Questions about buying a travel trailer
Hey everyone, I’m looking to buy a small travel trailer, roughly 20 ft and less than 4K gvwr. I’ve looked at forest river, Winnebago, and Jayco and I really like the Winnie micro 1700bh. My question i...
Forum Discussion
You need to really understand weights. Do some reading on the forums, as there is a ton out there. On a quick overview, your 5,000 tow rating (if that is a real number), also has to account for your family, pets, and all gear in the SUV. So, a 3,800 pound trailer and 700 pounds of family and gear would put you at 4,500 against your 5,000 rating - and potentially near your payload (there's a sticker on the driver door jam to give you that number). You wouldn't necessarily be over, but you'd be getting close.
There also may be a frontal area limit on your SUV, the manual will give you that. Your tow capacities are based on a max frontal area of the trailer - on many SUV's that area is much less than what a travel trailer has.
All in all, it is possible, but you would likely be VERY near your numbers. If you are camping mostly locally and have the option of upgrading your truck if you find that it doesn't work, it might be worth a try. If that is the case, run the numbers to make sure tehre are no red flags and go for it. If you are planning on long distance hauling, mountain driving, or will be stuck with this matchup once you pull the trigger, I would not try it.
There also may be a frontal area limit on your SUV, the manual will give you that. Your tow capacities are based on a max frontal area of the trailer - on many SUV's that area is much less than what a travel trailer has.
All in all, it is possible, but you would likely be VERY near your numbers. If you are camping mostly locally and have the option of upgrading your truck if you find that it doesn't work, it might be worth a try. If that is the case, run the numbers to make sure tehre are no red flags and go for it. If you are planning on long distance hauling, mountain driving, or will be stuck with this matchup once you pull the trigger, I would not try it.
