1st time buyer (TT)
My wife and I are looking at buying a new TT this weekend and I wanted to know from experienced RVers what kind of little things we should look for in the TT. Ya know like things only ppl who have don...
Forum Discussion
I don’t know where in Michigan you are located, but if it’s in the SW, you might consider going to the Chicago RV Show. It runs from February 15 - 18 and is outside the city near O’Hare Airport.
FYI, the prices at RV shows aren’t necessarily great.
I would suggest using the GVWR of the trailer rather than the UVW. In my opinion the UVW is a useless number, as any trailer is guaranteed to weigh more than the UVW. The UVW doesn’t include the weight of propane, batteries or anything the dealer has added onto the trailer. They aren’t terribly accurate. For example, I’m looking at a fifth wheel which has 4 different options for a refrigerator. The smallest of these is over 6 cubic feet less than the largest refrigerator. Yet the trailers all have the same UVW.
You will get various opinions on what percentage of the GVWR is safe to tow. Some people will try to keep it around 80% of the GVWR, others 90%, and some will say that it’s okay to tow at the maximum GVWR. It comes down to how hard you want to push (some would say abuse) your truck and how much of a safety margin you are comfortable with. Bigger trailers equate to longer stopping distances. Where you tow matters as well - think mountains.
Salesmen tend to be very quick to give you the UVW (dry weight) and to say that a trailer is half-ton towable. Most will not have your best interests in mind. It’s very easy, especially at an RV show, to buy too much trailer for your truck.
As others have suggested, read, read, read. Decide what the max GVWR of a trailer would work for your truck and comfort level. Also it would be a good idea to go back and check the GVWRs of the trailers you are considering. One of them is 9600#.
though salesmen will be very quick to provide it to you.
FYI, the prices at RV shows aren’t necessarily great.
I would suggest using the GVWR of the trailer rather than the UVW. In my opinion the UVW is a useless number, as any trailer is guaranteed to weigh more than the UVW. The UVW doesn’t include the weight of propane, batteries or anything the dealer has added onto the trailer. They aren’t terribly accurate. For example, I’m looking at a fifth wheel which has 4 different options for a refrigerator. The smallest of these is over 6 cubic feet less than the largest refrigerator. Yet the trailers all have the same UVW.
You will get various opinions on what percentage of the GVWR is safe to tow. Some people will try to keep it around 80% of the GVWR, others 90%, and some will say that it’s okay to tow at the maximum GVWR. It comes down to how hard you want to push (some would say abuse) your truck and how much of a safety margin you are comfortable with. Bigger trailers equate to longer stopping distances. Where you tow matters as well - think mountains.
Salesmen tend to be very quick to give you the UVW (dry weight) and to say that a trailer is half-ton towable. Most will not have your best interests in mind. It’s very easy, especially at an RV show, to buy too much trailer for your truck.
As others have suggested, read, read, read. Decide what the max GVWR of a trailer would work for your truck and comfort level. Also it would be a good idea to go back and check the GVWRs of the trailers you are considering. One of them is 9600#.
though salesmen will be very quick to provide it to you.
