never towed question's

This reminds me of those who go to the bathroom before the weigh in at a Weight Watchers meeting.

Our first TT was 20' with no slide. Lasted just one season before we realized it was waaay too small and cramped. Upgraded to a 29 footer with 1 slide with sofa in it and rear kitchen that creates lots of circulation and counter space. Huge improvement. We now have plenty of space for the 2 of us. We also upgraded to a 3/4 ton TV at the same time and are glad we did. Not much difference in towing or backing up a 20' vs 29'.

If you indeed do find that a smaller TT isn't working for you, you can lose a LOT of $$ when you go to sell it or trade it in. Better to make the right financial choice from the start.

Some CGs have rental TTs on their sites. Maybe spending a weekend in one will help decide. If you have kids, quite a few manufacturers make a TT with a layout similar to this:

The OP has a 3/4 ton gas truck with 1400+ pound receiver rating and at least 2700 pounds of payload. He has GM's 6.0L with 6-spd trans. It would be difficult to exceed anything but GCWR with an 8000 pound dry TT. I would shop 10k-ish GVWR TTs.

gochiefs58 wrote:

cdevidal wrote:
Gocheifs58 a lot of members, whom I am sure are more experienced than me, think your truck is capable of a lot of trailer. I'm just starting out myself, and one thing I wanted to be certain of from the beginning is that I am towing within the ratings and specs. As I get more comfortable towing I might push the envelope, but as of today I am keeping it conservative.

A big surprise was that with a 20% safety buffer, the weight from the tongue, weight of passengers and stuff inside (floor mats, lunch, etc) we are close to the GVWR. In fact if we had another passenger on our April trip like I thought we would, I'd run it on only 1/2 a tank of gas to save weight. Thankfully we're not going to that extreme. One fewer passenger means we have more buffer.

So I encourage you to double-check the weights. Here is a good read, taken from the FAQs in the Beginner forum:
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14369340.cfm

this is something i am taking seriously. my truck as it is is rated at 9400 pounds, im thinking i want to keep my trailer GVWR at around 7500 or 8500.....is this a good idea? or should i go lower. i have to be aware also of GVCW right?

i could change out my gears in the rear end (im at 3.73) if i change it out it'll go up to around 10k or so....i doubt i would ever tow near that ever!!

To give you an idea, because we have so much passenger weight, my vehicle, which is rated at 8,900lbs, should really only tow no more than 6,500lbs, else I will run over the vehicle's GVWR. And I was looking at less than 5,000lb (less than 4,000 ideal) when shopping.

It may surprise you when you find that you shouldn't pull as much as the manufacturer boasts you can. That rating is with a single 150lb driver, no one else, no other options like DVD players, floor mats, etc.

gochiefs58 wrote:

cdevidal wrote:
Gocheifs58 a lot of members, whom I am sure are more experienced than me, think your truck is capable of a lot of trailer. I'm just starting out myself, and one thing I wanted to be certain of from the beginning is that I am towing within the ratings and specs. As I get more comfortable towing I might push the envelope, but as of today I am keeping it conservative.

A big surprise was that with a 20% safety buffer, the weight from the tongue, weight of passengers and stuff inside (floor mats, lunch, etc) we are close to the GVWR. In fact if we had another passenger on our April trip like I thought we would, I'd run it on only 1/2 a tank of gas to save weight. Thankfully we're not going to that extreme. One fewer passenger means we have more buffer.

So I encourage you to double-check the weights. Here is a good read, taken from the FAQs in the Beginner forum:
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14369340.cfm

this is something i am taking seriously. my truck as it is is rated at 9400 pounds, im thinking i want to keep my trailer GVWR at around 7500 or 8500.....is this a good idea? or should i go lower. i have to be aware also of GVCW right?

i could change out my gears in the rear end (im at 3.73) if i change it out it'll go up to around 10k or so....i doubt i would ever tow near that ever!!

3.73 is a decent towing gear. One thing I'd add, if you don't already have it, is a transmission cooler. Towing makes extra heat and this will help the transmission a LOT and even the engine a little.

First, don't stress so much over it. It really isn't as hard as people sometimes make it out to be.

After that, the second most important thing to remember is slow down and take your time. This means in campgrounds too. A lot of people worry about their first time pulling in. Don't. We've all been there. No one's laughing at you.

My first time, some guy ran over and said he walk me through the backing in part. Great guy. Now, I'm the guy that will recognize when someone is nervous and run to help. And I'm not always the only one.

Don't be afraid to tell the desk when you're checking in. Most times, they'll have someone go with you. Not only are they normally very friendly, but they don't want you slamming into the power pedestals either.

