The Rig
1999-2000
The decision to go with a 5th wheel and tow truck was progressive in nature. A number of factors came into play for us, as would for anyone contemplating such a radical change in lifestyle. We had been living in a house that was nearly 3,000 square feet for the last 17 years and adjusting to living full time in an RV was a drastic change in living for us. In researching this lifestyle, others had suggested not to burn your bridges too soon before we cross them because not everyone could make such an adjustment successfully. I recommend that if you are thinking about doing this, that you think long and hard about the changes that are going to take place before you go. Make the effort to make a few test runs before you commit to selling the farm. It will be worth it if any of you have some doubts.
How we wanted travel would make a difference in the type of rig we chose. Did we want to move every day or spend time in a place before we move? After thinking about it for a while, we chose to spend more time in one place than move every day. We could move to a central location, explore the area and then move on when we were satisfied with what we had seen and learned. If we didn’t like the area then it was easy enough to pack up and leave. What kind of rig would best suit this type of traveling? A motor coach class A, B or C; trailers, standard or 5th wheel. From reading about other RVer’s experiences, we learned that those who like to move more often usually choose a motor home; those who like to move less often generally choose some type of trailer. In our case, the trailer fit our needs the best. We chose a 5th wheel trailer because it offered the most room and stability plus we didn’t have to take the house with us when we wanted to explore. A motor home could tow another vehicle for exploring, but we didn’t want the added expense of dealing with another car or truck to maintain. The 5th wheel’s design gave us the most interior room and storage for our investment. Economics play a significant factor. Comparative cost of a 5 wheel to a motor home gave us the best value for our dollar. We had a limited budget to work within. A 5th wheel gave us more bang for the buck.
A 5
Used or New: At first we had pretty much decided that we would have to go used for our 1st RV. On the surface it appeared that the cost value was more practical with a unit that is slightly used because the value drops off the most in the first few years on a new unit. Buying used though doesn’t mean a sacrifice in quality. There are many good-used quality built units out there. The difficulty is finding the few that come closest to meeting your requirements when you are ready to buy. We used the time we had our house up for sale as the time frame for researching the right kind of unit. Once the house sold, the research we had done paid off in helping us narrow down our choices quickly. As it turned out, a dealer we visited in Georgia to look at another used unit made us an offer for a new KOTR that fit our plans perfectly. We resisted jumping on the 1st offer without checking the market. We made the best deal by getting more than one dealer competing for our business. We weren’t sure if we could afford a new unit. When we compared the discounted price of the new King of the Road to the cost of a used unit there wasn’t as great a difference as we expected. The new KOTR offered more room and less potential trouble for our money. So we ended up with a brand new KOTR with all the warranties from a dealer in Clermont, FL.
The 5th wheel trailer – lay out that we wanted
This floor plan gave us the most interior room we could reasonably get without custom ordering. Custom work doesn’t have to be expensive but can add up if you want a lot of changes from the standard floor plan.
Layouts: There were several layouts we considered. One of the best we came across was with a 45’ unit made by Travel Supreme. The biggest problem was its length. It had 4 slides with the opposing living room slides but was so long that we were afraid that we would not be able to find enough places to park it. Teton made a 2-bedroom unit, Casper, but it was so heavy that we would have to have very big truck to handle it. A 40’ unit is long when it comes to finding parks with large enough spaces. So far though, we have been able to squeeze into all the parks we came to except State and National Forest Campgrounds. They tend to cater to smaller short time visitors more than long term visitors with big RVs. For our needs, the large 40’ RV was the better choice for our fulltime living lifestyle. New Horizons make an excellent unit to your specifications but again; we couldn’t wait 6 months or more for it to be built. We considered units made by Newmar. They have a tandem double axel suspension that was very attractive but there were none available to even look at. Finding these types of quality units in a 2-bedroom configuration proved to be harder than we thought.
Slides: In newer units, slides are a common feature. Most of the trailers and motor homes built today come with slides but not all slides are created equal. What I learned was to look for simple and strong mechanization. Hydraulics work but can be troublesome if they fail. Complicated wires and pulleys get too complex and are prone to fail. On our RV of choice, we have a rack and pinion system that the slide out sets on which is electrically operated and can be hand cranked in case of electrical failure. Time will tell if this engineering approach is better than others.
Self-contained: We wanted to be able to live off the “hook”, so to speak, for extended periods. The RV came with 2 high capacity 12-volt batteries but lacked a way to recharge off the grid. We added solar panels, a larger battery bank and regulator to the setup. Now, we are only limited by our electrical consumption, water capacity and holding tank capacity. Learning to live disconnected is a whole new experience for us. We have always had convenient RV Parks available and like the luxury of having excess in resources available when on the “hook.” In the near future we will be making extended stays without hooking up and will report more details as they occur. See our “Boondocking” page.
