Powered Jack/Levelers; GVWR spans

[Badgerone5]

1) Just getting back into camping, and looking for a used, relatively small travel trailer (around 26'). Some of the ads I'm seeing have a powered jack, and/or powered levelers. How important are features like that?
2) I also have a question on weights--I know the difference between dry weight and gross vehicle weight. What I am kind of confused about is how some trailers might have 4700/6000 (1300 diff), and another 3900/7000 (3100 diff). What causes the weight spans to be so different in relatively light trailers?
3) How reputable is KZ brand -- Vision or Connect -- prior to 2018 if that makes a difference?
Thanks!

 

[Kirk]

Some of the ads I'm seeing have a powered jack, and/or powered levelers. How important are features like that?

Welcome aboard! The importance of such things will depend on the person using the RV and how frequently you move locations. When I was younger I never paid extra for an electric tougue jack on any of our travel trailers but as I got older the work seems more difficult so I have upgraded mine to a powered jack. That same thing is true for leveling jacks.

What causes the weight spans to be so different in relatively light trailers?

The GVWR is set by the manufacturer of the chassis for any RV. In most cases the chassis isn't built by the RV manufacturer but is purchased from a vendor. That company then builds an RV on the chassis and the difference in dry weight and GVWR is determined by what the RV on that chassis weighs and the difference is the cargo capacity of the RV. Some RVs are built using only light weight materials while others are built with the quality and durability as the more important factor. In general, higher quality construction materials will weigh more than what is found in a light weight RV. In addition, if the builder uses solid wood cabinets and trim that will increase the dry weight of the trailer as will additional insulation. Another factor is that the two weights listed are sometimes dry weight and other times the first weight is a wet weight that includes the weight of full tanks and since tank sizes very that also makes for a total weight that is closer to the GVWR.

How reputable is KZ brand --

I currently own a travel trailer by KZ that we bought new in 2012. My son had a KZ product for almost 10 years and both served well, particularly when price is considered. In 2014 KZ was bought by Thor Ind., the largest owner of RV brands but they have developed a history in recent years of continuing the RV manufacturers that they buy in pretty much the same way as they were before Thor took over. Some will tell you that all Thor products are bad, but that has not been my observation and I know a lot of people who own RVs that were built by one or another of the many RV companies owned by Thor. I can't guarantee that you would have the same experience as we did, but I do know several people who have bought their RVs in the past few years and are satisfied.

If you are shopping for used, the condition of the RV is much more important than the brand name, especially as it gets older. It is also important to get a professional pre-purchase inspection before you buy any used RV.

 

[Ex-Calif]

1) Just getting back into camping, and looking for a used, relatively small travel trailer (around 26'). Some of the ads I'm seeing have a powered jack, and/or powered levelers. How important are features like that?
2) I also have a question on weights--I know the difference between dry weight and gross vehicle weight. What I am kind of confused about is how some trailers might have 4700/6000 (1300 diff), and another 3900/7000 (3100 diff). What causes the weight spans to be so different in relatively light trailers?
3) How reputable is KZ brand -- Vision or Connect -- prior to 2018 if that makes a difference?
Thanks!

Re 1) - It all depends on you. I find them desirable but they wouldn't be a showstopper.

Re 2) Basically a trailers MGW is based on the frame, brakes and axle(s). What the manufacturer builds on top of the frame varies wildly. If you fulltime you may value payload a lot. If you are weekender you may not worry so much about payload. Arguably a trailer with a higher empty weight may be built more robustly and have heavier fixtures and so on. You may value a "lightweight" trailer due to already owning a tow vehicle that can't handle higher loads.

It might make buying confusing. OTOH there are a lot of options depending on what you want or need.

 

[Badgerone5]

Thank you both for sharing your knowledge. Much appreciated!!

 

[Kirk]

Thank you both for sharing your knowledge.

Let us know how the search is going.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

I think you will find that many RV features are "important" primarily if you desire more convenience. Age and health may influence your desire for those items, but sometimes it's just your personal attitude and lifestyle. The other category of features that is very much personal choice are things related to watching tv video, whether network, streaming, or pre-recorded. Satellite dish, wireless internet, outdoor or bedroom tvs, etc.

