What Are We looking at with this idea?:

[Trailer Park Casanova]

We want to buy the New Triple slide Weekend Warrior 45 foot toybox.
It's GVW is 17.000 lbs.
Our 2500HD GMC truck is rated 13.500, with a short bed 4.11 screws, 8.1 Allison.
The wife and kids and I are going to take a one lap around America trip this spring and summer,, and would like to get the WW now for the trip, way before the tow vech we want will be available.
We don't want to go F550 or GM top kick. That isn't going to happen.
So, the thought is to beef up the GMC's suspension and use the short bed 5th wheel slider hitch until we buy the bigger tow vech.
Adding 3500 to the tow cap to far a stretch? Or hold off on the whole purchase process?
Anyone gone this route?
17K is a real reach.
http://www.a1warriortrailers.com/ftl...l-ext-left.jpg
http://www.a1warriortrailers.com/ftl...l-throttle.jpg

[sigepmock]

That trailer is a giant and heavy PIG...nice trailer for sure but you'll be WAY......WAY over your GVWR. Only real safe way to pull it is with a 550 or Freightliner......we have several friends that have learned the hard way....that those trailers are a lot heavier than you think and WW is notorious for underrating the weight.
If it were my family I wouldn't even try it because I think it would be unsafe....plus there's the legalities....I think GM only lists that truck's Maximum trailering weight with a 5th wheel at 16,000 lbs....and a GCWR of 22,000lbs...truck probably weighs close to 6,500lbs wet....so that only gives you 15,500 lbs left and that trailer probably weighs that much empty........if you were to get into an accident you could be in trouble.
Don't get me wrong I love the new WW trailers just need to make sure you have the right tow vehicle.....It's not worth risking the family in my opinion.
Chris

[Trailer Park Casanova]

Friends tow their '07's WW 45 footers with Dodge pickup long beds and do pretty good. Same overall GVW.
The 1 ton Dodge pickup is rated to tow it with the stick shift.
The 550 and top kick are too much truck for us.
We'll be waiting for the Ford F450 that is tow rated at almost 25000 lbs.
GM will up their tow rating next year no doubt, they always do, so that will be a wait and see first.

[andy01]

That trailer is a giant and heavy PIG...nice trailer for sure but you'll be WAY......WAY over your GVWR. Only real safe way to pull it is with a 550 or Freightliner......we have several friends that have learned the hard way....that those trailers are a lot heavier than you think and WW is notorious for underrating the weight.
If it were my family I wouldn't even try it because I think it would be unsafe....plus there's the legalities....I think GM only lists that truck's Maximum trailering weight with a 5th wheel at 16,000 lbs....and a GCWR of 22,000lbs...truck probably weighs close to 6,500lbs wet....so that only gives you 15,500 lbs left and that trailer probably weighs that much empty........if you were to get into an accident you could be in trouble.
Don't get me wrong I love the new WW trailers just need to make sure you have the right tow vehicle.....It's not worth risking the family in my opinion.
Chris
Chris is right. WW is always low on weights. And your truck is way under at the trailers max.
If you get in a accident and they find (and they will) that your truck was over legal limit you insurance will drop you right then. So you will not have insurance for the accident, it is your fault you over loaded the truck. So now you are on the hook for the entire accident, your fault or not. Also if you kill someone with your truck over loaded you will be spending time in jail for gross neg., from over loading your truck. It is a big deal, and if the CHP sees it they can and may tell you to drop the trailer on the side of the road. Sure thousands of people do it every weekend going to Glamis or the likes. The sad part is when you find that you just made the gamle of a life time it is to late and over. There is a guy that killed two people in a mini van towing a over loaded WW setup. He lost everything he owned and got 8 years in jail. Wife left him, lost his business as well as his home. Just because he was 2,000 pounds over limit. If you upgrade your truck it is still seen as what ever the stock limits are. If you go buy a trailer this big only buy a Freightliner, it will give you the best tow and ride quality out of any. Remember Freightliner is a commercial company so they build thier stuff to last.
Good luck on your shopping.
Another option is to buy a Toter home with the garage in the back, then you can park a car or bikes in it and still have a way nicer setup for like money.
Andy

[riverbound]

We towed our alfa 2 times with my old F350. and even though it did get it from point A to point B. we could feel that it was unsafe, and in the event we ever needed to stop in a hurry, it would have for sure been an ugly scene.
so we went and looked at ALL haulers available and settled on the FL60. Even though you said its too much truck for you. it actually has a smaller turning radius than a long bed crew cab truck, and is MUCH safer. remember your family is in there. and a trip around america will mean at times you will be in hairy situations. Every time I go out to Glamis and see 35-40' trialers bieng towed by lifted F-250s at 75mph, I cringe. they are grossly overweight and dangerous. but I guess to each is own. In my opinion my family's safety is second to none. If you cant do the right tow vehicle than go with a smaller trailer.

