What do you tow with?

MargaretB wrote:

scbwr wrote:


Decide on what trailer you want.....then pick a tow vehicle that can do the job.

That's what we started to do, but then decided to buy the tow vehicle first and find a TT to go with it. Since this will be one of our two every-day "cars," it seemed more important to us to get what we're comfortable with, and then buy the TT within the limits of what it can pull.

So I'm interested in seeing that you advise us to do the reverse. We're open to any ideas, but why do you suggest that?

I suggest that because it is important to pick a TT that will meet your needs AND won't result in you finding out that you really want something bigger, but your tow vehicle (that you just bought) isn't going to do the job. Secondly, trailer weights are deceptive...the dry weight of a trailer is usually lower than what you actually get because they don't usually include any options in the dry weight.

As an example, my trailer has a dry weight of 4,820 lbs. I also added a slide out topper. So, after getting it and transferring our gear, I had it weighed just before a short trip but without food or drink packed. My trailer ended up weighing around 6200 lbs. And, as I said, that is a really good weight to tow with a 1/2 ton truck. If you figure 15% for the tongue weight, I'm at 9,300 lbs. which is within the truck's payload rating.

So, IMHO, if you are going to buy a larger SUV or truck first, then you better really be certain that you can find a TT that can be towed by whatever you want. I think it far wiser to really look over as many travel trailers as you can see....in person and on line. To play it really safe, look at the trailer's GVW (the maximum it should weight when fully loaded with gear, water, etc.) and use that as a guide for what you should buy.

Finally, I subscribe to the philosophy that you should only pull up to about 80% of the weight for which a TV is rated. I wouldn't ever consider towing between 9-10K with my Tundra even though it is technically rated for 10K. And, you have to subtract the weight of any passengers and gear in the truck for the actual towing capacity, and check the payload. I pulled our old 29' Sunline with it a couple of times, and that trailer weighed around 8-8.5K, and although the Tundra could handle the weight, towing in the mountains would be a struggle.

One more point...we picked our trailer because of it's storage space for a smaller trailer. And, the cargo capacity was adequate to allow for the weight of options and personal gear. Although it's under 27', we are comfortable for taking longer trips and have a 6 week trip planned for next year. As you look at trailers, you really have to think about how you are going to use it, and how much stuff will you need for the things you want to do! Our trailer also has an outdoor kitchen with small bar fridge, and the tv wall is such that we can watch tv whether at the dinette or in bed....something that appealed to us.

Hope this helps....sorry for the long post.