Im not interested in your FYI’s. Everything you type on here is usually wrong or misinformation. You know nothing about my setup. I’ve weighed on scales fully loaded and I’m fine on my weight. Everything except for the wife and kids goes in the toyhauler. I pull heavy but my vehicle is not weighted down. Everything goes in the garage of the toy hauler which in turn helps offset tongue weight. I can see fine with the mirrors I have. Believe it or not I actually know how to drive and pull a trailer.
Travel Trailers
- Thread starter J_82
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Im not interested in your FYI’s. Everything you type on here is usually wrong or misinformation. You know nothing about my setup. I’ve weighed on scales fully loaded and I’m fine on my weight. Everything except for the wife and kids goes in the toyhauler. I pull heavy but my vehicle is not weighted down. Everything goes in the garage of the toy hauler which in turn helps offset tongue weight. I can see fine with the mirrors I have. Believe it or not I actually know how to drive and pull a trailer.
He's got 8800 lbs DRY weight in that thing...
And unless I'm misreading something, he's even got VEHICLES in there. So the trailer is probably like 11k lbs easy.
...Maybe more. Maybe even a lot more.
Sure sounds like Superduty Diesel territory.
chuck s
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We're throwing a lot of numbers around here. 
As I read the thread the trailer in question has a GVWR of 8800 pounds which is the maximum allowable weight for the trailer and all cargo. This is not the empty weight. The actual weight is only determined by weighing the trailer which I believe has been done in this case -- and I assume it's under GVWR.
I don't like to tow so close to maximum ratings mainly because I tow on weekends and don't have time for breakdowns. Every summer I see campers broken down along side the road (mainly the PA Turnpike). However they're almost exclusively obviously overloaded minivans pulling obviously overloaded trailers. Overloading the trailer will tax the tow vehicle drive train (why we have HD tow packages) and all the vehicles suspensions and tires. Overloaded tires can violently blow out. As can old tires.
Moving my trailer 500 miles from Cleveland to Richmond a couple of months I ignored consensus to replace trailer tires every 4 or 5 years and attempted the journey on very old tires. The newest one was at least 8 years old. I was lucky. Still had a violent blow out, of course, but I was only 20 miles from home and the Expedition handled it without problems. Getting the tire changed by myself laying on the gravel shoulder of the Ohio Turnpike was an experience I have no desire to repeat. My little scissors jack barely got the job done -- since replaced with a more robust jack. I turned around, went home, and had five (5) new tires and wheels delivered in a few days. Second attempt was much more boring.
-- Chuck
As I read the thread the trailer in question has a GVWR of 8800 pounds which is the maximum allowable weight for the trailer and all cargo. This is not the empty weight. The actual weight is only determined by weighing the trailer which I believe has been done in this case -- and I assume it's under GVWR. I don't like to tow so close to maximum ratings mainly because I tow on weekends and don't have time for breakdowns. Every summer I see campers broken down along side the road (mainly the PA Turnpike). However they're almost exclusively obviously overloaded minivans pulling obviously overloaded trailers. Overloading the trailer will tax the tow vehicle drive train (why we have HD tow packages) and all the vehicles suspensions and tires. Overloaded tires can violently blow out. As can old tires.
Moving my trailer 500 miles from Cleveland to Richmond a couple of months I ignored consensus to replace trailer tires every 4 or 5 years and attempted the journey on very old tires. The newest one was at least 8 years old. I was lucky. Still had a violent blow out, of course, but I was only 20 miles from home and the Expedition handled it without problems. Getting the tire changed by myself laying on the gravel shoulder of the Ohio Turnpike was an experience I have no desire to repeat. My little scissors jack barely got the job done -- since replaced with a more robust jack. I turned around, went home, and had five (5) new tires and wheels delivered in a few days. Second attempt was much more boring.
-- Chuck
J_82
Full Access Members
Really good info from all y’all. I’m the type of person that likes to do research so I can make an education decision. I am looking at buying a travel trailer and yall’s info really helps me a lot.
Bedrck47
Full Access Members
How much towing experience do you have?
J_82
Full Access Members
A little, I have driven long trailers but mostly off road on ranches not so much highway. I feel confident maneuvering in and out of tight spaces. I have good common sense and I am mostly safety conscious because I will have my family with me. We are 5. I have driven a lot in big city traffic.
Bedrck47
Full Access Members
In your original post You asked "how big can I go?" That was enough to make me not reply as I got the impression that you want the biggest heaviest trailer you can get.
I would suggest to you that maybe you should consider renting a TT in the 25 ft range and about 7000 lbs max weight to get some experience first. Invest in a good set of towing mirrors.
Towing on the highways is totally different than towing off road or farms or towing thru city driving
I agree with the ONE TON rule and also with the short wheelbase keep the length of the TT to under 27 ft. Also keep in mind the safety of your equipment and most important your family.
Start out smaller a lighter until you gain experience
I would also suggest that you join one of the RV forums as you will get much better information about RV's and towing from people that have been towing for years.
