Trucks, tow vehicles, pullers, haulers….whatever you chose to call them, the vehicle that tows your trailer is the most important and vital piece of equipment you will own while on your RVing adventure. Whether you are a weekend camper, vacationer or a fulltime RVer, you must have the truck to do the job.

Terry and I started our serious RVing experience 6 years ago with the purchase of a new Alfa Gold fiver that weighed 12500# and had a GVRW rating of 16400#. In other words, the fiver was rated to carry 3900# of cargo (propane, water, etc). The truck we had at the time was a Ford F350 crew cab dually that weighed 5500#. We knew that the truck was not capable of handling the fiver safely, even in "vacation mode". We planned on full timing when Terry retired in 2000.

Both truck and RV dealers told us that the F350 would do the job. They were wrong.

Terry was a CHP officer for nearly 30 years in a "snow bird" area of the California desert and dealt constantly with the aftermath of trailers being pulled by inadequate trucks. With both mountainous and backcountry terrain, he knew the dangers of overloaded trailers and underpowered trucks. The vast majority of the truck/(RV) trailer accidents were caused by this combination. Some travelers were inconvenienced while others had to deal with the tragic consequences.

When we bought the trailer, we had some time to find the correct truck for the job before we started full timing. We did do some short hauls with the F350 and those only reinforced the fact that the truck was inadequate. We were looking at medium duty haulers (Freightliners, etc.) but the cost and size to Terry seemed a bit much. We had done a lot of research and I wanted to get a Freightliner. (I'm a frustrated wanna-be truck driver!) Ford had just come out with the F450, and Terry figured with all the aftermarket items available, and by designing the bed we wanted, we would have the right truck. This would be a vehicle he would be comfortable driving to the grocery store. (I still wanted the Freightliner!) We agreed on the Ford.

The new F450 was Terry's dream truck, and it proved to be adequate to do the job with the '99 Gold. We literally "sold the farm", retired and hit the road. For two years we had a winning combination. We traveled extensively and enjoyed the lifestyle.

Each winter we go to Quartzsite, AZ to attend our annual Alfa gathering and do the RV show bit. We stay at least a week and always look at the big truck dealer's newest offerings. 2002 was no exception. We drooled over the Freightliners and went as far as to make an appointment to look at trucks and talk figures in the Spring. In February we had an appointment at the RV dealer's for the fiver's yearly maintenance and some scheduled repair work. As it was a two-day stay, we went south to the Freightliner dealer on the first day.

The trucks were big, gorgeous, and expensive. We felt our budget wouldn't like the commitment and as the dealer would not budge on price or trade in, we left…disappointed, but with money still in the bank! So we went back to the RV store with time to kill.

We started looking at new fivers….big mistake! We found a Gold we really liked and had all this money set aside for the truck, so what the heck…this time we would have flat floors, a washer/dryer, king-size bed and walk-in closet! The deal was done.

We had about a month until the fiver was off the production line, and we spent the time wondering if we had made the right decision. We rolled figures around and realized the F450 was barely enough truck to handle the extra weight. So we did a serious spring cleaning and left for the dealer to trade fivers. For two weeks we camped in the parking lot. We had major revisions to make on the new one. The solar system had to be moved and a new receiver for the bike rack built. All the new fiver's fix-its were taken care of and we were ready to head back up the mountain to our RV lot in Apple Valley, CA.

Well, the truck handled it OK. Not quite as fast as the old fiver, but adequate. There is that word again….adequate…..not at all what we wanted.

We put some serious miles on the truck in the next year, and it did the job. There was still that nagging word hanging over us…adequate. In January of 2003 we again went to "Q" and once again saw the Freightliners. We also happened to run across one of our Alfa friends who was camped with the Freightliner group. We went off to join the crew for dinner, and that was the clincher! We were in "truck-heaven"! More than 30 rigs of every configuration to look at. We had looked at some used trucks but hadn't seen what we were looking for. Here, at the Freightliner rally, we did. This was the perfect truck, even pulling the same model and year Alfa Gold that we had. All it needed was our name on it! No such luck. However, we were given the name of the dealer who had sold him the truck. He was highly recommended.

Once back in California, Terry started making phone calls. The dealer was in Nashville, Tenn, and as luck would have it, we were planning on attending our Alfa National Rally in Sevierville, Tenn in May. We ordered the truck, and left on April 4 for Nashville. We spent six weeks there while the new truck was outfitted. It is a crew cab with extra storage, backup camera, air-ride hitch and various other goodies.

The dealer gave us a fair trade-in for the Ford, and we were all happy with the deal. We picked up the new truck on a Wednesday, and on Thursday drove the truck to the DC area to visit Terry's sister and husband for a few days. Then back to Nashville, hooked up the trailer and headed to Sevierville for the rally.

What a dream that trip was! We finally had the truck I had wanted all along, and Terry was the first to admit it. This one not only has the power and brakes to do the job, it has the same footprint as the Ford and turns circles inside of the Ford's turning radius. We sit much higher for a better view of the road, and with the air ride seats are very comfortable. We arrived at the rally less stressed than ever, and enjoyed the reactions of everyone who knew the Ford.

Then advantages of the Freightliner can't be stressed enough. Power, braking, fuel capacity (mileage is better than the Ford), and ease of driving. I drive 50% of the time, and am thrilled to finally have a BIG truck! This was a major investment, but we finally have the rig of our dreams. The anxiety level has dropped tremendously and now we feel we can go on our dream adventure…next summer, Alaska, here we come!

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