New to towing...

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3crazykids

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Aug 20, 2014
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We are looking to buy the 2015 Wildwood T27TDSS to start camping with our 3 young kiddos (1,3, & 5).  We are towing with an Armada that has a max tow weight of 9,100lbs. Max GCWR is 15,100. According to the hitch sticker the trailer can weigh a max of 10,000 lbs. Dry weight of the trailer is around 6300 lbs.. I can't find the GVWR on the trailer anywhere online. Do you think our vehicle will handle it? We only plan on 2-3 day short trips (up to 300 miles).
 
You're probably OK.  That trailer has a lot of cargo capacity (difference between dry and gross weights), but remember dry weight may not include things like awning, A/C, batteries, propane and bottles, etc.  Really, the best thing to do is to have it weighed as you would tow it loaded to camp.

Where do you plan on towing?  Flat land or out in the Rocky Mountains?  My gut instinct here is that the Armada will pull it OK, but it will be slow going up hills and being a short wheelbase SUV, you might not like the "feel" of how it tows. 
 
Thanks for your reply. We live in Southern California so we would be towing in the local mountains. Neither my husband nor myself has ever pulled a trailer...we are both a bit anxious about it. Would love to get a smaller trailer, but the amenities in the wildwood are just so perfect for our family.
 
It sounds like you are not only new to towing, but will be new to RV ownership as well.  There's certainly nothing wrong with buying new, except the price you pay... just be aware that RV's depreciation FAST (although trailers perhaps not as quickly as motorhomes) and often you can find the best blend of amenities + value by locating an RV that is a few years old but was treated gently by its previous owner(s).  Just another perspective to consider, as you research and shop! :)
 
3crazykids said:
Thanks for your reply. We live in Southern California so we would be towing in the local mountains. Neither my husband nor myself has ever pulled a trailer...we are both a bit anxious about it. Would love to get a smaller trailer, but the amenities in the wildwood are just so perfect for our family.
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If you're going up into Big Bear, it will probably be slow going with one that heavy.  Before you sign on the dotted line, ask the dealer if they will pull it to a commercial scale and have it weighed.  You'll have a better idea of what you can get away with.  Don't expect it to be anywhere near "dry" weight.  I wouldn't be surprised if it's 1000 lbs heavier than dry before you even put a pillow in it.

I tow a 30' travel trailer that weighs just shy of 8000 lbs.  I tow in mountainous areas up steep grades in high elevations.  For two years I pulled it with an older gas F250 rated at just under 10K towing.  I just bought a 2014 Ram 2500 Crew Cab with the Cummins diesel, if that tells you anything.  The old one did the job, and was within spec, but it wasn't always  fun.  The new truck tows it like a dream.
 
We are  completely new to RVing!  :D I would love to buy used but the hydraulic bunks in the wildwood are an amazing feature.
We also have a Titan (just coincidence that both our towing vehicles are Nissan) that will most likely need to be replaced in the next year or two. So, maybe we can tow with what we have then upgrade our truck when the time comes.
We have been all over the place looking at everything from used trailers to brand new class A. It is such a stressful decision for me. I am so excited to get my kids out there in the dirt and playing (without video games ;))
Thanks so much for all of your advise and encouragement!
 
Since 2008, the CCC label in a new trailer includes the weight of full propane tanks as part of the vehicle weight but excludes the weight of any onboard water. Water is always considered "cargo" in the context of the federal CCC label.

The max tow rating of your Armda assumes that only a driver and fuel is onboard. The tow capacity is reduced by the weight of your wife and kiddies as well as any gear you have onboard the SUV. "Gear" includes the trailer hitch ball and WD bars, so that decreases it nearly 100 lbs right there. For safe estimating, I suggest decreasing your maximum by 5-10%, making it somewhere around 8200-8600 lbs.

Ask a dealer who has one of those trailers in stock to show you (a photo is ok) the federally-required GVWR label on the trailer. It will show GVWR, axel GAWRs, and tire pressures. It is always found on the front left )street) side of the trailer exterior.

Given what appears to be a large CCC, chances are you won't load that trailer to its full GVWR. The risk is that at some time in the future the loads will grow (it's amazing how more & more weight gets added) and then some day you will need to travel with full water tanks and be overloaded.

The label on the hitch does not indicate how much you can actually tow - it's just the hitch component rating. The trailer tow capacity is limited by the least capable of all the components involved and it appears that Nissan has concluded that its 9100 rather than the 10,000 the hitch itself can handle.
 
Gary RV Roamer said:
The risk is that at some time in the future the loads will grow
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That's not a risk....it's a given LOL.  It's amazing just how much stuff decides to come along for the ride, and just how much it actually weighs.....
 
We decided on a 2013 Nash! So excited! It's only 23 feet and around 5,000 lbs.. So our Armada will tow it quite easily. We have a walk through/orientation on Tuesday. Then we will be bringing it home!
Thanks so much for your advise!
 
3crazykids said:
We decided on a 2013 Nash! So excited! It's only 23 feet and around 5,000 lbs.. So our Armada will tow it quite easily. We have a walk through/orientation on Tuesday. Then we will be bringing it home!
Thanks so much for your advise!
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Congrats!  Post pics when you get it home.
 
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