Jaycoowners.com is a very good forum for help and information.
Check the following links
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f37/how-to-weigh-your-tv-tt-3871.html#post24549
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f7/length-to-weight-27899.html#post308925
I would suggest to you that maybe you should consider renting a TT in the 25 ft range and about 7000 lbs max weight to get some experience first. Invest in a good set of towing mirrors.
Towing on the highways is totally different than towing off road or farms or towing thru city driving
I agree with the ONE TON rule and also with the short wheelbase keep the length of the TT to under 27 ft. Also keep in mind the safety of your equipment and most important your family.
Start out smaller a lighter until you gain experience
I would also suggest that you join one of the RV forums as you will get much better information about RV's and towing from people that have been towing for years.
Jaycoowners.com is a very good forum for help and information.
Check the following links
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f37/how-to-weigh-your-tv-tt-3871.html#post24549
https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f7/length-to-weight-27899.html#post308925
I tow a 6000 lb (total with trailer) boat like it is not back there. My truck is a swb 2016 Limited with 3.73 gears and a 9200 lb tow rating. I think if you limit the travel trailer to about 6000 lbs + gear, you will be comfortable towing. A weight distributing hitch with sway control is mandatory, imho.
We have been looking at Airstreams to replace our old 24 ft bunkhouse...
brick
We have been looking at Airstreams to replace our old 24 ft bunkhouse...
brick
Oldnerdguy
Active Member
We have a Keystone Passport Ultra-lite 26 ft bunkhouse. Dry weight is around 5300 lbs. Loaded is probably around 6000ish.
Vehicle is 2017 XLT non-EL with HD tow. The power of the vehicles is great. The trailer brake controller is AWESOME.
I did experience more sway and body roll with the vehicle and trailer than I liked the first time I towed. I added some Sumo Springs that helped a lot. (See my write up in the Towing and Hauling section in the thread Suspension enhancements for sagging.)
A properly setup WD hitch and sway control are a must. I have used the chain type with the separate sway control and the type that use the bar type that slide on the bracket as integrated sway control. Both have pros and cons. So to each his own on that.
I have always used the 85% rule. Meaning I try to keep the total load at 85% of the max rating of the vehicle. This gives me a little internal comfort that I am not at the max or on the edge of safety. A vehicle's rating is based on many different things, not just "go and whoa". There is the obvious of moving and stopping, but then there is the moving and stopping on hills, in corners, on rough ground, and many other scenarios. There are suspension components in the front and back that get loaded and bound up in odd scenarios. And so much more.
Most vehicles can move more than they can safely make a trip with (Toyota shuttle commercial - it was moving in a straight line at 5mph).
Also I have read that some states can and will check vehicles to makes sure they are not overloaded based on the door rating.
Tire pressure is a must to check on the towing vehicle and on the trailer. In my experience the 35psi to daily drive on is not enough to tow with. I usually put the trailer at 48 of max 50. I put the vehicle at 40 of max 44.
How you load the trailer and vehicle needs to be considered. Once you get the rig setup like you like it and it tows well, remember how it was all loaded and keep it that way. Moving a few hundred pounds from front to rear or visa versa can impact the towing characteristics.
Tandem axle is more stable than single axle.
The longer the trailer the more sway you will have, generically speaking.
Like the one person said, renting something for a weekend to try is a good idea. Some places might even let you tow a few campers down the road from their used lot to give you an idea of what to expect.
Vehicle is 2017 XLT non-EL with HD tow. The power of the vehicles is great. The trailer brake controller is AWESOME.
I did experience more sway and body roll with the vehicle and trailer than I liked the first time I towed. I added some Sumo Springs that helped a lot. (See my write up in the Towing and Hauling section in the thread Suspension enhancements for sagging.)
A properly setup WD hitch and sway control are a must. I have used the chain type with the separate sway control and the type that use the bar type that slide on the bracket as integrated sway control. Both have pros and cons. So to each his own on that.
I have always used the 85% rule. Meaning I try to keep the total load at 85% of the max rating of the vehicle. This gives me a little internal comfort that I am not at the max or on the edge of safety. A vehicle's rating is based on many different things, not just "go and whoa". There is the obvious of moving and stopping, but then there is the moving and stopping on hills, in corners, on rough ground, and many other scenarios. There are suspension components in the front and back that get loaded and bound up in odd scenarios. And so much more.
Most vehicles can move more than they can safely make a trip with (Toyota shuttle commercial - it was moving in a straight line at 5mph).
Also I have read that some states can and will check vehicles to makes sure they are not overloaded based on the door rating.
Tire pressure is a must to check on the towing vehicle and on the trailer. In my experience the 35psi to daily drive on is not enough to tow with. I usually put the trailer at 48 of max 50. I put the vehicle at 40 of max 44.
How you load the trailer and vehicle needs to be considered. Once you get the rig setup like you like it and it tows well, remember how it was all loaded and keep it that way. Moving a few hundred pounds from front to rear or visa versa can impact the towing characteristics.
