In need for a new DD truck to tow small TT
I need a second vehicle for daily driving, and I wish to get a 4 door pickup truck that can also tow our small travel trailer (3500lb when it's loaded). Is it possible to find such a truck that can...
Forum Discussion
Dream Girl,
Have you measured the tw of the trailer? Jayco lists the dry tw as 300lbs, but that does not include a battery or a propane tank on the tongue. That alone will add about 90lbs to the tw even before loading the trailer for a trip (based on one battery and one propane tank). In the pic, was that when you were first picking up the 184, before they put the propane tank on the tongue?
For the new GM twins ('14/'15 Silverado/ Sierra), the hitch is rated up to 1k lbs tw or so without the need for a wdh. The older ('13 and older) I believe still had the need for a wdh over 500 or 600lbs tw.
BUT.... as mentioned, if you load the bed up with cargo, plus the tw and you would probably feel a wdh is needed to help the ride and making the steering more solid instead of "floating".
The GM twins with a 5..3 and a set of 3.42 gears would be plenty to tow your trailer. It would also allow you to step up to a little larger trailer down the road powerwise, and even payload (pending how you load the truck bed) if you upgrade. When looking at different trucks, look in the drivers door jamb for the yellow sticker!!! It will state "Passengers and cargo not to exceed XXXXlbs". The higher the better!!! Just make sure it has the hd cooling, tow package, and the correctsuspension package for the higher tow rating if you do think you may upgrade trailers while you still have this truck. The integrated brake controller GM has works very well if you can find a truck with one!!!
As for the process of hitching/unhitching when using a wdh, a power tongue jack makes it very easy, even with a lighter tw like you have!!!
Good luck deciding!!!! And keep us posted!!!
Have you measured the tw of the trailer? Jayco lists the dry tw as 300lbs, but that does not include a battery or a propane tank on the tongue. That alone will add about 90lbs to the tw even before loading the trailer for a trip (based on one battery and one propane tank). In the pic, was that when you were first picking up the 184, before they put the propane tank on the tongue?
For the new GM twins ('14/'15 Silverado/ Sierra), the hitch is rated up to 1k lbs tw or so without the need for a wdh. The older ('13 and older) I believe still had the need for a wdh over 500 or 600lbs tw.
BUT.... as mentioned, if you load the bed up with cargo, plus the tw and you would probably feel a wdh is needed to help the ride and making the steering more solid instead of "floating".
The GM twins with a 5..3 and a set of 3.42 gears would be plenty to tow your trailer. It would also allow you to step up to a little larger trailer down the road powerwise, and even payload (pending how you load the truck bed) if you upgrade. When looking at different trucks, look in the drivers door jamb for the yellow sticker!!! It will state "Passengers and cargo not to exceed XXXXlbs". The higher the better!!! Just make sure it has the hd cooling, tow package, and the correctsuspension package for the higher tow rating if you do think you may upgrade trailers while you still have this truck. The integrated brake controller GM has works very well if you can find a truck with one!!!
As for the process of hitching/unhitching when using a wdh, a power tongue jack makes it very easy, even with a lighter tw like you have!!!
Good luck deciding!!!! And keep us posted!!!
