Tow equipment

[palmettorose]

I am new to this forum but not new to RVing. We currently have a 40 ft diesel pusher and a tow car that we have used for the past 5 years. We want to down size and are really looking at a 30 ft travel trailer that has a 10,000 lb. GVWR. We will have to buy a tow vehicle which will probably be a crew cab short bed truck preferably a diesel but not a dually. Do I need a tow capacity greater than 10k? What additional expenses like a weight distribution hitch will I need? We travel extensively and all over the country. Any help or suggestions are appreciated.

[palmettorose]

Thank you very much for the advice. I was looking at 1/2 ton trucks but knew it would be close.

[BubbaChris]

Please be sure to look beyond the rated tow capacity.

The more important number is the Payload rating (yellow sticker inside the driver's door). That number represents everything you put into the truck, the weight of your hitch, and the tongue weight of the trailer.

It is very unlikely you'd be OK with less than a 3/4 ton PU if you're looking at a 10K trailer. Figure on 10-15% of the total trailer weight needs to be on the tongue for stability.

[canoe_on_top]

You will want a TV with a greater tow capacity than 10K. General consensus on here seems to be that you want to be at 80% or less of the TV's rated towing capacity. That gives you some margin for the things not included in tow capacity ratings.

Most any 3/4 ton diesel should fill the bill. I would consider a SRW 1 ton however, just to get more TV GVWR. I tow a TT that is about 10K with a hitch weight of around 1200 lbs. That, with the rear cap and a few other things, maxes out the GVWR on my 3/4 ton Ram CTD. I have used an Equal-i-zer hitch on this TT and my previous TT. Have been very satisfied with its performance. Equal-i-zer and the Reece Dual Cam both seem popular on the forum.

Good luck on your search.