Tandem axle is more stable than single axle.
The longer the trailer the more sway you will have, generically speaking.
Like the one person said, renting something for a weekend to try is a good idea. Some places might even let you tow a few campers down the road from their used lot to give you an idea of what to expect.
Oldnerdguy
Active Member
Trailer towing experience is 100% the absolute most important item. I am still amazed that any Tom, Dick, or Harriot can go buy a vehicle and then can go and buy a trailer at the max weight the vehicle is rated for and drive off the lot. No driving test, no checklist to confirm experience, nothing. That can be 15,000+ lbs moving down the road. That could be extremely dangerous for other people and for the driver. YouTube and forums like this one can help a person get more informed, but there sometimes is no replacement for practical hands on experience.
Each Spring at the lake campground, it is a funny thing to watch as new owners drive in and then try to get backed in to their sites.
You can tell who just upgraded because you can see them go through and have a good idea of what to do but still a little uncomfortable and double checking the road and site because the setup is a little different. That is the correct thought process IMO.
And there is the complete new owners. There are two types of those. The ones who have tried to be responsible and stayed within their means (size wise) and super cautious and have a spotter and are trying to hurry and not get in anyone's way and so on. We usually try to help them if we can or they need it. Another example of the right way, IMO. Then there are the ones who just went out and got some giant rig and have no idea but think they do. They cut corners too tight and run the trailer off the road, seen a few popped tires from this, tree scratches down a side, mirrors broke off, etc. They have no idea how to back in to the site or what to adjust for, considering the slide, electric and water hookup, and so on. Once they get their heads out of the clouds and realize they are in over their head you can see it, and that is when we try to help. Offering before that realization generally tended to land on deaf ears.
Sorry for being so negative. I try not to be this way. Just frustrating that it is so easy for this to happen. It is the individual's responsibility to know what they are buying, but the camper dealer could be more realistically helpful and transparent on possible safety scenarios.
Each Spring at the lake campground, it is a funny thing to watch as new owners drive in and then try to get backed in to their sites.
You can tell who just upgraded because you can see them go through and have a good idea of what to do but still a little uncomfortable and double checking the road and site because the setup is a little different. That is the correct thought process IMO.
And there is the complete new owners. There are two types of those. The ones who have tried to be responsible and stayed within their means (size wise) and super cautious and have a spotter and are trying to hurry and not get in anyone's way and so on. We usually try to help them if we can or they need it. Another example of the right way, IMO. Then there are the ones who just went out and got some giant rig and have no idea but think they do. They cut corners too tight and run the trailer off the road, seen a few popped tires from this, tree scratches down a side, mirrors broke off, etc. They have no idea how to back in to the site or what to adjust for, considering the slide, electric and water hookup, and so on. Once they get their heads out of the clouds and realize they are in over their head you can see it, and that is when we try to help. Offering before that realization generally tended to land on deaf ears.
Sorry for being so negative. I try not to be this way. Just frustrating that it is so easy for this to happen. It is the individual's responsibility to know what they are buying, but the camper dealer could be more realistically helpful and transparent on possible safety scenarios.
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J_82
Full Access Members
I definitely don’t want to go as big as possible. I don’t want to be paying for a big trailer I’m going to use about 4-5 times a year.
I planned on renting a travel trailer in the spring before I go and buy one in the summer. I want to pay off some debt before I jump into this TT.
The only thing I hadn’t thought of was getting some good tow mirrors I’ll be looking into that.
Bedrck47
Full Access Members
Sounds better Your on the right track Good Luck
J_82
Full Access Members
You are not being negative you are being realistic, there is a difference. If you were negative you wouldn’t be helping the unexperienced.
1A Auto is the sole source (also sold thru Amazon by them if you have Prime and/or the 5% rewards card)
250ish/pair for basic functionality & power on the flat glass
350-400ish with signal repeaters and BLIS if you have that
They seem to be the previous gen F150 factory option's tow mirror design mated to the Expedition mirror mount (doesnt match F150 or superduty, alas, different size and shape).
It's a pretty good and functional upgrade, although with my height I kind of wish they sat higher on the mount
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ANGEL TORES
Member
I have a 2015 XLT, 3.5 Liter V6 EcoBoost with tow package. We are towing a 30ft (total length) Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 27RR toy hauler. GVWR is just under 9000lbs, dry weight is 6038lbs and it pulls it just fine and I use a weight distribution system. I would definitely recommend to keep your speed between 60-65mph to stay safe and so your gas mileage won't hurt you so bad. My Expedition gives full confidence there will be no problems towing our camper cross country to anywhere. Hope this helps and good luck
Benf84
Member
I tow a 25’ Sunline at 5500lbs with my 2011 XLT. I have found that the Expy tows a lot better than my 04 F150 that I was towing with before.
-B
-B
JExpedition07
That One Member
Did the pickup have the 4.6L or the 5.4L Triton?
J_82
Full Access Members
LolDisagree. You want a trailer.
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