New 2022 GD Imagine 2600RB Owner

[traymilburn]

Hello From Kentucky...

We are Larry & Tracey and we are new owners of a 2022 GD Imagine 2600 RB and it will be delivered to us next week. I would like to say we are experienced with the RV life, however, we are not. This is our first venture into camping with our own home rather than a tent. We have been spending months educating ourselves and getting ready for this new family member and hope to reach out to this forum and its members to learn even more regarding towing, packing, setup/teardown, boondocking, bear protection and meal prepping. So basically... everything you all know, we are willing students to learn. I have to say after watching many Youtube videos, my heart is a little hurt knowing there are new RVers out there that aren't using their manners or cleaning up after themselves so just know, our goal wherever we go is to leave no trace!

Looking forward to learning from your experiences!

Tracey

 

[Digger1222]

Welcome. You are going to love that floor plan. My wife and I absolutely love ours.

 

[traymilburn]

Thank you so much for the kind response! I sure hope so. I do have a question... do you pull yours with the Nissan Titan Pro 4x I see above in your post? I think that is the most uncomfortable part for me right now. I have a 2019 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4 wheel drive, 5.6, V8 and I'm struggling to understand all the info related to hitches, GVWR, etc. Is there a website I can go to and learn about this in "dumbed down" language? Thanks for your knowledge and experience!

 

[NB Canada]

Thank you so much for the kind response! I sure hope so. I do have a question... do you pull yours with the Nissan Titan Pro 4x I see above in your post? I think that is the most uncomfortable part for me right now. I have a 2019 Nissan Titan Crew Cab 4 wheel drive, 5.6, V8 and I'm struggling to understand all the info related to hitches, GVWR, etc. Is there a website I can go to and learn about this in "dumbed down" language? Thanks for your knowledge and experience!

What is your payload rating from the door jamb of your Nissan
Keep in mind the actual available payload can only be determined from a cat scale


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[traymilburn]

Oh just now seeing the difference from what you had to you have now. My apologies for the mistake!!! We actually have a weigh station with CAT scales about 5 miles down the road on I-64. Do we weigh it empty and then with ALL the junk we are putting into the trailer? My deepest apologies as I am so new to this process of towing... except for my little framed garden trailer. Here are the numbers on the door of the truck -

GVWR - 7300#
FR - 3800#
RR - 4012#
Payload - 1267 #

 

[NB Canada]

Oh just now seeing the difference from what you had to you have now. My apologies for the mistake!!! We actually have a weigh station with CAT scales about 5 miles down the road on I-64. Do we weigh it empty and then with ALL the junk we are putting into the trailer? My deepest apologies as I am so new to this process of towing... except for my little framed garden trailer. Here are the numbers on the door of the truck -

GVWR - 7300#
FR - 3800#
RR - 4012#
Payload - 1267 #

I figured your payload was low
Likely once you run through a scale it will be even lower. Maybe under a 1000 lbs
Any options added to the truck (bed liner ,boards,flaps) all subtract from it

Just weigh the truck with the people in it that will go camping and whatever you need to put in the bed

Just to let you know the dry tongue weight of that trailer will be over 700 lbs and there is no doubt you will be over the payload and gvwr of your truck


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[traymilburn]

well crumbs... need a bigger truck.thank you for figuring that out. Yes sir, have bed liner, running boards, and was getting flaps and bed cover this weekend. Thinking this is a bad idea now.

 

[Digger1222]

No worries. Our previous trailer that I towed with our Titan was 6100 lbs loaded with all our stuff. Always towed with empty tanks. The setup felt stable but I knew I would never want to tow anything heavier or bigger. The payload sticker on my 2015 was 1651 lbs. I’m afraid you will be overweight on your Titan with only 1267 lbs of payload. The tongue weight on our 2021 2600RB is just under 1100 lbs. We did put a very heavy queen sized mattress in ours which does add extra tongue weight. But most owners of the 2600RB say they have tongue weights in the 900 to 1000 lb range. Your Titan I’m sure has the power to pull it. But not enough payload. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not the weight police and will be the last person to say what someone should or should not do. I’m just telling you what weights I’ve been working with.

If you want better info and explanation I could ever give about weights and how important payload weight ratings figure in go to YouTube and search for towing an RV. You’ll find numerous videos that are really educating the newcomer to towing.

 

[traymilburn]

thank you so very much... we are rethinking the travel trailer now. I love my truck but if it cannot pull the Imagine 2600RB I may have to back out of the sale which means I'll lose my shorts!

 

[Digger1222]

Do you think they could get you into something smaller and lighter that your truck can handle? I wish the sales person would first ask anyone interested in whatever trailer it is, “What are you planning on towing it with?” Trust me, you aren’t the first nor will be the last that finds out the trailer they want is too much for the tow vehicle. I hate being the bearer of bad news.