A truck to match – price, size, safety, style to fit our needs: Ford F550
Price was a major consideration in the selection of a tow vehicle but not the most limiting factor. We purchased our RV before we purchased a truck to tow it, which allowed us to choose the right vehicle before hand. Our unit fully loaded weighs nearly 19,000 lbs.! We did not realize that before we purchased the truck. Had I understood what the loaded weight was I may have changed my mind on the choice of the F550. A standard capacity pickup truck was not capable of handling that weight with any margin of safety. I had read about over and over again the problems people had when they had a truck too small to handle the RV they are towing. Catastrophic failures occurred with potential loss of not only their life but also the lives of other people on the road. Matching a tow truck to the RV was a very important factor in making our purchase, although as it turned out, we ended up with a truck that is considered marginal for our type of rig. As it turns out, properly equipped the F550 can handle our rig. Price was a big factor in determining the final decision because we found a used F550 for nearly half of what a new equipped one would cost.
The ratings to handle this size of RV turned us to look at the only manufacturer at the time that offered non-semi type trucks that could handle it. Ford’s F-350 or the Dodge 3500 could pull it but they weren’t rated to handle the weight class we were in. At the time, Dodge didn’t offer a crew cab configuration. We stepped up to considering the F450 or F550 Super duty commercial size trucks for the answer. They had the power in their 7.3-liter diesel Power Stroke engine, the load capacity and heavy-duty brakes. The Ford was big enough to do the job safely and yet still small enough to maneuver in normal traffic situations. We considered the medium duty commercial trucks such as Freightliner and International too expensive and too large, even in the used market, and mainly too difficult to find when we were ready to make our move. Many people may disagree that the F550 is adequate to do the job and we should move up to a medium duty tractor. We know we are on the weight margin rated for this type of tow vehicle when accounting for the entire load a full timing unit would weigh. In time, we may have to move to a larger truck but for now it meets our needs nicely. We still feel that the F550 is adequate and safe to handle our RV. (The Ford 2001 Towing Guide has increased the GCWR of the F550 from 26,000 to 30,000 lbs if equipped with a special towing package. When Ford gets around to describing the details of what the special towing package is, I will post it here under the F550 specifications page. I believe the special towing package will consist of a additional engine block cooler[?], transmission cooler and the use of synthetic oil in the rear end differential. But, this still is yet to be confirmed by Ford.) We have all of these in the truck already.
When the time came, we were looking for a used but still new F450 or F550 crew cab. They are out there but you have to be quick because they sell quickly. Our RV dealer found a F450 but it did not have a crew cab. We wanted a crew cab because of our extended family needed the space. There was a commercial truck dealer in Orlando, Heintzelman’s, that was eager to help. We had thought we would have to buy a new 2000 model and were looking for the best deal. Comparing prices with other dealers, they still had the best prices around. When we went to their lot serendipity was with us when we came across the truck we now have, a used 1999 F550 crew cab XLT 6 speed manual with a steel flatbed and auxiliary fuel tank already on it. It fit our needs perfectly. The cost was approximately $13,500.00 less than a new truck with no bed would cost us. We had estimated that it would take over $40k for a new truck plus another $5k to $8k to have a custom bed installed. This truck saved us a lot of money. Hopefully, this will prove to be true in the long run. Time will tell if we made the right choice.
post script 2005: See the F550 page. 5 years into our travels we still are towing with the F550.
Our new truck and home:
A 2 bedroom 40’ 3 slide 5th wheel trailer and a Ford F 550 7.3L Diesel.
To get an idea of where we are now living, here are some views of the living area inside.
Dining area Master Bedroom
Bath
More to come………………
- Towing Tips for a 40’ RV – You know, I never had towed something the size of a semi truck before and knew nothing about what I was getting into. Take your time. Look it over carefully. Realize that there will be a learning curve one must go through before it becomes normal pulling something large behind you.
- Where do you put an ATV? – This was an unanticipated addition to the inventory. Some may consider it a toy. In my particular case, it allowed me to be able to go places where I physically could no longer go anymore. So, the decision to drag around a 600 pound ATV was made and the necessity to carry it along with us was met. First, a utility trailer towed behind the RV. Then, a new rack built on top of the truck.
- Details and specifications of the Ford F550 and the saga of our woes with Ford dealers across the country. “Love the truck, hate the company.”
- Boondocking – This has been a whole new experience for us. Learning what it takes to be comfortable while off the “hook” ,so to speak, has been a real eye opener.
- Solar Power – This became a high priority for us because we wanted complete energy independence. Come along and see the process as we engaged it.
- Sewage – The never-ending trail. – In dealing with the real “poop” of this subject, we have learned that sooner or later it has got to go somewhere.
- Water – Is there ever enough? When you manage your own limited water supply it becomes quickly apparent that you can’t be wasteful with water. A means to maintain and transport a fresh water supply is essential to life as well as comfort. Don’t take it for granted.
- GPS – Where in the world? Can you find where you are on a map? Do you know what my lay ahead on the road in front of you? Can you find where you parked the rig when coming back from a shopping trip in the desert? Sure, you can find it without a GPS but a boat makes it a lot easier to cross the river without getting wet. They do work and are fun to learn.
- Maps – Mapping software – Can you find it? Boys and their toys. No, you don’t need a computer to get a map, but computer based mapping software gives you so much more information that it alone makes it worth having a computer. A laptop is best but not essential. Expense is relative to what you want to do. Again, a great educational experience.