 28' AS so lighter than your 30' although the tongue weight is high. The biggest downer is the Expedition starting price is pretty high to start. By the time I configure it the way I want I'm over 61,000! And for me we store stuff in the bed of the F150 that I'm not sure I would want in the AS or the SUV.

[Countryboy59]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

i would like to know how that works. I have an 2017 F150 and it's great for towing. But my wife likes to lie down on the back seat to sleep. The F150 isn't as nice of a ride. Andy at CAN AM recommended the Expedition XLT (shorter model). Says the suspension is a nicer ride than the F150. I have a 28' AS so lighter than your 30' although the tongue weight is high. The biggest downer is the Expedition starting price is pretty high to start. By the time I configure it the way I want I'm over 61,000! And for me we store stuff in the bed of the F150 that I'm not sure I would want in the AS or the SUV.

You’re gonna be $60k or more with most loaded pickups too. This probably won’t work if someone likes to sleep in back while the truck is rolling, but some of the club cabs or regular cabs can be done pretty reasonable. A guy I know ordered an F350 diesel in regular cab with lots of Lariat options, and kept it in the $40s.

[rgg123]

Nothing says you have to buy new. I bought two trucks that were less than 2 years old and it’s low miles, added the extended warranty and saved thousands. For something you will only use part time why buy new? Sure, a good truck with all the options is hard to find but be patient and something to your liking will appear

[bckroll2954]

Originally Posted by Daquenzer

i would like to know how that works. I have an 2017 F150 and it's great for towing. But my wife likes to lie down on the back seat to sleep. The F150 isn't as nice of a ride. Andy at CAN AM recommended the Expedition XLT (shorter model). Says the suspension is a nicer ride than the F150. I have a 28' AS so lighter than your 30' although the tongue weight is high. The biggest downer is the Expedition starting price is pretty high to start. By the time I configure it the way I want I'm over 61,000! And for me we store stuff in the bed of the F150 that I'm not sure I would want in the AS or the SUV.

We love our Platinum Expedition (short model). If you are looking for a smooth ride it is perfect. The seats are really comfortable. The front passenger seat goes back and reclines enough to almost lay completely flat. As for the back of the Expedition, you could make it into a bed if you wanted to. Lol We store our generator in a plastic tote in the Airstream. I am looking for a sealable container that it will fit in but haven’t had any fumes or anything in the Airstream yet. We have a French Mastiff and St Bernard that enjoy the back of our Expedition so we find ways to put most things in the Airstream. The price of the new Expedition is high so if you don’t want to pay over $60,000 I would look for a used 2018. Let me know if you have specific questions.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Every time I hear about "I saved a bunch of money" buying this or that, I have to wonder - compared to what?

If a new AS (or whatever) costs $110,000 and a two year old one cost $100,000 list price, they both likely sell for 20% off that. The older one originally sold for $80,000. Am I paying less when I buy the used trailer for $80,000 two years later - sure I am. Is the guy who sold it new laughing all the way to the bank? I'll bet he is. Is it really a purchase you should brag about? .... hmmm ....

Yes, that's trailer specific. I've actually seen (and done) the same thing on trucks. There have been several that I have sold two years later for what I paid for them new. Yes they had some steep discounts when I bought them ..... just like all the other trucks on the lot. That's what got me shopping ......

Bottom line - always do your homework.

Bob