 

[dbarks]

For reference, I have a 2021 22MLE with 800lb tongue weight per a Cat scale. My 2017 Expedition has 1350 payload and we just barely stay under max payload. As you search (which I imagine you will be doing all evening) you will find this same issue over and over. Payload (as you have seen) is the first thing folks mention when asked on this forum and it is the last thing you ever hear about before you dive in. Seems obvious to me now and I admit I had never heard of it as a limitation before getting into RV'ing and I have been towing cargo trailers and boats for decades.

Keep at it and you will figure it out. This site is a wealth of knowledge.

 

[NB Canada]

thank you so very much... we are rethinking the travel trailer now. I love my truck but if it cannot pull the Imagine 2600RB I may have to back out of the sale which means I'll lose my shorts!

Your truck can “pull” it but carrying it is the issue

This is what people don’t understand

Like said above I am not the weight police either and will never say to someone not to tow something but numbers are numbers

Perhaps if the dealer doesn’t return the deposit if you decide to back out maybe mention they didn’t do their job by ensuring you could tow it. It is a popular model and will sell quickly


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[traymilburn]

They actually saw our truck and told us it could handle pulling this specific trailer. I guess that's why I'm so confused by it all.

 

[traymilburn]

Thank you for this information... I did keep at it until after midnight last night. I suspect after work today I will do the same tonight. I never give up easily!

 

[NB Canada]

They actually saw our truck and told us it could handle pulling this specific trailer. I guess that's why I'm so confused by it all.

But they didn’t
They were negligent in not looking at your payload imo
They saw a full size truck and a sale


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[jleonard]

Our 2600RB had a tongue weight of almost 1000# when we measured it on a CAT scale. That was with not really much in the trailer, loaded only for a 4 night trip.
Our old truck, a 2017 RAM 1500, had a payload of 1404 and we were overloaded.
And yes we didn't realize the trailer would be so heavy and the dealer didn't advise us.

We now use a 2500 to tow.

 

[Steveinmi]

I’m agreeing with NB Canada on this one. They should have verified tow capacity of your truck bf telling you it could pull it. I have same tt and tow with an F150. The sales guy took the time to check my truck could tow it safely. Here in the flat Midwest it pulls it fine. If I was in the hills around you I’d get a bigger truck. Just my opinion after towing one this size for 20+ years. We do love the tt!

 

[NB Canada]

Thank you for this information... I did keep at it until after midnight last night. I suspect after work today I will do the same tonight. I never give up easily!

What have you decided?


2021 Imagine 2400 BH
2018 GMC Sierra 4x4 crew

 

[more tired since retired]

The truth is most sales people will tell you what you want to hear..yes your VW microbus can tow that 5th wheel. Most either don't understand payload limits or just don't care.

We purchased a 2020 2600RB and towed it with a 2019 F-150 5.0L, 6 ft bed and RWD. We were able to stay about 150 lb below max payload from the truck but the wife was very uncomfortable, especially when semis would pass. The salesman told us we would be up near payload max and made two suggestions. 1) determine what we would be putting in the bed of the truck and adding to the trailer (food, clothes, water, etc) and rough out the figures and 2) make sure we weigh the trailer/truck combo within a week of purchase. If it wasn't going to work, he said bring it back in and we could look at a lighter unit. He checked the payload sticker in the door AND the towing information from Ford. We decided we would go with the trailer.

We upgraded to a 2020 F-250 6.7L diesel, RWD and max payload. We don't come close to max payload, semis aren't an issue and it is a very comfortable tow. We just completed a 7500 mile trip with no issues towing, with a massive improvement while towing in the Rocky Mts and Cascades. And we had the whole rig weighed at a Smart Weigh, which is offered at two Escapee's Campgrounds (FL and TX, and you don't have to be a member to take advantage of Smart Weight but you do need an appointment). They weight all wheels (by axle) then the truck by itself. Gives us information by tire, axle, total truck/trailer combination and the truck by itself. With all of that information, we found the passenger side of the trailer was heavier (side with kitchen) and we had almost 1000 lbs of payload capacity still available. We have balanced the trailer by moving things around (moved tool box and a few heavier items to the driver side of the basement storage.

You will love the 2600, especially that large bathroom, but you and your family safety has to be #1 . You shouldn't take a monetary hit if you back out of the purchase since the dealer can sell the trailer without a problem. Don't let them rush you. If you want to downsize, GD makes a number of lighter trailers.

Let us know what you decide.

 

[Boogiejack75]

Oh just now seeing the difference from what you had to you have now. My apologies for the mistake!!! We actually have a weigh station with CAT scales about 5 miles down the road on I-64. Do we weigh it empty and then with ALL the junk we are putting into the trailer? My deepest apologies as I am so new to this process of towing... except for my little framed garden trailer. Here are the numbers on the door of the truck -

GVWR - 7300#
FR - 3800#
RR - 4012#
Payload - 1267 #

Towingplanner.com will guide you on how to weigh your rig.

You are probably in 250/2500 truck land.

Get the truck to safely tow your TT of choice.

If you go diesel, I'd recommend 350/3500. Essentially the same price; room for upsizing in the future.

Good luck and have fun!!