WICamper

8 hours ago, fpmtngal said:

You do have a more complicated issue than many since your trailer is limited.

A Grand Cherokee could tow the trailer but it wouldn’t be my first choice - too limited for extra cargo.  The Suburban and Tahoe could be OK.  I suspect that the Sequoia would be similar as far as payload limits, but I might be wrong now - haven’t looked at them in a couple of years.

The Ford Expedition would probably work as well as the Suburban and Tahoe (maybe).  It’s too bad Chevy discontinued their 3/4 ton Suburban - that would have given you all sorts of extra payload and room.

Chevy makes a good passenger van that has good weight ratings, and much better tow ratings than Ford’s big passenger van (as I recall).  That might be a very good way to go, though not an SUV. 

One of the issues you’ll have is payload.  A vehicle’s payload goes down as the trim level goes up - things like sunroofs, etc. add weight to a vehicle and that takes away from how much you can put in it.  You’d have to look at the sticker on each vehicle you consider to make sure you have enough payload to hold what you can’t put in the trailer.

Thanks for the advice, will check the stickers in each vehicle to make sure we can get enough payload. 

8 hours ago, Jinx & Wayne said:

Don't let them scare you.  You should be fine if you use common sense.  The manufacturers skimp on the tires, axles and wheels in the sense that you are left with 710# of load capacity because they used minimums capacity parts for the suspension and put the rest into interior bling to get buyers.

Be sure you have enough truck (which is why you started this whole deal.)

Use the calculator.  Stay within weight limits, preferably with a safety margin.  Weigh your vehicles as loaded for the road with kids, dogs and bikes included.  There should be truck scales in your area.

 Look at your tires.  Check their age (they have a four digit code on each tire showing the week (first two digits) and year (last two digits) of manufacture.  Then check the manufacturer's information on tire life.  Check the load and speed ratings of the tires. (My fifth wheel came with tires rated for 56 MPH. And that was from a top end manufacturer!  I upgraded to 75 mph ratings with better load capacity) 

Do NOT think that you can tow at the speeds what you would drive without a trailer.  Slower is better.  I travel at 58-62 max. I will pass a bit faster, conditions permitting. That range is also my sweet spot for fuel use. 

Check tire pressures and follow the manufacturer's pressure charts.  Check tires and axle hubs at stops for temperature signs of problems (bulging, flat, loss of tread.)  Be sure to torque and re-torque the lug nuts at start, 50 and 100 miles with aluminum wheels.

Have fun.  My wife camped for years with her parents, three sisters (five years from oldest to youngest) and a very large dog in an 18' Mallard.  She and her sisters all remember it fondly.

Wayne & Jinx
2017 F-350 diesel, dually
2006 Carriage Carri-Lite 36KSQ

Thanks. We are definitely going to be cautious and will not overload the camper. Will find a large vehicle to tow it with.

1 minute ago, JimK said:

It is not the size of the trailer that is the issue.  Sadly many manufacturers skimp on the axles, wheels, and tires.  I think it is all but criminal.  Many new RVers just don't realize how quickly the weight adds up.  

Do you know how to research what manufacturers skimp on axles, wheels, and tires? Now I am worried. 

23 hours ago, sandsys said:

We once bought an RV that turned out to have a capacity of ~800 pounds for two people. I traded my jeans for cotton slacks, our Corelle dishes for plastic ones, our canned food for freeze-dried ones, etc. It was not fun. We traded in that rig after only four months for other reasons but that limited capacity was a bear. We literally weighed everything in deciding what to take and what not to take. 

Linda Sand

Hi Linda, great advise. I guess we will give it a try, as I already purchased it. I too will have to weight everything I put in the camper.

On 3/15/2021 at 9:36 PM, JimK said:

Sadly I have even more bad news for you.  Your trailer has a cargo carrying capacity of 710 pounds.  That is based on "average" weights and accessories can further reduce that.  I have no hint what accessories are not included but that could also be reduced by the weight of an A/C, awnings, extra battery, solar panels, etc.  Your CCC needs to also cover food, cooking gear, clothing, bedding, tools, chairs, BBQ grill,  a generator (if you have one) and all the miscellaneous stuff you are likely to bring.  For most of us the total would be well over the 710 capacity not counting extras such as bicycles and the bicycle racks to carry them.  Personally I would want at least twice that cargo carrying capacity even for a small trailer.

