jlfought, that 39' trailer would be nice on those rainy days when everyone has to be inside. Some have told you to get a 3500 (1 ton) van. I think you will find that even a 3500 van has a maximum of 10,000 lbs. of trailer weight. That is with ONE 150 driver in the van. You add more passengers and cargo in the van and that extra weight is SUBTRACTED from the 10,000 lbs originally allowed for trailer weight. Example: Your family weighs 700 lbs + 50 lbs for snacks for a total of 750 lbs. in van. 10,000 lbs - 750 lbs = 9,250 lbs of trailer you can tow. That 39' trailer loaded with food, clothes, etc. will probably weigh a lot more than 9,250 lbs. I had a 2003 Cedar Creek travel trailer that was 37' 3" from trailer hitch to rear bumper. It weighed close to 11,000 lbs ready to go camping and that was with ALL water tanks empty. It did have the gel coating on the sides rather than the aluminum siding which added to the weight. I pulled that Cedar Creek with a 1999 Frod F250 super Duty Extended cab pickup. That truck has the 6.8 V-10 engine with 4:30 rear axle. I towed that trailer from Indiana to Branson, Missouri. When I got in the hills between Springfield, Missouri and Branson, Missouri my truck was really working hard to tow that Cedar Creek. My wife and I were the only passengers in the truck. Travelling across the country sounds like fun. Just be sure your Tow vehicle and trailer are a good match for each other. If they (tow vehicle & Trailer) are not matched, the driver WON'T be having a fun going down the road.
