Ten Year Anniversary Trip
Hello all, New to the site here. The wife and I (and 2 boys ages 6 and 8) are going on a trip this summer for our 10 year anniv. trip. I know I know.... why are we bringing the kids. I went on th...
Forum Discussion
aaron.dios wrote:
thanks all for the tips and opinions. Im installing the rear bags for sure. the towing weight of the truck is around 16k and i believe the trailer hitch weight is around 1700 lbs. i was thinking of a 5th wheel because of the ease of pulling vs a bumperpull that i have heard. Ive pulled many trailer/ campers/ loads. just not a 5th wheel. I know it is alot of miles and spots but im planning on 15 days. we are easy and flexible. the Redwood is in Rowlett texas on RVshare.com. its the only 5th wheel around me that I found. im fine with pulling a smaller trailer but the price on the Redwood was actually a very good deal from what i could see.
1700 lbs pin wt is =dry=. Figure 20-25% of the GVW as a worst-case, so you could be upwards of 3,700 lbs on the pin at GVW. Way too much trailer for that truck. Airbags do NOT increase payload, only level the load you have.
Yes, a FW will pull a lot nicer than a TT and does give you a lot more room, but it's not identical to pulling a TT, that's for sure.
As others have said, doing the road from Silverton to Ouray is spooky. I drove it last year in my Civic and wished like hell I'd've grabbed a Xanax from my wife before doing it, and I've been driving mountain roads 40+ years here in AZ, and a lot of it towing. Don't know why it spooked me, but certainly gave me 2nd thoughts about doing it with a FW without some "mental prep", for sure. Yes, we did encounter a number of RVs and semis, so it's doable, but not lightly. Over a route like that, a 1t dually for that Redwood would be most appropriate...or a =much= lighter FW. Yes, in normal situations, truck stops itself and trailer stops itself, but if there's =any= issue, then the truck has to stop the whole load, and that's where it gets truly scary.
This sounds like a trip I'd love to make, and have driven a good portion of it, but it's not one you take without lots of prep. I'd much rather see you rent a TT, get it set up properly, and be safer than find yourself in a situation that might risk your whole family.
Lyle
