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Looking at a Jayco White Hawk 28DSBH

bbweasel
Explorer
Explorer
Hello Everyone. I've been researching travel trailers for over 6 months and have found this forum extremely valuable. Thanks to all that take the time to respond to the questions posted by the members. It has become increasingly difficult to evaluate information you get from the RV dealerships on trailer/tow combinations. My family of four is looking at the Jayco White Hawk 28DSBH as our first travel trailer and thought this would be a good choice. The 28DSBH yellow sticker is around 5700 dry and 7500 max. In addition, I am looking at upgrading one of my vehicles to tow the Jayco and would appreciate anyone's experiences or comments including use of WDH, Sway controllers, and brake controllers. I want to "enjoy the tow" as much as the camping.

1. 2013 Dodge Ram Express 4x4, Crew cab, Hemi, tow pkg with 3.92 gears (10,000 max tow)

2. 2013 Chevy Silverado 4x4, Crew cab, 5.3, tow pkg
(9,600 max tow)

3. 2011 Nissan Armada SL 4x4, 5.6, tow pkg ( either the 2.93 or 3.35 rear end) (9000 max tow)

4. 2013 Ford F150 FX4 4x4, crew cab, 3.5 Ecoboost, 3.73 gears
(11,000 max tow)
24 REPLIES 24

PAThwacker
Explorer
Explorer
Family dealership snagged a 2003 F350 SRW fx4 crew cab lariat, early year 7.3 liter today. Nice truck w 102k on the clock.
2015 Keystone Springdale Summerland 257rl
Tow vehicle: 2003 GMC K1500 ext lb
Previous: 14 years of 3 popups and a hybrid tt

APT
Explorer
Explorer
gtsum wrote:
FWIW, I have a 13 Ram 1500 Laramie and my payload is quite low...and the 28dsbh is the camper I want to get...so, I might well be looking at a 3/4 ton diesel


Don't shoot yourself in the foot twice! Go for the single rear wheel 1-ton for the 3/4 ton diesels don't have much payload either.
A & A parents of DD 2005, DS1 2007, DS2 2009
2011 Suburban 2500 6.0L 3.73 pulling 2011 Heartland North Trail 28BRS
2017 Subaru Outback 3.6R
2x 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EUV (Gray and Black Twins)

rayford118
Explorer
Explorer
my buddy is pulling a 32" Whitehawk with his 08 Chevy 1500 and it pulls it fine. Doesnt get good mileage, but he said he hasnt had any issues with it. As much as Id hate to say it, because i really like the new Rams, but the low payload i might stay away from it. Most ford and GMs will pull it just fine i would think.
2013 F350 Platinum
2014 Cyclone 4100 King

gtsum
Explorer
Explorer
any progress on making a tv decision? FWIW, I have a 13 Ram 1500 Laramie and my payload is quite low...and the 28dsbh is the camper I want to get...so, I might well be looking at a 3/4 ton diesel
2015 Fuzion 345 Chrome
2014 Ram Megacab 3500 CTD Laramie

PopsRacer
Explorer
Explorer
Wow!! I ordered the Reese Dual Cam from RV Wholesalers late Sunday Night and it already showed up at the door about an hour ago.
2005 6" Lifted Nissan Armada LE (Offroad Beast)
2011 Rockwood 2702SS
__________________________

PopsRacer
Explorer
Explorer
My next truck will be a 1-ton or bigger, wife wants more trailer and some she's talked about push up to the edge of even a 3/4-ton. FWIW, we ended up getting a 2011 Rockwood 2702SS last Saturday and it towed great for the 100 mile trip home. From the little time so far, it APPEARS to be a little better quality than the Jayco. My Equalizer has quite a few worn parts that need replacing so I ordered a Reese Straightline Dual Cam last night to just replace the whole hitch with.
2005 6" Lifted Nissan Armada LE (Offroad Beast)
2011 Rockwood 2702SS
__________________________

Mike_Up
Explorer
Explorer
bbweasel wrote:
Hello Everyone. I've been researching travel trailers for over 6 months and have found this forum extremely valuable. Thanks to all that take the time to respond to the questions posted by the members. It has become increasingly difficult to evaluate information you get from the RV dealerships on trailer/tow combinations. My family of four is looking at the Jayco White Hawk 28DSBH as our first travel trailer and thought this would be a good choice. The 28DSBH yellow sticker is around 5700 dry and 7500 max. In addition, I am looking at upgrading one of my vehicles to tow the Jayco and would appreciate anyone's experiences or comments including use of WDH, Sway controllers, and brake controllers. I want to "enjoy the tow" as much as the camping.

