klx400kev
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Re: Towing 6355lbs/Yukon designed to pull 7,300 - Need advice
IMHO, get a trailer that weighs 3650lbs, or upgrade to a 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck. Sorry, I won't sugar coat it. Ive seen a few Suburbans/Tahoes upside down, or on their side in the ditch with destroyed (too big for the tow vehicle) campers behind them. I had our 6000lb camper come off the ball at 15mph (was mislatched), and with the chain tether, it threw the 1/2 ton around like a rag doll. I don't like to think what 60mph would have been like. If the TT weighs more than the TV, it can push you and cause a jackknife situation during hard braking. Safety first with my precious family. That's why I upgraded to a heavy 3/4 ton diesel.364Views0likes0CommentsRe: Towing 6355lbs/Yukon designed to pull 7,300 - Need advice
Here's my experience. Had a V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee rated to tow 6500. Pulled my 4300lb travel trailer OK locally just fine for short trips, but it was a white knuckle experience on the interstate. Bought a Hemi Ram 1/2 ton with a 8900lb tow rating. Towed that 4300 Travel Trailer very comfortably on the interstates. We moved up to a 6000lb travel trailer, and interstate travel with the 1/2 ton truck became a white knuckled experience once again. We moved up to a Ram 2500 crew cab long bed single rear wheel diesel rated to tow 17000, and we are back in the comfort zone. My wife is happy to drive with the 6000lb load. She drove the 2nd leg home (4 hours) on the interstate on our last camping trip. She said it was "easy". Note: All my setups had sway control devices. My 1/2 ton was upgraded to an 10k Equalizer load level sway control when we got the 6000 trailer. Tow ratings are over inflated in my humble opinion. Personally, I like to be in the "comfort zone" and dominate my load when I tow. Braking and having the tow vehicle weigh more than the load also factor into that equation. The bottom line is that I just don't like the tail wagging the dog.363Views0likes0CommentsRe: Pondering between Ram 2500 or 3500
It will be cheaper to get the diesel now, than later. You'll wish you spent that extra $8k...because you'll loose more than that on the next trade up. Wished somebody would have convinced me of this when I bought my 2011 Ram 1500 5.7. LOVE my 2013 Ram 2500 6.7 turbo diesel!257Views0likes0CommentsRe: Tow vehicle advice
I towed a 2013 I-Go 220RB (4995 pounds dry, about 6200 loaded) with a 2011 Ram 1500 4x4 QC Hemi, 6.4 ft bed, Equalizer load leveling sway hitch and aftermarket brake controller. It did fine for short trips, but I was always white knuckled on the interstates. It always felt a bit like the tail wagging the dog. I just wasn't comfortable with this arrangement for long cross country trips, so last year I bought a leftover 2013 Ram crew cab 4x4 2500 SWR 6.7L diesel with an 8ft bed. This is a dream arrangement, and the truck absolutely dominates the load. It simply idles up steep grades with this TT, and doesn't even break a sweat. Getting diesel fuel at truck stops is so much easier with all the extra room to navigate this 49 foot long train. The exhaust brake is also magnificent, and the integrated brake controller is much better than an add on aftermarket controller. We did a 3000 mile trip last May, and it was so easy. With the half ton, I wouldn't let my wife drive when towing, and she felt the "interstate stress" when we were towing with that arrangement. On another trip, my wife drove 4 hours on the interstate with this Ram 2500 and TT, and said "it was easy". Having a powerful enough engine in a truck is important, but having a truck that weighs more than the load is even more important imho. This new truck weighs 7581 pounds, where as the 1/2 ton weighed about the same as the loaded TT. I think truck tow ratings are overrated. If you want to feel comfortable/happy when you tow, I suggest you divide the truck tow rating by 2.414Views0likes0Comments
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Prefer to camp in a travel trailer? You're not alone.Mar 01, 202544,026 Posts
