8,500 lbs plus dry weight

[aarond76]

In the last year or so I am seeing a slew of new bunk house campers with dryweights in the 8,500 lb range. Mostly the triple slide island kitchen bunk house campers that I would love to have. What in the world are people towing these things with? We two a 7,000 lb dry camper with an E-350 V-10 and I cannot imagine adding another 1,500 lbs to it. The typical travel trailer buyer does not have a diesel dually. To those that have purchased these what are you towing with and how is your experience with it?

2002 E350 V-10 3.73
2006 Cherokee 32B

[GAAzureMach1]

I tow my 39' Sierra travel trailer bunkhouse with 2 slides. It has a dry weight of 9400 lbs. I tow it with my 2003 F250 Crew Cab Long Bed with the 6.8 V-10, 4R100, 2wd with 3.73 rear end. We also haul our golf cart in the bed. It pulls it without any issues. The 1200 lb spring bars & long wheel base makes a huge difference.

[Itisme]

OP - in 2012, we purchased a used 32' 1996 tt for 6k with a used 96 3/4 chevy pu with a vortec 454. After realizing we loved to go camping, we wanted a larger unit.

After moving into the eagle ford oil boom area to make some of the big $ for a few years, and getting raked over the coals for housing ($1500 a month for rent), we sold the 96 32' prowler and purchased a tt like you were asking about. It is a 37' 5" bumper hitch triple slide BH with outside kitchen listing about 8500 dry weight and 11.1k max. Granted, we only plan on pulling the tt on a few short trips and one 600 mile trip a year, the 3/4 454 is ok, not great. I took the combo on a 120 mile round trip a 2 weeks ago. Like I said...it was ok, not great. I did test drive a 2001 f550 while on the trip, and even pulled my tt with it. Hands down, the F550 was so much better. I do plan on getting a 1 ton truck, but will have to make due with the 3/4 ton for now.

On a side note, we did not load to much into the tt for the first trip. Even then, this combo is not something I want to do often. I'm guessing it is at or below 9500lbs, but there isn't an easy way for me to weight it until I get out of the boon docks on vacation. For the vacation in two weeks, we will utilize a second vehicle to carry the extra stuff to keep the tt as light as possible. If the trip was not almost 100 percent flat interstate travel, I probably would not be interested in making the trip. We will move into the tt full time after vacation.

[bmupton]

I tow my Zinger ZT33BH with an '86 Chevy G20 3/4 ton van with a 6.2 diesel 700R4 tranny (never in OD!) and 3.73 rear end.

Dry it's 8455, GVWR is 11,162. I have about 1000 pounds of "stuff" and I haul without filling the fresh water tank (That would add over 500lbs). My weight on the ground I estimate at just under 10k.

The van does a fairly good job of getting up to speed, and can maintain 80km/h without too much trouble. With my equalizer hitch it sits level and doesn't feel like there's a trailer there at all to tell the truth. I don't think I'd do a cross-Canada trip with it, but for the 35km trek to my favorite campground it does the job nicely.

[Lantley]

LarryJM wrote:

aarond76 wrote:
To answer dodge guy, yes, if you are getting an 8,500 lb dry trailer I assume you are going to carry 2,000 lbs of stuff around in it. How do people make out towing these things with anything less than a deisel one ton that the typical travel trailer buyer does not have.

Well right there is your first mistake ... someone looking at a trailer with a GVWR in excess of 10K lbs is NOT YOUR TYPICAL TRAVEL TRAILER OWNER. At those weights and the corresponding tongue wt. you are well into the 1 ton Diesel territory. There are a few gasser offerings, but they are not common especially in the more current years.

I want my cake and to eat it to. The affodability of a travel trailer with all the room and amenities these 8,500 lb beasts offer, all being towed by a reasonably priced gas tow vehicle. The move to deisel is over my price point, the move to 5th wheel is over my price point. Now it seems every manufacturer is making these extremely heavy travel trailers and I am interested in others experience in towing them. At 7k dry plus probably 2k of our gear I already feel like we have a little bit of the tail wagging the dog with a 1 ton v10 van.

Again while a lot of TT manufacturers might offer trailers in the size you are talking about those are at the upper end of their offerings and there are still many, many that are being offerred that don't need that 1T Diesel.

Larry

Larry pretty much sums it up. If you want a big heavy trailer you need a big heavy truck to pull it. There is no way around it.
As you can see from the responses those pulling the bigger trailers are using bigger trucks.
For the most part I prefer the heavier trailers however there are smaller lighter options available, which may suit your needs just as well.

