not sure of TV needed for this TT

[lantanatx]

New to RV'ing. I'm in the market for a tow vehicle and TT. Most of the new TTs I like can be towed with a reasonably equipped half ton like a Ford 150with tow package. I need a 4wd crew cab as this will also be our primary family vehicle and for light use on our family ranch. I'd like have decent mpg when not pulling a trailer.

I found what looks to be a good used 19ft trailer on CL (will see it IRL this weekend). The seller sent me the trailer weight label and it looks like it is much much heavier than the new trailers I was looking at. What kind of vehicle would be needed to pull this?
gvwr=7580, minus uvw=4080, minus fresh water weight of 55 gal =457,
minus propane weight of 14 gal = 59,
= CCC for this trailer = 2984

I will be headed up Yellowstone country this summer, so I will be pulling it up/down some pretty good grades.

[WannaBcamping]

SilverEscape wrote:

fanrgs wrote:
Another similar trailer is the Jayco Jay Feather X213. They both have the slide-out queen bed at the rear and a set of bunks at the front.

The X213 now has a king bed at the rear. I think it was 2011 that they changed it.

We just lucked into buying a new 2011 Rockwood Roo 21RS with full 1 yr factory warranty. 21'9". Not sure why it was still on our dealers lot. It's perfect for us just out for up to a week or so for local camping. Can't wait to pick it up!

By the way, this is our 3rd Forest River trailer. Prefer to buy Forest River. They do stand behind their products. If you are willing to go to their Internation Rally that they hold each August they bring the technicians in to fix problems people have with their trailers even when the warranty has expired. Also Forest River will sell an owner a 2nd year warranty for $150. Can't beat that!

[APT]

Ford's 2.7L Ecoboost sounds like a great fit. I personally would be more pleased with the 3.5L Ecoboost.

[SilverEscape]

fanrgs wrote:
Another similar trailer is the Jayco Jay Feather X213. They both have the slide-out queen bed at the rear and a set of bunks at the front.

The X213 now has a king bed at the rear. I think it was 2011 that they changed it.

[fanrgs]

Take a look at small bed-slide trailers like the 21-ft. Rockwood Mini Lite Roo 21RS. The hard-side bed (not tent bed like a pop-up) slides out when you set up camp and slides back in for travel. Another similar trailer is the Jayco Jay Feather X213. They both have the slide-out queen bed at the rear and a set of bunks at the front.

The Rockwood model has apparently been discontinued, so would only be available used, but the Jayco is still being built. The Rockwood is 21'9" long and has a GVWR of 5450 pounds. The GVWR for the Jayco is 5500 pounds, but is 24' long (counting the A-frame tongue). So, if a few feet of length is critical, you might want the Rockwood.

And manufacturers have differing numbering schemes. The Rockwood 2109S is 21'9" long from the hitch ball to the back of the rear bumper, ie., total length. The Jayco X213 is 21 feet from the front wall of the trailer to the back wall of the trailer, but you need to add 3 feet of A-frame tongue to that to get the total length.

We just sold our 21'9" Rockwood Mini Lite travel trailer (not a Roo, but that is the Roo's model name) yesterday. It is not the best-quality "superlite" trailer on the market, but it has all the features we needed including a full "dry" bath and a sofa slide.

But it was perfect for a retired couple to take to Alaska for 3 months during the summer of 2013 using a mid-size Nissan Frontier 4.0L V-6 as the tow vehicle. We added a second 12v deep-cycle battery and LED light bulbs for boondocking, but had no generator. With the batteries and the 3 30-gallon tanks (fresh water, GW, BW), but no hookups, we could stay 3 days at places like Riley Creek Campground in Denali NP, washing dishes and taking "Navy" showers every day.

Most RV manufacturers have very similar small trailers--Northwood and Lance being two that are very well-built, but heavier and more expensive, than the Rockwood. Try the craigslist RV ads in the nearest big cities--Dallas, Houston, Albuquerque, wherever--for used trailers from some of these manufacturers to get an idea of prices and features. Also check out the on-line NADA price guide for the models you are most interested in to get average retail prices.

Good luck in your search and don't buy too little trailer to provide whatever level of comfort your boys might enjoy.

[marquette]

Since you already have all your camping gear have you considered a enclosed cargo trailer? They are available new or used fairly reasonable. A 7 x 14 with tandem axles will weigh about 18-1900 lbs to start. You will need to add 4-6 windows of which horse trailer windows work very well. You are already planning on camping outside and just want a secure sleeping area a set of standard bunk beds provides sleeping for the kids and what ever size bed you prefer. The trailer hauls all your gear inside dry and secure. On a bad weather day move the lawn chairs and camp stove inside and wait it out. I can just barely get my 14 ft Redfish kayak in a 6 x 12 V-front trailer going at an angle. The cargo trailer will handle any of the back country roads you throw at it.

