Forum Discussion
legolas
Feb 23, 2014Explorer
TucsonJim wrote:These guys, RV dealers all know the reality of what a TV can handle safely and comfortably....most of them just don't give a d#$n what happens to you after the TT or FW rear bumper crosses from their driveway to the road....it's your problem, your grief and your tuff luck. If you think differently there is a bridge in New York for sale.Tachdriver wrote:
The first purchase will be the biggest education!!!
Since I'm a very "seasoned" RV towing guy now, I'll have to fess up that I was in this guy's situation one time.
My first truck was a 1500 Silverado 4x4 extended cab short bed. I knew enough to ask the salesman "Does this thing tow?" He said "you can tow almost anything with this big boy". So I buy it.
I pulled my little 4500 pound TT just fine. But a buddy had a nice FW, so I convinced the DW that we "needed" a bigger rig. So off the the RV dealer. I had just enough knowledge to be dangerous. I asked him "what can my truck tow"? He said "since it's 4x4, you can tow anything!!". So I purchased a 30 foot FW. I don't remember what the GVWR was, but it listed the useless dry weigh around 9,800 pounds. Of course, we filled up all the water and propane, added fishing tackle, clothes, dishes, pots, pans, groceries and most important - beer!
When I picked it up, the PDI took about 45 minutes. The rear of the truck sagged about 4-5 inches when I hooked it up. This had me concerned. The salesman and service manager at the RV dealer said, "no problem, that's perfectly normal. Just readjust your headlights if your towing after dark".
On my first trip, we hit about a 5% grade, and the truck went down to about 32 mph! When we encountered a strong head wind, I think we were actually going backwards... But in reality, I did take it on a few trips, and it was very unnerving. Honest to God's truth, At 28,000 miles, the transmission on that poor little 1500 decided it had had enough. Fortunately, they honored the warranty on the truck. As soon as it was fixed, I traded it for a 2500HD. What a difference.
Moral of the Story:
We all have to learn one way or another. I don't want to pick on the OP, because I made the same mistake of listening to "professional" dealers instead of doing my own research. Now, he needs to rectify the situation and either get a smaller trailer, or a more stout TV. We can all help by making sure that any of our friends or acquaintances are fully informed before making a purchase.
In the mean time, we need to make sure TV and towable dealers understand all of the variables that go into a safe tow set up. I purchased a new FW this month, and the dealership actually compared items such as towing capacity, payload, hitch weight, etc. and recorded it. They have a very strict policy of not selling an overweight TV (thanks Lazy Days).
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