Rockwood 8317ss tt

Carl,

You seem that you are very knowledgeable especially in hitching and weights.  I am in the middle of purchasing a Rockwood 8317ss tt.  The original brochure says that the tongue weight is 821lbs.,  however my dealer says that the new brochure says 1111lbs.  Supposedly they moved the the axles backward, this does make sense, however for an ultralite camper this seems extreme.
Dealer says that I should have no problem towing with an 08 chevy crewcab shortbox 4x4 w/ a 5.3 and 3.73 rear.  The hitch also has me a bit worried.  It has the factory tube style class 3 hitch.    I am using a draw-tite trunnion setup w/ 1200lb.  arms.  Do you have any advise, we are suppose to pick this unit up in 2 weeks.  Thanks

Greg

The brochure tongue weight is for a brochure weight trailer, i.e. unloaded and dry. Your actual tongue weight when going down the road will be substantially different and usually much more.  Or maybe the new brochure finally decided to give a realistic estimate of the weight???

And don't rely on the dealer for your tow capacity - they are notoriously inaccurate (and intent on selling stuff). Check it yourself in the 2008 Trailerlife Towing Guide:
http://www.trailerlife.com/images/digitaleditions/pdfs/DigitalTLTowGuide0801.pdf

Thank you for the quick resonse.  I will have to dig deeper before we finalize the deal.

Greg

mgcmn said:

Carl,

You seem that you are very knowledgeable especially in hitching and weights.  I am in the middle of purchasing a Rockwood 8317ss tt.  The original brochure says that the tongue weight is 821lbs.,  however my dealer says that the new brochure says 1111lbs.  Supposedly they moved the the axles backward, this does make sense, however for an ultralite camper this seems extreme.
Dealer says that I should have no problem towing with an 08 chevy crewcab shortbox 4x4 w/ a 5.3 and 3.73 rear.  The hitch also has me a bit worried.  It has the factory tube style class 3
hitch.    I am using a draw-tite trunnion setup w/ 1200lb.  arms.  Do you have any advise, we are suppose to pick this unit up in 2 weeks.  Thanks

Click to expand...

That trailer has a GVWR of 8,008 lbs according to the mfr specs.  If your truck is the 2008  1500 crew cab 5.3L short bed with 2wd its rating is 7600 lbs.  (4wd is 7500 lbs.)

We recommend comparing that rating to the trailer GVWR using a safety factor of 10% (20% in the mountain and Pacific west).  Thus your truck should tow a trailer with a GVWR of no more than  6840 lbs.  (6080 lbs in the west.)

That trailer is too heavy for your truck.  Go to something with a GVWR of less than 6840 lbs.  (6080 lbs in the west.)

Class III receivers are limited to 5000 lbs trailers.  You want at least Class IV -- 12,000 GVWR with a max tongue weight of 1200 lbs, or, with those 1200 lb bars, maybe a class V receiver.

I agree with Carl.  And a Class III receiver is insufficient - they are usually rated at either 4000 or 5000 lbs max. Your dealer is gambling with your safety and maybe your life!

The max tow capacity of a 1500 CC 5.3L 4x4 is 7500 lbs and that's with nothing onboard the truck except a 154 lb driver and fuel. No wife , kids or dog, No cooler or BBQ in the back. Nobody travels that way, so your trailer has to be well under 7500 lbs even without allowing a safety margin.

I bet that dealer would not sign any statement guaranteeing that what he has told you is true and accurate and that his recommendation will not jeopardize your safety.

Ron said:

I bet that dealer would not sign any statement guaranteeing that what he has told you is true and accurate and that his recommendation will not jeopardize your safety.

Click to expand...

I bet you're right.  But here's what sticks in my craw....

I know there are reputable dealers out there who wouldn't endanger someone just to make a sale.  But then there are the other kind....and they seem to be prevalent, particularly as the economy worsens.  How in the world could you look a person in the eye knowing that your greed (closing the deal at any cost) is putting them, their loved ones, and the general public at risk?  How do they sleep at night?  My conscience would eat me alive.  I'd rather flip burgers for a living than do this to someone.

And as usual, Carl is right.  In this case, bigger truck or smaller trailer.  And it isn't just the safety factor or the strain it's putting on your tow vehicle, it's your comfort as you're driving.  There's something very reassuring about having more truck than you need to get the job done.  The drive is less stressful, and the trip is more fun.  And isn't fun why we own these things to begin with?

I have been looking at the same unit. I have a 2003 Silverado K1500 extended cab 5.3l 3.73 rear end. 7800lbs is the maximum trailer weight. I looked over all of the data and it just didn't compute. I didn't think I would have felt safe or had the power to pull the trailer. For a little more money you can buy a K-Z Spree 324BHS and be more within your limits. The Spree has fewer options than the Rockwood, but is better quality and comes standard with a two year warranty.

Just my two cents........

I tow a 5th with 11000 GVW and a pin weight of (25% of 11000Lbs)  2750 lbs,  My truck weights over 7000lbs thus 9750 lbs GVW when the trailer hooked.  So I am left with 10,000 on the truck and 8250 Lbs on the trailer wheels.  With this combination I feel I am safe.
Imagine a trailer of 8000 lbs with pin weight of (10% of 8000 lbs) 800 lbs on a truck that weights 4200 Lbs  therefore 5000 Lbs total truck weight.  With my experience pulling heavy trailers I would at least want the same weight on the truck as on the trailer.  For me, in order to be comfortable towing this trailer I would need a load of at least  2200 lbs in the truck, and no way a 1/2 ton will carry the load and the trailer. Transports have the same weight or more on the truck as the trailer.

I was hauling a trailer heavier then my truck one time and the trailer wheels on the curb side fell of the pavement in the soft shoulder and in no time I found myself driving in the ditch, trying to keep the truck and trailer from jacknifing.  The trailer being heavier then the back tire of the truck had traction just pullled the back of my truck in the ditch.  Equalizing hitch would not have helped this situation neither.

My neighbour has a 7200lbs dry weight trailer that he goes camping with just localy, It was delivered with a 1/2 ton, and he told me he could haul it with his 1500 Dodge.  I told him I will not be in the cab when he does.  He since bought a Ford F350,  and he told me it pulls great and much better then his 1/2Ton.  I feel I gave him the right advice.

Just my opinion, get a 3/4 ton that weights as much as the trailer