Just bought the truck, now for the trailer

[aries75]

Steve, I think those tags are only on Canadian vehicles.  I've never seen one on an American market vehicle.

On my 2015 Ram 1500 the sticker is on the inside driver door.

 

[MMW]

What is your maximum towing capacity? Steveblonde, explained earlier how to get it from the door's sticker.
A lot of this forum members recommend buying used because of the depreciation. So you might want to consider that. Even buying from CL, it could save you lots of $$$.
Those 40000 options for floor plans, are probable not available so it's a waste of time to check that site IMHO.

My truck is more than adequate, thanks.  (11,200 rated which means more like 10,000 real world GVWR which means more like 8000 loaded for camping which is a *vast* space for TTs)

Actually, spend enough time going through this and while there are 40000 (maybe a *slight* exaggeration, maybe  ) options that fit "bunkhouse, under 10,000 lbs gross with a slide, some extra counter space, and two doors" there are really only maybe 3 or 4 floorplans for any given length of trailer all of which are available new and used (at least in my area, DFW).  The rest of the differences come down to fit and finish and construction. (all levels of both may not be available new, or used, in any given product line).  It might be a bit more limited in Nebraska but the driving is easier out there.  The only question is how far are you willing to drive for the *perfect* used trailer that you may not buy. 

 

[RVRAC]

I had a 2014 1500 Chevy, before trading it because I discovered it was ok to pull it but difficult to stop it and handle crosswinds with a smaller TT than what you are looking for.  A 29-31 ft TT is too much for your truck.  Like me you will learn the hard way.  Wish you well.

 

[Derby6]

This {Wind} is my big worry; what does your truck weigh?  Mine has a curb weight of 5480 lbs, but it's got stiffened suspension and traction control.  In addition, the truck's brake controller is supposedly smart enough to manipulate the trailer's brakes to keep it from fishtailing.  I'm hoping those factors will mitigate (not eliminate) the effects of the wind.  I know those winds in the Rockies are bad, but they can be just as bad down here on the plains with nothing to break them up.

If you end up with a 30+ footer, get dual sway bars to help reduce or even eliminate the sway.  This should help in wind as well.

 

[grashley]

There are two basic ways to calculate "how much trailer"

The better method is load up the truck and get it weighed, which you have done.

Truck GVWR  - Actual loaded weight = max weight of hitch and tongue

In your case,  7600#  -  6120#  = 1480#    Now subtract 200# for the hitch, leaving 1280# for tongue wt.  That means the TT must be less than 10,400# assuming 12.5% tongue wt.  A 10,400# TT + 200# hitch + 6120# truck = 16,720 GCVWR

The second way is to take the Max CCC of  2097#.  Subtract 600# for passengers, etc. (per your weights).  Subtract 200# for a hitch.  This leaves  1297# for tongue wt.  Same result.

Note you are slightly over GCWR, (20#) so reduce the TT  GVWR to 10,380#

Bottom line:  YOU DID YOUR HOMEWORK AND GOT AN  A+.

ENJOY THE TT

 

[lone_star_dsl]

  it should be on all vehicles although the placement may change it comes from the factory i have had several posters on this thread find it and they were all in the great US of A look on yours you should see it

I have a 2016 and the only tag on the door jamb is a white one that lists the GVWR, GAWR's and tire size information.  Is that the one you're referring to? 

 

[lone_star_dsl]

Those yellow tags are on NEWER US vehicles.

I'm guessing they're not on trucks with a GVWR over a certain amount.  I have a 2016 and there is no yellow tag anywhere on it.

 

[steveblonde]

Its usually on the B pillar between the drivers door and the passenger door , sometimes you need to open both doors to see it, about 1" x2" with a yellow band across the top its the law for a few years now to have it - i will post mine tomorrow as its late and dark now
Cheers

 

[grassy]

Just bought the truck, now for the trailer

man, I cringe every time I hear this..  but we all have to learn.

 

[Abendage]

I like the floor plan of the Rockwood 2504S with the Murphy bed option. One of the roomiest floor plans I've found in that length. Should fit within your trucks capabilities just fine.

 

[NickB]

I'll skip over technicalities, because they are just that, but I had an 09 Chevy 1500 and did a lot of towing with it.

Does your Chevy have the 5.3L engine? and 3.73 gears? What year is it? (sorry if I missed this info in your posts)

Also, what's your budget for the trailer?

