Went to an RV show here in CT today, and got impulsive. Got a great deal on a Springfield 299 Camper, and put the initial $$ down. Now that I'm home I'm thinking rationally (I guess) and am worrying or having second thoughts about the weight, hopefully for no reason. The trailer empty is 7500 lbs. My truck ('07 1500 Mega Cab Laramie 5.7Hemi) has the 4.10 rear end, and what is listed on the invoice as the towing package, with the tow/haul option on the gear shift.

I guess my question is how hard & fast is the 8500 lb towing capacity, and am I going to destroy my truck towing this thing on a long trip (CT -> FL for example)? How does people and weight in the cab/bed of the truck (luggage, etc.) itself factor into this (I'm assuming the more up front the better)? I am most likely going to get the Prestige brake assist system, or at least some type of brake assist, so the rear end shouldn't take the entire brunt of stopping this thing.

I have a week to get my deposit back, and even then it was only $300, I'd rather lose the small deposit than have to put that and more into fixing the truck.

Thanks,

Sean

 

Get your deposit back. If you look at the gross vehicle combined weight (15,000) and subtract the weight of the trailer (7500) = 7500 lbs

7500lbs minus the curb weight of your truck (5975 with nothing in it) you get 1525 lbs.

So 1525 lbs is what you have to play with in weight. That needs to include you, your family, food or clothes or anything else in the camper. So you can see you will likely be over on weight. Can you tow it? Yes, but maybe not legally and it will be very slow.

To put it in perspective I have a QC 1500 with a whole bunch of power mods done to it and still have a hard time pulling a 7200 lb trailer especially on hills.

I am actually selling my travel trailer which has an empty weight of 6000 lbs and getting somethink in the 4900lb range just for ease of towing.

 

I'd have to agree with HeloPilot ... once you factor in the weight of your passengers, all your cloths, pots, pans, firewood, water, etc. you're really adding some serious weight. Also, when you get up into that kind of trailer weight\length, you really have to consider how the weight\length of the trailer is going to effect your truck's drivability. That trailer will be pushing you around when every semi passes you, despite the best hitch and swaybar setup. And if you're considering towing it from CT to FL, be prepared for some white nuckle, butt clinching experiences through the mountains.

What I would recommend is that you post this same question over on the RV.Net forums. The people there are very helpful and should be able to give you some real world experiences with towing a trailer of that weight\length.

Mike

 

Thanks, guys, appreciate the responses, and please, i welcome any others. Quick question, we were also looking at the Jayco Feather Lightweight trailers - 6100# empty weight, but more $$ and a little less room, which is why we went with the one we did, but still a really nice unit. Obviously lighter is better, but I guess from experience, what is about the maximum combined weight to aim for?

Thanks again,

Sean

 

I was at our local dealership and he pretty much said he wouldn't feel comfortable selling me anything over a 5k pd empty weight. Side they all top out at aroudn 65-7k pds. I need to have weight left for gear, fuel, and myselft.

Look at some fleetwood mallards, their 18,20,23 ft models are all at, or under 6700#'s. Also look at ultralights, you pay more, but it's your safety...

 

I'm not RV expert but over time this would be my rule of thumb ... try to keep your trailer under 85% of your maximum tow rating. My 04 QC 1500 with 3.92s is rated at 8800#. So 8800# x .85 = 7480# max for trailer, gear, water, bikes, etc. If you figure most people load up 1500# to 1800# of gear, I should be looking for a trailer with a dry\empty weight of no more than 6000# , less if I'm planning on carrying more gear and people in my tow vehicle.

Another thing to watch is your GVWR which includes the weight of the truck, gear, all the passengers, a full tank of fuel AND the hitch weight of the trailer. Normal load conditions put 13-15% of the trailer weight on the hitch of the truck. With a loaded trailer at 7480#, that's 1122# additonal weight the truck axles are carrying. The GVWR on my truck is 6650#, since it weighs in at about 5000#, with an 1120# on the hitch, I have about 528# of cargo carrying capacity. In this case, what I'd do is load some of my gear in the back of the trailer to even things out a little.

Again, I'm no expert but maybe this will help with your research.

Mike

 

i have a 28 ft trailer that I bought last year it weighs 4500 dry I also have 2 kids three dogs and a wife ( and usuallya friend of the kids) that come along when we go camping . I have yet to go with a full tank of water but we have loaded it up pretty good . i figure i am hauling around6000 to6500 when all is said and done . with that being said I am sure glad i didnt buy a bigger trailer !! this thing is a monster !! If i were you i would get my money back cause pulling that thing will be very very hard on your truck ! You should also get an equilizing hitch you would be surprised how well they work and when you say you were thinking about getting a brake controller dont even take it off the lot without one !! that much weight will push you around like no tomorow . good luck on whatever you choose and keep us updated

 

Well, I went today & got the money back, even though it was a sweet deal, and as much as it bummed me out. The dealer at the show was great, absolutely no pressure to switch me tosomething else, and handed me back the entire folder of paperwork I filled out, including my check, without batting an eye in the first 30 seconds. I have to give kudos to them, Travel Rite RV Sales & Rentals in Willison, VT. Great bunch of people, and extremely helpful.

They had another trailer there that was lighter, but the GVWR was over. Everyone (wife included, not really pressure form the dealer) was trying to convince meto do it, saying that we would never load that much, the truck should pull it fine, etc. etc. etc. But my gut kept screaming "No" and in the end, even my wife said that she was glad I hung in there. We looked at the Jayco feather line, and are going to look at some of the other "lightweight" trailers in this class before rushing into anything, since the price isn't necessarily dependant on the show.

Thank you again to everyone here for helping to keep me from making and following through on a really, really bad mistake - even a potentially fatal one.

Sean

 

toastedoat,

Smart man....good luck on your search.

 

I'm curious as to what the tow rating difference is between your truck and a similarly-equipped 2500 mega cab. Since I'm sure you know they're identical vehicles except for the badge, you very well could be turning down a trailer that's perfectly within your means to tow safely.