First time tower - multiple questions
Good afternoon. I have read many posts regarding towing and am looking for some additional help. Sorry for the dissertation… First – context: Vehicle and weights: - 2015 Durango, Citadel, V8 Hemi...
Forum Discussion
What I would do (what I did). I'm towing with a Chevrolet Suburban. I bought it with a travel trailer in mind. Then, I purchased my WD hitch. Lastly we went to the dealership and picked out a trailer that was well under the weight rating. Our limit is 7200. The dry weight of the trailer is 5800. Once we bought it the dealership set up the hitch for free (yea, right).
Lessons: Let a pro set up your hitch for you. I bought the anti sway but, in 4 years of regular towing haven't had any issues that required it. Years ago, before the motorhome, we towed and did have occasional sway issues. Now, none.. Getting the hitch right will solve a lot of problems. Also, I added SumoSupersprings to the burb so it rides flat. I see people towing with their noses pointing up. Boost up that rear suspension. The Sumos are a cheap and easy fix.
When you load up the trailer effort to even out the weight distribution but, really avoid going too heavy on the backside of the trailer. Having a trailer loaded heavy on the back end can really give you some sway grief.
Get use to doing walk arounds. Better safe than sorry. Even if you think you know that you got it all right, walk around before you drive, every time. Here's a biggie.. If you're in the process of hooking up the trailer and you get sidetracked for any reason, mentally start the process over when you get back to it so you don't miss a step. I learned this from pulling a toad behind a motorhome. Big things can go real bad. Double checking as a habit is quick, cheap and easy. I had a buddy whose son hooked his toad up to the motorhome and off he went. When he got to his destination the toad was gone, MIA. He had no idea where he lost it. It was later found by the sheriff down in some woods off of the interstate. Lots of issues there but, the lesson is never trust anyone. Verify for yourself.
The Durango is a short wheel base. Consider in your long range plan getting something with a longer wheel base. Keep your speed down. I see people blowing me off the road towing travel trailers well over the speed limit. My personal limit is 65. I'll get there, I won't have met any troopers, I won't go over the speed limits of my tires, and my bowels will be normal. Just relax. If you can't relax when RVing then when can you?
Have fun with the process. It's exciting to buy a new RV. Don't over expect, as Andy Griffith would say. These things just are what they are. We love RVing. It's all about the lifestyle, not nearly as much about the hardware. The RV gives us a level of freedom we wouldn't otherwise have. In that respect it's worth every penny.
Lessons: Let a pro set up your hitch for you. I bought the anti sway but, in 4 years of regular towing haven't had any issues that required it. Years ago, before the motorhome, we towed and did have occasional sway issues. Now, none.. Getting the hitch right will solve a lot of problems. Also, I added SumoSupersprings to the burb so it rides flat. I see people towing with their noses pointing up. Boost up that rear suspension. The Sumos are a cheap and easy fix.
When you load up the trailer effort to even out the weight distribution but, really avoid going too heavy on the backside of the trailer. Having a trailer loaded heavy on the back end can really give you some sway grief.
Get use to doing walk arounds. Better safe than sorry. Even if you think you know that you got it all right, walk around before you drive, every time. Here's a biggie.. If you're in the process of hooking up the trailer and you get sidetracked for any reason, mentally start the process over when you get back to it so you don't miss a step. I learned this from pulling a toad behind a motorhome. Big things can go real bad. Double checking as a habit is quick, cheap and easy. I had a buddy whose son hooked his toad up to the motorhome and off he went. When he got to his destination the toad was gone, MIA. He had no idea where he lost it. It was later found by the sheriff down in some woods off of the interstate. Lots of issues there but, the lesson is never trust anyone. Verify for yourself.
The Durango is a short wheel base. Consider in your long range plan getting something with a longer wheel base. Keep your speed down. I see people blowing me off the road towing travel trailers well over the speed limit. My personal limit is 65. I'll get there, I won't have met any troopers, I won't go over the speed limits of my tires, and my bowels will be normal. Just relax. If you can't relax when RVing then when can you?
Have fun with the process. It's exciting to buy a new RV. Don't over expect, as Andy Griffith would say. These things just are what they are. We love RVing. It's all about the lifestyle, not nearly as much about the hardware. The RV gives us a level of freedom we wouldn't otherwise have. In that respect it's worth every penny.
