Brand New - TT Weight question

[beaker305]

Hello everyone, brand new here and to RVing in general. Here is my story and I hope some of you can provide some insight:

I just recently purchased a 2017 Ford Explorer 4wd V6 with the class 3 towing package. The towing rating is 5,000 lbs. I went to an RV show last weekend and found a travel trailer that I loved and saw that it came in at 4500 lbs....500 less than my vehicle is rated for. I signed the buyers order and planned to pick it up this coming weekend. Over the past few days I have been educating myself on all things RV and came across a lot of mixed information about towing and weights. (Especially that vehicle manufacturers overstate towing capacities and RV manufacturers understate trailer weights) I'm afraid now that my vehicle won't really be able to tow this trailer and I'll be stuck once I get to the dealership to pick this up. Shame on me for not doing enough research ahead of time, but it ended up being one of those impulse decisions. Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[SoundGuy]

beaker305 wrote:
It's a Keystone Hideout 21FQWE http://www.keystonerv.com/hideout/

This Hideout is a couple's model ... so too is my own Coachmen Freedom Express 192RBS which is 4 feet shorter and a 1000 lbs lighter ... and I'd not want to tow it with anything much less capable than my 1/2 ton, 5.3L V8 Avalanche. As it happens, I'm currently negotiating to replace the Av with something newer and even though our trailer typically averages no more than ~ 4600 lbs loaded & ready to camp I wouldn't even remotely consider buying anything less than another 1/2 ton for towing it. 😉

[Jebby14]

Curious to hear the outcome. Hope the OP doesn't disappear

[cbshoestring]

It is troublesome to read post like this one. It means that neither the purchaser, nor the seller (often a dealer) spent enough time making sure the combination would be a suitable fit.

I can forgive the buyer...they are new, have a lot to learn.

While it may not be the sellers responsibility to ensure a proper set-up (it should be with dealers) they have knowledge that they SHOULD pass on before allowing the dollar signs to cloud their eyes.

NOW YOU KNOW---be thankful. Many would just hook & go, putting themselves and others at risk.

Please do as other have said. Either get a trailer suitable for your tow vehicle, or upgrade your tow vehicle to something capable of towing that trailer.

[braindead0]

You also need to be wary of the manufacturers claimed weights. I've noticed a trend where options are mandatory, however the weight they quote is the BASE weight of a particular model. Coachman Apex line has a mandatory option package that includes the following:

• Insulated floor with seamless decking
• High efficiency LED interior lighting
• 2 Outside speakers
• Stabilizer jacks (4)
• TV antenna with cable hookups
• DSI water heater
• Stainless steel microwave
• 3.0 Cu. ft. 2-way refrigerator (4.0 Cu. ft. 15X)
  Double door refrigerator—17X, 191RBS, 193BHS
• 2 burner cooktop
• AM/FM/Bluetooth Stereo
• Skylight in bath
• Evergreen sleep mattress
• Gray exterior fiberglass
• Solar prep

They hide this under a 'show more' button on the site, I have no idea what all of that weighs but it's certainly a few hundred pounds.

IMO The entire RV industry is composed of used car salesmen of the worst stereotypical kind. There is nobody to protect you from them except yourself.

[downtheroad]

I'll chime back in.....if it helps at all, more than want to admit have made the same mistake when we bought our first trailer.

Being from the Northwest and near you, I can almost guess the name of the dealer that set you up and told you, "You can tow this with your Explorer no problem."

[TomG2]

Make it real clear to the RV dealer that you said "Explorer", not "F-150" when you told him what your intended tow vehicle was and therefore the deal is off. Good dealers qualify the tow vehicle, not just the credit score of the buyer.

Of course if money is no object, Ford does make some nice pickup trucks.

[SoundGuy]

beaker305 wrote:
Over the past few days I have been educating myself on all things RV and came across a lot of mixed information about towing and weights.

It's probably pretty safe to say you now realize you should have been "edumacating" yourself on "all things RV" before you went anywhere near any vehicle or RV dealerships, not after. :R How you're going to solve this is a mystery as it will depend so much on whether you can cancel either deal, the better of the 2 being to buy a vehicle more suited for towing a much greater variety of trailers. That by definition will lead you pretty quickly to some sort of 1/2 ton BOF vehicle ... don't do that, stick with your existing vehicle (perhaps because now you have no choice), and that by definition means you're going to be severely limited in the size of trailer you can safely tow with this Explorer. :M Remember, when towing any full height trailer it's not just about weight and (lack of) payload capacity but also the significant effects of wind resistance at highway speeds which will severely tax the abilities of your Explorer. Sad to say but you've gotten yourself into a real "pickle" here. 😞

[Huntindog]

Get out of this deal.
If the dealer is worth his salt, he won't hold you to it, under the circumstances.

Don't make any more impulse buys on TTs. If you see a prospect, post it here first. Get some opinions before signing on the dotted line.

Realize that this is a PUBLIC forum. Anyone can post here. So put your BS filter on full alert.

There is often a tendency to give more credence to opinions that agree with what you want to hear.... That can get you in trouble.

You will hear opinions on this at both extremes. Throw those out of consideration, for the best answers.

[Jebby14]

for what its worth the setup in my signature was capable but just barely and not that much fun to pull. that trailer is lighter and shorter than yours and that WJ was rated for more towing than your explorer. I've since upgraded to a bigger tow vehicle.

[Jebby14]

Sorry to say but you aren't even in the ball park. You will be over towing capacity and WAY over payload. Time to think on you feet and get the deal squashed. Find a significantly smaller trailer or upgrade your tow vehicle. Before you try again make sure you understand functional weights vs dry weights, vehicle payload limitations, rear axle limitations, frontal surface area limitations, tongue weights and proper loading and whatever else you can find. Good luck.

[evanrem]

short of having the dealer take it back as it is clearly to much trailer for the truck or getting a new truck you might have press on and see how it goes. You could put it on a seasonal site.

[SoundGuy]

beaker305 wrote:
It's a Keystone Hideout 21FQWE http://www.keystonerv.com/hideout/

Good grief, that's a 26' travel trailer that will easily weigh 6000+ lbs loaded & ready to camp and you want to tow it with a short wheelbase V6 Explorer which is no longer a BOF vehicle?!! :E

WAY too much trailer, WAY too little tow vehicle. I personally wouldn't tow that trailer with anything less than a properly rated 1/2 ton truck. :R

[westend]

2017 Ford towing guide

[dodge_guy]

4650 dry puts you around 5500-5800lbs loaded. If you pack very lite you will be able to stick to around 5000lbs loaded. The Explorer has the power to tow so setup is key as well as loading!

[braindead0]

Shipping weight is: 4650, that's before battery, propane, WD hitch and dry.
They list carrying capacity 2350, that puts your gross weight at 7000#.