2nd year of ownership Wilderness TT

[Cannondale61]

I purchased a Wilderness 2875BH last year. The first year this model was manufactured. The unit has two opposing slides, and a center island. Overall quality has been more than acceptable, I had the unit in for one service call when the air conditioner drains plugged with pin needles, at which time I had the dealer reseal all external openings and windows. The microwave died but that is not the fault of Heartland.

The bad the dealer sold me a Eazi Lift weight distribution hitch with a static sway bar and a generic brake controller. The unit towed horrible and was not an enjoyable towing experience. This spring I upgraded to a Equalizer four point hitch with 1200 lbs bars instead of the 1000 on the Eazi Lift I also purchased a Prodigy brake controller. Night and day difference I towed from Maine to Niagra Falls NY and back and the drive was 100 times better.

I tow with a 2009 Chevy Silverado with towing package 3.75 rear end, transmission cooler, and 5.3. The truck is able to tow 9600lbs and payload is 1600 lbs. Advertised tongue weight is 660 lbs I am little over that at 725lbs. Advertised trailer weight is 7800 lbs and that is about were I am at. Gas mileage varied from low of 7 to high of 9mpg of course the trees were blowing in the direction I was headed that day. The only issue with this truck is the lack of power. I have been looking at 3/4 tons I feel the 6.0 liter would be better. My family is only going to get heavier and I would like a cap on the truck to stow bikes and carry my dog.

Overall I have been very happy. I hope this may help those that are looking On edit yes I weighed with spring bars attached I also found half a tank of fresh water made a world of difference, since tank is in front.

[Cannondale61]

I have always liked and preferred GMC products but Mickey_D many discussions about Chrysler products in the Truck section of the forum have me curious about the new Ram trucks.

[Mickey_D]

1oldtruck wrote:
You may be surprised by the power increase in the current 5.3L vs your 2009. They also offer engine grade braking. It does help in the mountains.

The stability of a 3/4 ton is an amazing difference when towing. The ride is a bit harsh when running empty. Diesel is not necessary. I have had both and returned to gas. Modern trucks are so much quieter you just don't hear the engine "scream" like you used to.

We have a Primetime LaCrosse 329 which weighs dry about 8700 pounds and a little over 10K loaded. When we bought it I had a 2014 GMC Sierra 1500 CC and the trailer was way too much for it both stability wise and power wise. Ended up getting a Ram 2500 with the Cummins and it is like night and day in pulling power and stability. After coming from an 05 GMC with the 5.3, I actually think that the older one pulled better and had more low end torque, at least when pulling my 9K equipment trailer with a forklift on it. The new 5.3 just felt very soft until you got the RPM up, and then it would take off. The older one had a lot of low end grunt that quickly faded as the RPM climbed. The old one pulled better but the new one was a lot more fun to drive empty.

Having had GMC and Chevy trucks for the last 25 years, I am very impressed with the 2014 Ram that I bought. Comfort, visibility, fit and finish, and how well things were thought out are way ahead of the current GM trucks. Fuel economy around town and on the highway empty are the same as the half ton GM gas trucks, pulling a trailer it is about 25% better, and this is with the Ram 2500 weighing almost 3000 pounds more than the half ton GM trucks (I added a Ranch Hand bumper, headache rack, and heavy toolbox to the Ram).

[1oldtruck]

You may be surprised by the power increase in the current 5.3L vs your 2009. They also offer engine grade braking. It does help in the mountains.

The stability of a 3/4 ton is an amazing difference when towing. The ride is a bit harsh when running empty. Diesel is not necessary. I have had both and returned to gas. Modern trucks are so much quieter you just don't hear the engine "scream" like you used to.

[Cannondale61]

I agree I have been looking at 3/4 ton trucks. I also have to be very careful the black and grey tanks are empty because they are behind the axle and the fresh water is half full which is in the nose of the trailer. When I was towing with the eaz lift system thru trial and error I found that I needed fresh water about half full to have a better towing experience I still keep the tank half full with the equalizer.

[westend]

I think you would be happier with a bigger truck. If you tow a lot, a diesel is really superior.

[therink]

X2, the optimal tongue weight for stable towing of a TT should be around 13 percent. You're tongue weight should be around 1100 lbs with a 7800 lb TT. If it is under 800 as you claim, then the trailer weight is proportioned wrong or you have too much loaded in the rear. You should take it to a scale all loaded for camping with family and all gear in the truck. This will give you a better idea on your weights.
In my opinion, a 3/4 ton truck is much better suited to tow a TT over 6500 gvwr. You can get by with a half ton but they just aren't designed for that kind of load.

[Mike_Up]

Cannondale61 wrote:
Advertised tongue weight is 660 lbs I am little over that at 725lbs. Advertised trailer weight is 7800 lbs and that is about were I am at.

Wow, you're under 10% tongue weight. No wonder why you had a bad towing experience. You need to be at least 10% and a bit more is even better. Most TTs average around 13%.

Are you sure your tongue weight is that low. Did you weigh with the spring bars attached. That will lead to an inaccurate weight. You need to remove your spring bars to get an accurate tongue weight.

Good luck with the new Trailer.