Heavy Trailers

hmmmm my response failed testing testing

I did the same thing last year.

I purchased my VIBE and pulled it with our 2005 Navigator. It worked as the rep said it would but I never really felt great

I believe people are more or less just bummed. What they thought was a good idea now does not seem correct. Think about it, you just spent the cash on a new TT and just to find out later you now need a new TV.

Agree the sales staff is scared to tell the buyer they will need a new TV as well. Maybe they are scared the buyer doesn't want to have to buy both TV and TT.

In my case keeping the Toyota Tacoma wasn't an option on keeping if i wanted a 5th wheel. But now were living the dream.

In the old days you never heard of anyone concerned with weights...if your vehicle would tow it then tow it. Back then we bought a TT without any coincern to if it was too heavy for our tow vehicle (1978 Ramcharger). We towed the TT for many years without any problem.

Then it was time to get a new RV and we chose to go with a 38ft 5th wheel. At that time I had a 1984 4X4 Chevy 2500. Immediately I could tell the trailer was too much for the truck. For a couple of years I tried to live with it, but the truck began to have problems. I picked up a 1986 C3500 crewcab long bed dually. It handled the trailer well except I never felt like it had enough stopping power. The truck was rated for a 10K 5th wheel and our 5th wheel had a gross of 13K. Every downhill was white knuckle time.
14 years later I finally bought a truck that had more than enough capacity for our 5th wheel. A 2007 Chevy Kodiak C4500. This truck makes towing a dream. Plenty of power and plenty of stopping power. No more white knuckles.

The moral: you can tow a beyond capacity trailer but the stress on you and the tow vehicle isn't worth it.

As for me. I always wonder why folks think that the TV is supposed to drive the same with a trailer, as it does without a trailer. Yes, a trailer WILL slow you down on hills, Yes a trailer WILL cause the TV to have less acceleration, And NO you cannot jerk the TV around like you can without a trailer. And NO the TV will NOT stop quite as fast with a trailer, as it does with out a trailer. Takes longer to stop 15000lb than it does to stop 5000. A fact of life.

I accept that things will change when I hookup, and drive accordingly. Allow more room in front, More room to turn, More room to merge, and more room to pass. I start stopping much earlier, actually coast up to a light or stop sign.

I believe that is a lot of the problem. People are not expecting there to be a difference in the performance of their TV.

i love seeing the post " i only get 8 miles to the gal whats wrong?"

the Bear II is right about how we never even thought about weights back in the day. I used to pull a 4,000 pound (empty) 1972 19' Smokey trailer all over the country with a 1971 IH Scout that only weighed about 3500 pounds with a 100" wheel base. No WDH and no sway control. Don't remember but probably no trailer brakes either. It's a wonder I ain't dead.

After looking at the prices of a new Expedition and the new TT we wanted, we bought a new 2015 Precept 35UN instead, Now I tow my car and our Expedition gets to rest! It works for us and it was cheaper!

It's so much more fun to buy than it is to do research.

I did have a good salesmen when we considered our very first RV, a pop-up. We were considering a pup that WAS too much for our Chevy Lumina Mini Van. He was honest and showed us what we COULD tow comfortably. We were a bit disappointed we couldn't get the one we wanted, and settled for a much smaller one. It turned out to be a good combination. We towed that pup for 6 years, thousands and thousands of miles with that Lumina. And when we traded (remember cash for clunkers), it still had a great engine and transmission. (but everything else was falling apart, like the air conditioner, the electric windows, etc.)

With the purchase of our first TT, after that, I knew the right questions to ask. I am forever grateful for ONE honest salesman that spared us a world of misery and disappointment!

And you know, that guy was right. He said they LOVED to sell pop-ups, because it guaranteed a return visit by the customer in a few years to purchase a TT, because (almost) every pop-up purchased was returned for a trade in 2 - 4 years later for a TT. Honesty is the best!