Too Heavy?

johnthomas19 wrote:
Hi all,

New to the message board, new to RV’ing. My wife and I are considering a travel trailer purchase but I’m a bit concerned on my automobiles hauling capabilities.

I have a 2015 Dodge Durango, RW drive. The manuel says it can tow 6,200. We’re looking at buying the 2019 Keystone Passport 2920BH Grand Touring, which has a dry weight of 5,250.

Thoughts or advice?

Thanks,
JT

In your very first post, you quote "6,200" pounds for the trucks towing capacity. Know that those towing capacities are for something like a hay wagon with wheels on each corner so absolutely NO trailer weight is on the truck. There is no travel trailer built like that, so that number is grossly over generous. That number needs to be, at least, cut in half.

You also quote the dry weight of the trailer at "5,250" pounds. Know that the dry weight has no bearing on a trailer's actual weight. It is a marketing number to make their trailer's look better. It needs to be increased by, at least, 25%.

So, a more reasonable estimate of what you are suggesting is that a truck that can safely tow 3,100 pounds has a trailer that weighs 6,600 pounds.

You are more than twice the weight that your truck can safely handle.

To put this in perspective, MY F-150 is listed by Ford as capable of towing 11,800 pounds, but I bought a TT with a 4,806 pound dry weight. My trailer COULD be a little larger, but not a whole lot larger. I would have been OK with a trailer with a dry weight up to, maybe, 6,000 pounds, but I would have been nervous towing it in mountains.