New to TT need some help please

I can't comment on your truck specifically power wise as I have a 2012 ram 1500 but I'm very pleased by my towing experience and I tow 7400 lbs. Now I would be careful on payload as you have kids to worry about and I don't.

My comment is more for the outdoor kitchen. I absolutely love it. I have a large outdoor kitchen with grill and cooktop with cabinets and 4 cu/ft fridge. (trailer is sprinter 266rbs). We use it all the time and it is so handy. It doesn't heat up the inside of trailer and you have more room and can still be talking to others. I personally didn't care if I had it or not the wife wanted it and I'm so glad we did get it. Mine trailer also came with the outdoor grill that attaches to the bumper and its just so handy. I don't think you'll regret it one bit.

Jayson.medic, sounds like your TV has the 6 speed trans and 3.42 axle since you have a 9600 lb. tow rating. If that is the case, with the appropriate cooling package, you can certainly tow more than a pop up if you want. I have that combination in a 2012 GMC and am comfortably pulling a 6300 lb. loaded travel trailer long distances. In my opinion that is close to the comfortable limit for this setup though. A good hitch with sway control is highly recommended. My payload is only 1500 lbs. so that can be a real limiting factor even more than power. I am using P metric tires now but will switch to E's when I get some more wear on these. With just my wife and I we are very close to our max TV payload when packed for long trips and a full fuel tank. As so many have said usually the limiting factor with 1/2 tons is the payload not the power.

You might want to look at a hybrid or a pop-up. Light tows but they open up to give you lots of room. Also gives you more of a "camping" feel than a TT. I raised 3 kids in a PUP and they had a great time.

The outdoor kitchen depends entirely on you and the style of camping your family plans to do. Some people never use them, others use them constantly. For a small trailer with kids, you may find expanding to the outdoors is inevitable and an outdoor kitchen and a popup screen room for the picnic table can be very useful.

I just let my 2009 5.3L Max tow chevy go a few months ago. I was towing a Jayco 23B(around 5300 loaded). It towed well. I don't think I would want to go much more than that on that truck...I was pushing it's limits for towing I believe. The transmission would shift quite a bit on gradual uphill grades and in any head wind. we have 3 kids and the wife and I and that type of trailer worked well for us.

Having said that, we just traded up to a 30 foot Puma with a bunk house and pull with a F150 Ecoboost. This trailer weighs close to 9K loaded and pulls really well behind the Ford. My Chevy would have struggled greatly with this trailer!

I had a Jayco and can recommend it, as will many others on the board. It comes with a two year warranty. Check out the bunk houses of the Jay Flight Swift line. I also see quite a few people on here recommend/love their Keystone Bullets.

Payload is the most likely limiting factor for family RVing. Is this the sticker showing 1700 pounds where mine says 2051?



6k dry is a good limit for the most capable half tons. That's 7000-7500 pounds loaded, 800-1000 pounds of hitch weight. If you have 1700 pounds of payload, then 700-900 pounds remaining for the family and some camping gear in the truck bed seems reasonable.

Ok so sticker says gcvw is 6800 and tow per manual is 9600 truck weighs (with me and full tank) 5100 so ad wife and kiss with min gear 5500. So I have 1300 of payload right?

Jayson, any one of us (all of us, really) could recommend a trailer that WE like. However, your needs/wants/tastes are unique to you.

First, just because you have a "max tow" package, that is a relative term. Your engine can tow easily, up to a certain weight limit. What that is, I don't know. I do know that lighter is better with a 1500. So, look at lightweight TTs. Lots of bunkhouse models, so go to different dealers, an tell them you what you want. No point in looking at what works great for me (TrailManor), if it doesn't work for you.

Trailer weight, water capacity and battery/batteries/solar panels if you are planning to mostly dry camp, as opposed to full hookups most of the time. Even if planning full hookups, don't rely on water being available wherever you go, as campground pumps fail, or the water tastes bad, etc. Always have a day or two of water with you.

Lots of looking for you to do. Search this forum for previous posts, and you will see what others like, and dislike. Just remember that you will be happy with a different unit than someone else, and you won't necessarily like what others like. Make a list of what you MUST have, and what you would like to have. Take it with you when looking.

Good luck in your search, and enjoy all the different models.

I assume you truck is a crew cab? So based on that alone your actual loaded capacity is probably more like 5000 pounds. Remember, you need to subtract everything beyond a base truck with one 150 pound driver and a 1/4 tank of gas from the towing rating. 5000 pounds would be a safe starting place.

My first camper was a 25ft Four Winds that I pulled with a Chevy 1500 4X4. I didn't have any problems but I don't think I'd want to go much bigger that 25-28 ft. Just my personal opinion. Others on here could probably offer more assistance.