Newbie TT questions

[wayfun]

My wife and I are considering buying a TT in the 28 to 31 foot range with a slide out. My only experience with TT was with my parents 19 ft Shasta 45 years ago. I have a few questions about TT.

First, is there a preference between the corrugated aluminum exterior skin vs the laminated fiberglass walls? The aluminum appears to have more seams and joints that could potentially leak.

Can the booth type dinettes be easily removed and replaced with a table and chairs? We prefer the tables but very few used units have them.

Our tow vehicle will be a Chevy Tahoe with a 6.2L V8 and it has a tow rating of 7800 lbs. It already has the tow package with built in brake controller. The trailers we've been looking are in the 5000 to 6000 lb (empty) weight range. Will the Tahoe handle that OK?

We will likely keep the trailer in Florida and just tow it around the state and use it 1 to 2 months a year.

What else should I consider?

Thanks,
Dennis

[wayfun]

Thanks to all for the responses. I just checked my weight rating tags on the truck. The GVWR is 7300 lbs. The maximum occupant and cargo rating is 1473 lbs. So with the wife and I and the Golden Retriever we should still have adequate capacity for a decent tongue weight.

The hitch has a limit (which exceeds the above limits) of 10,000 lbs with WD hitch and a tongue weight of 1000 lbs.

Dennis

[wayfun]

APT wrote:
GM never put the 6.2L in a Tahoe. 5.3L maybe? Yukon Denali with 6.2L? What year?

Yes they did. Mine is a 2009 with 6.2L. I had previously towed boats and motorcycles with a 5.3L and hated it. When I bought this unit I was determined to get one that would pull. This one has power. In the Tahoe it is rated at 395 hp and I believe the same motor in the Denali and Escalade are rated at 410 hp. At least they were in 2009.

Dennis

[APT]

GM never put the 6.2L in a Tahoe. 5.3L maybe? Yukon Denali with 6.2L? What year?

[ChooChooMan74]

As other say, never go by the "Dry" ratings. No one camps with an empty camper with no water, propane, etc etc. Look at the Gross weight. 2nd, take that gross weight and multiply it by .12, that will give you approximately your max tongue weight. Look at your hitch, is this number below the tongue weight rating on the hitch?

A fellow poster has a nice post on his blog.

Learn To RV: What Can I Tow?

I would recommend reading it. Then stop by my blog, located in my signature.

[donn0128]

wayfun wrote:
My wife and I are considering buying a TT in the 28 to 31 foot range with a slide out. My only experience with TT was with my parents 19 ft Shasta 45 years ago. I have a few questions about TT.

First, is there a preference between the corrugated aluminum exterior skin vs the laminated fiberglass walls? The aluminum appears to have more seams and joints that could potentially leak.Smooth sidewalls is always my preference. It is easier to clean and wax. Aluminum is a bit lighter

Can the booth type dinettes be easily removed and replaced with a table and chairs? We prefer the tables but very few used units have them.You would need to look. Many of them will have things like converters and furnaces under the seats. If there is nothing under there except storage, then a few screws and out they come.

Our tow vehicle will be a Chevy Tahoe with a 6.2L V8 and it has a tow rating of 7800 lbs. It already has the tow package with built in brake controller. The trailers we've been looking are in the 5000 to 6000 lb (empty) weight range. Will the Tahoe handle that OK?Simply put, NO! In the real world the Tahoe is suitable for towing around 20 feet of TT with no more than about 6500 pounds of loaded trailer. Any more and you will definitely hate yourself when you arrive at your destination.

We will likely keep the trailer in Florida and just tow it around the state and use it 1 to 2 months a year.

What else should I consider?

Thanks,
Dennis

This is your first RV? Consider first of all used. Then consider a lot smaller and lighter. As a starter you might consider a tent trailer. You can find decent ones for 3-5 thousand dollars on places like craigslist that you can comfortably tow and decide if camping is for you or not..
Remember, terms like "dry" and "shipping" are meaningless. You will never ever see those weights. Instead use the GVWR of a trailer as your base line. You may never see the the gross weight, but even if you don't at least there will be no unpleasant surprises when your loaded and ready to travel.

[brulaz]

The fibreglas panels are laminated to the shell frame. That involves glue under pressure or vacuum, and makes for a very strong, rigid and light-weight structure. But laminated walls can de-laminate if the glue is improperly applied, under high heat or if moisture gets in.

Also, not all manufacturers laminate the front and back fibreglas to the shell frame, some just do the sides.


As for your truck, look for its payload, usually on a yellow sticker on the door jamb with the recommended tire pressures. Subtract from the payload the weight of all the people and gear that will be in the truck (be generous). All that's left is your trailer's maximum tongue weight.

As a camper's tongue weight should be about 12-15% of total, divide that max tongue weight by, say, 0.15 to get the trailer's maximum total weight. That should be the max weight of a fully loaded trailer (with all your gear in it) that you can tow. Usually that number is lower than your truck's max tow rating, so it is the number you should use, not the truck's max tow rating. (You might also divide by 0.12 to get a possible range of acceptable max weights.)

You will then need to reduce this max trailer weight by how much gear/water/food you carry in the trailer (for us, ~1000-1200#). This will give an approximate dry unloaded trailer weight that you can compare to the advertised dry, unloaded weights.

As these are only estimated numbers, it's always a good idea to err on the side of caution. Be generous when you estimate the weight of stuff you will put in your truck and trailer.

[old_guy]

fiber glass is more labor intensive when it comes to waxing. I have had metal siding all these years and no leaks at any of the joints. if you go to the top of the page and look in to the FAQ's there is a section on tt length compared to tow vehicle wheel base. some rigs like yours may only be tow happy with shorter TT's. I looked it up for you. " What concerns me is wheelbase. Using the "rule of thumb" of 20 feet for 110 inches of wheelbase and an additional foot for every 4 additional inches. so figure you wheel base and the rule of thumb formula, and that is what you can do length wise. weight wise, you said your towing is rated at 7800 lbs. that is not only the TT but all the gear in the TT and the gas in your TV tank and passengers and what ever else you put in the tv.

[danager]

Hi,

It was not that long ago that I was asking many of the same questions.

I preferred the smooth siding, there are pros and cons for both. Expense up front, weight difference, maintenance, cost to repair (if needed). People seem pretty split on this one, they will be sure to share their opinion.

Most TT that size range have something shoe horned into the dinette base. I have a furnace under one side, and my water pump under the other. If you do remove it, consider the need to repair the flooring and walls. Lots of people have done it, so if you are handy, you should not be scared off.

When it comes to weight, I would look at the trailer's max weight. The dry number climbs quickly when you add some of your stuff, then fill the fresh water and propane tanks... You also need to know the tongue weight. Heavier trailers are typically heavier at the tongue. This is usually the limiting factor for any tow vehicle, and you will max this out before you max out the overall weight.