Coming to the darkside
Well here we come... just traded in our 2013 Kodiak hybrid on a 2015 Jayco Eagle 314BHDS. from towing 23 feet to 37 feet... lord help me what the heck was i thinking?
Forum Discussion
According to your sticker the GVWR of your truck is 1629 lbs. The gross weight of the TT you want is 9975 lbs. Multiply this by 12% and you get 1197 tongue weight - calculated. This is typically calculated from 12 - 15 percent. Saying that you won't load that much stuff into it is further hiding from the issue. If you can't come out with room to spare calculating with the gross numbers, then your best bet is to go to the CAT scale to get the real numbers. I think that is a waste of time in this instance though. You are a family of 5 which = lots of stuff.
Anyway, subtracting this from 1629 leaves you 432 pounds for the following items:
Driver's Weight
A common misconception is that 150 pounds is included in the doorjamb sticker; this is not the case. The entire driver's weight has to be deducted from the payload. Full tank of gas also not included.
Weight of Passenger(s)
Total up the weight of all of your passengers and pets. Also estimate and include the weight of infant, car and booster seats if applicable.
Weight of Hitch
A safe estimate is 50-100 pounds for travel trailers.
Weight of Traveling Comforts
You may travel with a variety of entertainment options for the kids (iPads, iPods, games, books, magazines, dolls, toys, pillows, blankets, etc.), a GPS, couple of maps, and a small cooler of drinks, and food items.
Weight In/On Truck Bed
Firewood (or equivalent), grill, wood blocks, chairs, boogie beach stuff. bed liner/cover. Include the topper if you have one, bikes, kayaks, waste water tote, wagon, etc.
Misc. Extra Weight
Anything not previously mentioned should be included here. If you carry bikes on a front hitch, include the weight of the hitch and bikes. Pretty much if you or a previous owner have added anything to the truck from when it was delivered from the factory, it has to be accounted for.
If you want accurate numbers, take it fully loaded including people to a CAT scale - google CAT Scale Locator.
Last straw is the P-rated tires with a max pressure of 35 psi. These are for passenger comfort - not towing a huge travel trailer. Somebody said something about jello... Someone also said this will only wear out your components faster - well, how worn out are they already?
Sure - some will say go for it so you do what you feel is safe for you and yours. I prefer not to have my head in the sand when it comes to stuff like this though - oh yea IMO...
Good luck to you.
Anyway, subtracting this from 1629 leaves you 432 pounds for the following items:
Driver's Weight
A common misconception is that 150 pounds is included in the doorjamb sticker; this is not the case. The entire driver's weight has to be deducted from the payload. Full tank of gas also not included.
Weight of Passenger(s)
Total up the weight of all of your passengers and pets. Also estimate and include the weight of infant, car and booster seats if applicable.
Weight of Hitch
A safe estimate is 50-100 pounds for travel trailers.
Weight of Traveling Comforts
You may travel with a variety of entertainment options for the kids (iPads, iPods, games, books, magazines, dolls, toys, pillows, blankets, etc.), a GPS, couple of maps, and a small cooler of drinks, and food items.
Weight In/On Truck Bed
Firewood (or equivalent), grill, wood blocks, chairs, boogie beach stuff. bed liner/cover. Include the topper if you have one, bikes, kayaks, waste water tote, wagon, etc.
Misc. Extra Weight
Anything not previously mentioned should be included here. If you carry bikes on a front hitch, include the weight of the hitch and bikes. Pretty much if you or a previous owner have added anything to the truck from when it was delivered from the factory, it has to be accounted for.
If you want accurate numbers, take it fully loaded including people to a CAT scale - google CAT Scale Locator.
Last straw is the P-rated tires with a max pressure of 35 psi. These are for passenger comfort - not towing a huge travel trailer. Somebody said something about jello... Someone also said this will only wear out your components faster - well, how worn out are they already?
Sure - some will say go for it so you do what you feel is safe for you and yours. I prefer not to have my head in the sand when it comes to stuff like this though - oh yea IMO...
Good luck to you.
