Is my TT too big for long trips?
We are at a crossroads with our current travel trailer. It’s a 2017 Flagstaff 831 BHDS measuring 34’9” total length & a dry weight of 7195, GVWR 8761. The tow vehicle is a 2015 F-350 with a 6.7 diesel & 3100lbs of payload. I purchased a tongue scale & weighed my tongue weight at 1200lbs, removing some useless. Items from the front & only storage area I got tongue weight down to 1125, I have 1200 lbs round bars on the hitch. The family is myself, wife & two girls ages 8 & 9, pick up bed typically has three bikes, some firewood, bbq & cooler.
I’ve struggled this season fighting sway with my 10year old Reese Strait Line DC hitch, I’ve had this hitch on my previous 33’ Passport for 4 years & never had sway. Once we purchased this camper I realized I needed to step up tow vehicles from my Dodge Ram to a 2003 F-350 with a 6.0 diesel. At that point I started to notice sway with the new camper but the 1 ton suspension handled the trailer better than ever. I picked up the new 2015 F-350 at the end of the season so this is the first year with the new truck pulling this camper. I’m struggling getting this camper to pull without sway with the new truck, especially getting the ball height right as well as tilt. I’m thinking the round bar set up is getting tired & worn, slop in the receiver hitch etc giving me fits.
So typically I tow about 2500 miles a year in the season. Typical weekend trips averaging about an hour or two at most each way. We pulled to Burlington VT in the beginning of the season this year which was about 190 miles each way & the camper fought me the entire way. When we got home I spent some time in a vacant parking lot leveling the trailer but struggled to get the nose of the trailer perfectly level or perhaps pointed down a little but the next three trips were much better sway wise, still had some sway on a real windy day up the coast with about a constant 15mph wind but it was manageable. Now that the kids are growing we want to expand our camping area, particularly head to Niagra Falls which is about 9 hours from here.
So the crossroads is what do we do from here? I know I have plenty of tow vehicle, no worries from the weight police but do I just bite the bullet & buy a fifth wheel or replace my current hitch? We love our camper, love the floor plan, the quality, everything about it but the thought of towing for 9 hours battling the beast behind me is not at all appealing. I’m considering purchasing a new Reese strait line trunion bar set up since so many folks rave about them when set up properly & thinking with all the slop I currently have it would be an improvement. I’ve also considered purchasing a Hensley which currently see one on Craigslist but the seller knows nothing about it & neither do I so purchasing used is a gamble plus they look like an absolute PITA to deal with.
So after writing this novel I’m at the crossroads of buy a fifth wheel or buy/upgrade my hitch. Is a 35’, 8800lbs bumper pull too much for the long distance tows? I mostly see folks on this site & others pulling smaller bumper pulls or fifth wheels when talking about towing all over the country, not 35’ double slide campers like ours.
I’ve struggled this season fighting sway with my 10year old Reese Strait Line DC hitch, I’ve had this hitch on my previous 33’ Passport for 4 years & never had sway. Once we purchased this camper I realized I needed to step up tow vehicles from my Dodge Ram to a 2003 F-350 with a 6.0 diesel. At that point I started to notice sway with the new camper but the 1 ton suspension handled the trailer better than ever. I picked up the new 2015 F-350 at the end of the season so this is the first year with the new truck pulling this camper. I’m struggling getting this camper to pull without sway with the new truck, especially getting the ball height right as well as tilt. I’m thinking the round bar set up is getting tired & worn, slop in the receiver hitch etc giving me fits.
So typically I tow about 2500 miles a year in the season. Typical weekend trips averaging about an hour or two at most each way. We pulled to Burlington VT in the beginning of the season this year which was about 190 miles each way & the camper fought me the entire way. When we got home I spent some time in a vacant parking lot leveling the trailer but struggled to get the nose of the trailer perfectly level or perhaps pointed down a little but the next three trips were much better sway wise, still had some sway on a real windy day up the coast with about a constant 15mph wind but it was manageable. Now that the kids are growing we want to expand our camping area, particularly head to Niagra Falls which is about 9 hours from here.
So the crossroads is what do we do from here? I know I have plenty of tow vehicle, no worries from the weight police but do I just bite the bullet & buy a fifth wheel or replace my current hitch? We love our camper, love the floor plan, the quality, everything about it but the thought of towing for 9 hours battling the beast behind me is not at all appealing. I’m considering purchasing a new Reese strait line trunion bar set up since so many folks rave about them when set up properly & thinking with all the slop I currently have it would be an improvement. I’ve also considered purchasing a Hensley which currently see one on Craigslist but the seller knows nothing about it & neither do I so purchasing used is a gamble plus they look like an absolute PITA to deal with.
So after writing this novel I’m at the crossroads of buy a fifth wheel or buy/upgrade my hitch. Is a 35’, 8800lbs bumper pull too much for the long distance tows? I mostly see folks on this site & others pulling smaller bumper pulls or fifth wheels when talking about towing all over the country, not 35’ double slide campers like ours.
