Flying Cloud 30FB Tow Vehicle

[MelGoddard]

Originally Posted by marcesq

Hello all - we considered a few different models, but have settled on a FC 30FB with the bunks in the rear. I have two kids and we knew this was the model for us immediately, especially since my 4 year old demanded the bunk beds.... I will be purchasing one from a lot or ordering a 2018 very shortly.

In the interim, I need to buy a tow vehicle, which will also serve as my Costco hauler and commuter car (about 30 miles round trip from Cedar Park into North Austin, TX).

I have test driven a few trucks, and I was not that stoked about a F150 EcoBoost. I know it CAN tow the 30FB just fine, but it didn't feel as stable as the F250 or the Ram Power Wagon.

It looks like I can get the Power Wagon (HEMI V8 with cylinder deactivation) or the F250 (diesel) for similar prices and similarly equipped, but the F250 tends to creep up in price rather quickly.

A few dollar aside, I only want to buy one truck over the next 10 years, so I want to solicit opinions between these two.

Usage scenario: Long trips from Texas to upstate New York, Colorado, Montana, and California are definitely on the schedule. I have the flexibility to work remotely, and I plan to take advantage of that. I plan on exploring with the truck after making camp, and I do not have any serious plans to climb rocks or travel Jeep trails, but I could see myself using the winch and the locking differentials from time to time.

So - what do you think? Definitely go diesel F250 or have a little fun with the Power Wagon?

Let the games begin!

I tow a 30'FC with a F-150 3.5l Ecoboost.
It handles it quite fine, and makes a good daily driver also.

[Mollysdad]

Don't take my biased advice, do your own research.
JD Power and associates rates the quality of the bottom four as Chrysler, Ram, Fiat, Dodge. Hmmmm, all the same company. Coincidence?

[m.hony]

Consumer Reports consistently has the same result year after year.
Toyota and Lexus are always at the top of the Consumer Report list.

[Bill M.]

Got 10 years and 183,000 miles on my 2500 Dodge Diesel. Probably 50,000 of it towing. Looking for another 10 years. J. D. Power has to say something but if the bottom rated truck is this good the top ones must make fuel or something when they run. My friends Ford diesel is nice but he is on his third one since we bought trucks at the same time 10 years ago. But I do agree the current one he has looks like a keeper.
I do think it costs more to buy keep up and drive a diesel. I have put a set of injectors and some other expensive parts in it. But it just might be worth it. Fuel was $4 to $5 a gallon when we bought our truck. Fuel was $6.00 a gallon plus when we went through Canada to Alaska. The 40% difference in towing milage seemed important then. At $2.30 a gallon it does not seem to make much difference which you choose. The 450 mile range towing with the stock tank is a nice plus though. So is gas going to stay cheap for 5 years or so? I would probably not buy another diesel when this one gives out. But that is related to our age and expected decrease in miles covered. I know I am too old to put significant time and wear on another diesel.
If you are fairly young and fairly well of financially and are going on extended trips a 3/4 ton diesel is a awful nice tow. If it is for towing a 3 or 4 weeks a year and a few weekends and money is tight for heaven sakes get something else. Our first trip was 5 months and 17000 miles and I decided I had the right truck.

[Ted S.]

My 2015 30FB has a measured tongue weight of 1150 lbs with a Surline scale. We have a Propride on it.

Having towed across the country with it and up and down the east coast, there is no way I'd tow with anything less then a diesel F250.

Some would say it's overkill, but I think it's a matter of preference.

[Tyvekcat]

Originally Posted by Mollysdad

Don't take my biased advice, do your own research.
JD Power and associates rates the quality of the bottom four as Chrysler, Ram, Fiat, Dodge. Hmmmm, all the same company. Coincidence?

Sometimes I group, jb power in there with the consumer reports circus. They are grouping cars in with the Dodge Rams. Good lord I wouldn't be afraid right now to go out and fire up that Cummins and either hook up the AS or hook up my motorcycle/furniture 16 foot trailer, and go north to Maine, or west to Arizona. ( not going to Kalifornia) or south to Key West.
It is my truck, there are many like it but this one is mine and you cannot have it. Get your own diesel.
You can do a lot with stats. I have two Jeeps. Our new last year 2016 model, Rubicon unlimited, its coming up on one year anniversary.
Not one issue.
I filled out the jb power survey, skewed their numbers six ways to Sunday I bet, marked every thing working as expected. You know why ?
Other than there was no issues, but I know how Jeeps are.
I have a 1998 TJ Sport Wrangler with a straight six , 132 k miles and runs like a champ. So instead of whining and checking the candy box on the jb survey, that the new Jeep rides rough. Its a Jeep! Its supposed to have a tight ride ! It does not wallow. I do not expect it to ride like my Lexus IS350. I do not expect it to stop like my Lexus. Its a Jeep. ( the rotors are not as big as the Lexus rotors )

Yeah you can do a lot with stats, Not afraid of a Chrysler product.