There are two factors in dry weight and GVWR. As others explained, the strength and size of the chassis (trailer frame) establishes the GVWR, while the dry weight is mostly a matter of the body construction and features. Both of those are major cost factors, so the target market price for the RV pretty much dictates the manufacturer's choice. He can skimp on the chassis weight capacity with a lighter-duty and/or shorter frame and smaller tires and cut costs. He can also cut body costs by skimping on materials and workmanship. Ironically, cheaper materials are often heavier than high end stuff, e.g. wood instead of metal wall studs or particle board cabinets. It's not unusual to end up with a relatively low GVWR and heavy body as a result of paring costs to the bone.

I hate to characterize the quality of an entire brand when the manufacturer makes both entry and higher end models. Generally, the "light" models are targeted at the entry level (lowest priced) market and thus more likely to have skimped across the board, sacrificing quality for lower weight and cost. Complicating the quality question is the fact that few RVs are consistently good quality, no matter the brand or price. The industry as a whole has poor quality control, so that there is a distressingly large percentage of lemons in any brand & model.

 

[Badgerone5]

Thanks for the info Gary. Also found some PDF checklists you posted on the site--very helpful!

 

[John From Detroit]

Regarding powered jacks.. I assume you are talking about the jacks with wheels or tracks you can "Drive" via a tether cable or phone app to park a trailer when you can't park it with the tow vehicle.
I've seen them in use.. Not 100% sure they are worth it but.. Not everyone grew up backing trailers into tight spots on the farm (I did) The ones I've seen do work very well.
Now.. Regarding their capacity.. Since they operate at around 4 MPH or less (Walking speed) the greatest capacity issue is crush weight. "Tow" weight limits are not really an issue.
If you are not skilled at backing.. Might be a good idea..

 

[CharlesinGA]

Regarding powered jacks.. I assume you are talking about the jacks with wheels or tracks you can "Drive" via a tether cable or phone app to park a trailer when you can't park it with the tow vehicle.
I've seen them in use.. Not 100% sure they are worth it but.. Not everyone grew up backing trailers into tight spots on the farm (I did) The ones I've seen do work very well.
Now.. Regarding their capacity.. Since they operate at around 4 MPH or less (Walking speed) the greatest capacity issue is crush weight. "Tow" weight limits are not really an issue.
If you are not skilled at backing.. Might be a good idea..

I think the OP is referring to a tongue jack that is powered vs a hand crank model. There are very few US travel trailer models with a "jockey wheel" type tongue jack and a "self powered/driving" trailer is more of an experimental thing than something that you readily buy.

As far as a tongue jack goes, especially on a 26 ft trailer, you are talking about a 7500 lb or so GVWR trailer and you will be using a weight distribution hitch. Hooking up generally requires that you drop the trailer on the ball, latch it down, then raise the trailer AND rear end of the tow vehicle together rather high to make connecting the bars easier/less dangerous and then letting the trailer back down a second time and retracting the jack completely. This is a LOT of cranking and a electric tongue jack becomes a very valuable accessory. Virtually all electric tongue jacks are 3500 lb rated, a few are rated up to 4500 lbs and the major difference in them is how long they last before the (usually) plastic gears strip out.

Charles

 

[Old_Crow]

I think the OP is referring to a tongue jack that is powered vs a hand crank model. There are very few US travel trailer models with a "jockey wheel" type tongue jack and a "self powered/driving" trailer is more of an experimental thing than something that you readily buy.

I think you're right about what the OP is asking about, but if you google "powered trailer dolly" you'll find that it's more than experimental.
I see hits from etrailer, Lowes, Northern Tools and even Walmart.com. There's even a fancy remote control one with all terrain tracks if you've got $4300 burning a hole in your pocket.
We were in a state park in South Dakota and a lady traveling by herself with one of those Airstream Bambi trailers pulled up to the site next to us, unhitched in the middle of the road and unloaded one out of the back of her SUV. Stuck it under the hitch, pulled down on the handle to raise the ball and backed her rig right into the spot. Took a whole lot less time than I've seen someone who can't back a trailer spend getting into their spot.