Any advice on a Springdale 260TBL?

[StormRv]

We're looking at the Springdale 260 TBL and I'm wondering if anyone has anything good or bad to say about it. This would be our first TT so we are soooo new to this.

This trailer has the floor plan that we want and it's really close to the payment we want.

Springdale Model 260TBL

Weight? ? Carrying Capacity? ? ?Hitch? ? ? Length? Width? ?Height? ? Fresh Water? ? Waste Water? ? Gray Water? ?LPG? ? ?Tire Size? ? ? ? ?Rim Size
4890? ? ? ? ? ? ?2620? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 510? ? ? ?27' 11? ? ?8'? ? ? ?10' 6? ? ? ? ? ?50 gal.? ? ? ? ? ? ? 32 gal.? ? ? ? ? ? 28 gal.? ? 40? ? ST205/75D14? ? 14 x 5

I'll be using a 2003 Ford F150 4x4 w/ 5.4L to pull it.



Thanks in advance for any help/information!!!!!

 

[Carl L]

Your truck has a tow rating of 7100 lbs --  maybe a bit more depending on wheels and tires -- according to the Trailer Life 2006 tables.    Allowing 10% safety factor that translates to 6390 lbs.  If you travel in the mountain or Pacific west, make that 20% and 5680 lbs..

Your trailer has a laden weight of 7510 lbs.  That exceeds your tow ratings, even with out a safety factor added in.   

Look for a lighter trailer, maybe something in the 24' class will do for weight.  Use the grosss vehicle weight, the laden weight  of the trailer to evaluate it.  Unladen weight tends to ignore certain accessories (eg awnings) and is really just a calculated weight.

 

[StormRv]

Crap, at this rate I'll never find anything that I want that I can haul.? :-[


Actually my truck is a supercab which gets me a little more towing if I looked at the chart right.


Any suggestions on finding a TT I can haul that has the floor plan that's a walk around queen bed, a sofa, and at least a single bunk if not a double in the rear for my son? We were hoping to get into the 25' range.

Thanks again for your time and help!!

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

Here's a link to the 2003 Ford F150 Towing Guide.

For conventional travel trailer, it shows a 6900 lb max with the 3.31 rear axle, 7900lbs with the 3.55 and 16 inch tires, 7400 lbs with 3.55 and 17 inch tires, and 8200 lbs with 3.73 axle and the Payload Upgrade package.  Those numbers assume nothoing other than the driver and a tanlk of fuel in the truck, so the actual number is somewhat less.  You need to be looking for a trailer with a GVWR of somewhat under that, to give yourself some safety & performance margin.  Please bellieve us when we say you will not be happy towing with a half ton truck that is loaded to its max. I would suggest a trailer weighing no more than 6000-6500 lbs, depending on your truck's axle and tires.

 

[Carl L]

Crap, at this rate I'll never find anything that I want that I can haul. 

If you note my signature, you will note that I tow with a bob tailed F150, a Bronco, which has a 5.0L V8 and 4WD.  You can find a trailer easy, just concentrate on keeping it light. 

Here is one examply, which I do not necessarily recommend but weightwise it should be just fine for towing in the east.  Click HERE to see.  Look around especially in the lightweight series.  The queen and bunkbeds is a common floorplan.

 

[GaryB]

Well, I thought I had settled on a 5er before reading this post    Are TTs all that much more difficult to handle and manuever (back up) than a 5er?  That's why I was leaning toward a 5er, but maybe I'm overblowing that issue.  At least a TT would allow me to stay with a half ton truck.  I've never driven a RV (or even large truck) before so maybe I'm making more out of that than I should.

Two other quick questions:
1) does the stated length of a TT include the hitch in the front?  I'll be building an RV garage and want to make sure it is deep enough
2) So many RVs have "short" queen beds (60x74 instead of 60x80).  That would drive me nuts to have my toes hanging off the end of the bed  ;D  Is it a simple matter to replace the mattress with a 80" long one, or does the length of the bed frame make that impossible?

Thanks again for all the advice
Gary

 

[Carl L]

Actually, a TT is a bit easier to back or steer tight than a 5er.  The geometery of the hitch allows it to track the tow vehicle closely and to respond quickly to steering inputs backing.  5ers like their cousins the semi-trailer cut inside of the turn of the tow vehicle.    Just watch a semi taking a hard right turn sometime.  The driver has to hook the rig way outside on the turn to keep from wiping out street signs and light posts on the sidewalk.

The stated length of the trailer is the the length of the box not including the hitch.  Add about 3 feet to the length to arrive at the parking space needed,

 

[Ron]

Personally I would take a 5er before I would a draw type trailer anyday.  Having pulled draw trailers and having owned a gooseneck stack trailer I believe the gooseneck trailer was much easier to handle than any draw hitch trailer.  I can guarantee you that if we were ever to consider a trailer it would be a 5er.  My driver has rowed both types of trailers and much prefers the 5er or gooseneck type too.  I think it is what you are use to and its personal choice again.  GO FOR THE 5ER you will be glad you did IMHO.

