fpmtngal

There are advantages and disadvantages both ways. You’ll get lots of opinions from both sides, claiming they have the best option for their needs. Diesel engines may cut down on payload, the engines are heavier (I say may because it depends on options for the vehicle). So often it comes down to personal choice, when there’s not a specific need that one or the other would play a part. Bottom line is that both will pull trailers, when you have a properly sized TV to tow it with. I chose a gas engine (Ford’s new 7.3L engine with the 10 speed tranny) for a rather minor reason - I once camped next to someone who fairly late one night, as they were trying to make a wedding and were a little pressed for time, accidentally put gas in a diesel engine. They were quoted a huge repair bill by the dealer to fix it. Since I could easily see myself doing the same thing (I’ve never owned a diesel), I decided that I’d stick with gas. Dumb reason, but on the other hand, the new 7.3L seems to get the job done and basically loafs with my little trailer, even with all my junk.

You sound like you are close to a friend of mine. He needed a stick house for a disabled wife but wanted the hookups because they had been full-time RVers for 10 years and wanted to keep an RV. His house is a 700 square foot 1 bedroom, so when I visit I use his full hookups next to the house. With the walls around his property, it’s like he as a nice compound to live in, when he’s there. When/if I decide to get a home base, I want to do something similar to his place - low maintenance yard, easy to leave but still welcoming with a couple of great porches to sit on when the weather is cooler.

That’s awesome, Bob! Glad you’ve been able to pull it all together! Get that house sold and get on the road soon. Though I have to admit, it’s odd times to be a new full-timer.

I got my trailer registered and titled in Texas this past September. Interesting that they must have increased the weight for trailers at some point. A friend of mine bought a house near Ft. Worth and moved from California a couple of months before I left California. Whatever county he registered it in, they wanted him to get a weigh ticket for his trailer (while his is bigger than mine, it’s GVWR is 6700 lbs so still under the 7500 lbs limit) before they would register it without an inspection. Polk County didn’t require that, they just wanted a photo of the sticker showing the GVWR.

It’s not just about possible travel restrictions (I’m in New Mexico now and know all about what they require). There’s also the question of what are you planning on doing and seeing. I’m going to be heading to Branson for Labor Day and the week after - a reservation from September last year (at the moment the regular shows have re-opened, still not sure I really want to go). I was thinking of going to Kansas to see some friends about 10 days later, and asked about places to hang out in the time between - I got a long list of interesting sounding museums and places to see. Are they open? I haven’t yet checked. All the museums in New Mexico are closed, they were in Arizona before I left in June. If the places that sounded interesting are also closed, I probably won’t go that direction. Do the research to find out what’s open and what’s not. Since you’ve made the trip before, you’ll have a good idea what you want to see. Have realistic expectations and take appropriate precautions.

I see something different here: https://txdmv.gov/motorists/buying-or-selling-a-vehicle/trailers More Information Trailers with a gross weight exceeding 7,500 lbs. must pass an annual safety inspection. In some cases, you may be asked to provide additional information such as: Weight Certificate, and/or Photograph of trailer. For information about all required documentation and fees, contact your county tax assessor-collector office. So I guess it’s anyone’s guess? All I know is that Polk county had no trouble registering and titling my 5500 lb TT without an inspection.

LOL! A 3/4 ton sounds like a good starting point. And no - don’t know anyone who has one for sale. I do know a number of people who have recently bought them, when they found their 1/2 tons either undersized for a new trailer or like me - ran into payload capacity issues. I’m a firm believer that one should buy more truck than they think they need. I’m on my third TV in 5 years. I started with a marginal TV that worked for 2 years until I started dry camping and needed a second battery and generator, which put me over the tongue weight rating and cargo capacity of the JGC. Bought a well matched 1/2 ton truck that did great until I sold the house and went full-time. Then I was at or over the GVWR of both truck and trailer. This time I skipped the 3/4 tons and went to the F350, figured I’d rather have an overkill truck than to find myself buying a new TV if/when I replace my current trailer.

Just to clarify about trailers, Texas requires trailers over 4,000 lbs to have a title. But the annual inspection requirement is for trailers that exceed 7,500 lbs. My trailer’s GVWR is 5500 lbs so it needs a Texas title but not an annual inspection.

