Need help picking out a used truck to tow

GRRV2015 wrote:
We are considering buying our first travel trailer, and I could use some help figuring out the tow vehicle needs.

We are looking at a Keystone Sprinter (278BHS). The overall length is 31'8", weighing 7000 pounds, and 785 at the hitch. The fresh water tank is 81 gallons. As far as gear, we will have 2 adults and 2 kids, with occasionally 2 kids' friends to join. Not sure what all that adds up to, but I'm guessing 1200 to 1500 to be safe. So I suppose we are looking at about 8500 total, maybe a bit less.

We do not have a tow vehicle, and would like to find an used pickup that will work well. If possible, I'd like to keep the budget around $8,000 to $12,000, but since I am new to pulling an RV, I don't want to skimp here, or wind up with something that will be pushing it or worse, be unsafe.

So the main question is for any suggestions on what we should be looking at (F150/1500 or bigger?), 2x4 versus 4x4, maximum reasonable milage for a used truck, etc. I am also wondering whether a shorter truck (standard cab, short bed) would be easier to manuver than a longer truck (new to towing and want to keep it easy to handle). Also, does a hitch sway bar or other hitch equipment make sense for us?

Thanks in advance!

Not to be sour grapes but for your first TT that is biting off a lot more than you can chew..

81 gallons of fresh water will add about 650 lbs to the mix.. empty trailer weights are notoriously low to start with so that 7,000 lbs empty is most likely 7,500-7,800 and the tongue is most likely north of 825-850 to start with..

2 adults and 4 children, you will be packing pretty darn heavy also..

I am thinking you are way out of 1/2 ton range.. Pretty hard to find a new 1/2 ton with payload above 1,700 lbs on a dealer lot let along finding a used one for 8K-12K..

Have you ever camped before?

Perhaps before jumping into camping by dumping so much money into it up front you might wish to consider renting for a camping trip..

If you don't listen to anything I post at least do your homework..

Your homework below..

Totally ignore those vehicle towing ratings, Thats right forget about those crazy ratings.. You need to concentrate on the available cargo or payload of the tow vehicle..

On newer vehicles there is a tire loading info sticker which tells you in no uncertain terms the absolute max cargo weight your vehicle can carry..

Older vehicles you may need to weight the vehicle and subtract the empty weight from the GVWR to get the cargo.. Some vehicles will have the empty weight and the GVWR posted on the door post.

Payload is an important number since you, passengers, fuel, anything you put into the back of the vehicle and YES the tongue weight is all considered payload of the tow vehicle.

So as an example say you have typical 1/2 ton truck with crew cab long bed 4x4.. It has a payload of 1,700 lbs.. Manufacturer states 8,200 towing capacity.

You have 2 adults for 300 lbs.

4 younger children for 300 lbs.

Put four bicycles, assorted kids toys, small gen, some lawn chairs for say 150 lbs..

30 gallons of fuel about 230 lbs..

That is 980 lbs of weight.. This leaves you 720 lbs for the trailer tongue..

But wait.. you will need weight distribution hitch.. figure 100 lbs for that you now have 620 lbs left for the tongue..

Now the tongue weight should weigh 10%-15% (ideally you want the upper range of 13%-15% on the tongue for best towing) of the trailer weight so we will now work backwards to find the max trailer weight you can haul..

To figure that out you take to leftover payload and DIVIDE that by .1 for 10% or .15 for 15%

at 10% that would be 6200 lbs LOADED NOT DRY.

at 15% that would be 4133 lbs LOADED NOT DRY..

As you can see, there is no way the example vehicle can tow a 8,200 trailer since you will run out of available payload..