We have a 2013 Flagstaff that we purchased brand new to replace our 2009 Passport 290BH. When we bought the camper I had a Dodge Ram half ton thinking that I’d be able to tow the new trailer with but quickly found out that would not be possible. The camper towed terrible on the ride home & I just figured it was due to the additional 1500lbs so it was time to upgrade to a bigger truck. I upgraded to a 6.0l diesel Ford F-350 crew cab thinking no problem, it will tow that camper like it’s not even there. I continued to fight the trailer for the rest of the season.
Half way through the second season I dug deeper into the trailer after continuing to fight with towing in the 1 ton diesel that by all accounts should tow that thing without breaking a sweat. I ended up finding that one of the rear axle brakes was miss adjusted from the factory causing the additional drag on the trailer. Finally! I figured I found my issue! The trailer did tow better but not as well as I hoped, still felt like a giant brick behind the truck. By the end of the second season my 6.0l was getting a little tired so I once again upgraded to a 2013 F-350 crewcab with a 6.7l PSD, once again more than enough to tow the anchor behind us.
Last season went much better, I spent a bunch of time dialing in the Rees strait line that I’ve owned since the Passport, bought a tongue scale (1150lbs on the tongue) & adjusted the hitch multiple times until I got it about as good as I could get it without bringing it to the scales. It’s better but still has a little sway at times, still feels heavier than it should behind the PSD but works. I’ve checked the tire pressure constantly, checked for uneven tire wear indicating a bent or misaligned axle with nothing noticeable, I don’t know of a local or even a semi local place that does HD truck alignment’s but I still wonder if there isn’t an axle issue? I know I should hit the scales but with 2 kids, a full time job traveling & life I really struggle finding the time to drive an hour each way to the scales plus the time there. Forget bringing the family loaded up ready to go camping for that exercise!
This year we are planning to expand our camping area since the kids are getting older but I’m dreading another season fighting the tow every trip. I’m seriously considering downgrading, changing campers, getting something smaller that unfortunately won’t have the storage or quality we’re used to but will be easier to tow. We love the layout of the Flagstaff, I love the quality, it’s one of the best built campers I’ve ever seen. In my previous life I was a service manager at a large RV dealership so I’ve been inside many campers, inspected them, worked on them, pulled many a camper, boats, trailers, etc.
I’m really starting to wonder if there is something inherently wrong with the flat front face design of the Flagstaff units, I see that they have changed them on the new models for better aerodynamics. So anyone have any insight, previous owners who’ve owned one & changed to a different brand with input?
