You have received some great advice on the responses to your question. I have towed a travel trailer for many years now and work very closely with a dealership pulling units to RV shows and and the like, so I can vouch for the accuracy of the advice you have been given. Some people like to tow as much weight as they can, but there are trade-offs that can be expensive, not to mention dangerous. Don't let an unscrupulous dealer try to talk you into a trailer that is too heavy as there are those that will tell you anything to make a sale.

With your truck I would agree that you should stick to the area of 7000 lbs and don't forget that this is a "dry weight," meaning that you still have to include the weight of anything that you load into the trailer and the vehicle, including the weight of all passengers. You can easily add 1000 lbs to your weight by just equipping the trailer with the gear that you will need, not to mention what you might want to carry in the truck.

After trying other brake controllers I also settled on the Prodigy and, in my opinion it can't be beat. I also use the Equalizer weight distributing hitch and can recommend it. When making the deal on your trailer keep in mind that there is at least a 25% markup in the retail price, so don't be afraid to bargain on the price. One of the main things I would caution you about is the floor plan of the trailer. Make sure you get the one that suits you and the family, if there is anything in one that you don't like, it will only be worse after you buy it and camp in it for a while. There are many things to take into consideration when choosing a floor plan and if you are not experienced in camping in a trailer you might not be aware of several of those. My advice to you is to register on the forum at RV.NET and quiz the members there on any questions you have and for advice on what to look for.

I don't know where you are, but if you ever camp down south I may run into you one day. Our favorite campground is Fort Wilderness at Disney World. Happy camping.

 

Thanks for the input and I will check out that site. Probably going to look for a used trailer as it seems they depreciate quickly the first few years.

 

RV.net and this forum are good resources. You have most of what you need with the factory tow package. However, a trailer brake controller is a must and is really easy to install. I, too, have the Tekonsha and it works great. I also strongly agree with the suggestion to not listen or even ask an RV dealer what you can tow with your truck. When I was shopping RV's, every single one I talked to told my truck could tow more than it turned out I should be towing with it. I think they have a chart that lists what you did (re. 10000 lbs) and doesn't take into consideration anything else about the truck.

You are right that 20" wheels reduce your total towable weight by about 1000 lbs. It isn't the rims so much as it is the tires that fit on them. Most aren't capable of towing as much weight safely as available tires for 16 or 17 inch wheels. Before I found out about the 20" wheel tow weight reduction (which is mentioned nowhere in my owner's manual), I always wondered why most heavy duty trucks seemed to come stock with such tiny looking rims and tires. I would assume the above is the reason why.

Not having 4wd will give you an extra few hundred pounds to work with. But I would say that 8000 to 8200 lbs is the limit you want to stay under. And keep in mind that you want an RV that is well under that because every lb you load into it for a trip counts towards the total weight. You also need to pay attention to your gross weight limits of the vehicle and tow unit and keep in mind that passengers and cargo in the truck bed count towards that weight as well.

There are a lot of RV's out there with plenty of space in them that can keep you well below the limits. I have a Jayco ultra-lite unit that is 30 ft. long, sleeps 7 or 8 fairly easily, and tows very well with my truck. Also, keep in mind, that if you want to consider something like a 5th wheel, you have to then be concerned with the weight of the RV over the hitch and not exceeding your cargo weight. Such RV's for half ton trucks are very hard to find if you can find any that are totally within limits.

If you don't buy from a dealer, you might still want to consider getting an experienced dealer shop to rig your hitchwork for you. A weight distribution/equalizing hitch is a definite plus but you have to know what you are doing to get it setup right. There are people on rv.net that can help you with that if you decide to do it on your own. Just keep in mind there is more to it than just hooking everything together and going.

Good luck!

 

Don't pull the camper with water in the tank. Water weighs 8 pounds per gallon. Fill up when you get where you are going.

 

That depends on how close to your max weight you are and/or where the water tank is located in the RV. If it's up front like mine is, it will affect your tongue weight. Regardless, I agree, fill it up at the last opportunity closest to your destination just because it is a lot of added weight you have to tow that you can get by without towing as much as possible if you plan properly. A lot of truck stops have free water outlets you can use to fill up your on board water tank.

With my tank full, I'm still within my limits but, believe me, you do feel the difference with a full tank of water on board. The only time I dry camp, and therefore need the onboard water, is when my buddies and I go to the NASCAR races at Richmond, VA. For 4 or 5 of us for the weekend, quick showers only (we don't drink it - that's what beer is for), it takes the contents of my tank and a refill to get us through. So, we also carry a 55 gallon tank with us with a gas powered pump (water bug). We usually stop at a truck stop on I-95 and fill both tanks up but we are still a half hour or so from the track from there. It's totally manageable though. That way I don't have to carry 350 extra lbs of water in the RV any further than I have to and my buddy doesn't have to carry 400 lbs in the back of his truck any further than he has to.

 

Where is the best place to buy the Tekonsha brake controller?

 

I'm sure you can buy it online but most any RV dealer is going to have them. I've even seen some at some Super Wal Marts. Those WalMarts are typically close to either an RV dealer or camgrounds. My WalMart doesn't have anything like that.

 

Just found it for a pretty good price at eTrailer.com. Its around $93.00.

 

Didn't see it mentioned already, but if it was, sorry. These trucks are prewired for a brake controller too. There's a brake controller wire harness under the dash you can tap into so you don't have to run wires all crazy.