Newbie questions

[tenortodd]

Hi all! I'm a newbie to this forum.

My brother-in-law just bought a pop-up camper and they used it this past summer to travel the U.S. They love it!

So I started looking. I have a wife and 2 young daughters. We are definitely middle class without a lot of extra money in the budget, so I'm looking for something small that will hold us all comfortably with bunks and a full bathroom. We also want something light enough to be hauled by something that gets decent gas mileage. (A travel trailer, not a pop-up.)

Tell me if this sounds ok:

I'm looking at a Dodge Durango SUV, which gets 20mpg and tows 6200lbs.

Then I'm looking at the Jayco Jay Flight travel trailer - the SLX 7 174BH. Its GVW is 5000lbs.

Do those numbers sound good? I don't know anything about towing. Never done it. I just want us to be safe, if we're going to travel the country. I thought the loaded weight of the Jayco being 5000 and the Durango able to tow 6200 would be enough of a buffer for us to be safe going cross county. Am I correct?

We're in OH and I'd like us to visit FL, the TX gulf, and go out west.

Thanks for any input!

[APT]

Durango V6 with 8-spd trans towing a high walled 500-ish pound TT - Seems fine to me. The 8-pd will help keep that engine in the 2500-4500rpm range very well which will be necessary at 65mph. 20mpg mixed unloaded seems reasonable. Towing will be 10mpg. Possibly more, but budget for 10mpg.

[Jebby14]

id look at an f150 with the 3.5 eco boost (I have the 5.0 and love it and get decent MPG but the 3.5 has more grunt and less guzzle if you don't mind needing boost to make the power) This will get you what you want cheaper than a Durango and much more capable. Also will tow a small bunkhouse happily. larger bunkhouse look at 3/4 tons.

[toedtoes]

There are ways to make it work. Hybrids are one. Adding a tent for the kids is another. Just dealing with a small space is a third option.

[donn0128]

Remember, no matter what tow vehicle the OP settles on his family plus will degrade his empty towing rating. Finding a trailer that weighs 5000 pounds ready to go and sleeps comfortably a family of four? Good luck on that one.

[Lwiddis]

“I don't know anything about towing.”

Towing capacity is only one piece of the puzzle. What’s the TV’s payload? What will you carry in the TV...weight?

Tenortodd hasn’t chosen to tell us where he is located or where he plans to travel, jfk.

[KD4UPL]

No matter the tow vehicle, a gas engine towing a TT will be getting 10 mpg or less. If the vehicle will be used mostly for towing unloaded mpg is pointless. If you'll drive it a lot with no trailer that may be a consideration.

[toedtoes]

I have a Durango with a 6000 gvwr. I am towing a 2800lb FoldnRoll trailer with it. I wouldn't tow much heavier than that. I do routinely tow in the mountains - if I were only doing flat terrain, I would feel OK going heavier.

[VoodooMedicineM]

You have to start somewhere, it won't be your last.

[jfkmk]

donn0128 wrote:
Durango that geta 22MPG. Thats a wet dream IMHO.
Towing an RV and good MPG do not match. If you want decent MPG, buy a small car. If you want,a trailer large enough for your family to be in comfortably, buy a full size truck or van to tow with. Then you can choose a decent sized trailer to enjoy.
No matter what, when towing a full sized TT expect 10MPG and you wont be disappointed.

The new Durango’s get pretty good mileage for an suv. Not everyone can afford multiple vehicles and trucks aren’t for everyone.
I pulled a 17’ tt with a 6 cylinder suv for years and had no problems. Would I tow with it over the Rockies? No, but for east coast it was fine.

[SidecarFlip]

...and you need to peruse the net for Jayco Jayflight TT's. Lots of bad press on quality and overall fit and finish.

[WayneAt63044]

At first blush it seems doable but the key will be the Durango configuration. What engine, year, rear end gears do you have? The drivers door pillar will have a sticker indicating what load the tow vehicle can handle. Compare the cargo and passenger weights plus add trailer tongue weight of 700 lbs(12-15% of GVW) plus another 90 lbs for the hitch assembly to the sticker value.

Sounds like fun for your family but fuel economy and towing are mutually exclusive. Pulling a wind resistant wall through the air is the killer. Small engines and towing make mountain towing a challenge.

[SidecarFlip]

Durango's are notorious for tranny issues when towing as well. Far as I can ascertain, the only FCA products that deliver descent mileage are the diesels. All the gassers cannot pass a filling station.

Get a 3/4 ton truck with 4 doors and be happy.

[donn0128]

Durango that geta 22MPG. Thats a wet dream IMHO.
Towing an RV and good MPG do not match. If you want decent MPG, buy a small car. If you want,a trailer large enough for your family to be in comfortably, buy a full size truck or van to tow with. Then you can choose a decent sized trailer to enjoy.
No matter what, when towing a full sized TT expect 10MPG and you wont be disappointed.