New to the rv world

Kewlkids wrote:
Ill take all the advice i can get. Im still learning about payload and hitch weight as well. I know i will surely need a weight distribution hitch. Will that help me tow a larger trailer? I don't want to max out but I'd still like to get as much trailer as possible.

Here's what you need to do - forget about so-called tow ratings offered by the manufacturer and confirm yourself by weighing your truck to confirm just how much payload it actually has, regardless of what that door jamb sticker may say. Fill the gas tank, mount your weight distribution head in the receiver, and throw the spring bars in the back of the truck ... if you don't yet have a WD system allow ~ 100 lbs in your calculations. Put your truck on a scale, if you're in it at the time subtract your weight from the scale reading - the result (remembering to factor in WD weight) will be how much your particular truck actually weighs as it sits there ready to be hitched to a trailer. Subtract that from the truck's GVWR which will be shown on the driver side door jamb - the result is your particular truck's real world payload capacity, that which you will use to account for the weight of all people and all cargo added to the truck when you're towing PLUS any tongue weight transferred from the trailer to the truck. Exceed that payload number and you'll for sure also exceed the truck's gross rear axle weight rating. Remembering that trailer gross tongue weight with the trailer loaded & ready to camp should ideally be somewhere in the range of 13% to 14% of it's gross weight you can then determine just how much trailer you can safely tow based on how much tongue weight your remaining payload capacity can accommodate. If in reality your truck's payload capacity really is just 1270 lbs but your family & cargo chew up say 700 lbs then obviously you'd have a mere 570 lbs for trailer tongue weight which is FAR less than a 7000 lb trailer should be running as gross tongue weight.

Weigh your truck, then you'll know. ;)