Large (largest) Travel Trailer

[DKRITTER]

We are going to order a new travel trailer shortly and have found the Jayco Eagle 338RETS we really like so far. We really haven't found a good trailer that is larger than this, is anyone aware of something larger?

The 338RETS is 39' long and we will spend over 100 nights a year in it. I would get a 5th wheel but because of my truck configuration I need to stay with a bumper pull.


Thanks

[WE3ZS]

Thanks guys, we really like both the TT and EXcursion.
Dodge guy (1EXcursioncamper), Yeah, I guess that does seem kind of short now that you mention it. 🙂 Sixty one feet long. LOL
DKRITTER, I strongly recommend a top of the line WD hitch for any of these longer heavier trailer available today, there are several to choose from. Dodge guy as well as many others do well with the Dual Cam, they do work well but can take a little fiddling to get perfectly dialed in (just like almost anything mechanical). I am a huge fan of the Hensley Arrow based on the performance and ease of use, great hitch! I'm not too crazy about the cost of these and their Pro-Pride cousins, look around for used units, I bought mine off Craigslist for $650. 2 new bearings, 4 seals, some hardware and a fresh coat of paint and it was as good as new. I also upgraded the spring bars from 1,000lbs to the 1400lb ones for our use. Provides a very comfortable towing experience and really cuts down on trailer vs truck movement from big rigs and crosswinds, it will still move but it moves more like a straight body truck vs TV & TT.

[DKRITTER]

WE3ZS wrote:
We tow a 2014 Jayco Eagle 338RETS like you have looked at. We have had it for more than a year and a half now and have pulled it from home near Philly to all over New England and down through the Carolinas. It has been a great trailer for us with only a couple of very minor issues that were resolved without drama quickly by the dealer.
We have not had any problems fitting it into any campsite so far, we do usually get pull throughs but it has landed on several back-in sites also. There have been a few where the TV had to squeeze in close to the tongue for parking. We pull it with an '05 V-10 Excursion (running F-350 suspension with additional leaves), we also use a Hensley Arrow hitch which does an excellent job of keeping that long TT well behaved behind the 137" wheelbase TV.we also use a Hensley Arrow hitch which does an excellent job of keeping that long TT well behaved behind the 137" wheelbase TV. Expect a tongue weight of about 1400lbs when loaded up for trips. Ours is outfitted with the 2 AC units and 50 amp service, it has the washer/dryer prep but units are not installed. That huge living room is great and very comfortable!
We love ours, good luck with your's if you buy one.

Our rig measures out to 61" exactly bumper to bumper (10" extension on TT rear).

Dodge Guy my apologies I actually misquoted you and meant to quote WE3ZS.


WE3ZS would you tell me more about the Hensley, we are considering a new hitch when we get the new trailer and the Hensley is one of them.

[dodge_guy]

DKRITTER wrote:
Dodge Guy, tell me more about your Hensley. I have a 1400lb Equalizer on my current trailer and had thought about either taking it with me or getting a 1500lb Blue Ox.

The Hensley style might be the ticket.

I don't have a Hensley! Maybe you seen the Hellwig sway bar in my post? I'm running a Reese Dual Cam system and I couldn't ask for anymore hitch! It performs that well!

[Mickey_D]

Our LaCrosse 329 is a little over 38' tongue to the spare and our truck is almost 22" from the cow catcher to the hitch, and it makes me glad that I have had a lot of trailers over the years (boat, livestock, equipment, etc...) when backing into a tight spot. We spent the weekend of the 4th at a campground with a very tight turnaround that took almost a dozen cuts to get turned around when we were leaving. But we did not touch anything, only had to use the 4wd once, and made it out. A fifth wheel would have been a lot easier though.

I guess that you have dog boxes in the back of your truck that prevents using a fifth wheel, but I have seen some really nice custom ones done on a flat bed dually. If you go with a true cab and chassis model you can get a crew cab with a 9' bed that will give you 4' or so for the dogs and still be able to cut sharper than any travel trailer.

[DKRITTER]

Dodge Guy, tell me more about your Hensley. I have a 1400lb Equalizer on my current trailer and had thought about either taking it with me or getting a 1500lb Blue Ox.

The Hensley style might be the ticket.