I just replaced the batteries on my Dodge Ram last week for the first time. The originals were still good. They said 'Daimler-Chrysler' corp on them!
It was time, they were starting to slow down on cranking.
NAPA Legend AGMs for the win. ( Made in USA)

Is there a RV industry quality rating ? Heck I don't care what it says.

I like my AS. I know it has cheap skylights, and a cheap power converter that will cook my batteries if I don't watch it. Then there is the black and grey tank monitors. But I know how they are and they may work, or not. Kinda funny, quirky like a VW .
I am not afraid of where AS would shake out in the survey, I like it .

So yeah, bad mouth Dodge if you want(you can't say anything bad about that Cummins )
I'm not afraid of what consumer reports or Jd power says, about Jeep or Dodge.

Six in a row, makes a Cummins go !

[tjdonahoe]

I have a 2500 ram with. 6.7 cumalong, 3.42 gears,I love it for pullin our 31' classic...1500 miles 2.5 def, from Walmart, no problem...14 mpg average on our 4200 mile trip, 20.3 empty on a 250-350 empty trip, my second ram,

[cabinetmaker]

Ram has the Megacab...you got passengers? Recline those rear seats back and stretch those legs!

On my 3rd Ram Cummins...one rear wheel seal slow leak was only problem fixed under warranty. Lots of miles on each pulling heavy back and forth across Texas. My current is a 2016 3500 SRW 4x4 Megacab Cummins. What a nice tow vehicle.

Ever notice what the hot shot long haulers are mostly using? Ram Cummins...they know a thing or two about reliability.

Diesel is the way to go...people keep mentioning cost. That diesel will pay you back when you sell it...even with high miles the diesels are bringing top dollar.

[wvollans]

I'm wondering why everybody heads for an F250 when the 6.2 gmc is out here. Mine is a loaded Gmc, 6.2, 8 speed transmission with the max tow package. The door sticker is at 1900 lbs. the truck itself is a hotrod with gobs of power. I pull a 34' classic with ease.

[n2916s]

It has been my experience that car buyers, especially guys and more especially guys buying pickups, are extremely brand loyal (me included).

You just don't see somebody changing brands unless they had a pretty bad experience with their previous vehicle.

Most brands/models, if taken care of properly and properly equipped to the task at hand, are going to get the job done just fine.

Just not as fine as mine...

[paiceman]

We tow our Classic with an F350, does a terrific job.

We have friends who towed their 2016 30' FC Bunk across country using their F150 Ecoboost. They just took delivery of a 2017 F250 Diesel Crew, Just saying.

[FCStreamer]

Well, I tow my 30FC with an Escalade. Just sayin.

[dkottum]

This is an expensive path you are heading down. Seeing you already have a BMW X5 diesel, a good, stable tow vehicle, maybe it would be wise get it set up for towing and look at a little smaller trailer. Save your you and family $75,000 or so.

This is based on our experience traveling throughout the country for 35 years with a series of VW Camper vans. Never felt we missed a thing and probably seen more of the country, easier. And things have changed, much more traffic, fewer places to camp easily and safely, crowded Nat'l and State Parks. After eight years of Airstreaming in retirement and a desire for simpler travel, a path we heading down again.

[tjdonahoe]

Originally Posted by 68 TWind

I camped next to a fellow last year in a new F250 gas model. He was pulling a good sized 5th wheel from S. Carolina to California. We got to talking and he told me the he had a diesel before. He told me when he ran all the numbers on a new truck that the big V8 was more economical( total picture-initial cost, depreciation,maintenance etc). He said he did miss the extra torque of the diesel a few times but that 98% of the time the big gas engine was fine. He said fuel burn was more but the higher price for diesel made it about even. I thought it was very interesting as most 5th wheel guys would only consider a diesel. He was retired military with lots of mechanical experience and he had really compared and studied the differences before he bought the new truck.

Have you ever driven one? Well these v8s are very depressing when it comes to pulling a load....the mileage is also way down, my new ram is running at 14 on a 4200 mile trip, up to 20.3 empty....I have been running big trucks for 52 years and you don't see any big gas trucks anymore, there is a reason for this...