I’ve also heard mixed reviews, not sure that means as much if you do a good inspection before you buy a particular trailer. I’ve read a number of negative reviews for every RV manufacturer. I know someone who has one. He had ordered it and there were issues with the order. He ended up going directly to Gulfstream to get it sorted out - his dealer was useless (they received the wrong trailer in place of his and tried to sell it to him. When he pointed out it didn’t match his order, they didn’t do anything to find out what happened. He contacted Gulfstream who told him that his trailer had failed QC and was still at Gulfstream and that they had shipped his dealer a trailer that was supposed to have gone to another dealer). So he liked their customer service. He’s had the usual RV type of issues, nothing major, just a few minor things and all fixed under warranty (the dealer’s service department was much better than their sales department). He’s now had it for 2 years and seems quite happy with it. That doesn’t really answer your question because it’s only one person’s experience and I’m not sure how picky he is as far as fit and finish goes. I looked at a couple of their Vintage models, but couldn’t get beyond the fact I don’t like the decor.

The answers above give you lots of good information and really answer your question. I’m not familiar with either of these trailers (I’m solo). Some thoughts of mine that very well may not pertain to your situation. As I read your original post, I spotted the “rough road”. If all you are talking about is a dirt road that has pot holes that aren’t too bad, then it doesn’t matter. But if you are talking about 2 track that’s often overgrown, then you might want to look at how much ground clearance the trailers have (I have a low trailer that’s easy to tow but can get into trouble easily). If the road is just wash-board dirt road that doesn’t cross over any ditches or have relatively steep dips, then length/overhang isn’t something to consider either. But if there are significant dips, you might want to look at the trailer’s overhang, to see if you would scrape the back end when you go over them (been there, done that one time when a dip didn’t look as deep as it really was). Washboard roads just mean you drive slowly, not a big deal. It’s the rest of the stuff that might or might not go with the definition of “rough road” that would concern me. On the other hand, it sounds like a great place to go to! I’d love it.

It doesn’t surprise me at all that some states charge EV owners higher fees - as people shift to EV autos, their tax revenue goes down. Some states have huge sales tax on gas and diesel and they depend on that income. Having once lived in California, I noticed that the fees to register cars went up as the fuel efficiency of autos in general went up as well as the cost of gas. Fewer gallons of gas sold means less income for the state, so they look for ways to compensate - why not pick on the EV cars? I dislike such things. Has anyone tried to maintain/charge an EV from some sort of portable solar array? I wonder how much solar one would need for it - probably too much for an RV to carry? I think that would be cool, too, as I like boondocking. It might be enough for me to consider getting a MH and one (I have a truck and trailer now).

I didn’t have a problem switching my insurance over to my Rainbow Drive address in October, when I sold the house in California. I do miss the group plan I was covered under as long as I was a California resident - drugs were cheaper than the Part D plan I have now.

Too many people who don’t stay somewhere on a monthly basis are unaware that many/most parks meter the power for monthly residents. I agree also that many campgrounds would not have the power capability now. I’ve stayed in campgrounds that struggle in the summer, where my EMS has kicked off due to low voltage situation. I’ve been keeping my converter turned off as much as possible - letting the solar panels charge the batteries and provide power to the 12V system, to save a little on my metered power. But I’m still expecting a pretty big electric bill at the end of the month, because I’ve run the AC a fair amount. I can’t imagine adding the power to charge a car. I’ve never been crazy about the idea of an EV car, or at least in it’s current configuration. It more or less just puts the power supplier out of sight somewhere else, rather than the local gas station (I know, that’s a simplification and there’s the whole question about what’s clean energy etc. - an entirely different conversation and I’m not going there). It doesn’t necessarily save any money (depends on the cost of electricity and of gas, both vary and not the same amount). On the other hand, I love the idea of a hybrid and still miss the Prius I had. To me that was a great idea - the car creating some of it’s own power. Wish there was some way to make a vehicle that was externally energy independent - perhaps a mix of some sort of solar and braking/kinetic energy conversion in the future, along with some sort of super (lighter and higher energy storage) battery that has yet to be developed. That’s a vehicle I’d really want.

