Towable versus Motorized RV?

[NekkidFish]

Hi everybody! I have posted here in the past, but it was when we were renting RVs. Now, after renting RVs over the years, we have decided to buy.

I always thought we would buy a motorized RV. However, we now own a large truck, and could get a towable RV.

Is there anyone who used to have a motorized RV, and now have a towable RV? If so, which do you prefer and why?

Or, reverse the question ... Did you used to have a towable and now have a motorized? Same questions.

Thanks bunches! Jules

[NekkidFish]

Francesca Knowles wrote:

Why not?

I got the impression that this will be an RV in the classic sense of the "recreational" part of the term: for occasional recreational use, not for fulltime occupancy or something like that. Did I get that right? If so, there are plenty of trailers that would follow this truck nicely and provide good facilities for your family. You're not going to pull a fiver or triple slide unit, but does your family want/need to???

Well, I'm not giving up. I think all of the truck talk made me start doubting we could do one. But, I'm keeping an open mind.

Hubby thinks we would be fine with a small MH or TT, like a 25' one. I keep reminding him that we have been in a 29' and a 31' MH (no slide outs) and how tight that was for us. I like to kick back and have some space .... And more than a couple of inches of counter space in the kitchen. I think once we start going to some dealerships and he sees how small he is talking about, he will change his mind.

I have to run to the grocery. Just need to remember to pick up a lottery ticket. 🙂

[NekkidFish]

2112 wrote:

NekkidFish wrote:
Thanks Ron. From everything I'm reading on here, I have a feeling that doing a TT isn't going to be the route for us with this truck. 😞

How much of a TT do you desire?

Your payload is listed on the same yellow sticker as the tire info you mentioned above. It's a single line of text above the tire table. Go back and look again.

You look. We all know how husbands miss things. If it doesn't jump in our hand or fall in our lap we can't find it.

HAHAHAHAHA .... Okay. I'll look when he gets home.

[2112]

NekkidFish wrote:
Thanks Ron. From everything I'm reading on here, I have a feeling that doing a TT isn't going to be the route for us with this truck. 😞

How much of a TT do you desire?

Your payload is listed on the same yellow sticker as the tire info you mentioned above. It's a single line of text above the tire table. Go back and look again.

You look. We all know how husbands miss things. If it doesn't jump in our hand or fall in our lap we can't find it.

[Francesca_Knowl]

NekkidFish wrote:
Thanks Ron. From everything I'm reading on here, I have a feeling that doing a TT isn't going to be the route for us with this truck. 😞

Why not?

I got the impression that this will be an RV in the classic sense of the "recreational" part of the term: for occasional recreational use, not for fulltime occupancy or something like that. Did I get that right? If so, there are plenty of trailers that would follow this truck nicely and provide good facilities for your family. You're not going to pull a fiver or triple slide unit, but does your family want/need to???

[NekkidFish]

What is the Hensley Arrow unit? A stabilizer?

[NekkidFish]

Yes, it is the SR.-5 with a 5.7. We still can't find where the 'model code' so we can find the actual weights in the owners manual. Guess we will call the dealership.

Thanks! Jules

[lanerd]

NekkidFish wrote:
Thanks Ron. From everything I'm reading on here, I have a feeling that doing a TT isn't going to be the route for us with this truck. 😞

Don't be discourage... you can still pull a decent sized TT...you just gotta be careful to match it up with your Tundra. I don't remember if you said it had the 5.7....but if it does, it will have plenty of power to pull whatever you can find that will not overload the truck. I pulled a 25' TT with a loaded weight of 5600 lbs for years with my Tundra. I just had to be careful what i loaded in the back of the truck. Also my TT was a rear kitchen which are notoriously rear heavy and consequently had a light tongue. I did have some problems with sway due to this, but I purchased a used Hensely Arrow WD/SC unit that totally eliminated this problem.

So, look around and don't just take the word of a salesman...look for all the necessary weights and make a wise decision.

Good luck

Ron

[NekkidFish]

Thanks Ron. From everything I'm reading on here, I have a feeling that doing a TT isn't going to be the route for us with this truck. 😞

[lanerd]

NekkidFish wrote:
Quick question. When looking at a Forest River V-Lite on a dealers site, it doesn't list the dry weight, but it does list a shipping weight of 7308 pounds. Is that the same thing?

\

Ok, so using that weight (7308), you can venture to say that you will probably put another 500 lbs into the trailer to make it usable when you take it on the road. Dishes, linens, clothes, food, etc, will add up very quickly.

As mentioned a travel trailer (TT) will normally "need" anywhere from 10% to 15% of the actual weight (when loaded) on the tongue of the trailer to balance it out so that it won't sway going down the road. So 10% would 730 lbs and 15% would be 1096 lbs.

Your Tundra will probably only have about 1500 lbs of available payload so using the 15% figure, that would only leave you less than 500 lbs for the driver, passengers, equipment, tools, etc, to load into the truck.

Even if your Tundra has the 9800 lbs tow limit, you STILL could not come anywhere close to that amount of weight due to the fact that you would be way over your payload limit.

A word of caution... when pulling a TT you really want to make sure that you have sufficient weight on the tongue and also that you want a good weight distribution unit that preferably has built in sway control. The two most common are the Equal-i-zer and the Reese Dual Cam. There are much better units that actually "eliminate" sway, but they cost much more.

In summary, regardless of the Tundra you have, you must be aware of the payload capacity and the tongue weight of the trailer. Know what they are before purchasing any TT. Pushing the truck's limits is doable, but not advised as it will increase problems with the truck and driving characteristics and reduce mpg and handling making your driving experience one that you may not want to have.

Hope this helps


Ron

[NekkidFish]

Speedogomer wrote:
Yes that's the same, dry or shipped weight. The actual dry weight will be listed on the trailer iself, and can differ somewhat from what is listed online or in a brochure.

Great! Thank you!

[Francesca_Knowl]

Yes- shipping/dry weight is same same.

Per tongue weights they may have listed: those are also of course dry, and may not even account for the weight of such standard add-ons as propane bottles and batteries. These items can easily add a couple of hundred pounds to the tongue, hence the truck.

[Speedogomer]

Yes that's the same, dry or shipped weight. The actual dry weight will be listed on the trailer iself, and can differ somewhat from what is listed online or in a brochure.

[NekkidFish]

Quick question. When looking at a Forest River V-Lite on a dealers site, it doesn't list the dry weight, but it does list a shipping weight of 7308 pounds. Is that the same thing?

[NekkidFish]

Great information Francesca! Thank you!

[Francesca_Knowl]

Another way to find payload etc. specific to your vehicle is via the VIN. Any Toyota service department can look the vehicle up and tell you anything you want to know about how it came from the factory. This would include weight/load limits.

Meanwhile:

I'm betting that practical limitations will point towards a bumper pull unit not exceeding 7500 pounds or so DRY WEIGHT. That's the number you'll see advertised by trailer makers, and represent the weight of the unit before you've put anything in/on it. (Loaded up, weight can rise by as much as a thousand pounds what with water and all.) You'd be smart to concentrate your search in that group of trailers.

P.S.

Do not, I repeat, do not ask any trailer salesman "what your truck can tow". He likely either doesn't know but will hazard a guess, or will just plain assure you that the truck can pull whatever trailer he's trying to sell you. Nothing against salesmen, but let's face it: his job is to move units. It's your job to know the limitations of your own equipment.