I'm completely new to towing. In early Sept, my wife and I bought a Craigslist special ?30ft TT (its too dang cold to check on it) as a compromise between camping with backpacks vs an RV. It came w a Reese antisway set up. The drive home was different. The truck had plenty of power, no issues w temps,

First, is there a good resource for beginners? I get the concept of weighing axle wts, but how do you do that when your at the scales? How do you measure tongue wt? Is it normal to feel the TT 'shove' you coasting down hills? I would like to do a bit of due diligence before asking painfully obvious questions, but feel asking here for a good beginners reference is better than blindly getting one.

And it looks like the second time I haul it will be from Maine to NC....

Thanks in advance... now back to lurking.

 

Our first trailer was purchased in Oct '15, and we had no experience with TTs before that. Our first trip with it was very local to meet up with another member here to help show me the RVing way. Since then we have become full timers and have hauled our home across the country and have put about 30k miles under our belt pulling the trailer. At first I did feel pushed around a bit when tring to slow down but getting a brake controller fixed all that. As far as the scales go, I do three weights. Tow Vehicle, Tow Vehicle and Trailer, and then just the Trailer. Have all three of those will allow you to see and calculate everything you need. The heaviest the TT has been was 13,800lbs, which is really pushing the limits of the trailer and the vehicle.

Whenever you do the trip down to NC and ore driving through MD, let me know. We are not too far from 95. Try to avoid NYC at all cost with the TT, even if it adds an extra hour to you trip; It will be worth it.

 

Before you start your trip I would recommend packing your wheel bearings, checking and at least adjusting the brakes, and checking the mfg date on your tires. TT tires are very problematic after about 3 years or so, sometimes even earlier, especially if the are chinese mfg, otherwise known as chinabombs. If you weigh your tow vehicle without your trailer and then with it you will get your approximate tongue weight, not 100% accurate but close, if the scale you use allows it you could just park the front jack on the scale and get the accurate numbers. You also will then know better how to load your trailer so that you have 10-15% of it's weight on the tonque so it tows with minimum sway. Other than that read everything you can on the forums and just take it easy, the more you tow the more comfortable you will become, have fun. Another thought post info about your tow vehicle and TT as others may have specific info on either or both that may help you out.

 

Here's a thought. When I was still teching, at times someone would call and ask if I would come and teach them about their camper. So I would go through the camper to make sure they understood how towork everything, I would take a look at their tow vehicle, discussed adjusting the brake controller, pretty much anything they wanted to know that I was schooled in.

I have a hunch quite a few folks would benefit from doing the same thing either with a tech or with an experienced RVer. Of course there is a lot of good advice here and on YouTube so those are also good sources.

Just a thought,

Steve

 

and for scaling your rig.. should be many videos .. Cat Scale may have it on-line, also.

but its very simple...

3 plates...
first plate you park your front tires.
second plate you park you rear tires.
third plate is for trailer trailers.

on pole next to cab of your truck .. press the big button.. and talk to operator.
have gas tank full. if you carry water in trailer.. fill it as well,,

so.. scale one truck only
2, truck and trailer..
3. fully loaded and ready for a trip.

most offer a second scale for free if withing 24 hours of first scale.

I always re-scale as I depart on a Large trip. just because.

and so you know.. the posted weight on a empty trailer MAY NOT be correct.. mine is over by 800 pounds.

Practice towing and backing up.. Practice more...

 

Thanks for all the info -
I'm not allowed to practice backing up anymore - my wife isn't sure she'll recover from a second bout laughing that hard. She actually called her mom and sister who live in the same town to come watch. Fortunately they didn't and she forgot to video it and hence no youtube. It was epic!

Will hit the scales. Hopefully before and after its loaded w household goods. Will definately avoid the Cross Bronx and GW, those roads are not fit for my truck, let alone camper. I just wish I could entirely avoid NJ because some of the household goods from the mancave are underappreciated there. Those items will be packed in the front (or would lead weights be better in the bed?).

The TT's tires look a bit sunbaked and should be replaced. Will get on having the bearing repacked.

