Potential Camper size match

[eRock77]

I've got a 23 Lightning Pro SR with Max Tow, awesome truck so far. They tell me it's good for 7,700 towing weight. I've got my eye on a very clean 2009 Coachman 29 foot travel trailer, owned by an older couple in my area and looking to sell. Base weight is 6060, tongue weight 650 pounds. It's somewhat aerodynamic on the front end, but basically it's a box like every other travel trailer. It has electric brakes and I would use a weight distributing hitch. My main question is, am I crazy? If it can go 100 miles before charging that would be fine for me, less than 75 might get annoying.

I do not need to go far, we would haul the camper down to my in-laws once a year about 130 miles away and leave it there most of the season. Any other trips would either be shorter distances than that or I'll go down to uHaul and rent an ICE truck.

https://www.jdpower.com/rvs/2009/coachmen/m-29-bhs/4102373/specs

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[Grumpy2]

Your not crazy, but I would still recommend you tow that trailer with a U-Haul truck for that trip. That is essentially a 33' trailer, and very heavy (probably over 3.5 tons).

I have your truck, and I know it would want weight distribution hitch with sway control, brake controller, and charging locations every 80 miles that allow pull-thru. I would be very worried about tires both on the trailer and truck. Just too much of a headache if you are only moving the trailer twice a year.

Trailer looks like a great "cabin" at your in-laws, I hope you go for it.

 

[eRock77]

Your not crazy, but I would still recommend you tow that trailer with a U-Haul truck for that trip. That is essentially a 33' trailer, and very heavy (probably over 3.5 tons).

I have your truck, and I know it would want weight distribution hitch with sway control, brake controller, and charging locations every 80 miles that allow pull-thru. I would be very worried about tires both on the trailer and truck. Just too much of a headache if you are only moving the trailer twice a year.

Trailer looks like a great "cabin" at your in-laws, I hope you go for it.

I'm surprised to hear that, I guess! What is the biggest weight/size trailer you think would be appropriate? Obviously dry weight is only going to go up as we add gear, food, water, waste tanks, etc.

 

[Grumpy2]

From your description, that 33' trailer would be great, as you described its use as a seasonal mobile home.
In our family, a big trailer was a 26' without slide. Of course, our first permanent home was a 40' without slides, so my opinion may be questioned.
Unless your experienced towing long wide heavy trailers, I would stay with my recommendation. A big heavy truck will take control of that trailer, instead of the other way around.
Remember you will also need mirrors in addition to my list.

 

[eRock77]

The 7700 tow rating is shockingly low for a full size truck in my opinion. Even the 10K on the Lariat is not amazing. I have thirty years of experience towing both RV's and boats, most of them at least this size. A 28 or 29 is the smallest trailer I would seriously consider--we need the room. I really don't want an ultralight either, I want something where the cabinet doors don't snap off because they are made of shredded wheat. What I really want to know is will I get a big warning screen that says "Nope" when I try to go up a hill. I can handle the battery burn rate, and the thermals on this truck are fabulous. The weight is very manageable, and this truck is a ton heavier than any other tow vehicle I've ever had.

 

[Grumpy2]

A Pro has almost the same torque as my CAT in my previous pusher, so torque isn't a question, it has traction control, so wheel spin isn't a question. So "Nope" isn't expected, although watching your temperature will be good. If you setup with the properly sized equalizer hitch, sway bars, brake control, and mirrors along with your experience I guess it should work. You will be over 50ft long, so each charge session may be an adventure. 50 years ago I towed my 40' Great Lakes trailer with my dad's 1969 F150 stick shift ... but I wouldn't do it now

Be sure to check the max load capacity of your tires. Ours came with Michelin's rated for 2750 lbs per tire....?
Good Luck & Have Fun!

 

[RickLightning]

Payload, payload, payload.

8,650 GVWR leads to a tongue weight of 1,124. Check hitch capacity (sticker on it), and subtract 1,124 from your payload to see available payload for people, stuff in bed, etc.

 

[Lightning Bolt]

I would have no problem towing the trailer. I have done quite a bit of towing with SR Pro. Full Frame and 6K base weight, it tows like a dream. Incredible generation on the down hills. Since you are on vacation, you will be in the right lane going slow to conserve battery since wind loss is the square of the speed traveled.

 

[eRock77]

I would have no problem towing the trailer. I have done quite a bit of towing with SR Pro. Full Frame and 6K base weight, it tows like a dream. Incredible generation on the down hills. Since you are on vacation, you will be in the right lane going slow to conserve battery since wind loss is the square of the speed traveled.

This is more what I was thinking. I'm not going to be in a giant rush, 60MPH is plenty. My weight distributing hitch works fine. The tongue weight on this unit is 650 pounds exactly, nowhere NEAR 1124, and after weight distribution should put even less than that on the truck. I've towed everything so far in my life with half the horsepower and one third the torque of this truck, not to mention it weighs a ton more. Literally, over 2000 lbs more. I think it's worth a shot, anyway. I'll post a report.

 

[eRock77]

Payload, payload, payload.

