One time trip question

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an RV or an interest in RVing!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

brclark82

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 9, 2017
Posts
65
Location
Central IL
My father is considering purchasing an RV soon but doesn?t have his TV yet. If he does purchase it, it will be towed to a campsite and left there permanently (at least until he gets his TV).

I have never towed a Travel trailer but I do know Weight distributing hitches are required. My question is: would I be ok towing it one time around 100 miles to its final destination without one, or would that be a bad idea.  Just curious as I have no experience with this, although I do have hundreds of thousands of miles experience towing. 

My truck: ?17 Chevy 2500HD Duramax- 7500 curb weight, 2500 payload
Trailer: 7700lbs GVRW, 6400 UVW, 705 hitch weight, 32? long
There will be no gear loaded for the trip but I?m assuming it still weighs more than 6400 just being prepped at the dealer.

I am aware that around 4K trailer weight with my particular truck  I should start having WD, but I don?t have one and don?t really want to buy one. I also will not do anything that would endanger myself or others so I thought I?d see what everyone?s thoughts were first.
 
The tongue weight on that trailer is going to be in the vicinity of 650 lbs.  I would expect your 2500HD will cope with that much weight on the hitch rather well, since it is a modest percentage of its payload capacity.  You will know when you hitch it up - the amount that the back of the trucks sags and the proportional amount that the front lifts is the test.
 
I doubt that you will kill your truck.  You have a good truck.  Keep your speed down, and avoid interstates if possible.  Plenty of people jockey trailers around, work trailers and such, that are damn heavy and couldn't tell you what a WD hitch is.  I wouldn't let it concern me.
 
Thanks, that?s kind of what I assumed but just wanted to check since I didn?t have any experience.

That Duramax sitting right on top of the front axle cancels out quite a bit of tongue weight (along with cutting almost 500lbs off my payload compared to a similarly equipped gasser).  I have found she doesn?t even get back to sitting level until around 400 or lbs of tongue weight.

Rides much nicer with something behind it than not.
 
The tongue weight is well under your truck's capacity, so no WD will be needed. I would just add though, that you will need a decent brake controller since you'll be stopping more than double the weight.
 
The truck will pull the trailer just fine.  My two concerns are :
1.  What is the trailer hitch rated to carry?  I suspect it is 500# / 5000#, or 500# max hitch wt without WD hitch, 5000# with WD.  150# over for 100 miles should not be an issue.
2.  Do you have a trailer brake controller?  Again, I suspect that is standard equipment.

If you were going on a trip, with more weight and much more driving, you would want a WD hitch.  For one time, 100 miles, you should be fine.
 
I see a couple of options that have not been addressed.  One, if buying from a dealer negotiate the delivery.  The fifth wheel I purchased the dealer and I agreed on a  price and I said I need it delivered, no problem, same price.  Craigslist for a weight distribution hitch.  Around about a $100.00.
 
My criteria:
If you hitch up the trailer to the truck and stand back and look at it, if they are in the same plane you are good to go.
If they are not you better be very careful , since the trailer is liable to be swaying back and forth and the only way to prevent it is to drive at a very low speed.

Jack L
 
The last trailer I had grossed at 9600#+. Loaded heavy for extended camping, was at 9200# and sometimes more. I pulled it with a 2014 F-250 gasser. That caused a bit of headache, because I wanted to use my Reese Dual Cam hitch, but could barely load the spring bars. To just pull the trailer, I didn't need a WDH. I just wanted one for sway control in case of blown around by tractor trailers, and heavy cross winds. I think you will be fine without a WDH.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
131,753
Posts
1,384,359
Members
137,524
Latest member
freetoroam
Back
Top Bottom