Newbie Questions

[Skiddy]

Payload of <1200 sounds really light, is that the sticker number? The 2450RL is a better fit when you consider loading the hitch and people into the truck. To me, the limiter is always payload, the EB can pull well beyond its class, it is the hitch weight that will limit you, safely limit you that is. For ball park, you want about 12 % of loaded travel trailer weight on the truck, closer to 20% for a 5er. Trucks run out of payload before they run out of pulling grunt.

[Skiddy]

BTW - the 2450RL has a tongue weight just under 600#, by the time you add propane and battery, hitch and about 2/3rds of the cargo in the front stowage you will likely be in the close to 900# range. That only leaves about 300# for a couple in the cab. Your truck might be the real limiter, it would be tough towing my little 2150RB as my loaded hitch weight is close to 750#. Maybe i missed it but <1200# payload seems really light to me.

[SammyB]

Lots of good advice in all the replies... I’m a visual person so I found this video helpful. The KeepYourDaydream folks walk through the various numbers, what they mean and how to calculate them for yourself. Hope this helps and good luck!

https://youtu.be/qwFLOBrADBs

[BreakfastinAmerica]

It is not about pulling the payload, it’s about stopping the payload. Especially when other drivers cut you off, or when you go down those wonderful mountain roads.

[GaryS1964]

80% of what capacity? GCWR? GVWR? Max Towing? I would assume GCWR and IMO that is very conservative but it comes down to what the driver feels comfortable with and keeping all the weights within the limits, and there are oh so many limits to keep in check too.

In my post I referenced a quick and dirty way to estimate the max weight of a trailer your vehicle can pull. 80% of that number. However you are correct that there are other numbers you need to make sure you don't exceed. GVWR of the truck is one. Throw in passengers, fuel, and the tongue weight of the trailer and WD hitch and you could exceed that number. Or if you load your trailer improperly and put to much weight on the hitch you could exceed that number. Keeping track of it all is enough to give you a headache.

[GaryS1964]

Lots of good advice in all the replies... I’m a visual person so I found this video helpful. The KeepYourDaydream folks walk through the various numbers, what they mean and how to calculate them for yourself. Hope this helps and good luck!

https://youtu.be/qwFLOBrADBs

Yes. That is one of the videos I watched. Quite detailed. He is the one with the spreadsheet however I could never get it to work probably because I don't have Excel.

[Richter]

Since you are wanting something to take you to Florida, and possibly live in for a short time, but still have something that would be good for the long-term, there is another possibility. I don’t know if you are aware of the high depreciation cost, right off the lot, but some estimates are in the 30-40% range, depending on brand. That would be a major hit, should you consider joining the two-trailer club.

You might want to consider purchasing something from the used market, for now. My thoughts are that there will be a high number of these available, especially in your area, as people “give up” on this recreation opportunity after being on either reduced hours (income) or totally out of work.

Purchasing something used, with the idea that you will be upgrading in the future, could meet your needs both present and down the road.

Just something more to consider.

[SammyB]

Yes. That is one of the videos I watched. Quite detailed. He is the one with the spreadsheet however I could never get it to work probably because I don't have Excel.

Oh bummer... One option - you can save the file to your computer, then use one of the freebies like Google Sheets to open it.

Or, take a look at the below. I filled it in with my truck/trailer info and pasted the image below. I marked the numbers and where they're coming from, so hopefully you can follow along. Then bust out the handy dandy pencil and paper and fill in your own dimensions

Disclaimer: this is illustrative only, and applies specifically to my setup.




Good luck!
-Sam

[fez111]

...

The issue with RVs is that they are a sail. Wind, passing vehicles (especially semis), and other factors all make them a bear to tow. They have a huge surface area. The truck will physically be able to move a really big trailer, and with trailer brakes, it will probably stop it too. How much fun that is, and how safe if you ever have to make an emergency maneuver, that’s where you really can help yourself out with the right tow vehicle.

AMEN, Brother... I pulled a 39 Ft. Layton ravel trailer 2 to 3 outings per year for 25 years and then bought a fifth wheel. I have been saying that entire time that pulling RV's is not so much about raw horsepower as it is about suspension and stability. When a semi passed our Layton it would first push me onto the shoulder and then suck me into the semi as it passed! I REALLY do not miss those days!

All that being said, The heavier duty of the truck the more stable pulling it will be. We pulled our 39 ft. Layton using two different 3/4 ton Dodge Maxi-Van's, and then my grandfather's '72 3/4 ton Chevy Suburban with a 402 big-block engine @ 4.5 Mph towing. The maxi-vans did OK, but they had long wheel bases which helped somewhat When I inherited The Suburban I thought I was taking a step up. Was I ever wrong!! The Suburban had a very short wheelbase comparatively, and all four wheels had coil springs. That trailer moved that 5000# Chevy all over the road all the time!

After we bought our 'used' 2006 F250 Super-Duty long-bed diesel we found an RV dealer that would take our old travel trailer in trade for our first 'used' fifth wheel. We towed the Layton from Michigan to the dealership in Kentucky with the F250. I was going 70 Mph most of the time because with that tank of a truck I kept forgetting the 39 foot trailer was even back there!

Moral of the story: Horsepower is great for acceleration and climbing uphill grades, but a heavy-duty suspension is what will keep the train between the rails and safe, especially when driving on bad roads! My .02!

[Ghdorn]

I've towed 5400 lbs with a Chevy 1500. It. Would do it but know it's there especially in the mountains. Get at least a 2500 or 250 and I now pull with a chevyn2500 diesel and it makes all the difference. Better to have a tad too much than in two years decide to get a bigger truck.