Buying a TT. Need direction.

[burgess001]

For 18 years, we have been on a 200,000 mile journey back and forth across our great land in Class A (gas and diesel) motorhomes. It has been wonderful and we consider ourselves to be blessed. However, age has continued to roll on, and we have sold our pusher. We still want to enjoy the local wonders of nature, so I am buying a half-ton pickup with a towing capacity of about 9,500 pounds. We are looking to buy a TT that weighs no more than 7,500 pounds fully loaded. We want to stay at or below 30 feet in length. We like larger tanks for obvious reasons. We also need full queen size (60 x 80) bed. We would like to have good 4-season capability. We will spend extended times visiting family, so wardrobe space and kitchen space is important. There are so many options, I am about to despair of finding the right one. To this point, we like the Winnebago TT's because they have a refreshing look. We like the quality of the Vance. Unfortunately, we have not found that perfect floorplan. Any suggestions?

[burgess001]

Great info. Thanks. My intent was to keep weight to around 7,500 lb, with a 9,500 pound capacity. Hopefully, that would provide for the variables.

[handye9]

Here's a link to a calculator that may help your search.

A 7500 lb trailer is going to eat up at least to 1000 lbs of payload and a weight distributing hitch will eat another 100 lbs.

Manufacturers max tow capacity numbers do not include aftermarket accessories (bed caps / covers, bed liners, undercoating, etc), cargo or passengers. When you add weight to the vehicle, it's available payload AND it's towing capacity are reduced, pound for pound. In many cases, you'll run out of payload before you get close to that mythical tow capacity.

My travel trailer has a loaded weight of 7350 and it's tongue weight fluctuates between 975 and 1200 lbs.

Note: Tongue weight is not a constant number. It goes up and down during every trip. Depending on their location, (in relation to the trailer axles) holding tanks can have a significant impact on tongue weight.

When you go truck shopping, open the drivers door and look at the tire / loading sticker (on door jamb or on door itself). It will have a number for "max occupant / cargo weight. That is that particular truck's capacity carry the combined weight of people, pets, cargo, accessories, trailer hitch, and trailer tongue weight. You'll notice they are not all the same. You could see two of the same make / model, sitting next to each other, and they have different amounts of payload, based on which options are install.

The closer you are to max capacity (payload or tow capacity) the more unpleasant your towing will be.

[K_and_I]

Look around at 250/2500 trucks before you make up your mind. I found that I could get an F250 outfitted they way I wanted it for about $1,000 more than an F150 with the additional payload/towing packages, and the heavier truck makes a much better towing experience.

[ScottG]

WillT wrote:

ScottG wrote:
You might also check out Northwood priducts.

I on my 2nd Northwood product and know many other owners. All, or most love them. But they are well built with solid frames so not light. I don't think I would want to try and pull any of them with a 1/2 ton.

There are some models that could easily be towed by a 1/2T, especially in the Nash line.
If the OP buys used, there were some models just a few years ago that are around 7K. A buddy has a 25P that he likes very much.

[ppine]

I had a Nash trailer for years and sold it because it was heavy. I miss it all the time. Outdoors RV is really good for boondocking. 70 gallon water tanks and the best insulation anywhere.

[WayneAt63044]

Food for thought, as I age, I wonder how much longer I'll be able to lift the Equal-i-zer hitch from ground level. I guess a person could just leave it in the truck receiver and not have to heft it. However the ball is high enough that the tail gate sits on the ball non-towing rather than laying flat. The 1,400 lbs tongue rated hitch assembly weighs 55 lbs without the bars and the 2 bars are 21.6 lbs each. I'm right at the limit of my tow vehicle payload. You might want to consider a 3/4 ton truck for payload and it likely would ride higher allowing the ball to be lower on the shank such that there is less or no interference with the tail gate.

[neschultz]

Keep in mind that you can often modify the floor plan somewhat. We have the Winnebago 2401RG and love it. The floor plan is perfect for the two of us...after we took out the jack knife sofa and moved the dinette into the slide where it was. In that process, we cut 13” off the width of the dinette, making it about 30” wide. Then we bought a double electric recliner sofa and put it where the dinette was.

[WillT]

ScottG wrote:
You might also check out Northwood priducts.

I on my 2nd Northwood product and know many other owners. All, or most love them. But they are well built with solid frames so not light. I don't think I would want to try and pull any of them with a 1/2 ton.

[afidel]

Make sure to pay attention to payload capacity, at ~1k pounds of tongue weight you'll be close to maxing out many half tons.

[ScottG]

By "Vance" do you perhaps mean "Lance"?
You might also check out Northwood priducts.