I’ve been thinking back on what I would consider my best RV experience. I would have to say it was the trip to Alaska I took in 2018. It was an epic trip all the way around, but what made it so very epic didn’t have to do with the awesome scenery. I’m solo, and at that point I had only been RVing for 2 years, though much of it was on longer, multi-month trips by myself. Since I didn’t feel confident enough to go to Alaska alone (I can’t break the lug nuts loose on my tires, so couldn’t be self-sufficient enough for the lonelier road stretches), I figured I’d probably not go. That January I arrived in Quartzsite for a couple of days of dry camping with some friends. One of them greeted me by asking if I wanted to go with them, and a couple of others to drive the Alaska Highway - of course I said yes, even though I didn’t know one of the couples very well. There were 3 couples and me alone. It turned into a marvelous trip of a lifetime. What made it that way was the people I was traveling with. We shared laughter, flat tires (well, only 1 rig had a flat), food and good times. I keep up with them, camping with them whenever I can. Many of my other memorable times have been when I strike up a conversation with a neighbor in a campground, maybe enjoying a bird feeder they put out or petting their dog or sharing stories about past camping trips or hints about hidden secrets in the area. Maybe I find those moments extraordinary because I’m solitary by nature and treasure such times, I don’t know. I hadn’t really thought of it until I started thinking about this thread, but it really is true for me that my best RV memories center around people.

In addition to how much your truck can tow is how much your truck can carry. Payload is based on trim level and option - there’s a sicker on the driver’s door that will tell you how much cargo you can add to the truck. I once looked at a loaded Ram Laramie 1500 that had a cargo capacity of 1068 lbs. When I added up my trailer’s 750 lb tongue weight (that’s carried by the truck), my weight (say 150 lbs for an average) and some stuff (generator, propane fire ring and portable solar panel) and the truck would be overweight. My trailer is well under the towing rating with a GVWR of 5500 lbs.

I bought a pickup truck in Yuma a couple of months ago. The dealer was happy to do the registration in Texas, sending the required state tax and registration fees to Polk County. They gave me a temporary 45 day Arizona registration to cover the truck while the Texas registration was in the works. In order to make that happen, I had to sign a form with certain qualifications - one of which was that I had not been in the state for 7 months, which is their residency rule. There were other criteria that would make you subject to Arizona taxes and licensing, but I don’t remember them. Since I had only been in state 4 months at that point, I could honestly answer no. When I arrived in Texas last fall, I had a 5 year old trailer and a 2 year old truck, both purchased in California. I had to pay either $90 or the difference in the amount of sales tax I paid if I paid lower tax than what Texas would charge. In my case, California has higher sales tax so I owed the $90 on top of the registration fees.

In my opinion, I wouldn’t tow a trailer as long and as heavy as yours without some sort of WDH. But that’s me, and that’s in general. But then, I use a WDH to tow a 5500 lb., 21 foot travel trailer with a 1 ton truck - it’s easy to use so why not? My rig is level without the hitch engaged and I have so much cargo capacity that I’m not too worried, but I think a rig just tows better with the hitch hooked up (as well as having less chance of sway). The whole purpose of a WDH is to spread the weight around so you don’t overload the back axle and have too little weight on the front axle. I weighed the rig when I was towing with the F150 and the hitch not adjusted right, it was 50 lbs overweight on the back axle. I adjusted the Andersen and it moved 90 lbs off the back - much of it to the front axle (which had been unloaded too much) and the trailer axles - a better distribution of weight. So yes, I think your rig could benefit from an Andersen hitch.

Yes, my Andersen hitch is almost 5 years old - I chose it because my original TV was a V6 Grand Cherokee (remember, my trailer is small), so I went with the lightest WDH I could find. The dealer installed it but didn’t adjust it correctly - I spent a while going through the set-up procedure to get more weight transfer and like it. It took a couple of times before I got it adjusted correctly, and also a couple of visits to the scales. It worked well for the 2 years I had the Grand Cherokee, considering the trailer was marginal for the Jeep. It worked even better with the F150 that replaced the JGC, and the F350 I just bought. I’m planning on getting another Andersen when I upgrade my trailer next year, especially if I sell my current trailer privately. Otherwise I may just buy the appropriate brackets and use my current hitch - haven’t decided.

