towing a 33'-36' Travel Trailer

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.

mike54

Active member
Joined
Aug 27, 2010
Posts
40
we are looking at 33'-36' travel trailers I would like to hear from you that tow these monsters.

How heavy is it and what is the tongue weight? How big is your truck? What kind of WD and sway system do you use?

thanks
 
You need to be aware of the gross weight and tongue weights of the trailers you are looking at, as there can be a lot of variation. The trailer GVWR is legally required to be stated on a plate or sticker on the front left side of the trailer, often on the tongue frame. Use that as the estimated weight until you choose one and can get it weighed on a scale after loading with your gear. Tongue weight on a travel trailer is 12-15% of its actual gross weight, so a 10,000 lb travel trailer has a tongue weight of around 1200-1500 lbs. That requires a serious tow vehicle,  a 3/4 or 1 ton pick-up, van or an SUV on a truck body (e.g. a Suburban or Excursion).

You will want a top quality hitch system and I would highly recommend either a Hensley Arrow or Propride. They are superb hitches, though quite expensive. Short of that, I would pick either Equalizer or a Reese Dual Cam WD hitch, with spring bars (equalization) appropriate to the tongue weight of the trailer.
 
You may want to glance at some of the recent posts about towing a trailer that weighs over 10,000 #'s.  You need a special driver's license in many states.
 
COMer said:
You may want to glance at some of the recent posts about towing a trailer that weighs over 10,000 #'s.  You need a special driver's license in many states.

never heard of that I tried doing a search but didn't get any hits
 
Mike,
I tow a 34' Rockwood with a 2500 Ram diesel, using a reese WDH aand friction sway bar. Don't know the tounge weight offhand. Pulls great, no sway. I run about 65-70 mph on freeways with no issues.
 
Koodog said:
Mike,
I tow a 34' Rockwood with a 2500 Ram diesel, using a reese WDH aand friction sway bar. Don't know the tounge weight offhand. Pulls great, no sway. I run about 65-70 mph on freeways with no issues.

Great Rockwood was one we are looking at
 
I tow a 30' Airstream with a ProPride hitch.  The trailer typically weighs around 8500 pounds, loaded and with full tanks.  I most frequently tow with a 2004 Surburban 2500 with an 8.1 liter engine, which has a towing capacity of 12,000 pounds.  I have a MaxBrake controller and drum brakes.

The rig tows well.  Some people who have similar trailers with disc brakes report that their rig stops better with the trailer than without.

Due to their rounded design though Airstreams tow better than some trailers.
 
Check the driver license requirements in your state for towing restrictions. A few do require an extra endorsement or different license class for large trailers, typically those over 10,000 lbs. Make sure you are checking recreational (private) use - not farm or commercial. They will be different.

Once you are properly licensed in your home state, you do not have to worry about other states or Canadian provinces. They have all agreed to recognize each other's licenses as valid.
 
mike54 said:
we are looking at 33'-36' travel trailers I would like to hear from you that tow these monsters.

How heavy is it and what is the tongue weight? How big is your truck? What kind of WD and sway system do you use?

I have just moved to a fifth wheel from a Springdale 29.8 which is 32 1/2 feet overall, 7000 lbs dry, 9500 lbs full, tongue weight of 762 lbs.  I used a 3/4 Ram gas engine and it pulled the weight fine.  The hitch was a Reese trunnion bar set up for 1200 lbs and I put a single friction sway control unit on it, the single sway control made a big difference.

I know my trailer is smaller than what you are looking for but it is still a good sized weight and length, with the long box truck we were 55 feet overall.  I have seen people haul these with 1/2 ton trucks but believe this is too much weight as the 1/2 ton payload is low and puts you at a low margin for error when loading up the rest of the truck cab and the cargo box.  The 3/4 ton was a stable platform.
 
Below is what we have, and tow with a 2008 F150 FX4. We are at the upper end of our weight limits, but not over. For peace of mind we validated this at a truck scale with the trailer and truck fully loaded and ready to travel. The newer 150s are much more capable in the towing department than their predecessors. We had a '00 150 and the differences between that truck and our current one are night and day.

We added leaf springs to the truck's rear, which raised the back about 2inches, and made a pretty significant difference in our experience. We also had a dealer help us get our towing setup adjusted properly (again, a must) when taking delivery, and again when we had it loaded for travel. A few inches, a few adjustments here and there etc., can make a big difference in your overall towing experience.

We are entering year 4 with this combination and have no issues towing. Hitch is a standard Reece with integrated sway control. We have a manually-adjustable electronic braking system as well (a must so that your not relying solely on the truck's brakes to stop the trailer). Also have an electronic tongue jack on the trailer (also a must unless you want to kill yourself cranking the beast up and down).

Traveling speed is around 60-65mph. No faster.

You want to check the actual length of the trailer to know how "long" the trailer really is. Ours is called a "29 foot", but that is just the box size (the inside living part). The tongue to bumper length (almost 34 feet) is what's listed below.

The key to towing is to be smart -- stay within the posted weight limits (and find out what they are for yourself by weighing your rig at a scale). Take it easy and do a bunch of research on this, and other forums so that you're prepared if you DO feel sway, if a tire blows, etc.. Knowing what to do in advance helps a lot in the confidence department when you're in real-world driving conditions.




2009 Sydney Model 29RLS Specifications

Weight 6990
Carrying Capacity 2610
Hitch   740
Length 33' 6
Width 8'
Height 11' 1"
Fresh Water 50 gal.
Waste Water 40 gal.
Gray Water 40 gal.
LPG 60
Tire Size 225/75R15D
Rim Size 15x6


Best of luck to you and stay safe by staying within your recommended guidelines for your particular setup!
 
go6car said:
Below is what we have, and tow with a 2008 F150 FX4. We are at the upper end of our weight limits, but not over.

Are you sure you are not over your trailer towing capacity?  The GVWR you posted is 9600 but it appears the max on the Ford is 9500.

Here's the tow guide
https://www.fleet.ford.com/showroom/rv_trailer_towing/2008/2008_default.asp
 
Yes, we are not over. You need to look at features, options installed and the sticker sheet from the factory on your truck.
 
i have the heartland 31qbs.  I believe the total length is 34' and a weight of 5600lbs dry.  I towed it with full water with a 2003 hemi 1500 pickup.  The dodge has a nice stiff suspension which handled the weight just fine. 

A friend has a similar trailer but a little heavier he pulls with a 2010 silverado 1500. 

We took our trailers from minneapolis to rapid city 60 mph no problems till the wind picked up.  Then they struggled.

Expect 6 mpg. 

I felt I was beatin the truck up pretty hard.  These 1500 pickups and suv's are pretty car like. 

I just got a 2006 cummins 2500 megacab.  Cheaper than a 2011 Ford or Chev crew cab.  It had 50K miles and should last for a very long time. 

If your trailer is over 7,000 pounds I would go with a diesel or the ecoboost from ford when they get them on the lot.

If I was just going local I wouldn't buy the truck.  Well, I would because I like diesel trucks, but I wouldn't need it.  For longer hauls I will be getting more than double that mileage from the gas engine.

I have an equalizer hitch.  Scored big time from a guy on craistlist.  Immaculate condition and he gave me a digital brake controller and thru in some other accessories for just $250. 
 
Back
Top Bottom