 

[CWSWine]

I towed a 7000lbs 29 foot TT with 2013 Chevy 1500 and did OK till we gusting winds from the side then had to stop till the winds let up.  I would guess with my setup we were limited to about 15 to 25 mph side winds. I trade for 2014 Chevy 2500HD and the problem went away with side winds of 35 mph.  Currently I have 1 ton 2015 Ford F350 single rear wheel towing a 5er 39 foot and yesterday got caught in winds from the side 35 gusting to 45 or 50 mph and we ended up slowing down to 45 mph and finding a place to weather the storm in NM.  Saw a couple TT with 1/2 ton trucks off the road and the KOA is currently full of TT and 5er waiting out the storm.  30 foot TT is one big sail for light 1/2 ton truck, my F350 weights in at 8100 lbs.

 

[Frizlefrak]

I towed a 7000lbs 29 foot TT with 2013 Chevy 1500 and did OK till we gusting winds from the side then had to stop till the winds let up.  I would guess with my setup we were limited to about 15 to 25 mph side winds. I trade for 2014 Chevy 2500HD and the problem went away with side winds of 35 mph.  Currently I have 1 ton 2015 Ford F350 single rear wheel towing a 5er 39 foot and yesterday got caught in winds from the side 35 gusting to 45 or 50 mph and we ended up slowing down to 45 mph and finding a place to weather the storm in NM.  Saw a couple TT with 1/2 ton trucks off the road and the KOA is currently full of TT and 5er waiting out the storm.  30 foot TT is one big sail for light 1/2 ton truck, my F350 weights in at 8100 lbs.

NOBODY in an RV of any type should be travelling in NM or West Texas right now.  This area is experiencing 40+ MPH constant winds and gusts over 65 MPH.  Park somewhere and wait it out.  The winds are supposed to diminish on Thursday.  Don't chance it. 

 

[CWSWine]

NOBODY in an RV of any type should be travelling in NM or West Texas right now.  This area is experiencing 40+ MPH constant winds and gusts over 65 MPH.  Park somewhere and wait it out.  The winds are supposed to diminish on Thursday.  Don't chance it.

Yep we are still in KOA for the second night waiting for the winds to die down.  Weather says 10 to 20 tomorrow.  Guy in the park was saying a TT pulled over by Gallup and after he was stop the wind blew the TT over, he was parked on slight side wise incline on the side of the road. 

 

[bobbyg2013]

When you start to load up your TT and truck, lay out all your "stuff" and I mean everything.  Then go through everything and eliminate at least 20%, preferably more.  You don't need all that "stuff".  You only need one of something (clothing excluded), so be selective with what you keep.  Think lite weight. Take only what is absolutely what is necessary. You will thank me later, lol.

 

[viceprice]

Greetings all,

I'm a RV noob, but a camping junkie.  Growing up, my dad and I camped in everything from backpacking tents, a Coleman pop-top, VW campervan, and occasionally, a borrowed travel trailer.  When we met, my wife hated the idea of camping.  Her idea of roughing it was a hotel room without wifi.  However, my twin girls came to my rescue because they wanted to go, and my wife and I love doing things as a family and creating memories together.  So we got a tent, some sleeping bags, and some basic equipment and started tent camping.  However, I'm not as spry as I used to be, and sleeping on an air matress has become much more uncomfortable.

So, my wife and I have been going back and forth for several months now on our options for outdoor adventuring.

1) We keep the old tent, sleeping bags, etc, and get camp beds (and I get a 5.0 liter Mustang)
2) We buy a small class C and trade in the mini-van for somthing small and cheap (and no Mustang)
3) We buy a travel trailer and trade in the mini-van for the truck (and no Mustang)

Guess which one we went with? (3) Oh well, at least the truck is a V8.

Anyway, after a month of research and three weeks of trying to locate a Chevy 1500 with a 3.73 rear end and the max tow package with the GVWR cranked up to 7600, we finally got the TV.  It's an LT (Minimal electric equipment and other whistles and bells to break).  And the only color we could find was red.  Bright red.  Not maroon, but fire-engine, stop-light, oh-my-god-my-eyes-are-bleeding red.  I've named her "The Crimson Horror".  But that's ok, because we live in Nebraska and we blend in with all the die-hard Husker fans around here.

So, here we are, looking for some good advice on TT hunting.  We're constrained by a hard 10000 lb max on the trailer (Neither I, nor my wife wanted a 3/4 ton with the attendant worse gas mileage and bouncy ride, especially since I drive 20 miles each way to work, and this is my daily driver).  So the truck is a done deal.

