stockboys10

Ah, doesn't sound like I will be able to use the Anderson then.  I use my truck to pick up other 5th wheel trailers for work. Ugh...it really sucks putting in and removing my Reese 16k Slider by myself every time. 

The block removes in about 3 mins, sure more work but doable.

So it looks like the Anderson requires a special adapter to be hooked up to the hitch of the 5er?  What is that black cable coming down over the chain and to the lower right in that pic?  A pin release?

yes there is a block that hooks to the kingpin, It has a slide release that locks the adapter block to the ball at the top of the anderson hitch. 

As for the longbed... Wish i had one.  We bought this truck new off of the dealer lot for a steal, It was priced so low that I took the shortbed just to get the Diesel option. 

If i could just buy the truck I really wanted I would go longbed SRW 3500 Diesel. This one was on the lot for 13 months so I was able to get it almost 20k lower then sticker... Traded in an 11  month old 1500 hemi on it, even with the massive hit on the trade I still did Ok so wife allowed it.....

With the Anderson the chains are up for debate. We added them to the setup but dont hook them up. Should we get stopped and they demand them then they are available. I dont see a need for them, the hitch is not going to slide out of the attached position on its own, There is no "forgetting to latch it and it drops" problem like the standard hitches have. There is a lock but you have to lift the unit off of the hitch to disconnect so i doubt it could ever really come loose...

We can go almost 90 on flat ground, if the trailer were tilted or the truck in a pot hole we COULD hit the back of the cab. Not as worry free as a slider or autoslide hitch but also not #200 

We just recently upgraded from a 29' TT bunk to a 40' 5th bunk. 

There are pros and cons to the change, 

Pros:

We have opposing kitchen and recliner slides so this thing is HUGE, We like the ability to retreat into the unit and feel like we have enough space to really relax. 

The bigger unit gave us the option of the 4 door fridge, with 2 growing boys this will be great to have

The interior height, this above all else leads to the larger feel. 

the auto level system (yes you can get them on TT, just not as common)

Towing, it pulls like a champ with out 2500 diesel... Yes i know we are absolutely maxed on payload. 

Outdoor kitchen, (also available on some TT units...)

SPACE< SPACE< SPACE. Did i mention we have plenty of space to keep all the crap, er i mean stuff now without overflowing into the living areas.

Cons: 

first the $45k price tag

its long, really long. I mean LONG we have been able to get it where we want it to go but i have to admit that sometimes I feel like "that guy" you know the one.... The Geeze who needs a rig that big, isnt this supposed to be camping?

We are actually longer than many Large Class A units when hitched. Almost 5' longer then my parents holiday rambler. 

Needs 2 AC units to cool, more to maintain / repair

As far as hitches, we went with the Anderson ultimate aluminum. Removes and installs in 10 mins, weight is only 40 lbs, even with our short bed we can hit 85+ deg without hitting the cab. 

With all that said, we love it the new camper but still kinda miss the old one........

Fiends... with his rig, he really needs a truck stop or Super Walmart for this quick 6 hour stop.

 I am going to dedicate myself to talking you guys into a 41' rig that way you cannot pick on me anymore!!!

Thanks Santa, booked at Sherwood

Picking up the camper tomorrow am, Time to start packing for the fort. Sending in my loop request today where do I want to be? No Golf Cart and not super strong bike riders in this group. we have a premium site booked. Nacole says 700 or 900? Thoughts?

We are finally getting to camp at FW this weekend for Halloween, (Thanks for finding us a spot Nacole) Reservations starting Saturday. We want to drive in Friday night and Boondock or RV park as close to the park as possible that way we can visit for breakfast before check in on saturday. 

Does anyone have any recommendations on a place to stay?

We are headed in from the North down 75. 

We are hopeful that a spot opens up for friday in the park but just in case we need a backup. 

Thanks

We keep the camper kitchen fully equipped and still manage to forget things. I think the added hassle of trying to remember kitchen cooking stuff is not worth it. We however don't have mixing bowls (yet) most my pancakes are mixed in a tupperware container.

As far a s the Weber, its a must LOL. The smaller Q series tend to go on clearance at the end of the season at target and lowes. 

Happy Trails. 

Nah...maybe we just need a huge 5th wheel to balance it out  

But then you get the back and forth chucking..... 

Our TT actually towed pretty well on the 2500 without the WD hitch all together. 

Maybe you need to look at a bigger truck? 

