Anyone tow a long camper?
 

I am looking at buying a camper, and have heard from some that vehicle length can also affect driveability. I have a 2015 RT with factory tow package, I believe rated for 7200 lbs.

I'm looking at buying a trailer that is 28' long, 5730 empty. I am aware that I will need to be careful about how full liquid tanks are and how much cargo in there as to not get too close to the tow limit. http://www.nadaguides.com/RVs/2012/S...26TBUD/6019372

Can anyone share their experience towing long campers such as this? We've contemplated getting a pickup with a fifth wheel and going all in, but that is an awful lot of money to go camping.

There is at least one other thread in this forum with a similar topic. I'd suggest you also search for that.

From my personal experience, I have a 30' travel trailer that weighs around 5600 dry and I towed it with my 2011 Durango Crew with the 5.7L. While the Durango had plenty of power, it also had a tendency to sway. I had a weight distribution hitch, friction anti-sway and later added rear air bag helper springs to try to help. My Durango also had the factory tow package with load leveling rear struts and electronic anti-sway.

I heard really good things about the Husky Centerline TS weight distribution and anti-sway hitch so I purchased that to replace the chain-based weight distribution hitch. Unfortunately (for my response here) a deal came up on a 2014 Ram 1500 with factory air suspension and tow package so I traded the Durango in before trying out the Husky. Considering how well that hitch works with the Ram, I'm pretty sure it would have made a significant improvement on how the Durango towed the trailer.

So, if you don't already have a hitch system for the camper, I'd recommend something like the Centerline versus the chain style combined with friction anti-sway. I'd also highly recommend the Tekonsha Prodigy P3 trailer brake controller. I miss the smooth nature of the P3. The factory brake controller in the Ram works okay, but still not as well as the P3.

Also note that these are just my experiences. I have no professional tie to the manufacturers mentioned above.

-Rod

Hi Wi-Steve,


I have a 2005 Ram 1500 w/ 5.7 Hemi and pull a 33' travel trailer (approx 7500 lb). The truck has plenty of power. As stated earlier, get a weight distribution hitch and a break controller. Haven't had any issues with my setup.


Good luck and happy camping.

thanks
 

Thanks for the feedback. Would definitely get a top of the line stabilizer and brake controller, those are not places to try and save $.

Looking like we might go for it, but probably in the spring at the rate I am building the savings account. The wife got more involved at looking at these and suddenly we are looking at a lot nicer (more $) campers.

She's looking at replacing her vehicle anyway so if we decide that towing the camper with the Durango is dicey then her minivan gets replaced with a pick up for sure.

My 25' Airstream is actually 26' and weights 6600lbs fully loaded to camp (although it's rate for 7300). I tow it all over- including mountains out west- with my semi Citadel.

if you need a brake controller; get the factory brake controller. this will allow the vehicle to use its abs/stability system to control sway. Aftermarket controllers cannot do this.

update
 

Hello all, here's a quick update in case anyone else is looking to do this.
I bought a Jayco Jay Feather 25BH. That's about 30' overall length, 25' of it being the actual camper. It weighs 5300 lbs empty. I installed a Tekonsha P3 brake controller, which I am very happy with. (there is room to velcro it to the right of the fuel door release)

I picked it up from the private seller with my 2015 RT and drive home (about 60 miles) using state roads no faster that 60mph. Power and braking were fine, although you could certainly tell from the shifting and higher RPMs that the truck was working harder to pull it.

With the camper empty and just me in the truck, it was not a pleasant ride but tolerable. I planned to install an equalizer/sway control system and/or buy wife a truck in spring. But hey, new camper so we had to take it out at least once before winter. We tried a local campground about 20 minutes from home. We loaded up some minor supplies in the camper (mainly in a storage compartment in front) plus our family of four and one large dog. The added weight was enough to really push the truck over the edge for swaying and bouncing. So, if anyone is considering buying such a camper, I would stress that the previous advice to buy a good hitch is quality advice. Beyond that, watch the tongue weight and vehicle payload - we were probably right about maximum on both and clearly the added payload of loaded camper plus passengers in truck was too much.

I have trouble believing that any hitch can really overcome the hitch weight/payload issue.

It won't let you tow over your limits safely, but a good weight distributing hitch will make a HUGE difference in handling within the limits. They really do work. They transfer the weight from the hitch to the front wheels of the vehicle and the trailer wheels. Properly adjusted, the vehicle will sit exactly as it does without the trailer hitched- the front isn't higher and the back isn't lower.

the progression goes like this:
-once you add a wd hitch to your bumper pull...you wonder why you never used one before
-once you pull a fifth wheel...you never want to go back to towing a large bumper pull.