Hi Jim, you are breaking my heart. I guess we usually do things minimalistic. I appreciate all of your advice. I will have to take special care when loading this up, to make sure weight is within limit to keep my family safe. Thinking the suburban may be the way to go, so I can load more In the vehicle than In The actual camper. Taking into consideration the max weight for both vehicle and camper. I just can’t store anything bigger than a hybrid model at this time.

On 3/15/2021 at 6:17 PM, Randyretired said:

I agree with what has been posted and would add that a turbo charged engine will perform better at higher altitudes as found here in Colorado than a naturally aspirated engine.  Be sure the trailer brakes are good and properly adjusted.

Thank you! Brand new tires and brakes. Will make sure the vehicle we get is well equipped as well.

On 3/15/2021 at 11:46 AM, noteven said:

Welcome - here’s the deal -

Towing anything with a boxy shape requires power (hp) to overcome the aero drag resistance of the box. Today’s vehicles have high gearing so the engine turns at low rpm making just enough power to cruise at best fuel economy.

For an engine to develop enough power, it must have enough torque at the desired rpm.  
Rated max HP is not meaningful in day to day towing except when the peddle is on the rug.

You want to look at torque characteristics. The lower the rpm max torque is available the better the engine will feel when towing day to day.
 

To develop high enough torque at low rpm an engine needs to have more displacement, high compression (like a diesel) or supercharging (or turbocharging) to mimic high compression - or a combination of these characteristics. 
A turbocharged 2.3 or 2.7 engine might be satisfactory and give good economy not towing. 

 

Great info! You really know your stuff. Adding this to my list of things to look for in the next vehicle.

On 3/14/2021 at 8:42 PM, Ray,IN said:

This online calculator accurately and safely matches your TT to a towing vehicle. It removes all bias and salesmen's hoopla from your decision. It includes the 20% safety factor many full-timers use for towing vehicle longevity.

Thanks Ray,IN this will be extremely helpful!

On 3/14/2021 at 12:30 PM, Kirk W said:

Another welcome to the Escapee forums!

I agree with what Gary has just responded. The 5000# tow rating of the Traverse is the absolute maximum that can be safely towed, assuming that you are not exceeding any of the other weight limits. Towing at the maximum capacity for any vehicle is not the ideal and is usually tiring to drive with any tow vehicle. Most experienced RV owners will recommend that you stay below 80% of the vehicle's maximum tow rating for comfortable travels. 

Another factor is the fact that single axle trailers have more tendency to rock fore & aft, that also impacts driver comfort and handling. The same is true for the length of the travel trailer as compared to the tow vehicle. There are others on these forums who are more expert than I on such issues so hopefully they will respond soon. In general, the bigger and heavier the tow vehicle is, the less stressful towing is.

Thank you

On 3/14/2021 at 9:08 AM, Chalkie said:

Welcome to the forums! That is a very subjective question and one I am sure will get you several different answers. Your family size definitively warrants a larger vehicle as the weight of passengers gets added to the "cargo" capacity of the vehicle. If you are a Chevy person I would suggest looking at a Tahoe or Suburban.  There are other large SUVs out there, of course. 

Thanks! I have been researching the Tahoe and Subrban.

I am here, I am a she. I work a lot of hours and have 3 kids.  I already purchased this camper, so unfortunately I am going to have to make it work. The a/c and microwave are included in the weight. My husband and I selected a lightweight camper hoping it would work with our traverse. We didn’t want a large camper as we were unable to store anything bigger than what we purchased. 

I appreciate everyone’s input. Fortunately for us most of our gear is lightweight, as we were backpackers before we became RV people. I will not be bringing a generator, so that can be removed from the equation. 
 

I was really hoping for advice on an suv that would be able to handle the “small” trailer, bikes, 5 people and their gear. 
 

The calculator that Ray, IN offered will be a great help. I appreciate all of the advice. Thanks everyone!

I just purchased a KZ 160 RBT hybrid trailer (gvwr 3,500 dry weight is 2790) and realized after towing it with my Chevy Traverse with the trailer package up to 5000 lbs, I need a better towing vehicle. I have an equalizer 4 weight distribution hitch. I am looking for suggestions for a better towing vehicle. We are a family of 5 with 3 teens. We also bike when we camp, so on top on typical camping gear, add 5 bikes to the mix. What vehicle would be best to haul our camper, our people and bikes?! I would prefer an SUV and we are planning a trip to Colorado this summer. What vehicle handles best in mountains hauling a camper?