[dodge_guy]

Doug33 wrote:

WE3ZS wrote:
We tow a 2014 Jayco Eagle 338RETS like you have looked at. We have had it for more than a year and a half now and have pulled it from home near Philly to all over New England and down through the Carolinas. It has been a great trailer for us with only a couple of very minor issues that were resolved without drama quickly by the dealer.
We have not had any problems fitting it into any campsite so far, we do usually get pull throughs but it has landed on several back-in sites also. There have been a few where the TV had to squeeze in close to the tongue for parking. We pull it with an '05 V-10 Excursion (running F-350 suspension with additional leaves), we also use a Hensley Arrow hitch which does an excellent job of keeping that long TT well behaved behind the 137" wheelbase TV. Expect a tongue weight of about 1400lbs when loaded up for trips. Ours is outfitted with the 2 AC units and 50 amp service, it has the washer/dryer prep but units are not installed. That huge living room is great and very comfortable!
We love ours, good luck with your's if you buy one.

Our rig measures out to 61" exactly bumper to bumper (10" extension on TT rear).

I was just at Rose Tree Park for a concert last weekend!

61"? That's not very long! Pretty short actually at 5ft 1inch!

[justafordguy]

93Cobra2771 wrote:
Uh oh, you done gone and done it now. You don't have a dually pulling that. No matter what you've done to the suspension it doesn't say it on the door placard, doom and gloom, will wipe out half the civilized world in a crash due to being overloaded, blah blah blah. 🙂

Now that's funny right there.:B

Hey WE3ZS, that's a very cool rig you have.

[Doug33]

WE3ZS wrote:
We tow a 2014 Jayco Eagle 338RETS like you have looked at. We have had it for more than a year and a half now and have pulled it from home near Philly to all over New England and down through the Carolinas. It has been a great trailer for us with only a couple of very minor issues that were resolved without drama quickly by the dealer.
We have not had any problems fitting it into any campsite so far, we do usually get pull throughs but it has landed on several back-in sites also. There have been a few where the TV had to squeeze in close to the tongue for parking. We pull it with an '05 V-10 Excursion (running F-350 suspension with additional leaves), we also use a Hensley Arrow hitch which does an excellent job of keeping that long TT well behaved behind the 137" wheelbase TV. Expect a tongue weight of about 1400lbs when loaded up for trips. Ours is outfitted with the 2 AC units and 50 amp service, it has the washer/dryer prep but units are not installed. That huge living room is great and very comfortable!
We love ours, good luck with your's if you buy one.

Our rig measures out to 61" exactly bumper to bumper (10" extension on TT rear).

I was just at Rose Tree Park for a concert last weekend!

[93Cobra2771]

Uh oh, you done gone and done it now. You don't have a dually pulling that. No matter what you've done to the suspension it doesn't say it on the door placard, doom and gloom, will wipe out half the civilized world in a crash due to being overloaded, blah blah blah. 🙂

That is a darn good looking setup. Looks a bit nose down in that pic, but it may well be the road giving that appearance.

[WE3ZS]

We tow a 2014 Jayco Eagle 338RETS like you have looked at. We have had it for more than a year and a half now and have pulled it from home near Philly to all over New England and down through the Carolinas. It has been a great trailer for us with only a couple of very minor issues that were resolved without drama quickly by the dealer.
We have not had any problems fitting it into any campsite so far, we do usually get pull throughs but it has landed on several back-in sites also. There have been a few where the TV had to squeeze in close to the tongue for parking. We pull it with an '05 V-10 Excursion (running F-350 suspension with additional leaves), we also use a Hensley Arrow hitch which does an excellent job of keeping that long TT well behaved behind the 137" wheelbase TV. Expect a tongue weight of about 1400lbs when loaded up for trips. Ours is outfitted with the 2 AC units and 50 amp service, it has the washer/dryer prep but units are not installed. That huge living room is great and very comfortable!
We love ours, good luck with your's if you buy one.

Our rig measures out to 61" exactly bumper to bumper (10" extension on TT rear).

[DKRITTER]

The trailer we are going to get will have 2 A/C units, we live in Texas and it's pretty hot down here.


We had looked at a few park models but with the tongue weights it isn't practical to tow them.

[93Cobra2771]

Doug33 wrote:

93Cobra2771 wrote:


An advantage for a TT vs a fiver is the AC doesn't have near as much area to cool off (shorter ceiling). Should help in that texas heat.

don't some of the larger 5'ers have multiple A/C units?

Yep. And some of the larger TTs have multiple or option multiple a/c units. Less space to cool either way.

[parcany]

Jayco Bungalow is a travel trailer and is 41 feet 10 inches. Has tanks and 2 air conditioners. But you have to have the proper truck to pull it.

[Doug33]

93Cobra2771 wrote:


An advantage for a TT vs a fiver is the AC doesn't have near as much area to cool off (shorter ceiling). Should help in that texas heat.

don't some of the larger 5'ers have multiple A/C units?