After reading some of these posts, I find it amazing that people expect the dealers to know what they are going to haul. The car dealer looked at my F-150 E-boost 4x4 and said the spec. sheet say it will tow 9500 lbs. He has no idea what the max cargo is on any particular truck is, he can guess it will be between 1200 and 1600 lbs. So as far as he knows a 9500 lb. TT with 1150 lbs. of tongue weight is within spec.What he does not know is I haul a truck cap, dog, canoe etc. or about 600 lbs. plus of stuff in my TV before I add the tongue weight. If I mention that to the dealer they will be glad to sell be an F-250.:WLikewise the TT dealer. Let’s say, you want a particular trailer, the dealer looks at the spec sheet and gives you the dry weight. He might suggest you will have about 1000 lbs. of gear. In reality he has seen dozens of happy campers plop a 7000 lb. dry weight TT on the back of a half-ton pick-up and go blissfully on their way. Again the dealer has no way of knowing how much or how balanced your load will be. The dealer’s job is to show and sell you the product you want. He assumes you know or have a reasonable knowledge of your desired purchase and is not going to grill you with a bunch of questions. As always it is up to the buyer to understand how he is going to use what he buys. Unfortunately the new comer often lacks the knowledge of all the variable involved in selecting a good TT and TV combination.

rbpru wrote:After reading some of these posts, I find it amazing that people expect the dealers to know what they are going to haul. The car dealer looked at my F-150 E-boost 4x4 and said the spec. sheet say it will tow 9500 lbs. He has no idea what the max cargo is on any particular truck is, he can guess it will be between 1200 and 1600 lbs. So as far as he knows a 9500 lb. TT with 1150 lbs. of tongue weight is within spec.What he does not know is I haul a truck cap, dog, canoe etc. or about 600 lbs. plus of stuff in my TV before I add the tongue weight. If I mention that to the dealer they will be glad to sell be an F-250.:WLikewise the TT dealer. Let’s say, you want a particular trailer, the dealer looks at the spec sheet and gives you the dry weight. He might suggest you will have about 1000 lbs. of gear. In reality he has seen dozens of happy campers plop a 7000 lb. dry weight TT on the back of a half-ton pick-up and go blissfully on their way. Again the dealer has no way of knowing how much or how balanced your load will be. The dealer’s job is to show and sell you the product you want. He assumes you know or have a reasonable knowledge of your desired purchase and is not going to grill you with a bunch of questions. As always it is up to the buyer to understand how he is going to use what he buys. Unfortunately the new comer often lacks the knowledge of all the variable involved in selecting a good TT and TV combination.Yes it's up to the buyer to have some knowledge and responsibility in how the vehicle will be used but when a dealer knowingly, or through blind ignorance says "sure you can haul it with a 1/2 ton" that's when people here have issues. If your salesperson is reading off a spec sheet and saying you'll be fine then FIND A NEW SALESPERSON. If they can't be bothered to educate themselves on their product and the extreme variances in capabilities between models they probably will be looking for other employment opportunities soon anyways. End of rant.

It's amazing to me that I can walk in to any walmart and look at book to see what wiper fits my car. The dealers simply don't want the information because it would hurt sales a LOT.

The dealer’s job is to show and sell you the product you want. He assumes you know or have a reasonable knowledge of your desired purchase and is not going to grill you with a bunch of questions.As always it is up to the buyer to understand how he is going to use what he buys. Unfortunately the new comer often lacks the knowledge of all the variable involved in selecting a good TT and TV combination.That's all fine and good. BUT it's not the saleman that doesn't grill the customer its the saleman that INSISTS your TV will tow what ever he is showing you. IMHO THOSE salesman should be fired on the spot.Because those are the setups you see everyday pulling into CG's and driving along side you down the interstate.I am a 'seasoned RV'er'. I also know what my TV can tow and what it can not tow. Yet, when I went to look at new TT's the salesman would show me a TT and TELL me that my TV COULD tow it. When I know it most definitely could not. I told him the weight and length I wanted yet we'd drive across the lot to show me yet another one too heavy and too long. Saying 'your TV can tow this one'.:RSo I can fully see why beginners are sold too much TT for their TV's.Again salesmen that tell anyone they KNOW your TV can tow one of their TT's should be reported and fired. Just wish we could get that info 'not to listen to a salesman' when purchasing their first TT out to all beginner RV'ers. Just saying.

I had just the opposite of most, the first question the salesman asked when I was looking at 5er's was (what are you going to pull it with).

The dealers do not have crystal balls. | Good Sam Community

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Jun 20, 2015
When we transitioned from tent camping to pop-up camping, we owned a Chevy Lumina Mini-Van. I new Jack-squat about tow vehicles. When we finally decided on the pop-up we fell in love with, the dealer simply told us, or vehicle was too small to tow it. (He was honest! and I never forgot that). We ended up getting a smaller pop-up, which served us well for 6 years and that Lumina towed without any problems all that time.

We finally traded for a Suburban 1500 when the air-conditioner went out on that Lumina and we could not get the freeon any more, and to convert the air conditioner would have cost as much as a new car! So we traded the Lumina under the original Cash for Clunkers program. They gave us $4000 for the car!

