I have a 24' enclosed tag trailer, with a racecar in it. About 9k lbs all up.
I also have an older small class A.
We're considering upgrading the motorhome to something that could handle towing our enclosed trailer. From the little I've seen, only the Super C's are setup to tow that kinda weight from the factory.
First question... Gas vs. Diesel? The little bit of mileage #'s I've seen so far lead me to believe that the gas option would be the better way to go, once you factor in the extra cost to get the diesel motor and higher cost of fuel. But... What about towing power? Is the 8.1 gas motor strong enough to do what we need? I don't need to run particularly fast... 60-65 on the highway is plenty for me.
Second question... We likely can only afford used (for the sake of argument, say our price range is up to $60k, possibly a little higher if there's no other way). What should we be looking for in that range? Towing ability is probably our primary reason to be looking at a super c.
In terms of floorplans and the like, our current small class A is a 26' setup without slides and with a double bed. We'd want at least a living room slide minimum, plus a queen bed. Also would like a bunk over the cab for when our son gets a little older. Am I right in thinking that just about any super c is going to have all that and more? We're not needing much beyond the basics I think in terms of amenities. Like I say, our current MH is an older one, so things like remote start water heaters sound luxurious as all get out compared to needing to mince around to the outside access on those cold mornings to fire up the water heater... :-)
Third... Any particular things we should be looking for in terms of Kodiak chassis options for towing some weight? Other chassis?
Finally... Anything else we should be considering other than a super c? We're kicking around the idea of some frame/spring work on our existing class A to tow our enclosed, but we'll be pretty severely exceeding manufacturer specs and it'll still have just a double bed and no slide... We use this stuff primarily for going to the racetracks (various distances) about a dozen times a year, but we like the idea of an RV vs. a race trailer w/living quarters so that we can do the occassional RV only trip.
"but we'll be pretty severely exceeding manufacturer specs"
And you will also be exceeding specs, even with most of the Kodiak C-5500 based motorhomes.
The GCWR on the C-5500 chassis is 26,000 lbs. With a 9,000 lb trailer you would need to find a motorhome with a loaded weight of 17,000 lbs or less. There might be a few Super Cs that would be light enough. But you will have to check the specs carefully. And you can't just look at the hitch rating. For some reason the manufacturers put on hitches that have a rating that don't match the chassis ratings.
Are there people towing 9,000 lbs with the Super Cs? Yes. Are they exceeding the manufacturers chassis GCWR ratings? Yes.
Where can I get that detailed level of specification? I have yet to see anyone spec out a "full of fuel & water, empty grey/black" weight or even just a dry tank weight.
Looking around some more, would something like a Four Winds Kodiak 32B (I think its called...) probably tend to be the lightest option? Single slide, about 33' long.
http://www.fourwinds-rv.com/products-xc.html#
Glancing through specs, it seems like you can get a short wheelbase Kodiac (213.5") or longer wheelbase (239"), but both have the same GCWR and GVWR. In that case, would I be better off with the shorter wheelbase?
I'd love to find something that would specify the rear axle overhang as well. :-/
Appreicate any help with finding these types of specs, or any other advice/pointers!
The Kodiak C-5500 should have no problem towing your 9,000 lb trailer as long as you don't load the coach to capacity - load light. Brother-in-law owned a Gulf Stream Endura with a diesel and it had a 10,000 lb hitch. I got a chance to drive it about 400 miles and it was a wonderful feeling of power. There are a few 2004's out there in the $60k range - look for the shorter ones with only 1 slide.
You want as long a wheelbase as you can find. A short wheelbase with a long rear overhang will cause your front end to porpoise (bounce up and down) when you are towing anything like you describe, and steering control becomes difficult. Also, watch the cargo carrying capacity (CCC). Be sure you have included the tongue weight of your trailer in the CCC as well as anything you add or the dealer has added to the unit.
I own the Four Winds 33K with the 213.5" wheelbase and 33' overall length, and towing my 5000# Chevy Tahoe is a nightmare.
As is mentioned, the wheelbase and CCC issues have been discussed in other threads in this forum. Good luck.
Denny
marka123 wrote: Howdy,
Thanks for the response...
Where can I get that detailed level of specification? I have yet to see anyone spec out a "full of fuel & water, empty grey/black" weight or even just a dry tank weight.
Looking around some more, would something like a Four Winds Kodiak 32B (I think its called...) probably tend to be the lightest option? Single slide, about 33' long.
http://www.fourwinds-rv.com/products-xc.html#
Glancing through specs, it seems like you can get a short wheelbase Kodiac (213.5") or longer wheelbase (239"), but both have the same GCWR and GVWR. In that case, would I be better off with the shorter wheelbase?
I'd love to find something that would specify the rear axle overhang as well. :-/
Appreicate any help with finding these types of specs, or any other advice/pointers!
Actually, I've looked around the forums here. I've seen lots of discussions on GVWR, GCWR, axle ratings, loaded weights, how to weigh, etc. etc. etc. I'm comfortable with what those are, etc.
What I haven't found are specifics regarding the various options for RV's.
If I've missed something, could you please provide a link?
I pulled a race trailer for a nhra team for about 2 years. I don't remember the exact specs but it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 34ft and 12-14K pounds. We had 2 trucks that would pull, a gas and a diesel. Nobody used the gas truck. It was miserable. My opinion...go with a diesel but honestly I haven't towed with anything else since then so I'm biased.
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