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388SP tow vehicle

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dennis.tangeebrookie@gmai

New member
We are very excited after making a deposit on a 2026 Paradigm 388SP. We are upgrading from our Forest River Wildcat. We are also upgrading our Tow vehicle. Is anyone comfortably and safley towing thec388SP with a Single Rear Wheel (SRW) vehicle? Or am I looking at a dually only?



Thank you for your positive feedback and confirmation!!
 
BryanValRox

BryanValRox

Elite Member
dennis.tangeebrookie@gmai said:
We are very excited after making a deposit on a 2026 Paradigm 388SP. We are upgrading from our Forest River Wildcat. We are also upgrading our Tow vehicle. Is anyone comfortably and safley towing thec388SP with a Single Rear Wheel (SRW) vehicle? Or am I looking at a dually only?



Thank you for your positive feedback and confirmation!!
Click to expand...
Congratulations and welcome to the forum!
You are looking at a dually !
 
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2 Allies

2 Allies

Prominent Member
Congratulations and Welcome to the Forum! You may be able to get a SRW to tow it, but you could not fully load it and you would have no safety margin. I learned after going through the process that you can never have too much truck. It took a bit for me to jump to the dually, due to its size, daily drive, etc., but the juice is worth the squeeze when you are towing that expensive 5th wheel. BTW, great new floor plan!!

Enjoy,
 
Jwtsg

Jwtsg

Well-known member
Congratulations & Welcome to the forum from Oregon. As others note you will never regret going dually! Too much trailer for a SWR,,,wishing you many wonderful,memories, safe travels, and minimum issues! Enjoy 👍🌞🍀!
 
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Stiletto364

Stiletto364

Member
I like to maintain a safety margin of around 20% on weight ratings. If I were planning on buy a new 2026 tow vehicle for a 19k GVWR fifth wheel, I would be planning for DRW and preferably a diesel.
 
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jagibson58

Active member
A SRW drive is ok but there is greater stability and drive ability just from my experience. A DRW cost a bit more but if you travel a lot it is worth it. Also look into getting a truck with a higher rear gear ratio, 4.10. Yes, a little less gas mileage but better drive ability.
 
UFF

UFF

Well-known member
Dually is what you really need. Not much more money. Piece of mind is worth a lot. This how much more for a Ram, $1,500.00 well spent.


IMG_8012.jpeg
 
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RockDr896

Well-known member
Dually for sure...I have a friend that is way more anal and a motor head. He spent a lot of money spec-ing his single axel 350 ford and thought he was saving money. After pulling his 44' North point, he is wishing he got the training wheels (Dually). My regret...not getting a 450 Ford. I have a 350 Dually and the limited steering is a HUGE thing to consider with tighter sights. I can always get into what the sight requires, but patience will be required. Limited steering means a few more smaller moves to hit the camping target.
 
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jbjuice

New member
We are considering the 388SP on a F350 Platinum SRD. The truck is lifted 4" or 6" so we're going with air bags and a gooseneck configuration. I had the service manager, regional sales manager and my Ford service guy out looking at my set-up and they said that it will work out well and the goose does ride batter with the new trailer suspension (note, the RV dealership is not your Camping World type of place, its a very reputable establishment). I just won't load heavy, but we are considering a generator add-on, which will add additional weight. Would love to have a dually, but my truck is paid off with only 80K on it. I just wish that I can test out the drive before signing the paperwork. Although my ford buddy and 2 seasoned trailer guys say it will work just fine, you don't know until you drive.
 
Flyer32RLS

Flyer32RLS

Well-known member
OH, look out about the raised 4"-6". The rail clearance is very important, at least 6" and then you have the problem of the RV riding high in the front and dangerously low in the rear end.
Ask around. The sales manager and service guy don't have any irons in the fire so...as Ronald Reagan said, "Trust....but Verify"!
Happy Glamping! :cool:
 
Oregon_Camper

Oregon_Camper

Forum Admin
Staff member
jbjuice said:
We are considering the 388SP on a F350 Platinum SRD. The truck is lifted 4" or 6" so we're going with air bags and a gooseneck configuration. I had the service manager, regional sales manager and my Ford service guy out looking at my set-up and they said that it will work out well and the goose does ride batter with the new trailer suspension (note, the RV dealership is not your Camping World type of place, its a very reputable establishment). I just won't load heavy, but we are considering a generator add-on, which will add additional weight. Would love to have a dually, but my truck is paid off with only 80K on it. I just wish that I can test out the drive before signing the paperwork. Although my ford buddy and 2 seasoned trailer guys say it will work just fine, you don't know until you drive.
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The 388SP has a DRY weight of 15,528 lbs. That is 100% a DRW RV. What does the sticker inside your door say? Will you for sure load 1,000 more pounds to the RV...more like 1,500. With a 4-6" lift, I would also think the RV's nose will be riding high. Not sure you will be able to level the RV with that much lift.
 
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Lantley

Prominent Member

Technical Specifications​

  • Length
    40' 11"
  • Height
    13' 5-1/2"
  • Dry Weight
    15,528 lbs
  • GVWR
    19,000 lbs
  • Hitch Weight
    3,112 lbs
  • Tanks F/G/B
    98/106/53 gal

I would review All your towing parameters very closely. 19K GVW puts you solidly in dually territory.
You will likely be at the edge of your limits if not exceeding them
 
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jbjuice

New member
Thanks for the replies. We did measure the truck bed and the level 5th wheel and it will fit underneath with room to spare. Couldn’t do it with a regular 5th wheel hitch though. I am concerned about weight and know I’ll be hitting the max so I will be talking with plenty of experts before pulling the trigger (and not the people at the RV dealership). I guess, if I have to, I’ll jump into a dually, but I heard that a SRW will tow two axels, but not 3.
 
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Lantley

Prominent Member
jbjuice said:
Thanks for the replies. We did measure the truck bed and the level 5th wheel and it will fit underneath with room to spare. Couldn’t do it with a regular 5th wheel hitch though. I am concerned about weight and know I’ll be hitting the max so I will be talking with plenty of experts before pulling the trigger (and not the people at the RV dealership). I guess, if I have to, I’ll jump into a dually, but I heard that a SRW will tow two axels, but not 3.
Click to expand...
It's all about weight on the pin, the number of axles really doesn't determine anything
 
M

M and E

Prominent Member
jbjuice said:
Got it! I’ll triple verify that the truck can handle it before purchase. Love my truck, so it will be a difficult decision if it’s too heavy.
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I'm not in the "Tow Police" camp by a long shot, not that any of these responses here go to that mindset. That said, your truck might technically handle it at its limits...very unlikely. Even if it does it is going to be absolutely positively an unenjoyable towing experience. You'll be making constant (literally) lane and speed adjustments and will have to have your A+ driving game on 100% of the time...and I am not an alarmist on this topic at all. Add some weather and it's going to be even more challenging. I have a 25 F350 6.7L SRW with 4140 in available payload towing a 25 340RL. I'm well within the numbers for the truck, and have towed in 20 MPH crosswinds and it pulls easily and is very enjoyable towing. Adding that length and weight of your rig to a SRW setup would be a non-starter for me. I am going to a dually in the near-ish future for this rig.
 
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