8,650 GVWR leads to a tongue weight of 1,124. Check hitch capacity (sticker on it), and subtract 1,124 from your payload to see available payload for people, stuff in bed, etc.

Rick, I'm not sure how to use this information. The GVWR on this camper is in the neighborhood of 8600 but the actual tongue weight is about half of what you are saying here. I'd have to stack cement blocks on the bed to get it over 1000 lbs. I'm not aware of any relationship between GVWR and tongue weight either--is there some kind of theoretical max tongue weight calculation? If so I'd like to know what it is.

 

[peoples1234]

Tongue weight should be 10-15% of GVWR of the trailer depending on trailer type (boats closer to 10% and campers closer to 15%.

There is no way an 8600 lbs camper has a 500-600 lb tongue with, that wouldn't be safe.

 

[RickLightning]

Rick, I'm not sure how to use this information. The GVWR on this camper is in the neighborhood of 8600 but the actual tongue weight is about half of what you are saying here. I'd have to stack cement blocks on the bed to get it over 1000 lbs. I'm not aware of any relationship between GVWR and tongue weight either--is there some kind of theoretical max tongue weight calculation? If so I'd like to know what it is.

See @peoples1234's comment.

If you don't enough tongue weight, the tongue will be lifting weight off the rear tires of the truck (see video below).

You can measure tongue weight this way:

1. Park on a level surface.
   To begin, make sure your trailer is parked on level ground and the wheels are chocked.
2. Lay a 2x4 stud on the ground.
   Position a 2x4 or other sturdy board on the ground, directly below the trailer tongue. The board must be at least 3-1/2 feet long.
3. Position a bathroom scale at one end and a block at the other.
   Place the bathroom scale roughly 2 feet from the trailer tongue, and a block or brick about 1 foot from the trailer tongue. Protect the bathroom scale with a small piece of plywood on top.
4. Center the stud on two pipes.
   Insert two horizontal pipes -- one in the center of the bathroom scale and one in the center of the block.
   Measure the distance from the trailer tongue. Make sure the pipe on the scale is 2 feet from the center of the tongue, and the pipe on the block is 1 foot from the tongue.
5. Rest the trailer tongue on a vertical pipe.
   Position a pipe vertically under the trailer tongue, and lower the trailer jack until the coupler is fully resting on the pipe.
6. Read the scale and multiple by 3.
   Take an initial reading from the scale bathroom scale, and multiple it by 3. This is the tongue weight.

While you may not load to the max, ideally you'll load the trailer, and head off to the CAT scales. Weigh the truck multiple ways. The truck will weigh more than it says on the label, including anything you added (tonneau cover, floor mats, etc.) to it. The trailer will now have full propane tanks, maybe some water, lines, food, etc. All weights will be different.

At a CAT scale, you want 3 weights:

1) Truck by itself.
2) Truck with trailer and no bars/chains tight on WDH.
3) Truck with trailer and everything adjusted, to see if you redistributed the weight propertly.

The WDH will distribute the weight from the back axle of the truck to the trailer, and some to the front axle of the truck (by default).

Tongue weight should be 10-15% of GVWR of the trailer depending on trailer type (boats closer to 10% and campers closer to 15%.

There is no way an 8600 lbs camper has a 500-600 lb tongue with, that wouldn't be safe.

Correct.

 

[eRock77]

Tongue weight should be 10-15% of GVWR of the trailer depending on trailer type (boats closer to 10% and campers closer to 15%.

There is no way an 8600 lbs camper has a 500-600 lb tongue with, that wouldn't be safe.

I haven't even bought the camper yet, and I'm not sure this is even the point, but I am not wrong about the weights. It is listed on the RV USA site, where this exact 2009 Coachman 29BHS camper lists a dry weight of 6065 and a tongue weight of 650. Dangerous or not it is perfectly possible. Please feel free to review my data.

I feel very confident that this truck will pull this rig safely and easily before it shudders to a halt with a tapped out SR battery in about 60 miles. I guess that's how I will decide where to camp.

https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2009-coachmen-spirit-of-america-travel-trailer-floorplan-29bhs-tr3719

 

[TomB985]

I’m a bit surprised by some of the negative responses. He shouldn't have any trouble pulling that trailer. I’ve towed between 400-62,000 lbs behind all kinds of tow vehicles. The most I’ve had behind an F150 was 12,000 lbs, and it handled the load just fine. You take care to properly set the trailer up with WD hitch as needed, and then drive accordingly. You’d never want that much weight behind you without brakes, but his max tow package has a brake controller, so that part is good if the trailer is in working order.

The best tow vehicles have a long wheelbase, tight steering and suspension, and lots of mass to control a trailer. The Lightning checks all of those boxes. My XLT ER truck has nearly as much payload as my ‘08 F250 did, so I struggle with the idea that he won’t have enough payload to handle the tongue weight.

There is no way an 8600 lbs camper has a 500-600 lb tongue with, that wouldn't be safe.

Bah. As long as the tongue weight is positive 100% of the time, stability isn’t a problem. By your logic, the 350-lb tongue weight on my 5,500 lb boat would be unsafe. It tows straight as an arrow, and I’ve even had it behind my Model Y. With brakes, of course.

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