The differences between the various Andersen Hitches have to do with the ball size, bracket size, size of receiver and size of drop. Don’t pretty much all TT require 2-5/16” balls? So start there. The bracket size depends on your trailer’s frame. My particular trailer has a light-weight frame so I have the 3344 hitch - I would assume that your trailer, which is much bigger than mine, would need the standard brackets - 3350. But that’s a guess on my part. Half ton trucks have the 2” receiver. I recently upgraded my truck so bought a new 2-1/2 drop. I could use the 2” drop with a receiver insert, but it was a pain to line up all the holes. So if I were buying new (and also upgrade my trailer to a beefier frame, something I will be doing in the near future), I’d be buying a 3394 hitch. The 4” drop is working for me with my new F350, FX4 package (adds a couple of inches to the height of the truck), and my trailer is pretty low. So I would think any factory height truck would be fine with the 4” drop, but that’s a guess on my part. I did have to change the height of the ball on the drop though. You can also get an extended drop, but it’s not listed as part of the hitch kits. Since I had to replace my drop, I bought the extended one. I’ve read various posts about what happens when you have the trailer further back, but I like it because I can open the truck’s tailgate fully with the trailer hitched up. So if you can verify the trailer’s frame size, and the truck’s receiver size, you’ll know which of the Andersen hitches will fit your rig.

I’ve stayed at a number of campgrounds that require it, but haven’t heard of any state code that requires it. I think some state parks require it also but don’t know if that’s a state-wide requirement or just that state park system. Interesting question, I never really thought about it since I always use a ladder system for my sewer hose.

Sounds like an excellent plan! Good luck with your new RV.

I’m another that plans 300 miles a day - 350 if I’m pressed for time or have a really good reason. While I find 250 - 300 miles per day pretty sustainable for multiple days, it’s not my favorite way of traveling. If you are not locked into a short timeframe, I’d look at a map and decide what sounds interesting to you that might be more or less along your route (Yellowstone? Cody and the museum there? Lake Tahoe? Black Hills of South Dakota? Capital Reef and other Utah national parks?). Then plan a route between the places you want to visit and how much time you might want to spend at each one. I know you can easily spend months on that route, so maybe choose to come back by a different route than you take to get there. You would need to research what you want to see - there’s a lot of places I’d like to see that are closed right now. Make the trip out there as interesting and as fun as you can - a trip where all you are doing is piling on the miles because you have to be somewhere isn’t much fun at all.

While I think there’s gates at the main entrances to all 4 LTVAs near Q, I can think of a number of relatively easy ways to get into all of them that aren’t gated. Some of them aren’t ones I’d want to pull my low trailer through, but there’s at least one way in that I would. Plus there’s the 14-day free areas that are not gated at all. The BLM didn’t close the LTVAs back in March and April when so much was shut down, so I’m expecting the LTVAs will be open as usual this winter. I sure hope so as I’m now more or less planning on going back this year, regardless of whether there’s an RV show or not.

Quality built, dry bath, dual axle and under 5,000 lbs? That’s a tall order. Personally I don’t know of any - they may be out there, but I don’t know of them. If you are willing to compromise on the axle, I can think of a couple of Lance trailers that might be possible - the Lance 1475 and the Lance 1575. They are both light enough, they both have dry baths, they both have regular queen sized beds rather than a Murphy bed. They are both single axle. The 1475 doesn’t have a slide, the 1475S has a small slide and the 1575 has a big slide. If I were looking in that class I’d probably choose the 1475S, I like the floor plan a little better. The quality is better than many small trailers but you also pay for that quality. If you wanted to upsize your tow vehicle to something like the Jeep Grand Cherokee (V6 or V8) or another SUV with 6,500 - 7,500 lbs tow rating, you will have a lot more choices and could easily find a dual axle model.

I wondered about that - I knew that the dump and much of the checking are volunteers, wasn’t sure about the camp hosts though. They do a lot at the LTVAs.