Purchasing our first travel trailer

mocad wrote:
I'm wondering if there is a general rule to follow for a balanced hitch in terms of how the weight is applied to the axles. If I understand the systems, the intention is to more evenly spread the weight across all axles.

Lots of details in this thread about who a WDH works.

The goal of the WDH is to restore the weight that is lost from the front axle when you drop the tongue on a ball. When this happens, some amount of weight is removed from the truck's front axles. Think of the system as a seesaw with the rear axle the fulcrum as weight is increased behind the rear axle.

A scale is great for adjusting a WDH. Many people estimate the weight by measuring fender height. Say the height of the front fender at the peak of the wheel well measures 37" with no trailer. Drop the tongue on the ball and the front fender goes up by 1" to 38". Most people adjust the WDH such that the front fender goes back down to 37". The height of the rear is not important. The TT should be level to slightly nose down as measure by the frame.

Ford recommends for the 2011+ F-150 that only half the front axle weight is restored vs. all. So the final fender height would be 37.5" in my example above.

Our formula for towing with a 5000# rated SUV was this: under 20', under 3,000 dry. We figured that would give us 500-700# of gear, and 1200-1500# worth of safety margin.

Ended up with a Camplite 14DBS, dry is 2900# actual, once you have all the options like AC, etc. Weighed at the scales on our first trip out was 3200# (plus tongue weight gets us to around 3500# actual), and that was with the fresh water tank full (dealer did it, I've drained it since, as we don't intend boondocking).

No WD, no sway. Pulled like it wasn't there, except for going over the mountains. Never any bounce or sway. Part of this is from the double axles, I believe.

The 14DBS doesn't meet the OP's criteria about kid's sleeping space. I would expect very similar performance from the 16BHB or similar like an RPOD bunkhouse model.

You can never have too much tow vehicle, and you can never have too nice of a sewer dump hose.

Suggest you definitely get a GOOD WDH with sway. I already know that there are some that will say you don't need sway, that they've towed x miles without it....however, it only takes 1 time and most would not leave the driveway without it properly hooked up and ready, us included. Equalizer is a good brand and very popular and it served us well with our HTT. When we bought our TT this past May, we went with a Blue Ox 1000 and DH likes it even more than the Equalizer. There are other good brands that many use and likely will suggest. Just don't let the dealer "toss in" a WDH and find out that it's a cheapie and doesn't do it's job. Both our Equalizer and Blue Ox were about the same $500 price tag.

Besides the TT itself, I would look into the "quality" of the dealer you'd be buying it from. There's good dealers and bad dealers (and lots in between). A bad dealer can turn an otherwise great TT into a nightmare when it comes to things like warranty repairs. Simple repairs can take weeks and weeks from the time they look at it, get factory authorization, get the parts and then schedule in the work to suit their needs and schedule. Not good in the middle of a camping season. BTDT and never again. One of things you sometimes learn the hard way...

We took the advice here and upgraded our TV to a new F-150. I've started now getting back into the hunt for the right type of TT. I have a question about weight distributing hitches. I'm wondering if there is a general rule to follow for a balanced hitch in terms of how the weight is applied to the axles. If I understand the systems, the intention is to more evenly spread the weight across all axles. So, I'm wondering if it is safe to assume the normal amount of tongue weight will be added to the GVWR of the TV or could it possibly be more / less depending on how the trailer is balanced from the factory?

For example, would a trailer with a relatively low ratio of tongue weight actually end up applying more weight to the TV with a well balanced weight distribution hitch?

I know the best thing to do would be to use scales. I'm just trying to get a better understanding at this point though.

I'm a dyed in the wool Jeep guy, I wouldn't trade mine for anything - except when I'm towing our Fleetwood Pioneer 18T6 travel trailer. Then I'd trade it for anything with more wheel base, height and transmission ratios.

Since you are not going to look at a TrailManor (no floorplan for your needs), I suggest, as others have, you get a new TV before purchasing a TT.

I have two Jeep Grand Cherokees, one with a 5.7L Hemi V8, the other a 2007 3.0L diesel. I have a 2417 TrailManor (they fold down to similar size as a large popup). It weighs about 3,400 lbs loaded for a week (40 gal water, two propane tanks, etc.)

