My new 24 foot travel trailer. What truck is great for it.

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fueledbymusic

fueledbymusic

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Joined
Sep 26, 2011
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Location
Rialto CA
Having just bought a 94 Prowler 24 footer travel trailer. I saw the weight rating at about 6200 lbs gross. I will be looking for a truck that can handle this trailer. Looking at a price range of $4000 (about what I can get for my 01 Grand Caravan). I would love to get a small pick up truck. But found that very few are able to do this trailer. The small pick up I saw with this cap was, an early 2000s Ford Ranger with a 4.0 V6 and automatic transmission. And boy those are hard to find.

I seem to have better luck with the big boys! For about $4000, found a bunch of late 90's early 2000s  F150s, or Chevy Silverado 1500s, I guess with a V8 and automatic trans. As they are alot easier to find, not to mention a little cheaper or about the same price as the small pick ups that actually meets my needs.

For the question!

Any more input for any pick up on the "smallest" side that can do this trailer.
For any of you who has a trailer like this one, what truck are you using.


 
I think at that much weight I would opt for a 3/4 ton.  A half ton or smaller would be working hard at the upper limit of i t's capacity, and a 3/4 would pull it easy, and probably the same or better mileage.  Good luck, bob.
 
I agree that a 3/4T is a better option. That said, I pull a 28' TT with a 1/2T Burb and it handles it great.  I don't do mountains right now and will need to upgrade to a 3/4T or deal with possible trans failure.  I think a 1/2 T with 5.4 ford or 5.3 gm would suit your trailer fine.  Just don't be in a hurry and use a good wdh.
just my 2cents

Joel
 
Many half ton trucks (1500/F150) with the larger V8 can handle a 6200 lb trailer. That would be the 5.3L or 5.7L for the Chevy/GMC, and the 5.4L for the Ford F150. It's not just about engines, though. era axle ratio and the chassis configuration affect things too. Two similar looking trucks can have tow ratings that differ by 2000-3000 lbs.

Use these Towing Guides from Trailer Life Magazine to guide your shopping. They go all the way back to 1999.
http://www.trailerlife.com/Towing-Guides/
 
As you are seeing, there are two answers here.  What is legal and OK according to the charts, and what is easier and more fun to haul with.  We had a 1/2 ton Chevy that pulled a trailer that was well within the published specs.  But when I got a larger truck and pulled that same trailer, it just seemed better.  I felt more in control and safer.  I don't think I would ever try to "just get by" anymore with my experiences.  I tow quite a bit and it changed the experience into something much more enjoyable.
 
I had a 1996 Wilderness 24' trailer which was very similar to yours in length and weight and I pulled it with several different tow vehicles that included a 1996 Tahoe, 1996 Silverado 1500 extended cab 4X4 and a 2002 Sub.  All of them were good but the best was the 1996 Silverado with the 5.7 engine.  It had the same drive train as the Tahoe but had a lot longer wheelbase so it had no sway problems.  Before you start to tow around the country, check the tires on the trailer for age and weather cracking.
Happy camping and enjoy your new trailer.
Arizona Al
 
My first tow vehicle was a 1999 Silverado 1500 with the 5.3L. Extended cab, 6.5' box, 3.73 rearend. Tow rating was 7,400 lbs and it did a great job with our (estimated) 7,000 lb TT at the time - a 27' Fleetwood Wilderness. For sure we were right at the max but I was very happy with the overall performance.
 
Check my signature, my trailer has a similar gross weight and I tow it with a half ton.  I would not go much heavier for a trailer, but at that weight, there is no problem.
 
My own $.02 is that you should make sure whatever vehicle you get has a proper towing package. This usually means a lower rear end gear ratio (as mentioned, 3.73 is common) which means the engine spins faster at highway speeds (better for towing).  Coupled with that, the vehicle usually has an upgraded cooling package (larger radiator and transmission cooler). 

We recently were faced with a similar decision regarding the need for a tow vehicle for a ~6000lb trailer.  Turns out our 2006 Expedition (with no towing package) was just barely legal for that weight.  I was faced with having to upgrade the transmission cooler, install a 7-pin trailer connection, and hope that the higher gearing (3.31) was adequate to provide a pleasant towing experience.  In the end I decided to replace the Expedition with a Dodge Ram 2500 and not invest so much energy in trying to make the Expedition perform the way I want.

Sorry for the rambling, but I think even if a "small" truck is legal for your trailer, you won't be happy with the way it tows.  I would get a half-ton truck with a proper tow package.
 
+1 on the trans cooler.  I installed one on our Tahoe (5.3 with 3.73s) and the trans temps dropped by 30 degrees.  It now stays in the normal range pulling our Funfinder.  It only took about an hour or so to install.  Hi temperatures kill automatic transmissions.
 
I would suggest going with the 1/2 ton just look up the tow ratings that size trailer is pretty much ideal for those trucks.

 
COMer said:
As you are seeing, there are two answers here.  What is legal and OK according to the charts, and what is easier and more fun to haul with.  We had a 1/2 ton Chevy that pulled a trailer that was well within the published specs.  But when I got a larger truck and pulled that same trailer, it just seemed better.  I felt more in control and safer.  I don't think I would ever try to "just get by" anymore with my experiences.  I tow quite a bit and it changed the experience into something much more enjoyable.
Click to expand...

^^^This.

I went from a 1/2 ton truck with a 5.4L gas engine, to a 3/4 ton with a turbo diesel. It made a world of difference. Instead of struggling through hills, I now cruise right through them as if I was on flat ground. All at lower rpm's while getting better mpg. 8)

Personally I believe if its towing you wish to do, get a vehicle built for towing.
 
^^^ Same here I've got a 3/4 Ton Dodge Ram with a Cummins power plant (slighly modified  ::) ) and pull my TT (8,500# GVW) like its not even there... More than enough power to pull it around... GCW of both is 16,080# last time I crossed the scales in Aug.
 
R. J. Barton said:
Personally I believe if its towing you wish to do, get a vehicle built for towing.
Click to expand...

I guess someone should tell Ford, GM & Dodge to stop putting tow packages on their half tons and any other truck without a diesel engine. Gotta tow those jet skis down to the lake? Better get yourself an F-450 just to be safe!

I won't argue that diesel is king for towing but jeez, we're talking about a 6,200 TT here, not a monster 5er. There are a lot of properly equipped half tons out there that will get the job done.
 
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