need some good advice

[Trendyk9]

I have a 2005 Chevy 1/2 ton with a tow capacity of 7400lbs I am looking for a well built travel trailer with bunks I have look at so many but I just don't know what the better products are out there. I found Homestead Settler to be well made but I would like opinions from people who know more about it than I do. Also what should be the bigest unit I should try and tow with my truck I was looking at around 27-28 feet. Thank you...

 

[Woody]

It's not necessarily how BIG the trailer is, but how much it weighs. You cannot exceed the combined gross vehicle weight listed for your truck. This is the combined weight of the truck and whatever you are towing. On a Chev this info is inside the glove box door. If the tongue weight of the trailer is too heavy you can help it by installing air bags on the rear of the truck.
Bear in mind that all the dealer wants is to sell you a trailer, their information is often not accurate.

Woody

 

[Trendyk9]

Thanks, 
        the maximum trailer weight is 7,400 lbs and the GCWR is 13,000 lbs

 

[Lowell]

I just bought a Cherokee Lite 28A TT with a empty weight of 5700 lbs and hitch weight about 575 lbs.  I pull it with a 2005 Dodge 1500 hemi.  I've only made one trip with it so far to check out the  TT and the truck did fine although I haven't pulled up any mountain passes yet. I pulled it in the "Tow-haul mode".  The truck was capable of pulling it in the normal mode(overdrive) but it did quite a bit of shifting up and down.  It seemed comfortable in tow-haul and that's the way I left it.  I don't know how much extra weight I have added to the trailer besides its original weight. But dishes, lawn chairs, etc probally added about 200 lbs or so.  I plan to take it to a scales soon, weigh the axles, tongue, and entire rig as described in my TT trailer manual and on this web site. There are a number of TT out there made for 1/2 ton trucks.  Some of them will be identified as "lite" as my Cherokee is. Other makes I looked at were Pilgrim, Nomad and Starcraft that had models your truck should be capable of handling. 

One question I have for the folks on this forum is: Do you get a noticeable benefit from having a cap on the back of your truck to reduce wind resistance between tow vehicle and TT?  I have a open bed and noticed about a 4-5 mpg reduction pulling the TT. 

Jake

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

  the maximum trailer weight is 7,400 lbs and the GCWR is 13,000 lbs

That's not quite right, trendyk9.  The maximum weight you can tow is 7400 lb OR the difference between your truck's actual loaded weight and the 13,000 lb GCWR, whichever is LESS.  Chances are that number will be  less than 7400, but you will have to weight the truck, loaded as if for travel, to find out.

And in practice, you really want to stay under the max by 10-15% when towing a travel trailer, especially with a half ton truck.

I'm not familiar with the Homestead brand - it must be regional one.  That in no way disqualifies it as a quality rig, though.

 

[Trendyk9]

Thank you

? ? ? ? ? ? Homestead is made by Starcraft are you familiar with that brand and it's quality. I think after looking at so many they had the best floor plan and the weight seems to be right. The quality seems better than most but i wanted other opinions rather than just talking with the dealers. ( They always have the best!!!!) anything you could tell me would be great. I think I will be buying something with in the next 3 months.