With the low profile of the trailer, my diesel does great towing, whether flat or uphill, or into the wind. The V8 goes uphill slower than the diesel. I would not want to tow a fixed-wall TT any distance with either Jeep. There is too much wind resistance with that front wall. Combine the wall with more weight, and even a 3-hour trip on flat land would likely be at 60 mph.

Also, I wouldn't want the high walls in cross-winds. As others mentioned, the short wheelbase of the Jeep would be less stable in crosswinds, or when a truck passes. Leverage between trailer and TV is a reality. Just because you can tow something, doesn't mean you should. I am not a timid driver by any means. I do have over 1,000,000 miles under my tires, and have learned that trailers add a completely different element to safety limits. Much better to be safe, than find out on a winding, windy road that the trailer can push the TV into a ditch, or into oncoming traffic.

Strictly personal opinion and please no one take offense, but ..... there are some on any/all of the camping/RV forums that will swear that if you don't have at least a 350/3500 tow vehicle and at least a 30+' trailer that you're living in the low rent district. And before anyone has a tizzy, you know I'm right. Anyway, when you're looking at close weights, certain wants/needs/gotta haves, you know you're not going to get it all with the tow vehicle you have. Something's gotta give.

I would start with, giving your weight limits a serious look and find something that gives you that with a cushion of about 1000# after everything is loaded and you're ready to pull out. It likely will not have every amenity you have on your wish list, but can you live with it?? Remember that those who swear you must have a slide, and I'm pretty much included in that, the slide adds weight and $. Maybe you'd rather take those #s and $s and put toward another feature. It's your trailer! And say you're looking at a 26 foot with one slide....well how much more will 26 foot with two slides, add to your weight and $$. The answer is a bunch. Moving from a 26 to a comparable 27 doesn't sound like much but can translate into a lot more than you're thinking. IMHO, find something the #1 can SAFELY be towed with your vehicle and still have wiggle room, regardless. Try to find #1 with as many of the amenities as you'd like to have and put that on your short list. Somewhere in here is a budget. Bummer! Again, MHO is to get the right combination of all those things and that is the right trailer for you at this time. Down the road, things likely will change, but buy what is safe from the minute you pull out of the dealer's driveway. Enjoy it, learn what you'd like to change someday and have fun.

djsamuel wrote:
Camplite 16BHB - 2750 lbs dry weight

Camplite 21BHS, 3499 lbs dry weight

Both have 2 bunks.

These look like good units for a SUV. I wouldnt go any longer. That is what is going to give you the sway. Anything longer will make the tail wag the dog.

APT wrote:

Something to keep in mind with trying your Jeep first is that you will compromise a lot on the type of RV. If you decide to upgrade the TV shortly afterwards, you may regret the RV you chose because the new TV opens could open up far more options to begin with. For example: Spend $20k on new TT. Jeep towing is not comfortable. Upgrade TV to something that can tow more like 7000 pounds loaded with 1000 pounds of TW. Hey, for $22k I could have had XYZ larger TT. Sell old TT for $13k, buy new TT for $22k.

I can attest to this statement. We towed a 4200 loaded hybrid with a mid-size V6 crew cab truck which worked fine and was within the 10% of the ratings. Certainly not winning any drag races though with the huge surface area of the TT front. We decided to move up to a full size 1/2 ton CC V8 which towed the hybrid like it wasn't there. Then we decided we wanted a larger hard side trailer because we had more TV. Now we have a 32' ultralight that's tows great, but we are back in the 10-12% safety margin range.

The best advice i can give you is to upgrade your Tow Vehicle now and buy your 2nd Travel Trailer first. Don't get less TT than you want just to fit your Jeep ratings because it will cost you in the end. Even a used 1/2 ton with the right gears and HD capacity will be a dream compared to towing with the Jeep.

If you aren't certain you and the family will truly like camping enough to take on TT ownership, try renting a few different models and styles (pop-ups, hybrids hard sides, slides) the first couple trips to see which fits your family best.

If you are dead set on keeping the Jeep as your TV stay under 22ft in length and 4500# dry. Also be wary of the width & height of the TT you want. The face will create a huge amount of resistance while pulling it down the road. Hybrid TT's like the Forest River Roo's or Shamrocks are fun and light but tall and wide. There are some manufacturers that make 7ft wide units rather than 8ft wide ones (Solaire makes some).

Best of luck.