I have a good friend who drives a big rig and hope to get him in the passenger seat but he's gone 3 weeks out of 4.

Re my rig - see my sig. It will be full of diesel at the scales, not gas. No offense taken! She's running great but I'm sure the weight of pretending to be a moving truck will stress her a bit. Will keep wts within spec.

Re the brakes - are we talking about exhaust braking or can brakes be added to the TT?

Again, thanks for the help. Right now, the TT plowed in a bit and 3 -6" snow predicted tonight/tomorrow but will dig her out.

 

If you ever come through Maryland area I'd be happy to go over a few things, but by that many miles you will have it figured out.


Really, go see a tech at a local service dept for RV's, ask for a few minutes of their time.

 

Good question. I do not recall seeing any books for novice towers. A wealth of information (or opinions) are the other campers at the campsites. Most will alway share their thoughts and experience if you ask them. You also get to meet some good people.

 

If you simply goggle it there are dozens of books for folks starting out with travel trailers and 5th wheels.

 

A 30 foot TT will/should have electric brakes on all axles, you tow vehicle will need a brake controller if it doesn't have one. There is a pigtail that plugs into the controller and then into a plug under the dash on your truck, if you have the owners manual it will tell you where.

 

RV Education 101 has some great training videos.

RV Education 101 - videos, DVDs, books, tips and information for RVers

 

Good idea re the tech, and will check out some of the RV Ed material.

Thanks again

 

Dave in Maine, to reduce difficulty in backing put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and turn it the direction you want the trailer to go. This makes it much simpler use small corrections and just use the bottom. Most people get confused by using the top and forgetting steering is reversed.

 

Good luck, Dave, from a former Mainer living in North Carolina! I'd be happy to help out in any way I can.

Here's a link to a great website on weighing your truck and then the camper:

RV Weighing Worksheet

Here's what I do when I'm running my rigs across the scale:

1. First, go in and say hi to the scale operator. They are used to trucks pulling through with a single pass, and may not be familiar with what you want to do (go through three times).
2. Take the first pass with the truck and camper and the weight distribution system activated.
3. Take the second pass with the truck and camper but the weight distribution system is deactivated.
4. Take the third pass with the truck only, after dropping the trailer somewhere out of the way. You can do the truck only at first if you want.

Once you have all the information from the three weight tickets and your truck's ratings, enter the information here if it's a travel trailer:

Travel Trailer Weight Calculator | Safety Report

If it's a fifth wheel/gooseneck, go here:

RV Weight Calculator | 5th Wheel | Gooseneck | Safety Report

Regarding the backing up...take the time and go to a big parking lot to learn how to back up well. Most people are courteous, particularly at camp grounds, and should give you the time you need to back in without being pressured. It will suck at first, but you'll get there eventually. Have your wife act as a spotter and relay to you what is happening as you won't be able to see everything. Some spots will be pull-through, but a fair amount will require to back in at an angle. I like to look at the campgrounds in Google Maps, if possible, to see what the roads and sites really look like to try and plan my arrival and departure.

My previous vehicle and camper was a Grand Cherokee and a 25' trailer; easy peasy. My current setup is a CCLB and a 31' trailer. It definitely requires more room to maneuver, everywhere. Gas stations can be a real pain, so I always look for the outside pumps that are most accessible. Sometimes, I'll ask my wife to take a walk around the parking lot for the best way out.

Get a good wireless backup camera for your trailer. Furrion makes a good "observation" system that has a range of 60 feet or so. You can install it so the camera comes on with your running lights, or you can wire it into your backup lead from your 7 pin connector if you want to run the wire. This will be a tremendous tool that will help you.

Lastly, some states have exits on the left side. You're going to have to get over well ahead of the exit as people won't want to let you in. Have fun being a PITA sometimes to those people

 

Lots of threads on this forum to study. Also, give this website a try: PopUpPortal It is mostly about popups but they have a ton of information on hauling just about any kind of camper and camping in general. Enjoy you new hobby. There is nothing better in my opinion.