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eric_facemire's avatar
eric_facemire
Explorer
Jun 09, 2013

Info on a 2011 Crossroads Slingshot 29BH

Ok, so my wife and I (well, mainly her) have gone round and round on a hybrid travel trailer vs standard travel trailer. Our main issue is size and the ability of our tow vehicle. We have a 2008 Ford E350 with a 5.4L V8 and 3.73 axle ratio. Max tow rating is 6700lbs but want to stick with 80% of that so we are at 5300lbs. We also have 4 kids ranging from 4-13. We had looked at the Shamrock 233S (Roo 233S) hybrid travel trailer and she really liked it. Almost sold on it actually. AND THEN....yes, to all of us who are married, AND THEN is almost as big a word as IF. Anyways, she saw a Slingshot and I couldn't believe that a travel trailer that was 30' had a dry weight of around 4200lbs. I thought maybe, just maybe I have found a large, standard travel trailer I can put behind this van. And by the way, the van is paid for so ain't gonna be no "sell it and get a V10" type scenario. So, does anyone know about these travel trailers???

I know it was a long ways getting to the question but hey, I have 4 kids and I'm married. I'm amazed I didn't forget why I came here.
  • eric_facemire's avatar
    eric_facemire
    Explorer
    Jun 10, 2013
    APT wrote:
    What transmission does your van have? I see no reason to limit your tow rating to 80% of MFR rating. You have plenty of payload, axle rating, frame, and receiver should handle 1000 pounds of TW. I really only see performance being subjectively unpleasent at time. 3V 5.4L has decent torque. As long as you have a 5 or 6-spd trans, 3.73 should be good for 6500 pounds loaded. That should get you into some decent 5000-5500 pound dry TTs.

    Another option is to change the rear differential gearing. Going to 4.56 will really help while towing and around town for about $1000 ($500 for gears installed, $500 for tuner to correct the trans shift behavior). If this van is not used for much unloaded highway driving, I'd do that and look at RVs under about 7k pounds.


    This van is a daily driver with normally 6 passengers and that is about it. I would tow around this area (south Texas) maybe once a month camping and then 3-4 times a year it would go up to the mountain areas of West Virginia/Kentucky to see family.

    Thanks for the input.
  • APT's avatar
    APT
    Explorer
    Jun 10, 2013
    What transmission does your van have? I see no reason to limit your tow rating to 80% of MFR rating. You have plenty of payload, axle rating, frame, and receiver should handle 1000 pounds of TW. I really only see performance being subjectively unpleasent at time. 3V 5.4L has decent torque. As long as you have a 5 or 6-spd trans, 3.73 should be good for 6500 pounds loaded. That should get you into some decent 5000-5500 pound dry TTs.

    Another option is to change the rear differential gearing. Going to 4.56 will really help while towing and around town for about $1000 ($500 for gears installed, $500 for tuner to correct the trans shift behavior). If this van is not used for much unloaded highway driving, I'd do that and look at RVs under about 7k pounds.
  • RBL's avatar
    RBL
    Explorer
    Jun 10, 2013
    2011 Slingshot had a fibreglass roof which did give problems with leaking in some cases. Actual factory recall on some models at one time.They stopped mfg this roof style after 2011.
    Nice trailer other than possible roof issues.

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