Okay!  Sent you a PM with my cell number.  We're in site 333 and Adam and his family are somewhere around 400.  Hopefully we can coordinate a time for all of us to get together! :)

Party! we are on site 400 for now, hope to find a site with a full hookup that we can swap too but for now we took whatever we would find. 

Well we finally found the unit we liked and got the price where we needed it to be!  Ordered it today, but now have to wait 6 - 8 weeks for it to be built and arrive!   Can't wait to get the new Toy Hauler. 

 

Now we just need to plan our next trip back to The Fort.  Also I will attempt to post pictures once we take ownership of the unit.

 

This will be our 1st 5th wheel trailer so any advice on moving from a 34' travel trailer to a 39' 5th wheel is greatly appreciated.

Congrats on the new 5th wheel. We just moved up from a 29 tt to a 40' fifth... Cannot really offer any advise but it is quite a joy to pull. Kinda feel like king of the road although none of the other royal road subjects seem to respect my "authority" and get out of our way. 

Happy trails. 

Looking good, I still am jealous of the cubby yall have for shoes... 

We just bought a 2015 Montana, Towing with a Dodge 2500 4x4.... Dry trailer weight is 11k, hitch weight is 2k. Truck pulls just fine on the flats, feel it in the hilly areas but gets along well enough, Drops maybe 2" when hitched. Mine is not a toy hauler so we assume pin weight to be 18 - 22% of trailer weight. I believe toy haulers have a higher pin weight until you add a toy to balance it out. You would be surprised how fast the 3/4 ton units reach max capacity. 

Awesome!  Now we just need to figure out a way... to fit both of our trailers on our one spot this weekend

If only....... we called them and apparently they dont want us to come, something about being all booked for the weekend.... Geeze I mean who doesnt save a spot on a holiday weekend at their campground just in case we called at the last minute. 

On a side note we do have an extra spot at bald ridge marina if anyone wants it, we reserved it but its too short for the new unit, we were lucky enough to grab another longer spot for this weekend.

 I am going to release it tonight for the masses if no takers. .....

Thanks for all the info, we picked up our new camper over the weekend we successfully hauled it back home!

Wish we Could extend the trip a few days but we had originally planned to pick up the other unit Labor Day weekend and the sudden change of plans leaves for a tight work schedule. 

Scrambling to find some place to go now on Labor Day. We had it all figured out when we were planning on going to Michigan but now that we will be picking up a different trailer a week early we are stuck with no reservations!... 

Your towing capacity is @ 11k lbs so youll have a lot of options. Just remember to have whatever unit you buy checked out by a mechanic, their expertise will help find the hidden gems some of the older units have. 

With that said we just sold out keystone springdale TT, It was a nice layout with rear Full size bunks and real doors to close off the rooms. Ours was an 08 and in nice shape and sold for right in the middle of your range. 

There are good and bad units from all manufactures so just because someone had issues with brand x model y doesn't mean that they all will have issues. 

I think we might end up staying at crystal springs for the night, Pull through sites and the boys are obsessed with submarines so they should get a kick out of a glass bottom boat ride. 

Thanks!

Drive the diesel before you decide... Some of the small diesels have very funny shift points and can drive you nuts. 

And if they couldn't assist they could at least setup their chairs and watch the show.  :D

 Seriously, you are not far from the truth, I think the 2nd outing with our TT i hopped out of the truck with it still in gear to check my alignment. The truck and TT along with wife and kids went rolling off across the road. Managed to catch up hop in and hit the brakes. Avoided a pine tree by maybe 8".... Surprised the wife still lets me drive. 

Ok so it seems like it may not be the best idea... I wasnt sure if it would be worth it for the boys to wander the fort for a night before a longer trip next year.. Always forget about the whole check in / traffic issues that multiplied by a 40' fifth wheel and a newbie 5er driver might make for a rough night. 

We have done a complete 180 on our new camper purchase and will find ourselves in Ft Myers picking up a new 5th wheel on Saturday. We will need to crash for a night Saturday somewhere between Fl and Atlanta. 

So would it be worth it / wise to try and camp for 1 night at the fort? It is just a couple hours north(ish) of the RV store. 

It will be our first time ever towing, backing and camping in a 5th wheel. 

Thoughts?

Thanks

Adam

Thanks for all the ideas so far, Ordered a tire iron with extended handle from etrailer now just need to go grab a jack...

Keep them coming and thanks!

What kind of FW did you get?  Sometime in the next few years we are thinking about getting rid of the MH and getting a fifth wheel.

We went with a Keystone Cougar 336bhs

We wanted a bunkhouse version and with only a 2500 our choices were limited. This model is lighter then other bunks and fits the bill.