 

[GaryB]

I hate to sound dense and beat this issue into the ground since everybody has already told me that I shouldn't pull a 5er with a 1/2 ton truck....  But the above link to the 2003 Ford F-150 Towing Guide has towing information for 5ers on the F150.  Is Ford misleading the public by implying that a 5er can be safely towed by a F150, or am I missing something?

Thanks
Gary

 

[Shayne]

Not sure you want to listen to people that know the facts.? ?Buy it if you want and be the loser in the long run and then by another ( the right one) after your 1st trip.? Chev , Dodge and the rest all advertise the same way.? People just don't eread the fine print.? ? Those are all minimum weight trailers with maximum truck specks and empty.? You'd probably be overweight? with 3 gal of fuel and you sitting in it.

 

[Carl L]

I hate to sound dense and beat this issue into the ground since everybody has already told me that I shouldn't pull a 5er with a 1/2 ton truck....? But the above link to the 2003 Ford F-150 Towing Guide has towing information for 5ers on the F150.? Is Ford misleading the public by implying that a 5er can be safely towed by a F150, or am I missing something?

Thanks
Gary

Well I have not said that, for one.  HOWEVER, that 5er had better be a very light eight 5er.  Look at the floorplans of light fivers and of light TTs.  I bet you will see more floorspace on the TT lb for lb.  A light weight 5er sacrifices to get to that light weight.  Check it out at the RV shows or the dealers.

The crux of the issue is weight.  If you are in love with a trailer then you need a truck that can pull its weight.  If you are in love with a truck then you get a trailer that has a weight you trailer can pull.  It is that simple.

 

[GaryB]

Thanks Carl - I'm guessing the devil is in the details of the specs (axle weights, etc.) and that Ford and Chevy hope that most people won't take the time to read those details.  If not, then they can always blame it on the customer later.  Anyway, enough said.  Thanks to your patience and help, I have narrowed my final choice to a 5er and 3/4 ton, or TT and 1/2 ton.  At least I'm making progress 

Shayne - please understand that I'm only asking because I want to UNDERSTAND why I making a choice, rather than blindly following advice.  If I blindly followed the advice of a saleperson, I'm sure you would tell me later that I did the wrong thing.  I'm just trying to educate myself - the process of education often involves asking many questions, some dumb, some not so dumb, and some rather repetitive.  One needs to achieve a "comfort level" with one's decision and sometimes that involves clarification of little nuances that didn't sink in the first time.

Thanks again
Gary

 

[Shayne]

Having been in the automotive field years ago and the RV field as a sales Mgr I know what salespeople say and do.? Remember 1 thing 99% of the sales people don't know any more about what they are selling and don't care.? The only thing they have on their mind is, you are shopping and have money in your pocket to buy.? They want it as quickly as possible and are willing to stretch things, lie, and manipulate in any way they can to accomplish their goal.? They could care less about what they are selling or about you as a customer. These guys here may not call themselves specialist nor professionals, but they are.? I thought I knew a lot about RVing and trucks with all the years of experience I have in the field, but believe me I've learned more more than I ever thought I would, even at this old age, and it boggles my mind with their said knowledge.? ?After everything they have explained from what they state off the top of their head to what they have looked up in their libraries of facts readily available,? I'm in awe and can't see how it can be misinterpited.? Naturally it's your final decision to purchase what you think is suitable for you, but stop and think? If you have a huge trailer behind a small truck,? how are you going to be able to stop it? ou might at low speeds once or twice but get it on the road at 55, if you can without it manhandling you, and try to stop.? You can't, cause the trailer weight alone will push you beyond any point you can imagine.? ? With that said and what they have stated time and time again and never deviate in any manner,? I think I'd pay heed to what they've said.? ? ?Sorry if I put things bluntly but facts are facts. I've just never been a diplimat, I most generally go for the jugular as these gents and ladies can vouch.? Try going into the library and retrace this same conversation at least 20 times in the past couple of months.? ?These gents just have too much patience and way too much of gentlemen than I.? ? Sorry but thats the way I see it.

 

[GaryB]

Shayne - that's perfectly fine.  Thanks for clearing it up.  I should not have used the salesperson analogy since I didn't mean to imply that all salespeople have the same good intentions as the good folks on this forum.  I was just asking you to bear with me until I resolve any conflicting advice and until I understand why people are saying what they are.  As I mentioned, it's all about achieving a certain "comfort level" before I jump in and make a $50,000-70,000 decision (trailer and tow vehicle combined) without really understanding why, other than so and so told me that.

Thanks for understanding
Gary

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

But the above link to the 2003 Ford F-150 Towing Guide has towing information for 5ers on the F150.  Is Ford misleading the public by implying that a 5er can be safely towed by a F150, or am I missing something?

No, they aren't misleading anyone. They are telling you exactly how heavy a trailer you can tow with the various models of trucks.  It's up to you to decide if there is a fifth wheel adequate for your needs that fits within those weight limits.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that we are saying you cannot tow with a half ton truck. Plenty of people do so. We are only cautioning you that a half ton is not suitable for mid-large size trailers, whether fifth wheel or travel trailer.