So I learned that day the importance of knowing the limitations of your tow vehicle! And I am still grateful to that RV salesmen for not letting me make a bad mistake.

Ever since then, I've educated myself! Do I have more truck than I need! Yup! But I also have NO issues towing either!
spoon059
Explorer II
Jun 20, 2015
hohenwald48 wrote:
As a general rule, not listening to the salesman on any product purchase is a pretty good idea. The salesman's job is to make the sale.
...
With all the information available on the internet these days there's no excuse for being an ignorant purchaser of any product.

This...

A salesman isn't there for YOUR best interest, he is there to sell you a product. I research EVERYTHING before I buy it and usually know far more about a product than a salesman. They rarely sell one product long enough to know all the details... let alone the details of a truck that THEY DIDN'T SELL!
hohenwald48
Explorer
Jun 20, 2015
As a general rule, not listening to the salesman on any product purchase is a pretty good idea. The salesman's job is to make the sale. Some take their responsibility to the customer a little more serious than others but there is no way to determine if your specific salesman is one of them. Salesmen make a living selling. Educating buyers is not something their employer pays them to do. "Caveat emptor" has always been my motto when making a purchase.

If you purchase more TT than your TV can handle that is ultimately your problem and you can't pass it off to the salesman. Folks should learn more about TT's and TV's than "how much is the note" before making a purchase. It's the owner's responsibility to tow within the limits.

With all the information available on the internet these days there's no excuse for being an ignorant purchaser of any product.
colliehauler
Explorer III
Jun 20, 2015
I had just the opposite of most, the first question the salesman asked when I was looking at 5er's was (what are you going to pull it with).
rockhillmanor
Explorer II
Jun 20, 2015
The dealer’s job is to show and sell you the product you want. He assumes you know or have a reasonable knowledge of your desired purchase and is not going to grill you with a bunch of questions.

As always it is up to the buyer to understand how he is going to use what he buys. Unfortunately the new comer often lacks the knowledge of all the variable involved in selecting a good TT and TV combination.

That's all fine and good. BUT it's not the saleman that doesn't grill the customer its the saleman that INSISTS your TV will tow what ever he is showing you. IMHO THOSE salesman should be fired on the spot.

Because those are the setups you see everyday pulling into CG's and driving along side you down the interstate.

I am a 'seasoned RV'er'. I also know what my TV can tow and what it can not tow.

Yet, when I went to look at new TT's the salesman would show me a TT and TELL me that my TV COULD tow it. When I know it most definitely could not.

I told him the weight and length I wanted yet we'd drive across the lot to show me yet another one too heavy and too long. Saying 'your TV can tow this one'.:R

So I can fully see why beginners are sold too much TT for their TV's.

Again salesmen that tell anyone they KNOW your TV can tow one of their TT's should be reported and fired.

Just wish we could get that info 'not to listen to a salesman' when purchasing their first TT out to all beginner RV'ers. Just saying.
Old-Biscuit
Explorer III
Jun 20, 2015
skripo
Explorer
Jun 20, 2015
It's amazing to me that I can walk in to any walmart and look at book to see what wiper fits my car. The dealers simply don't want the information because it would hurt sales a LOT.
8iron
Explorer
Jun 20, 2015
rbpru wrote:
After reading some of these posts, I find it amazing that people expect the dealers to know what they are going to haul.

The car dealer looked at my F-150 E-boost 4x4 and said the spec. sheet say it will tow 9500 lbs. He has no idea what the max cargo is on any particular truck is, he can guess it will be between 1200 and 1600 lbs. So as far as he knows a 9500 lb. TT with 1150 lbs. of tongue weight is within spec.

What he does not know is I haul a truck cap, dog, canoe etc. or about 600 lbs. plus of stuff in my TV before I add the tongue weight. If I mention that to the dealer they will be glad to sell be an F-250.:W

Likewise the TT dealer. Let’s say, you want a particular trailer, the dealer looks at the spec sheet and gives you the dry weight. He might suggest you will have about 1000 lbs. of gear.

In reality he has seen dozens of happy campers plop a 7000 lb. dry weight TT on the back of a half-ton pick-up and go blissfully on their way. Again the dealer has no way of knowing how much or how balanced your load will be.

The dealer’s job is to show and sell you the product you want. He assumes you know or have a reasonable knowledge of your desired purchase and is not going to grill you with a bunch of questions.

As always it is up to the buyer to understand how he is going to use what he buys. Unfortunately the new comer often lacks the knowledge of all the variable involved in selecting a good TT and TV combination.

Yes it's up to the buyer to have some knowledge and responsibility in how the vehicle will be used but when a dealer knowingly, or through blind ignorance says "sure you can haul it with a 1/2 ton" that's when people here have issues. If your salesperson is reading off a spec sheet and saying you'll be fine then FIND A NEW SALESPERSON. If they can't be bothered to educate themselves on their product and the extreme variances in capabilities between models they probably will be looking for other employment opportunities soon anyways. End of rant.

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