[m.hony]

My Tundra drives and pulls just fine.
I honestly can't tell a nickel's worth of difference between it and the 3/4 ton and 1 ton Duramax/Allison trucks at work when towing.
I am not towing 80,000# or the space shuttle.
I do realize that when you get to the 15,000# and 20,000# fifth wheels you really need a 3/4 ton or 1 ton, but I don't think I need all that with my Airstream.
It's really moot, though.
No one will ever convince me to get anything other than a Tundra.
I will never convince a diesel owner to get a gas engine.
It is what it is.

[Mollysdad]

There's probably more brand loyally here than most forums. And people here are more convinced and stubborn than most.
But all the "I love my Yugo" stories are just "anecdotal evidence" which is unscientific.
"I love my Yugo, I have 200,000 miles on it." is not science.
I don't really think JD Power is science either, but they're dealing with larger numbers.
A real test would be do give 1000 people random brands, and after 100,000 miles ask them how they fared. But that will never happen.

Get what you want. This is a bad place for advice, we have too much.

[marcesq]

Originally Posted by dkottum

This is an expensive path you are heading down. Seeing you already have a BMW X5 diesel, a good, stable tow vehicle, maybe it would be wise get it set up for towing and look at a little smaller trailer. Save your you and family $75,000 or so.

This is based on our experience traveling throughout the country for 35 years with a series of VW Camper vans. Never felt we missed a thing and probably seen more of the country, easier. And things have changed, much more traffic, fewer places to camp easily and safely, crowded Nat'l and State Parks. After eight years of Airstreaming in retirement and a desire for simpler travel, a path we heading down again.

I have zero disagreements with your comments, as it is regularly crossing my mind as well. The X5 is great - love it even. However, it is the family hauler right now, and I drive "my wife's car" (pre-kids), which is a 328i convertible. It's a very nicely equipped car, and I could drive it daily indefinitely. I have been inclined to trade it for something more practical and safer for family usage, and replacing it with a tow vehicle seems like a good compromise.

However, I would love to get my X5 tow ready and just use that - it would certainly save a ton of money. My biggest concern there is that it really isn't meant to tow something as big as the 30' FC, and the whole point of this exercise is to have a setup that will be comfortable and convenient for everyone (2 dogs, 2 kids, and the wife and me). I could theoretically get into a 25' or even 27' without completely blowing through the payload capacity of the X5, but we do not want to set up and take down beds in the living spaces every day. We would need to install a bunk system, at which point I have a hard time not just going straight for the trailer that's already ready for us - the 30FB Bunk.

No matter how much I rationalize making the X5 work as a TV for a 30FB (or a 25, 27, etc.), it just doesn't seem like a great idea because I may max that thing out payload-wise.

I know you weren't suggesting using an X5 to tow a 30FB, but I just wanted to share my thought process.

[marcesq]

Originally Posted by KCCO

We tow our 30 bunk with a ram 2500, diesel - love it. We drove the power wagon, but thought that all of the off road features made the steering feel like it was constantly roaming. There have been threads on here before where power wagon owners have chimed in on how much they enjoy their trucks - you might search for those threads and see what they had to say. I believe one of those who have a power wagon is named bold adventurer. Also on instagram I believe.

Yes his posts are what made me think of the Power Wagon as a viable option. I think it would be fine payload-wise, but I agree with your opinion regarding the steering feel.

The 2017 F250 drives REALLY nice and it is near silent on the highway. On the other hand, I love the ventilated seat options on the Ram 2500 and the Rambox. Decisions, decisions ...

[interstateflyer]

Originally Posted by cabinetmaker

Ram has the Megacab...you got passengers? Recline those rear seats back and stretch those legs!

On my 3rd Ram Cummins...one rear wheel seal slow leak was only problem fixed under warranty. Lots of miles on each pulling heavy back and forth across Texas. My current is a 2016 3500 SRW 4x4 Megacab Cummins. What a nice tow vehicle.

Ever notice what the hot shot long haulers are mostly using? Ram Cummins...they know a thing or two about reliability.

Diesel is the way to go...people keep mentioning cost. That diesel will pay you back when you sell it...even with high miles the diesels are bringing top dollar.

Wow....so you have reclining rear seats in your RAM? Didn't know those were available.

[Alluminati]

Originally Posted by interstateflyer

Wow....so you have reclining rear seats in your RAM? Didn't know those were available.

I believe the Toyota Tundra Crewmax also has reclining rear seats.