1. 2013 Dodge Ram Express 4x4, Crew cab, Hemi, tow pkg with 3.92 gears (10,000 max tow)

2. 2013 Chevy Silverado 4x4, Crew cab, 5.3, tow pkg
(9,600 max tow)

3. 2011 Nissan Armada SL 4x4, 5.6, tow pkg ( either the 2.93 or 3.35 rear end) (9000 max tow)

4. 2013 Ford F150 FX4 4x4, crew cab, 3.5 Ecoboost, 3.73 gears
(11,000 max tow)


bbweasel wrote:
Thanks for the quick reply and the useful information. I "plan" to pack the truck pretty light with 2 adults, 2 small kids, and few lightweight items in the truck bed and pack most of the camping equipment including 4 bikes with the TT and don't see loading it with more than 1000#'s. I would rather not go above a 1/2 truck so I may need to look at a smaller/lighter TT with similar features.


bbweasel wrote:
I think the EcoBoost F-150 may be a great option and found one local with low miles with Max Tow pkg for a pretty good deal. It's a certified 2011 but I've been reading there are a lot of customer complaints with EcoBoost for this year.


bbweasel wrote:
Hello again everyone. To update my progress on selecting a tow vehicle, I have narrowed down my choices to pull a loaded 7500# TT or less (if I go with a smaller unit) Any input would be greatly appreciated.

2013 RAM 1500 Big Horn with 3.92 gears, 10,000 tow, 1430 payload
2013 Ford F-150 Super Crew Ecoboost, Max tow pkg, 11,000 tow, 1800 payload.
2013 RAM 2500 Big Horn, 6.7 Diesel, 17,000 tow, 2400 payload (overkill????)

There are some really great incentives on the 2013's right now. The Ford is sounding pretty good with the larger payload capacity to accommodate hitch weight.


Since I just did the same as you, and your camper is only 700 lbs more than mine, I can tell you why I didn't go with any of the options.

I really couldn't choose Ram because of it's super low payload as well as it's poorly geared transmission.

The Armada is a short wheelbase vehicle which is terrible for towing, the Armada is using yesteryears technology with a 5 speed transmission, and after owning several Nissan truck based vehicles, I'd never do it again. They are designed to be people haulers, not work horses, and aren't really reliable doing even that.

I didn't choose the Ecoboost because the condensation problem in the intercooler. It causes missing and stumbling and can even lead to limp mode. It also can damage the catalytic converter. Until this problem is fixed, I didn't want the gamble. And I certainly wouldn't recommend it to someone if I am not willing to buy it.

Even though you can't get the Max Tow package on the 5.0L, in standard tow package form, it has a higher GVWR/payload than the Ecoboost. The Ecoboost Crew Cab 4WD 5.5' bed truck has a GVWR of 7200 lbs while a 5.0L Crew Cab 4WD 5.5' bed truck has a GVWR of 7350 lbs. Still 300 lbs less than a Max Tow package but the Max Tow package weighs about 75 lbs. so you actually have only a 225 lbs. net gain with all things being equal. The Ecoboost weighs about 10 lbs so truck for truck with all options the same except engine and tow package, you'll only lose ~212 lbs with the 5.0L compared to the Ecoboost Max Tow Package.

If you really think about it, the tow rating for a Max Tow truck will never be seen towing a travel trailer due to the travel trailer's average 13% tongue weight. Now the Standard Tow package intergrated hitch receiver's rating is 10,500 lbs towing/1,050 lbs tongue weight while the Max Tow Package's integrated hitch receiver's rating is 11,500 towing/1,150 lbs tongue weight. 1,150 / .13 tongue weight is a max loaded trailer weight of 8846 lbs !! That's much less than the 5.0L truck's 9300 lbs tow rating! If you used the standard tow package's hitch of 1,050 / .13 tongue weight, you'd have 8,077 max loaded travel trailer weight.