[victorfb]

the F450 and F550 are almost exactly the same. from what i can see, the only real differance was the rear ends. the F550 had a much heavier duty rear end. these trucks share the same cab as the F350. you can purchase the trucks with a F350 bed with an added 3 inch spacer between the cab and bed, or they offer full length aftermarket beds. too much truck for you? im not understanding this. now the topkick and F650 is definatly a larger truck, and if i was to go that route i would look into the frieghtliner definatly. i tow a 38' 5th wheel toyhauler and tried it with a gmc 1 ton 4x4 duelly for a little while. too unsafe for my liking so i stepped up to the F550. first trip out it saved our lives. a sittuation developed were i absolutly know for a fact i would not have been able to slow the truck and trailer enough to avoid the accident. even with the trailer brakes. the F550 with its monster braking sytem did its job along with the trailer brakes and there was no accident. from that moment on i feel the truck just payed for itself. maybe even ten fold. if these trucks are too much for you and your family, then so is that trailer.
be advised aswell that here in california the CHP is cracking down on these overloaded rigs and are setting up check points. and i can almost guarantee that if a CHP saw you trying to pull that rig with your current truck, you will definatly get stopped and weighed. made to disconnect and send you on your way. they dont allow you stay with it for any length of time. drop it off and move on. towing, storage, impound, it will add up quik. but atleast they probably saved your lives.
get a proper tow vehicle or a smaller trailer!
what really gets me bent is the fact that alot of trailer dealerships will sell you this rig knowing you plan to tow it with a 2500hd. i think they should be held liable. IMHO

[riverbound]

the F450 and F550 are almost exactly the same. from what i can see, the only real differance was the rear ends. the F550 had a much heavier duty rear end. these trucks share the same cab as the F350. you can purchase the trucks with a F350 bed with an added 3 inch spacer between the cab and bed, or they offer full length aftermarket beds. too much truck for you? im not understanding this. now the topkick and F650 is definatly a larger truck, and if i was to go that route i would look into the frieghtliner definatly. i tow a 38' 5th wheel toyhauler and tried it with a gmc 1 ton 4x4 duelly for a little while. too unsafe for my liking so i stepped up to the F550. first trip out it saved our lives. a sittuation developed were i absolutly know for a fact i would not have been able to slow the truck and trailer enough to avoid the accident. even with the trailer brakes. the F550 with its monster braking sytem did its job along with the trailer brakes and there was no accident. from that moment on i feel the truck just payed for itself. maybe even ten fold. if these trucks are too much for you and your family, then so is that trailer.
be advised aswell that here in california the CHP is cracking down on these overloaded rigs and are setting up check poionts. and i can almost guarantee that if a CHP saw you trying to pull that rig with your current truck, you will definatly get stopped and weighed. made to disconnect and send you on your way. they dont allow you stay with it for any length of time. drop it off and move on. towing, storage, impound, it will add up quik. but atleast they probably saved your lives.
get a proper tow vehicle or a smaller trailer!
same thing happend to me once....we avoided a multiple car accident where I had to swerve through it and use the brakes pretty heavily, and I remember saying after the fact, that if we were in the F350 we would not be driving away

[sigepmock]

Friends tow their '07's WW 45 footers with Dodge pickup long beds and do pretty good. Same overall GVW.
The 1 ton Dodge pickup is rated to tow it with the stick shift.
The 550 and top kick are too much truck for us.
We'll be waiting for the Ford F450 that is tow rated at almost 25000 lbs.
GM will up their tow rating next year no doubt, they always do, so that will be a wait and see first.
I know a lot of people do it but it isn't right and as said above the CHP is starting to crack down.
If the 550 or Kodiak/Topkick are too much truck...then that trailer is too much trailer.
I towed a 26 foot WW for two years and there were times when that trailer was too much for the truck.....WW rated the trailer GVW at 5500 lbs...in reality loaded up with our stuff it was over 8,000lbs easy with two bikes in it. Add the Jeep in there and it was a handful.
Seriously consider the what if's when thinking about getting that trailer.....the SLE 3905's are a lot lighter and still have a ton of room. Ask MAGIC 34 about his 45 WW and towing it with his 1 ton Chevy Dually....and his trailer is still a lot lighter than the Full Throttle....seriously ...those things are way heavy.....have the WW sales guy drag it over to the scales for you and see for yourself....
I know you're a reasonble guy and I know what it's like to set your target on a trailer or motorhome...but you really need to take a look at the ratings on the available trucks and decide if its safe for you and your family to be that close to the limits when towing.
Our Motorhome is built on the Kodiak 5500 chasis and has a GVWR of 22,000 lbs on a GCWR of 26,000 lbs. Loaded up at 18,000 lbs it tows our 7,000lb of trailer very well.....the axle, brakes, everything on the Kodiak chassis is huge compared to my 2500HD.....there's a reason they build them bigger to tow the big weights....
To each his own,
Chris

[Cole Trickle]

This thread makes me nervous. :idea:
I would always rather have too much truck than not nearly enough.
I think a 35' 5th wheel would still be a comfortable tow...I have no desire to hook a F350 upto 20K pounds.

[afe1]

That trailer is a giant and heavy PIG...nice trailer for sure but you'll be WAY......WAY over your GVWR. Only real safe way to pull it is with a 550 or Freightliner......we have several friends that have learned the hard way....that those trailers are a lot heavier than you think and WW is notorious for underrating the weight.
If it were my family I wouldn't even try it because I think it would be unsafe....plus there's the legalities....I think GM only lists that truck's Maximum trailering weight with a 5th wheel at 16,000 lbs....and a GCWR of 22,000lbs...truck probably weighs close to 6,500lbs wet....so that only gives you 15,500 lbs left and that trailer probably weighs that much empty........if you were to get into an accident you could be in trouble.
Don't get me wrong I love the new WW trailers just need to make sure you have the right tow vehicle.....It's not worth risking the family in my opinion.
Chris
I couldn't agree more with sig here. Nice trailer & the truck would no doubt pull it but you'll have trouble no matter how & what you beef up. Don't believe the guys wanting to sell upgrades. Your family (And the hassles) aren't worth it.
aFe1