Hi all! I'm a newbie to this forum. My brother-in-law just bought a pop-up camper and they used it this past summer to travel the U.S. They love it! So I started looking. I have a wife and 2 young daughters. We are definitely middle class without a lot of extra money in the budget, so I'm looking for something small that will hold us all comfortably with bunks and a full bathroom. We also want something light enough to be hauled by something that gets decent gas mileage. (A travel trailer, not a pop-up.)Tell me if this sounds ok:I'm looking at a Dodge Durango SUV, which gets 20mpg and tows 6200lbs.Then I'm looking at the Jayco Jay Flight travel trailer - the SLX 7 174BH. Its GVW is 5000lbs.Do those numbers sound good? I don't know anything about towing. Never done it. I just want us to be safe, if we're going to travel the country. I thought the loaded weight of the Jayco being 5000 and the Durango able to tow 6200 would be enough of a buffer for us to be safe going cross county. Am I correct?We're in OH and I'd like us to visit FL, the TX gulf, and go out west.Thanks for any input!

Durango that geta 22MPG. Thats a wet dream IMHO.Towing an RV and good MPG do not match. If you want decent MPG, buy a small car. If you want,a trailer large enough for your family to be in comfortably, buy a full size truck or van to tow with. Then you can choose a decent sized trailer to enjoy.No matter what, when towing a full sized TT expect 10MPG and you wont be disappointed.

Durango's are notorious for tranny issues when towing as well. Far as I can ascertain, the only FCA products that deliver descent mileage are the diesels. All the gassers cannot pass a filling station.Get a 3/4 ton truck with 4 doors and be happy.

At first blush it seems doable but the key will be the Durango configuration. What engine, year, rear end gears do you have? The drivers door pillar will have a sticker indicating what load the tow vehicle can handle. Compare the cargo and passenger weights plus add trailer tongue weight of 700 lbs(12-15% of GVW) plus another 90 lbs for the hitch assembly to the sticker value.Sounds like fun for your family but fuel economy and towing are mutually exclusive. Pulling a wind resistant wall through the air is the killer. Small engines and towing make mountain towing a challenge.

...and you need to peruse the net for Jayco Jayflight TT's. Lots of bad press on quality and overall fit and finish.

donn0128 wrote:Durango that geta 22MPG. Thats a wet dream IMHO.Towing an RV and good MPG do not match. If you want decent MPG, buy a small car. If you want,a trailer large enough for your family to be in comfortably, buy a full size truck or van to tow with. Then you can choose a decent sized trailer to enjoy.No matter what, when towing a full sized TT expect 10MPG and you wont be disappointed.The new Durango’s get pretty good mileage for an suv. Not everyone can afford multiple vehicles and trucks aren’t for everyone.I pulled a 17’ tt with a 6 cylinder suv for years and had no problems. Would I tow with it over the Rockies? No, but for east coast it was fine.

Newbie questions | Good Sam Community

toedtoes
Explorer III
Sep 06, 2018
I have a Durango with a 6000 gvwr. I am towing a 2800lb FoldnRoll trailer with it. I wouldn't tow much heavier than that. I do routinely tow in the mountains - if I were only doing flat terrain, I would feel OK going heavier.
VoodooMedicineM
Explorer
Sep 06, 2018
You have to start somewhere, it won't be your last.
jfkmk
Explorer
Sep 06, 2018
donn0128 wrote:
Durango that geta 22MPG. Thats a wet dream IMHO.
Towing an RV and good MPG do not match. If you want decent MPG, buy a small car. If you want,a trailer large enough for your family to be in comfortably, buy a full size truck or van to tow with. Then you can choose a decent sized trailer to enjoy.
No matter what, when towing a full sized TT expect 10MPG and you wont be disappointed.

The new Durango’s get pretty good mileage for an suv. Not everyone can afford multiple vehicles and trucks aren’t for everyone.
I pulled a 17’ tt with a 6 cylinder suv for years and had no problems. Would I tow with it over the Rockies? No, but for east coast it was fine.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Sep 06, 2018
...and you need to peruse the net for Jayco Jayflight TT's. Lots of bad press on quality and overall fit and finish.
WayneAt63044
Explorer
Sep 06, 2018
At first blush it seems doable but the key will be the Durango configuration. What engine, year, rear end gears do you have? The drivers door pillar will have a sticker indicating what load the tow vehicle can handle. Compare the cargo and passenger weights plus add trailer tongue weight of 700 lbs(12-15% of GVW) plus another 90 lbs for the hitch assembly to the sticker value.

Sounds like fun for your family but fuel economy and towing are mutually exclusive. Pulling a wind resistant wall through the air is the killer. Small engines and towing make mountain towing a challenge.
SidecarFlip
Explorer III
Sep 06, 2018
Durango's are notorious for tranny issues when towing as well. Far as I can ascertain, the only FCA products that deliver descent mileage are the diesels. All the gassers cannot pass a filling station.

Get a 3/4 ton truck with 4 doors and be happy.
donn0128
Explorer II
Sep 06, 2018
Durango that geta 22MPG. Thats a wet dream IMHO.
Towing an RV and good MPG do not match. If you want decent MPG, buy a small car. If you want,a trailer large enough for your family to be in comfortably, buy a full size truck or van to tow with. Then you can choose a decent sized trailer to enjoy.
No matter what, when towing a full sized TT expect 10MPG and you wont be disappointed.

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