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
Terryallan wrote:
FerrisFamilyof5 wrote:
downtheroad wrote:
Nice looking trailer...
You are going to really like not having to deal with tent ends. We sure did when we made the switch.
Aside: The Eagle 314BHDS is a long and heavy model..(Dry Weight 8110 lbs. Dry Hitch Weight 1065lbs.)
Keep an eye on that if you are towing with your F150.
Congrats and enjoy.
I honestly didn't want to switch. but the DW gets cold very easy and I'm tired of the complaint. I love the tent end for the sounds. We were camping Columbus Day weekend and was awakened by 2 owls hooting. We just laid there listening. Our friends who were right next door, in their travel trailer never heard them. I'll bet my fill of tent camping as I go with both my boys on their boy scout campouts.
You won't go deaf just because you get a TT. You can still hear stuff. Especially with the windows open. We camped in pups for years before getting a TT. Only real difference. I don't get so wet when it rains
Maybe you won't hear all the minute sounds like with tent ends. But you also wont hear the canvas flapping when the wind comes up.2012Coleman wrote:
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...
The OP has to check his tires. My F150 has Hankook P-rated tires that have a max of 55 PSI. Ford says 35 but I bump them up to 50 when towing.- The thing that can be confusing is that max cargo, is vehicle dependent.
So my F-150 with 1411 lb max cargo may be different than the next F-150.
Also, I may be able to tow a 9500 lb TT with 1200 lb tongue wieght but I have to do it alone, no passengers, gear, not even the dog.
Doing the math is the easiest approach, add the weight of everything you are going to put in the TV, subtract it from the max cargo payload and that leaves you the tongue weight you can add.
Without a scale reading I take the TT dry weight and add 1500 lb for food, clothes and stuff. Then figure 12 percent for tongue weight.
These are only approximate figures, the real numbers come from the CAT scales. If your math shows you are close or over, it it time to double check your TT choice. - 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. - I pulled a 7,000 lb loaded TT, 32 ft long all over East Tennessee with a 1997 F150 with a 235 HP 5.4. I was under all my axle ratings loaded.
We can sit here and speculate and calculate and possibly even get pretty close sitting behind these screens...but the facts will not be known until you take it to a scale and get three readings.
1- truck loaded for travel...that means family in the truck...doodads for the kids and you and your wife's travel stuff...plan on taking bikes? Put them in the bed...don't forget to put the hitch head in the truck bed or receiver...put the front axle on the front scale pad and the back axle on the second scale pad
2- if possible....weigh your Loaded trailer separately..put the axles on the second scale pad and the tongue on the first pad...level the trailer like its traveling...
This will tell you the actual tongue weight and the actual axle weights and a GVW ready to travel for your trailer.
3- re weigh your truck and trailer with the WD hitch installed. Trucks front axle on the first scale pad...trucks drive axle on the second scale...trailers axles on the third scale pad.
This will give you tons of info...mostly how much your GCVR is and how you are actually distributing weight with your WD hitch.
Actual data is much better than speculation...and how comfy you are with your weights and towing performance is entirely up to you.
Hope this helps some.
Thanks!
Jeremiah rhagfo wrote:
FerrisFamilyof5 wrote:
2012Coleman wrote:
I'm another one who would like to see the door jamb sticker, but I'm betting you won't post it. I wouldn't risk my family in that setup. I'm really surprised on how much focus your putting on the fabled tow capacity.
Please.. I asked a question to be better prepared... I'm not going to run away because all y'all are telling me your thoughts and they may not be what i want to hear.
here is a link to the sticker in my dropbox.
yellow sticker 2012 silverado 1500
That is only half the information, need also the axle ratings from the VIN sticker.
other stickerFerrisFamilyof5 wrote:
2012Coleman wrote:
I'm another one who would like to see the door jamb sticker, but I'm betting you won't post it. I wouldn't risk my family in that setup. I'm really surprised on how much focus your putting on the fabled tow capacity.
Please.. I asked a question to be better prepared... I'm not going to run away because all y'all are telling me your thoughts and they may not be what i want to hear.
here is a link to the sticker in my dropbox.
yellow sticker 2012 silverado 1500
That is only half the information, need also the axle ratings from the VIN sticker.rbpru wrote:
Contrary to popular opinion, if you overload your TV it is not going to explode and take out half the countryside.
When you overload your pick-up you are simply straining the component parts. This means slower acceleration, longer stopping distances, more wear and tear on bearings, brakes, tyranny etc.
These factors are there even with a properly matched load; overloading simply accelerates the process.
I found the most annoying things about too heavy a load are slow acceleration, poor passing ability, and the transmission always wanting to down shift. This was true whether the load was a TT or bags of fertilizer. It is also not very good for the tires or suspension.
It is always best to stay within the TV's design limits, exceeding them increases the wear and tear. It is still the same TV, how much you wish to push it is up to you.
No not likely to explode, BUT may become very ill Handling!!2012Coleman wrote:
I'm another one who would like to see the door jamb sticker, but I'm betting you won't post it. I wouldn't risk my family in that setup. I'm really surprised on how much focus your putting on the fabled tow capacity.
Please.. I asked a question to be better prepared... I'm not going to run away because all y'all are telling me your thoughts and they may not be what i want to hear.
here is a link to the sticker in my dropbox.
yellow sticker 2012 silverado 1500- The idea of a used 2500 or 3500 dedicated tow vehicle is a lot better idea then using your 1500. If you look you can find good deals on crew cabs negating the need to follow with a second vehicle. You might have to go a few years older to stay in your price range. I would look for a cheap car for a first vehicle for your son.