[LarryJM]

aarond76 wrote:
To answer dodge guy, yes, if you are getting an 8,500 lb dry trailer I assume you are going to carry 2,000 lbs of stuff around in it. How do people make out towing these things with anything less than a deisel one ton that the typical travel trailer buyer does not have.

Well right there is your first mistake ... someone looking at a trailer with a GVWR in excess of 10K lbs is NOT YOUR TYPICAL TRAVEL TRAILER OWNER. At those weights and the corresponding tongue wt. you are well into the 1 ton Diesel territory. There are a few gasser offerings, but they are not common especially in the more current years.

I want my cake and to eat it to. The affodability of a travel trailer with all the room and amenities these 8,500 lb beasts offer, all being towed by a reasonably priced gas tow vehicle. The move to deisel is over my price point, the move to 5th wheel is over my price point. Now it seems every manufacturer is making these extremely heavy travel trailers and I am interested in others experience in towing them. At 7k dry plus probably 2k of our gear I already feel like we have a little bit of the tail wagging the dog with a 1 ton v10 van.

Again while a lot of TT manufacturers might offer trailers in the size you are talking about those are at the upper end of their offerings and there are still many, many that are being offerred that don't need that 1T Diesel.

Larry

[rode2nowhere]

Never heard of them, will look. I t had a box on it when I bought it from T"s performance but died I think due to water when dealer detailed it and filled it with water so I took it off.

[6dot6]

rode2nowhere wrote:
I pull a bunkhouse sprinter with a 2004 gmc duramax. It does pull it but it does have to work. In the tow/haul mode the transmission downshifts on a lot of hills. It has made me reconsider long hauls. The truck is stock, no tuner. Should I be concerned? I hope someone can reassure me. The truck is in great shape with 74,000 miles.

you dont want a box tuner. go with efi live from either kory willis or idaho rob my friend.

[befu]

Dry is about 8,300 on my trailer. I tow it with a 2004 suburban just fine. 8.1L, 3.73 gears. Rated to tow 10,000 lbs with a GCWR of 17,000 lbs. I am usually 16,500 to 17,500 fully loaded depending on where we are going. In Michigan, Ohio, Indiana it is easy easy easy. Gets over 8mpg towing, 12 city and 14 highway unloaded. Went through PA last summer, truck did great.

I liked it so much, I bought another 2004 one. Looks like new and has 62k on it. I am set for awhile on tow vehicles.

These 496's are really mild also. I may end up lightly modding my newer one for extra pulling power for our trip out west. Either that or change that one to 4.10's.

Oh, the burbs are modified with a 4th row seat also, 12 passenger seating!

Brian

[rode2nowhere]

looking around, thanx

[SprinklerMan]

rode2nowhere wrote:
I pull a bunkhouse sprinter with a 2004 gmc duramax. It does pull it but it does have to work. In the tow/haul mode the transmission downshifts on a lot of hills. It has made me reconsider long hauls. The truck is stock, no tuner. Should I be concerned? I hope someone can reassure me. The truck is in great shape with 74,000 miles.

Your truck is about done , I will take it off your hands for you .Those old duramax chevys are hard to sell . ............Kidding , but look into a tuner , my neighbor has one on his and loves it .

[Huntindog]

My dry weight is around 8500. Gross about 11500. It is every bit of that loaded for a trip. I also load the TV heavy 2000# of a rack and quads, 1008# of extra water. 2 EU 2000s, about 300# of gasoline and 160# of extra propane. Along with other odds and ends...I don't stop loading until its full.

The truck is awesome.

[6dot6]

supposedly my dry weight is around 7k. i havent had a chance to weigh it yet. but i just got done yanking it to kentucky from nj and had no issues with my gmc dually. imo overkill in a tv is key. if i didnt lower my truck i woulda bought a 5er though. good luck!

[GaryWT]

My TT is 35 feet, it only has 2 slides not three but is a bunkhouse with outside kitchen. The weights are 6400/8000. I tow with a F150 5.4L. Towed last week and it towed like a dream. I hit the tow button, get on the highway and set the cruise, and away we go, better than the last trailer that was slightly shorter and lighter. The weight and payload are close but not over so we are good. Not to say someday might look at a 250 but for now we are good.

[rode2nowhere]

I pull a bunkhouse sprinter with a 2004 gmc duramax. It does pull it but it does have to work. In the tow/haul mode the transmission downshifts on a lot of hills. It has made me reconsider long hauls. The truck is stock, no tuner. Should I be concerned? I hope someone can reassure me. The truck is in great shape with 74,000 miles.