New to TT, Bit timid to tow ...?
Hi all, I am new to this forum and new to travel trailer camping. We have "the bug" and are looking at small Jayco or Rockwood. We haven't bought the trailer, nor do we yet have a tow vehicle. Howe...
Forum Discussion
I'd like to echo 2 points about weight capacities…
1. Auto Manufacturers' towing capacities are typically overstated. I found this out the hard way.
2. Don't rely on the Trailer Manufacturers' figures for "Dry" trailer weights. To be conservative, at a MINIMUM, add up all liquid capacities (i.e. Freshwater Tank, Black Tank, Gray Tank, Water Heater) and multiply by 8.33 to get the worst case weights for all liquidsliquids.
Also, remember that wind resistance does NOT increase linearly, which means that you will be expending more and more energy for ever decreasing increases in speed. At the speeds you will be driving, will your TV be up to the task, especially when encountering the hills and passes in the West?
Do NOT trust the Trailer salesman to judge whether you have enough TV to pull the trailer you're interested in! Salesmen earn their keep by selling as many trailers as they can. They are NOT about to tell you what you DON'T want to hear.
Good luck on your search, and welcome to our RV Community!
1. Auto Manufacturers' towing capacities are typically overstated. I found this out the hard way.
2. Don't rely on the Trailer Manufacturers' figures for "Dry" trailer weights. To be conservative, at a MINIMUM, add up all liquid capacities (i.e. Freshwater Tank, Black Tank, Gray Tank, Water Heater) and multiply by 8.33 to get the worst case weights for all liquidsliquids.
Also, remember that wind resistance does NOT increase linearly, which means that you will be expending more and more energy for ever decreasing increases in speed. At the speeds you will be driving, will your TV be up to the task, especially when encountering the hills and passes in the West?
Do NOT trust the Trailer salesman to judge whether you have enough TV to pull the trailer you're interested in! Salesmen earn their keep by selling as many trailers as they can. They are NOT about to tell you what you DON'T want to hear.
Good luck on your search, and welcome to our RV Community!
