Redwood or Jayco - are both viable options for my truck?

Hello,

I cannot speak for the Jayco, but I have a "16" Redwood 38RL.. I tow it with a "15" F-350 SRW, 6.7 and After a trip to the scales, I am AT my max weights... The truck and trailer tow great, but when it is time to renew my truck, It will be replaced with a DRW, just so I have a margin.. We are weekend Warriors, and have more cabinets inside that are empty then full.

The trailer as delivered empty was 14,100#.. my numbers from the scales were 12,680# on the axles, 3,260# on the pin for a total trailer weight of 15,940#, it carries a 16,500 GVW . . If I were towing more miles, I would beef up to a DRW, but for the usual 150 mile weekend trips you would be fine with the newer generation SRW at those weights. My tires are rated at 3,750# ea

The 3991RD is 1 nice looking fiver ! Good Luck with your decision

I'll take a rough stab at your weights. Remember, I don't know where your weights came from so I am going to assume from a brochure. I also don't know what you plan to carry, so I'll just show you how I would estimate the weights. You can adjust as necessary. I assume the rear GAWR is 7,050 lbs, since that's the capacity of the 2 rear tires. The empty weight is probably about 3,000 lbs +/- a hundred or so lbs. Let's do the Redwood first:

Brochure pin wt. 2,650
weight of hitch and rails 200
weight of batteries/propane 150
assume trailer cargo of 1,200 804 I use 67% since most fivers storage toward the front
Est added to rear axle 3,804
Est empty rear axle 3,000

Est loaded rear axle 6,804 this is with nothing in the truck
Since you have about 250 lbs left on RAWR, this might be doable if you pack the trailer extremely light and keep the heavy items as far back to the rear as possible. Also, that would assume you really don't have much to put in the truck. If it's you, wife and a couple of larger kids, then I probably would not even try it.

Since the Redwood is really too heavy, the extra 400 lbs of pin weight on the Jayco is certainly a deal killer.

With your truck as is except for air bags, I think you still need to look a little lighter. Hope this helps.

NO and NO!

Get a truck that can handle the load or RV that will work with your truck.

@ kzspree320

This is great information. I do believe that our cargo will be less than 1,000 lbs.

Appreciate your input with the numbers to back it up.

I do recognize that a DRW truck is the best solution, but unfortunately that's not the route I want to go. So need something that will work with the SRW.

If you load the trailers that lightly I think it's doable. You could bump your margins some by upgrading tires and adding bags or timbrens.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
NO and NO!

Get a truck that can handle the load or RV that will work with your truck.

X2.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
NO and NO!

Get a truck that can handle the load or RV that will work with your truck.

This coming from a guy that runs his axle at max. His truck will handle the redwood as well as your truck handles your MS. He is just going to be running short trips and you run all up and down the wrong coast.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
NO and NO!

Get a truck that can handle the load or RV that will work with your truck.

Do you mind me asking why you say this? If I put no more than 1,000 lbs in the Redwood for example, that would put me "around" 16,000 lbs. Please help me understand why thats not viable?

tama2112 wrote:

Cummins12V98 wrote:
NO and NO!

Get a truck that can handle the load or RV that will work with your truck.

Do you mind me asking why you say this? If I put no more than 1,000 lbs in the Redwood for example, that would put me "around" 16,000 lbs. Please help me understand why thats not viable?

Basically your truck is loaded with just the dry weight trailer.
Brochure weights are notoriously inaccurate and do not include any options on the RV. you can add 300-500 pounds to the brochure weight to get the true dry weight. You need to account for the weight of the hitch. Lastly you need to account for the weight of your passengers and everything else in the truck.
Nothing wrong with getting a big heavy fiver , you just need to understand you need a big heavy truck to pull it.
Now is your opportunity to get it right the first time. There are many who start with the wrong truck and are forced to play the upgrade game.
Listen to some of the experienced RV'ers who have BTDT.
It always cost more to upgrade and get it right the 2nd time.

I believe you will be over your rear tire/axle rating. I base this on towing a 16K 5th wheel with a SRW 3500, that starts with 200 less pin weight. If you what a slider hitch you will be over weight. If you get an Aluminum Andersen you might just make it. However you take a chance of hitting the cab/rear window with the trailer like others have. Chris