The girls want a bunk room, but I like my bank account, and the Crimson Horror might get overtaxed pulling an extra room about, so we've compromised and agreed to bunk beds.  So, that means bunk house.  My wife wants a sliding living room, because it's going to be the four of us, plus our two fur-babies (Daisy, our lab-mix, and Lily, our Boston terrier), so narrow equals cramped.  My wife also likes the stick-out counters for extra counter space, and a door from the outside to the bathroom.  So those are our big criteria.

My wife is currently pounding the keys on my other computer, looking for bunkhouses that fit, and I'm getting into this forum to see what others have discovered before us.  So any advice is welcome, because I feel like Odysseus, sailing out with his men and thinking this will be a short cruise....

Happy Camping to all of you.

Checkout the Cougar X-Lite 28RBS by Keystone. I really like the Husky TS weight distributing/anti-sway hitch set up we bought with it (800-1200lb model). TT is 6100 Lbs. with about 2000 more of cargo capacity, 900 lb hitch. Love the floor plan. Brakes seem very strong. Our truck weighs 6300 lbs with me and a fiberglass cap, full 34 gal tank of fuel and a 10,000 lb tow capacity and I know I am not exceeding the other stuff others have better explained when we are loaded. We have 3 dogs and will fill the bunk beds with grand kids when they arrive!

 

[srt5321]

I like the floor plan of the Rockwood 2504S with the Murphy bed option. One of the roomiest floor plans I've found in that length. Should fit within your trucks capabilities just fine.

We just bought the 2504s, its amazing for the length/weight. We were limited on driveway length and this, hands-down, was the most equipped/featured/spacious of anything in its size. Very pleased, highly recommend.

 

[keymastr]

31' trailer has an overall length of what, 35'? Then max the weight out at 10,000 pounds leaving no safety margin and pull it with a 5.3 gasser. That is nuts in my opinion. There are threads here every week where folks have done just that and the world did not stop spinning but before the next camping season they are either trading the truck or trailer because they were too close to the limit and it was uncomfortable to drive, in some cases unsafe. Huge financial mistake.

I would limit your trailer to 26' and 7500 gross with your truck. Less stressful and you will fit into the smaller state park sites. With the 31' trailer you will have to park in the motorhome lot in many parks which sometimes is like parking at Walmart.

The max tow rating for your truck was derived using a flat bed trailer which has almost no wind resistance and does not get pushed around by the wind. Somewhere in your owners manual there will be a chart that discusses square footage of frontal area. That big flat wall in front of the trailer is a great big air brake. Add that to the weight and a hill and you will be over-taxing your engine and transmission. Then think about controlling that behemoth when you lose a rear tire on your truck while going down a mountain pass. How about if the trailer brakes go out? Both at the same time? These things are not likely to happen but they do happen.

You have the opportunity to get something that fits your vehicle now. A 31' 10,000 gross bunkhouse is firmly in F250 territory.

 

[JohnMD]

31' trailer has an overall length of what, 35'? Then max the weight out at 10,000 pounds leaving no safety margin and pull it with a 5.3 gasser. That is nuts in my opinion. There are threads here every week where folks have done just that and the world did not stop spinning but before the next camping season they are either trading the truck or trailer because they were too close to the limit and it was uncomfortable to drive, in some cases unsafe. Huge financial mistake.

I would limit your trailer to 26' and 7500 gross with your truck. Less stressful and you will fit into the smaller state park sites. With the 31' trailer you will have to park in the motorhome lot in many parks which sometimes is like parking at Walmart.

The max tow rating for your truck was derived using a flat bed trailer which has almost no wind resistance and does not get pushed around by the wind. Somewhere in your owners manual there will be a chart that discusses square footage of frontal area. That big flat wall in front of the trailer is a great big air brake. Add that to the weight and a hill and you will be over-taxing your engine and transmission. Then think about controlling that behemoth when you lose a rear tire on your truck while going down a mountain pass. How about if the trailer brakes go out? Both at the same time? These things are not likely to happen but they do happen.

You have the opportunity to get something that fits your vehicle now. A 31' 10,000 gross bunkhouse is firmly in F250 territory.

You saved me a lot of typing as what you said was basically the same thing I wanted to say.

To the OP:

The truck you bought is way to light duty for what you are wanting to pull with it.

And you have already done a good job of talking yourself into believing that you will be OK with that.

But remember . . . it will be you and your family in that truck when you find yourself in a situation where you can't stop that whole rig!

Think about that long and hard.

Take this from someone who was in that position once . . .

I did manage to stop . . . less than five inches from the rig in front of us.

And I had to change my shorts!