[Lynnmor]

lantanatx wrote:
The trailer sold before I could look at it, but I thought it seemed heavy and the tank sizes seemed huge. It was much heavier than the newer models that size range which is why I asked about it. Still on the look out for a small 20 to 22 foot trailer, but used ones seem to get snapped up immediately.

Just guessing, but it sounds like you will use the trailer in less than perfect conditions. The newer "ultra-lite" units can barely hold up under ideal conditions. Look for weak frames, smaller axles and tires, and generally minimal construction.

[lantanatx]

The trailer sold before I could look at it, but I thought it seemed heavy and the tank sizes seemed huge. It was much heavier than the newer models that size range which is why I asked about it. Still on the look out for a small 20 to 22 foot trailer, but used ones seem to get snapped up immediately.

[SlowBro]

Good golly, that is one heavy 19 footer!

As others mentioned, payload. My truck is rated to pull 8900lb. But us passengers are, shall we say, a bit "fluffy," which means that by the time we added the tongue weight we're close to the vehicle's GVWR. Keep an eye on that. Having to keep tongue weight light, plus a 20% safety buffer, meant I would be looking at pulling no more than 6500lb GVWR. And that's after pulling the extra junk out of the vehicle. And I do mean everything; Even the floor mats are going. You're considering a 1/2 ton which has pretty much the same towing capacity as mine, so you may have the same payload issues.

If you assume that the weight of the trailer you'll be pulling is its GVWR weight, not its dry weight, that goes a long way. Since you're going to higher elevations (8,000ft+) your engine will be struggling more to breathe, thus a 20% safety buffer is a very good idea, and probably more will be needed.

I personally would not tow such a heavy trailer so high up with only a 1/2 ton. But I too am pretty new to RVing. Just sharing what I've learned so far.

[marquette]

What kind of a trailer are you looking at? Most 19 ft trailers are more in the 4-4500 lb GVW. Not to mention a 55 gal water tank on a 19 ft trailer seems like overkill. I've seen some 17-19 ft toy haulers they have GVW 7-8000 lbs with UVW of 33-3800 lbs because they have heavier frames to haul ATV's and sleds.

[Grit_dog]

You answered your own question. You need any decent half ton truck. If the rear suspension is too soft for the load, either a weight dist hitch and or some sort of overload springs will do the trick.

[pitch]

You are exactly right about needing only a decent 1/2 ton truck.
If you don't already know the payload (cargo) label is on the drivers door jamb. That trailers tongue weight will come in at close to 1k when ready to roll so keep that in mind. With two boys and accoutrements I would not look at anything not having at least 1600k of payload.
The more optioned a truck is the less the payload will be. If you don't need leather, navigation, sun roof, etc. your search should be easier.
Make sure any truck you buy has "LT" tires on it,or be prepared to purchase some.
Good luck with the search.

[lantanatx]

pitch wrote:
.... Just testosterone driven braying!

Being from Texas I see this all the time. LOL.

First of all I'm a woman so I don't need any penis extender truck. ;)Just one suited for the job. Fishing rods, kayaks, footballs, and a few bags of feed are the biggest things this truck will be hauling (other than the TT a couple of months a year). A decent half ton truck is all I need. If this used trailer is too big for that, I will probably keep looking. I've pulled a too heavy trailer cross country before and don't plan to make that mistake again.

After nearly 30 years of doing field biology out of tents and little Ford Ranger sized trucks all over the US and Mexico, my needs are minimal, but as a single parent I've got kids to deal with now. A TT has some advantages, but I need a small one, and don't foresee circumstances changing to justify a bigger one.

20 ft trailer is the maximum that can safely navigate the hairpin turns to get to some of my field sites. If I could find a smaller one with enough beds I would. Need a hard sided trailer for sleeping in mostly - we are outside most of the rest of the time. My twins are 10 y.o. and we will be in bear country and I don't want some forgotten jerky or candy snuck into a tent to cause a tragedy. I've dealt with bears in campsites and don't need to repeat it with kids too. An actual bathroom will be a luxury!

I figure I have 5 years max before the boys have too much else going on in their lives to want to spend most of the summer traipsing along with mom. Might go with a teardrop at that point.

[pitch]

What an idiotic and foolish statement! There is not a single letter of accuracy or truth in either quote. Just testosterone driven braying!

[Allworth]

Two quotes that every beginner should memorize:

1. There is no such thing as too much truck!

and

2. Real trucks don't have sparkplugs!