Travel Trailer For Family w/ 4 small kids
Hi there, I'm new to this forum but look forward to learning from everybody! My husband and I are considering buying a travel trailer. I would love to have any/all recommendations you have on ma...
Forum Discussion
Before buying our Suburban, I test drove Ford's Ecoboost in the F-150, pretty much the same as the 2015 Expedition. I loved it. That's the truck I wanted. Wife really wanted 3 rows of seats like our minivan had. We towed our TT for 2 seasons with a crew cab truck and travel time was painful at times for our family. We only have 3 children; could not imagine 4th in a crew cab truck for more than 30min. If Ford had the Ecoboost in 2012, we may have that instead. But no regrets we love our Suburban. Towing or not, it does everything we ask of it. We have used it to make soo many memories with our family. It serves as my wife's daily driver as minivan replacement. We have taken it to Disney World, South Carolina 3 times, Kentucky, as well as all over Michigan's lower peninsula and one excursion to the upper. We have plans to travel to New England his summer and more in state camping.
OK, you are looking at new 2015/16 models. As mentioned, make sure anything you buy has the respective heavy duty towing package. Without it, specifically the transmission cooler included, tow ratings and transmission life will be disappointing. It's typically a $500 or less option, but it seems so few dealer lot SUVs have it.
Today's tow ratings are quite high, higher than practically towing limits for RVers, especially larger families. Payload and receiver ratings are the practical RVing limits. Every vehicle manufacturer recommend 10-15% of the trailer's weight to be on the tongue. Travel trailers tend to be more stable in the 13-15% range vs. other types of trailers. Boats can be stable at 8% TW for example. So a 7000 pound loaded TT should have about 900 pounds of TW, maybe 1000. You will need enough payload for that. Some half tons with 9000 pound tow ratings only have 900 pound receiver limit, right at 10% TW. And some only have 1100 pounds of payload, leaving 200 pounds left for people. As you shop and test drive, note what available payload the potential vehicle has when you open the driver's door. Locate this sticker and note what is listed where mimne says 2051. Make sure your new vehicle has enough for at least 900 pounds of TW and your family/cargo while traveling.
OK, you are looking at new 2015/16 models. As mentioned, make sure anything you buy has the respective heavy duty towing package. Without it, specifically the transmission cooler included, tow ratings and transmission life will be disappointing. It's typically a $500 or less option, but it seems so few dealer lot SUVs have it.
Today's tow ratings are quite high, higher than practically towing limits for RVers, especially larger families. Payload and receiver ratings are the practical RVing limits. Every vehicle manufacturer recommend 10-15% of the trailer's weight to be on the tongue. Travel trailers tend to be more stable in the 13-15% range vs. other types of trailers. Boats can be stable at 8% TW for example. So a 7000 pound loaded TT should have about 900 pounds of TW, maybe 1000. You will need enough payload for that. Some half tons with 9000 pound tow ratings only have 900 pound receiver limit, right at 10% TW. And some only have 1100 pounds of payload, leaving 200 pounds left for people. As you shop and test drive, note what available payload the potential vehicle has when you open the driver's door. Locate this sticker and note what is listed where mimne says 2051. Make sure your new vehicle has enough for at least 900 pounds of TW and your family/cargo while traveling.