Towing a travel trailer, you really only gain ~800 lbs of tow rating with the Ecoboost Max Tow package over a 5.0L Standard Tow package.

So what you gain is a ~200 lbs of payload and 800 lbs of tow rating. The brake controller can be purchased as an option for $230 and the Tow Mirrors can be purchased from the dealer for $400 installed if you want them. I had them on my last truck. Right now, I like the original mirrors with the Cipa Custom slide over tow mirrors better.

I also found my 5.0L tows great as you can read here.

It's your money but since you asked, I wanted you to see all the angles.

Good luck in your choice, no matter what maker or engine you end with.

BTW, I intentionally left GM out as I wouldn't push them on my worst enemy. 😉
2019 Ford F150 XLT Sport, CC, 4WD, 145" WB, 3.5L Ecoboost, 10 speed, 3.55 9.75" Locking Axle, Max Tow, 1831# Payload, 10700# Tow Rating, pulling a 2020 Rockwood Premier 2716g, with a 14' box. Previous 2012 Jayco Jay Flight 26BH.

bbweasel
Explorer
Explorer
Hello again everyone. To update my progress on selecting a tow vehicle, I have narrowed down my choices to pull a loaded 7500# TT or less (if I go with a smaller unit) Any input would be greatly appreciated.

2013 RAM 1500 Big Horn with 3.92 gears, 10,000 tow, 1430 payload
2013 Ford F-150 Super Crew Ecoboost, Max tow pkg, 11,000 tow, 1800 payload.
2013 RAM 2500 Big Horn, 6.7 Diesel, 17,000 tow, 2400 payload (overkill????)

There are some really great incentives on the 2013's right now. The Ford is sounding pretty good with the larger payload capacity to accommodate hitch weight.

jonitza
Explorer
Explorer
bbweasel..I have the 3.357 gears with auto leveling rear end. Its rated for 9000 lbs. The Armada does a fantastic job of towing. Most of my towing has been on pretty level ground so far but hope to travel to the NC mountains this summer. We looked at trailers for a year, found a lot of great TT but kept coming back to the White Hawk and could not be happier.

bbweasel
Explorer
Explorer
Thanks to everyone who took the time to provide their feedback and personal experiences. Hopefully I can make a decision sometime soon and post an update. Thanks again.

PopsRacer
Explorer
Explorer
bbweasel wrote:
Question for Jonitza. Do you know which rear end you have on your 06 Armada? 2.93 or 3.3x? I was told by the local Nissan dealer that the Armada will tow 9000 regardless of the rear end ratio.


That dealer is an idiot... The 3.357:1 is rated up to 9000 and the 2.94:1 is rated up to 7000. If you have the rear air suspension (load-leveling) then you have the 3.357:1 gears.
2005 6" Lifted Nissan Armada LE (Offroad Beast)
2011 Rockwood 2702SS
__________________________

mike_t
Explorer
Explorer
Really non of my biss.But why would you not want to get away from a 1/2 ton?

bbweasel
Explorer
Explorer
Question for Jonitza. Do you know which rear end you have on your 06 Armada? 2.93 or 3.3x? I was told by the local Nissan dealer that the Armada will tow 9000 regardless of the rear end ratio.

FireLieutenant7
Explorer
Explorer
I recently upgraded to a rig very similar to what you are looking at. I got the Viewfinder signature 28bhss. Looked at tons and settled on this one, and it has worked out perfectly for us. I tow with a 09 silverado with 5.3 and 3.73 gears. pulls great. A lot of folks on here will say otherwise, but We just returned from a trip to Disney with it and I could not be happier. The weights seem to be really close on my model and the Whitehawk you are looking at, so in my opinion, any truck in your option list would be a great fit.
TJ :B Melissa 🙂 Cole(7,son):R Kelsey(4,daughter):D
2009 Silverado Z71 ext cab 5.3 .373 tow package
Equilizer hitch and prodigy 3 controller
2011 KZ Coyote 23CKS (Sold)
2014 Viewfinder 28bhss