First time travel trailer towing question
I've just bought a 2015 skyline retro 188s I have a 1994 f150 with a tow package 300 inline 6 auto, the camper weighs 3050 the gvwr 3850 I pulled it home with a regular receiver I was going to put swa...
Forum Discussion
I spent some time searching for your camper on the internet "2015 skyline retro 188s RV". Found several dealerships, found some stats on it, but none had a tongue weight. Manufacturer web site didn't help much either.
Your camper is a light weight camper and a smaller tow vehicle will tow it OK under most circumstances. There are some pop-ups that weigh more than your new camper does.
I did notice your's is a single axle, and 18 feet long(?). I personally would want a weight distribution system (hitch) if it were me, but contrary to my own stubborn insistence that there's no price too high for safety when it comes to towing, I would made a wild (disclaimer), you will probably be OK without WD bars. We towed a pop-up that weighed a couple thousand pounds with a Chevy MiniVan for 6 years and had no problem. Of course, if the kids stood on the rear bumper, I could lift the tongue and move it around by hand comfortably.
For your own safety and for better driving performance, I would recommend some kind of WD system. I DO NOT THINK a high-end system is necessary for your configuration.
If you go to your closest Ford Dealer, you can probably pick up a WD hitch and bars for a reasonable price. The standard old school style Reese with the chains and bars would probably do you very well. Then add a sway bar. So get the hitch head with the extra holes for a sway bar.
Then the Equal-i-zer, a little higher in cost, has the sway control built in. I've had both systems. Both worked well for me. To go any higher in cost, I REALLY think you are overspending and gaining nothing.
Now ... if you are considering changing tow vehicles in the future and changing trailers also, then you might be better off with a higher scale system. But, if you ever go with a bigger rig, you'll probably want a WD system taylored for that configuration.
My suggestion: You don't need the bars or anything if you are just tooling the camper around your yard or from campsite to campsite in the same campground, or even to the dump station and back.
But on the road, I think you should have something, BUT you do no need to go elaborate... be practical. Reese or Equal-i-zer.
Enjoy your new camper!
Your camper is a light weight camper and a smaller tow vehicle will tow it OK under most circumstances. There are some pop-ups that weigh more than your new camper does.
I did notice your's is a single axle, and 18 feet long(?). I personally would want a weight distribution system (hitch) if it were me, but contrary to my own stubborn insistence that there's no price too high for safety when it comes to towing, I would made a wild (disclaimer), you will probably be OK without WD bars. We towed a pop-up that weighed a couple thousand pounds with a Chevy MiniVan for 6 years and had no problem. Of course, if the kids stood on the rear bumper, I could lift the tongue and move it around by hand comfortably.
For your own safety and for better driving performance, I would recommend some kind of WD system. I DO NOT THINK a high-end system is necessary for your configuration.
If you go to your closest Ford Dealer, you can probably pick up a WD hitch and bars for a reasonable price. The standard old school style Reese with the chains and bars would probably do you very well. Then add a sway bar. So get the hitch head with the extra holes for a sway bar.
Then the Equal-i-zer, a little higher in cost, has the sway control built in. I've had both systems. Both worked well for me. To go any higher in cost, I REALLY think you are overspending and gaining nothing.
Now ... if you are considering changing tow vehicles in the future and changing trailers also, then you might be better off with a higher scale system. But, if you ever go with a bigger rig, you'll probably want a WD system taylored for that configuration.
My suggestion: You don't need the bars or anything if you are just tooling the camper around your yard or from campsite to campsite in the same campground, or even to the dump station and back.
But on the road, I think you should have something, BUT you do no need to go elaborate... be practical. Reese or Equal-i-zer.
Enjoy your new camper!
