New to RVing, looking for opinions

Thanks for the replies.

The weights I got are from the actual trailer stickers except for the tongue weight, that was brochure.

A bigger truck is definitely part of the plan, just not all at once. Maybe a slightly older 2500 so I can evenly trade for my 2012.

We just got back from the dealer once again and this trailer is the one we keep going back to after looking at all the trailers on the lot that have bunks.

sse1990 wrote:
... our first TT.
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I haven't been able to get my truck with passengers and full of fuel weighed yet. The local dump is the only place I can go with a scale so I'm waiting for my next trip.
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Our plan is to buy in the spring of 2015
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Looking at a Starcraft Autumn Ridge 289 bhs.... this is the only one we both like due to floor plan, size and interior feel.
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The truck is a 2012 GMC Sierra SLE, crew cab, 4x4, short box, 5.3L 6-speed transmission, 3.42 gears.
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I will be buying a WD hitch, most likely with integrated sway control.
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We plan to visit provincial parks in our area next year and possibly find one we like and park it for the following season. Distance to the furthest park is about 45 miles with no real grades to speak of.
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Here are the truck and trailer specs I have.

Truck specs

Max payload - 1566 lbs
GVWR - 7000 lbs
GAWR RR - 3950 lbs
GCWR - 15,000 lbs
Hitch with WD - 10,500 lbs
Tongue with WD - 1,100 lbs
Tires - LT with max load of 2470 lbs

Trailer specs
Dry weight - 6,245 lbs
Dry hitch weight 675 lbs
Shipped from factory with the installed option, battery and 2 full propane cylinders 6,645 lbs
GVWR - 8,500 lbs

I have a co-worker with the exact trailer that I want to borrow to see how the truck performs with it and get it weighed with the truck for an idea of what the GCVW is with measured numbers.
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I did mention to her that we should either look at a smaller trailer or get a bigger truck. My wife said, bigger truck, lol.
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As I mentioned in my first post, we don't have any big mountains around here, a few little hills.

First of all - welcome to the Forum. I hope you will get something out of the varied responses you are likely to get. ;)

I have a similar truck as yours, but with the 2WD and Extended cab meaning slightly higher towing capacity that yours. The specs that I have seen for your truck (and mine) all suggest that for that engine / transmission / rear-end the towing capacity is around 9500#. The Trailer Life 2012 Towing Guide has a convenient listing and as far as I can tell it is similar to the manufacturers' numbers. It pegs your truck at 9500# and the 6.2L at 10,400#.

My trailer is around 7300# as weighed and the size is similar to the trailer you are considering. I have had long distance experience pulling this one from Atlanta back to Houston and am planning a trip to LA soon, returning via Utah and Colorado. Farthest I ever pulled was with my previous shorter RV to Toronto and back.

Using the 9500# as a basis, some like to limit the trailer mass to 75 - 80% and I have seen others like to have a margin of 1000#. This is not a bad move as it accounts for a little reserve for hills, strong head winds, etc. Using 80% of the rated capacity of the truck and assuming 12% on the tongue, you get 7600# loaded trailer weight, with a corresponding 912# on the tongue.

Not sure where you got your trailer specs from but they appear to be close to the brochure specs on the website. Typical cargo is around say 1000# so using your dry weight you are within the 7600#. The dry tongue weight of 675# is a joke as the as-weighed weight would probably be closer to 900#. With the WDH and this truck you should be okay provided the axle ratings and wheel loads are not exceeded when the payload in the truck are also included in the weights seen by the axles and tires.

The WDH should also be sized just above the as-weighed tongue weight - way bigger is not better.

I am familiar with the Sudbury area and it is not flat but the grades are not very long either. You say (now) that you are not intending to go farther than 45 miles away. Things change once you own and use the RV. Assume you will go anywhere with the thing and hit any reasonable highway grades - trust me - and leave margin on tow capacity. For now you should be fine but a bigger truck should be in the back of your mind.

RV towing is not just a mathematical exercise. Things such as wind, pressure areas in front of and behind tractor trailers passing in either direction, tuning of the right for minimal sway, etc. all come into the picture and are things that only you can learn by doing. Our trucks are approaching the limits for these sizes of RV when all things are considered, but as long as this is recognized and the user acts accordingly all should be fine.

Good luck. :)

It sounds like you've already done your homework, so you are already one step ahead. We are pulling a 5000 lb (dry) TT with a 2003 Chevy 1/2 ton 5.3l 3:73 diff ratio. Given a 7200 lb tow capacity, one would think we are well within the limit, but realistically we are at combined weight of around 12,400 lb, which is close to our 13000 lb GCWR. That being said, we don't have any problems towing ours. Going up the mountains sometimes requires 4000 rpm in 2nd gear for us, but thats not a deal breaker.

There are other things you should consider in addition to weight ratings and capacities. Trailer length to TV wheelbase, for example. There is a formula that you can use to determine "safe" trailer lengths given your tow vehicle dimensions.

I reccomend reading "How to tow safely. A complete guide to towing" you can google it at http://www.slaga.net/RV/How%20to%20Tow-version%202.pdf. It is a 79 page booklet you can read online which covers pretty much every aspect of towing for recreational users like us.

Keep your trailer GVWR under about 7500 pounds or you will really hate the combo after a time or two.

Both my wife and I used to go camping when we were kids. My aunts and uncles all had seasonal lots that I would spend my summers at. My wife used to do something similar.

We both enjoy getting away on the weekend and that doesn't mean to a hotel, lol.

The trailer is a 28', but total length is close to 32'.

I did mention to her that we should either look at a smaller trailer or get a bigger truck. My wife said, bigger truck, lol.

As I mentioned in my first post, we don't have any big mountains around here, a few little hills, but nothing like I seen when I drove from New York to Oregon in 2006.

We might still find something we like that weighs less, we have till next spring to find it, but with everything we look at, we keep coming back to this one.

Something a bit shorter would make it easier to fit into more places too.

I think towing a 32' with a 1/2 ton is going to be challenging.

My first camper was an Outback 23krs that I towed with my Chevy 1500 (same motor/gears). Fully loaded I was at 7600/7700 pounds. It was a bit of a struggle in the mountains. In the hills and in the heat I would watch my transmission temp closely, and stop for a break if I was +210 for any length of time. (infrequent but maybe 2 or 3 times in 5 years).

The weight on that Starcraft is similar but your adding almost 10' of camper vs what i had with my Outback. That's significant. IMO I would want to be under 30' (closer to 28') if your towing 8500 - 9000 pounds with your truck.

If you haven't RV'd before I would suggest renting a few weekends to see if you really like it before investing in something that only loses value.