Even guys like me who've done it a thousand times screw up. Don't be afraid to start over. Even if it means driving around and starting over.

As far as what to buy, we'll that's up to you. Once you have more experience, a larger unit is not much of a problem in smaller campgrounds. Some of our state and federal campgrounds do have length limits. Usually due to the hard turns getting in. Where I live, the federal campgrounds could easily fit a 38 ft and truck. Nice long spots with tons of space. Roads getting in are a different story if you're new. Only advice there is call and ask. Campground hosts and ranger stations are great sources for info.

I buy used. I feel I get more value for my money. I don't worry about warranties. But you have to know going in that these things are basically toys. And they're gonna cost money

cdevidal wrote:
Gocheifs58 a lot of members, whom I am sure are more experienced than me, think your truck is capable of a lot of trailer. I'm just starting out myself, and one thing I wanted to be certain of from the beginning is that I am towing within the ratings and specs. As I get more comfortable towing I might push the envelope, but as of today I am keeping it conservative.

A big surprise was that with a 20% safety buffer, the weight from the tongue, weight of passengers and stuff inside (floor mats, lunch, etc) we are close to the GVWR. In fact if we had another passenger on our April trip like I thought we would, I'd run it on only 1/2 a tank of gas to save weight. Thankfully we're not going to that extreme. One fewer passenger means we have more buffer.

So I encourage you to double-check the weights. Here is a good read, taken from the FAQs in the Beginner forum:
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14369340.cfm

this is something i am taking seriously. my truck as it is is rated at 9400 pounds, im thinking i want to keep my trailer GVWR at around 7500 or 8500.....is this a good idea? or should i go lower. i have to be aware also of GVCW right?

i could change out my gears in the rear end (im at 3.73) if i change it out it'll go up to around 10k or so....i doubt i would ever tow near that ever!!

Gocheifs58 a lot of members, whom I am sure are more experienced than me, think your truck is capable of a lot of trailer. I'm just starting out myself, and one thing I wanted to be certain of from the beginning is that I am towing within the ratings and specs. As I get more comfortable towing I might push the envelope, but as of today I am keeping it conservative.

A big surprise was that with a 20% safety buffer, the weight from the tongue, weight of passengers and stuff inside (floor mats, lunch, etc) we are close to the GVWR. In fact if we had another passenger on our April trip like I thought we would, I'd run it on only 1/2 a tank of gas to save weight. Thankfully we're not going to that extreme. One fewer passenger means we have more buffer.

So I encourage you to double-check the weights. Here is a good read, taken from the FAQs in the Beginner forum:
http://www.rv.net/forums/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/14369340.cfm

My local dealership is along a (formerly two direction) narrow highway feeder / frontage road with a deep drainage ditch. Before the first traffic light there is a merging lane from the highway.

I asked how many trailers get wrecked before the first traffic light. They keep the tow truck on speed dial.

Practice towing with a flatbed first. Rent one if you have to.

gochiefs58 wrote:
I feel like this place is full of great mentors!!

if i may change gears a little....has anyone ever used an "RV" GPS like from Garmin?...if so what r your thoughts......secondly.....whats "good sam" all about? worth it?

I have a Garmin RV760LMT. I bought it for my Class B motorhome and I love it. You can enter multiple profiles into it and then run it in RV or automobile mode. It show places that service RV's, propane sales and so on. The LMT means it has lifetime map upgrades.

Some tips on backing a trailer. When you back up, put your hand on the BOTTOM of the steering wheel. When you want the trailer to go left, move your hand left.

Get a couple of cheap FS radios so your spotter can talk to you clearly.

If it is way out of position, don't be embarrassed to pull up straight and try again.

Some campgrounds have "pull through" sites. These usually cost a little more ($5-25) and are aimed at long Class A's with a trailer or towed vehicle.

I've been known to "cheat" a little bit and mount trailer balls on the front of my vehicles. You might not be able to do this for a 30 foot trailer, but a small one, especially if you have back trouble like me, you can zip it right in.

Since this is your first unit, pick up a copy of "the Complete Idiots Guide to RVing". I knew MOST of what was in it but there were enough fresh tips that it was worth the price. My boss bought a trailer and I loaned it to him and there again, it told him things he didn't know enough to ask.

As for Good Sam, I've been meaning to join and have gotten a lot of good advice from them. The campgrounds I've used I went by the Good Sam ratings.

Since you're a mechanic, just remember to treat it like your WIFE'S car, not yours. I ran a shop years ago and know I can get my truck going if there's a problem but HER car is kept in top shape. Wheel and bearing maintenance is something you really want to pay attention to.