what do i need?
Thread Starter
|
New User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
what do i need?
tomorrow i'm buying a 23' trail lite bantam; don't know exact weight, but it's not much; i'm looking for information about the type of truck i need to pull it; i want the smallest, most fuel efficient truck out there that will do the job; any thoughts?
More Turbo
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 664
Likes: 129
From: Columbia, MD
what do i need?
In my view, you need to look at weight and handling. Your goal is to get "just enough" of a tow vehicle. Ideal tow vehicle is massive, powerful, wide track, long wheelbase, tight suspension, and low center of gravity. Inherent stability resists the trailer's whims. Question is what's "good enough" for your application. I'll admit that I'm biased in favor of "more than enough" because I want to maintain control when bad things happen.
Weight is probably the simplest thing to deal with- trailer weight, tongue weight, and gross combined vehicle weight must be within the tow vehicle's rated capabilities. Remember, you must include the load weights you're carrying IN the trailer and truck- people, gear, full water tanks & holding tanks, etc. Those can add up fast. The weight ratings ought to tell you if you're looking at 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton, or 1 ton dually.
Handling is the fun part. Will your rig accellerate, stop, and track well enough under "normal" circumstances? How about when something "bad" happens- idiot pulls into your lane and slams on his brakes, a semi passes, strong crosswind, bumpy road, or some combination of the above? Say on a wet, steep, washboard downhill in a 30 mph crosswind, and the car in front of you just slammed on it's brakes. Will the rig stay well-behaved and in control? Or will the trailer start dancing, jerk the truck across the road, and get you into an accident?
If you're going with a pickup, try to get it wide, low, and long. Long bed w/ extended or even crew cab. If 4wd, avoid the high, soft, sloppy offroad suspensions and oversize tires, as the height and extra flex in the suspension & <a href="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=37919709&siteid=39251846">tires </a>equal less stability.
SUVs frankly scare me for serious towing. Most sit rather high on a relatively narrow track, have soft suspensions, and only modest weight ratings. My concern is that they don't have the stability or mass to rein in a misbehaving trailer.
Also note that loading differences can affect handling. Variations in trailer tongue weight, or where stuff goes in the bed of the truck can make a noticable difference in how the rig behaves.
You'll probably want to post some specifics on your trailer- weight, #axles, brake setup, <a href="http://motorhaven.autoanything.com/">bumper</a> or 5th wheel, etc. My tow toy is much smaller than yours (19', 2000 lb boat) so I can't comment on exactly what is "good enough" for your application, though I can offer the above insight. I've seen a bunch of people discuss specific travel trailer combinations, so you should get some good info to ponder. Good luck and be safe!
Weight is probably the simplest thing to deal with- trailer weight, tongue weight, and gross combined vehicle weight must be within the tow vehicle's rated capabilities. Remember, you must include the load weights you're carrying IN the trailer and truck- people, gear, full water tanks & holding tanks, etc. Those can add up fast. The weight ratings ought to tell you if you're looking at 1/2, 3/4, 1 ton, or 1 ton dually.
Handling is the fun part. Will your rig accellerate, stop, and track well enough under "normal" circumstances? How about when something "bad" happens- idiot pulls into your lane and slams on his brakes, a semi passes, strong crosswind, bumpy road, or some combination of the above? Say on a wet, steep, washboard downhill in a 30 mph crosswind, and the car in front of you just slammed on it's brakes. Will the rig stay well-behaved and in control? Or will the trailer start dancing, jerk the truck across the road, and get you into an accident?
If you're going with a pickup, try to get it wide, low, and long. Long bed w/ extended or even crew cab. If 4wd, avoid the high, soft, sloppy offroad suspensions and oversize tires, as the height and extra flex in the suspension & <a href="http://service.bfast.com/bfast/click?bfmid=37919709&siteid=39251846">tires </a>equal less stability.
SUVs frankly scare me for serious towing. Most sit rather high on a relatively narrow track, have soft suspensions, and only modest weight ratings. My concern is that they don't have the stability or mass to rein in a misbehaving trailer.
Also note that loading differences can affect handling. Variations in trailer tongue weight, or where stuff goes in the bed of the truck can make a noticable difference in how the rig behaves.
You'll probably want to post some specifics on your trailer- weight, #axles, brake setup, <a href="http://motorhaven.autoanything.com/">bumper</a> or 5th wheel, etc. My tow toy is much smaller than yours (19', 2000 lb boat) so I can't comment on exactly what is "good enough" for your application, though I can offer the above insight. I've seen a bunch of people discuss specific travel trailer combinations, so you should get some good info to ponder. Good luck and be safe!
Freshman User
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver Canada
what do i need?
Hello Bokaman, Welcome!
I tow a 26 foot travel trailer with a 5,800 lbs published gross weight.
Early on I tried to tow this trailer with a SUV... With the trailer empty it was well within the advertised towing limits of the truck, but was exhausting and dangerous to tow. Sensitivity to side winds, difficult to control under hard braking and poor visibility to the rear. I had the distinct impression that I would not be able to control the rig in any kind of emergency situation... NOT GOOD!
If you're planning to enjoy the towing experience I would not advise using anything other than a full size truck. I tend to agree with Paddler again on the question of "more than enough" vs "just enough" My current tow vehicle is a one ton dually long box crew cab with a <a href="http://motorhaven.autoanything.com/">460 </a>in it, so you can see that I learned my lesson towing with the SUV!!
The longer, heavier and wider the tow vehicle the better, 'course this is exactly what you don't want in a "daily driver" I think that for your purposes you might start by looking at a F250 as a good compromise.
good luck!
Rob.
I tow a 26 foot travel trailer with a 5,800 lbs published gross weight.
Early on I tried to tow this trailer with a SUV... With the trailer empty it was well within the advertised towing limits of the truck, but was exhausting and dangerous to tow. Sensitivity to side winds, difficult to control under hard braking and poor visibility to the rear. I had the distinct impression that I would not be able to control the rig in any kind of emergency situation... NOT GOOD!
If you're planning to enjoy the towing experience I would not advise using anything other than a full size truck. I tend to agree with Paddler again on the question of "more than enough" vs "just enough" My current tow vehicle is a one ton dually long box crew cab with a <a href="http://motorhaven.autoanything.com/">460 </a>in it, so you can see that I learned my lesson towing with the SUV!!
The longer, heavier and wider the tow vehicle the better, 'course this is exactly what you don't want in a "daily driver" I think that for your purposes you might start by looking at a F250 as a good compromise.
good luck!
Rob.
Post Fiend
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 5,324
Likes: 1
From: Denton,TX
what do i need?
Considering that the GVWR of the trailer is under 4700 lbs, even with the heaviest of the floorplans you described, and 1/2 ton truck will do the job fine. If you plan on upgrading the trailer at some point before you upgrade the truck, I would recommend a 3/4 ton truck. A 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck is overkill for towing a trailer of that weight and length though. If you are going to keep this trailer for a while, get a 1/2 ton. An F150 with the 5.4 V8 should do the job for you. Get a long wheelbase model for extra stability.
