Forum Discussion

slashnburn's avatar
slashnburn
Explorer
Feb 21, 2020

Travel Trailer Advice

We are looking to purchase our first travel trailer. We started looking around and found a few that we really liked. Unfortunately, I posted on an F150 forum to see if they would be too long. While they were, in fact, too long, they were also too heavy. It isn't a matter of towing capacity for my truck (~11000lbs), it is the payload capacity (1596). With all of that said, I am still trying to find a travel trailer that will work with my current truck, but thought I would ask here for suggestions. In an ideal world, we would have: a bunkhouse, a door to the bedroom, decent amount of space (two little ones and a big dog), outdoor kitchen, awning, dinette, and sofa. I am trying to stay around 7000lbs when loaded up. That would leave me with a hitch weight of 900 pounds. Any suggestions?
  • slashnburn's avatar
    slashnburn
    Explorer
    Feb 21, 2020
    Walaby wrote:
    slashnburn wrote:
    bid_time wrote:
    Aerolite 2843BH ***Link Removed***


    Those are almost 6k dry.

    Actually the 2843 he linked to is almost 7K dry.

    I comfortably towed a 6800(ish) lb fully loaded trailer with my Silverado half ton. That's about the max I would personally do with a half ton.

    You might be a bridge too far with a bunkhouse requirement.

    Mike


    Here are the models I have found:

    Apparently I can't post links....

    Passport 240BH
    Bullet 273BHS
    Outback Ultra Lite 257BHS
    Freedom Express Ultra Lite 257BHS
    Apex Ulta Lite 288BHS
  • Walaby's avatar
    Walaby
    Explorer II
    Feb 21, 2020
    slashnburn wrote:
    bid_time wrote:
    Aerolite 2843BH ***Link Removed***


    Those are almost 6k dry.

    Actually the 2843 he linked to is almost 7K dry.

    I comfortably towed a 6800(ish) lb fully loaded trailer with my Silverado half ton. That's about the max I would personally do with a half ton.

    You might be a bridge too far with a bunkhouse requirement.

    Mike
  • Lwiddis's avatar
    Lwiddis
    Explorer II
    Feb 21, 2020
    "it is the payload capacity (1596)....I am trying to stay around 7000lbs when loaded up. That would leave me with a hitch weight of 900 pounds."

    Seven hundred pounds of "left over" payloand with you, DW, two kids and a big dog means you won't be carrying much in the truck, not much at all. Thirteen per cent of hitch weight is a minimum IMO.

    "Too long" is in the eye of the driver. I like my 22 foot TT box length but have friends who think 30+ feet is easy.
  • Jebby14's avatar
    Jebby14
    Explorer
    Feb 21, 2020
    tall order for a poorly equipped tow vehicle. My 2016 f150 has 1950 lbs payload and its a great fit for my camper and family but you are asking for A LOT more trailer than I have.
  • slashnburn's avatar
    slashnburn
    Explorer
    Feb 21, 2020
    bid_time wrote:
    Aerolite 2843BH ***Link Removed***


    Those are almost 6k dry.
  • slashnburn's avatar
    slashnburn
    Explorer
    Feb 21, 2020
    schlep1967 wrote:
    No trailer suggestions but some advice, length has nothing to do with your towing vehicle. At least until you hit the max combined length your state allows.
    You need to worry about weight your vehicle can tow and weight your vehicle can carry (tongue weight). There will be cases where, due to axle placement on the trailer, a longer/heavier trailer can have a lower tongue weight than a shorter trailer with the axles towards the rear of the trailer.


    My point wasn't that the trailer would be tow long from a legal perspective, only from a comfort perspective.
  • schlep1967's avatar
    schlep1967
    Nomad
    Feb 21, 2020
    No trailer suggestions but some advice, length has nothing to do with your towing vehicle. At least until you hit the max combined length your state allows.
    You need to worry about weight your vehicle can tow and weight your vehicle can carry (tongue weight). There will be cases where, due to axle placement on the trailer, a longer/heavier trailer can have a lower tongue weight than a shorter trailer with the axles towards the rear of the trailer.

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