Mallard vs. Coleman

After four years and 30,000 miles of towing near my F-150s max cargo limit, I have replaced the shocks and I am considering a set of air bags because the tail seems to have become a little soft.

Unfortunately, while this may stiffen the suspension and smooth out the ride, it does not change the axel, max cargo, or any other weight rating.

It should make the TV a bit less springy.

Other then the softer tail issue, this combination was never let me down, AZ dessert travel, the northern and southern Rockies and all over the Midwest the e-boost has been as advertised.

A larger or different tow vehicle could provide more cargo capacity but since this combination works and we have never found a more suitable floor plan, we are not likely to change any time soon.

good luck

tsampsel wrote:
Thanks for the info! I appreciate the non-visceral replies... Looks like I have a couple choices. Go with a smaller trailer (sub-optimal for the woman and 2 60lb. Texas black dogs) or consider increasing the axle ratio or just getting another vehicle. Anyone have any experience with the axle thing?

First and foremost, I genuinely applaud you for being thoughtful and receptive to those who are trying to offer perspectives and experience. So many on these boards come looking for respondents to affirm their poor set-ups and run for the hills as soon as anyone raises concerns (which, I think, is part of why some of the responses are sometimes as visceral as they are). Good on you for trying to have a safe and sturdy set-up!

As for the axle thing, I won't speak to that, as there are many others on here who are much more mechanically inclined than I. The only thing I would say is that you want to make sure, if you are trying to reconfigure your current vehicle, that you are absolutely certain of everything that is included in the Max Tow Package. Axle ratio is certainly part of it, but in many cases there are other differences as well. Your towing and payload ratings are always limited by the weakest link in the chain (which may be tires, axles, axle ratios, wheels, brakes, engine, etc...). If you upgrade one of the links but there is another elsewhere that is left untouched, your system may still fall short.

Good luck!

Thanks for the info! I appreciate the non-visceral replies... Looks like I have a couple choices. Go with a smaller trailer (sub-optimal for the woman and 2 60lb. Texas black dogs) or consider increasing the axle ratio or just getting another vehicle. Anyone have any experience with the axle thing?

My 25 ft. TT dry weight was 5004 lbs. the tongue weight was 405 lbs.

Across the scales when loaded for the road, the TT weighted 6200 lbs. with 750 lbs. of that(about 12%) on the tongue.

My max TV cargo is 1400 lbs. so I have 650 lbs. left for family, dog, toys and camp gear.

You can judge accordingly.

Good Luck

I pulled a 28' Dutchman with a Tahoe with the max tow package. The trailer weighed in at 7700 pounds loaded. Tahoe was ok but not great. without the max tow package I think you'll get a lot of sway with either of those trailers.
Hope this helps, good luck

“With the basic tow package I've read I'm limited to 6600 lbs vs. 8600 lbs with the max trailering package. Wish I would have known...”

I understand but Chevy literature for 2015 was very clear on this subject.

I agree with what the others have said, and here are some reasons.

1. Your max tow rating does not include aftermarket accessories, passengers, or cargo. When you add these things to your tow vehicle, it adds weight and decreases both, your available payload and your towing capacity, pound for pound.

2. In many cases, the dry weight on a trailer does not include dealer installed options, propane, or a battery. The trailer will be heavier before it gets off the dealer lot. Same goes for dry hitch weight.

3. The weight of hitch equipment (weight distributing hitch and anti sway bars) and the real world hitch weight from the trailer are both counted as cargo weight in the tow vehicle. SUV's are not known for being strong in the payload department.

4. As you're loading up vehicle and trailer, the gross weight of the trailer is racing up towards the tow capacity of the tow vehicle and the tow vehicle's capacity is racing down towards the gross trailer weight. In your case, you don't have much room for those numbers to move without exceeding one or more ratings.

Here's a link to a calculator that will help in your search.

X3

X2 on what Mickey said.

tsampsel wrote:
Greetings,

I'm considering either a Mallard M27 or a Coleman 2605RL. Both floorplans are pretty much identical, even though I haven't gotten a straight answer on the box lengths. My main concern is towing. I have a 2015 Tahoe w/tow package (3.08:1 vs 3.42:1 axle). With the basic tow package I've read I'm limited to 6600 lbs vs. 8600 lbs with the max trailering package. Wish I would have known that before we bought it...


Anywho, the Mallard weighs in at 5500 lb. dry, the Coleman 5700 lb.
GVWR on the Mallard is 6900, Coleman 7600. Curiously, the hitch weight on the Mallard is 475lbs vs. 764lbs. for the Coleman. Maybe the wide-trax axles have something to do with it?

The question becomes will I be ok towing these beasts as long as I don't pack it to the gills with stuff?

Thanks

A lot of people will jump on this, and some answers will be quite visceral. The long and short of it, however, is that both of those trailers are likely to push you beyond the max capacity of 6,600 that you list.

Even the Mallard, at 5,500 'dry,' is likely to weigh more like 5,600 or 5,700 pounds (maybe even more) when you drive it off the lot. This is due to 'options' that aren't really options, propane in the tanks, the battery, etc... Many of these things are often not part of the dry weight, but are necessary for the trailer. This is a common issue that arises on these boards - dry weights are useless.

Beyond that, you will also have a weight distributing hitch, which will add another 75-100 pounds to the base weight. So, when all is said and done, your empty trailer, when hooked up, will eat up 5,700-5,800 pounds of your 6,600 pound capacity - leaving you 800-900 pounds left.

Now, that 800-900 pounds needs to account for everything (and everyone) else you put in the car AND the trailer. Many vehicles account for a 150 pound driver, but nothing else (check your manual). So, any weight of yours over 150 pounds, your wife, your family, your pets, gear in the SUV - this all comes off of the 800-900 pounds you have to work with - as does all of the fluids, gear, food, pots/pans, chairs, lanterns, etc... you have in the trailer. You can eat up 500 pounds or more just with fresh water and partially full dump tanks.

So, is it POSSIBLE...maybe. But, I'd bet dollars to donuts you'd be overloaded the moment you pull out - and that doesn't even raise the question of payload, which has more to do with how much you are putting in the SUV itself.

If it is just you and the wife for weekend trips with full hookups, you might be able to stay within ratings. If you have a larger family and/or plan to take longer trips (or trips where you need to bring water in the tank), you will be overloaded.

Whether or not being within ratings matters to you...that's another story.