If your serious about a trailer that long and large for your family please consider upgrading to a 3/4 ton truck or suburban.
I know that sounds extreme but there have been a lot of us on here that start with a half ton and eventually, mostly sooner than later, upgrade to a 3/4 ton or a 1 ton truck or suv or full size van.
The math has already been done on several other threads.
Tongue weight around 1000 lbs loaded. Plus family plus gear and you have maxed out the tv.
In my experience you will need a 3/4 ton Or a much lighter trailer.
Thanks!
Jeremiah
TT: 1995 Layton 2910
Tow Vehicle: 1999 F-350, v10, 2wd, Crew Cab, Dually
Hitch: Draw-Tite Trunnion WD Hitch
Sway Control: Valley dual friction sway control
Brake Control: Tekonsha Voyager
"It's Kind of Fun To Do The Impossible"
~Walt Disney~
Without getting into the "UVW vs GVWR" of the trailer discussion, let's put it another way.
ANYTHING in the 'Burb other than a 150# driver has to be subtracted from the MAX tow capacity.
You planning on taking family, pets etc?
Your 7200# tow rating just shrunk to be a LOT closer to the trailer empty weight.
Now let's add the 1000#+ of "stuff" in the trailer - clothing, bedding, pots & pans, food, drinks, tools, lawn chairs, barbeque etc. It will add up in a hurry!
You need a much lighter trailer for a 1/2 ton 'Burb I'm afraid.
Keith J.
1999 Sunnybrook 27RKFS Fiver.
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD CC/SB/DA 2WD, LBZ air cleaner, 52 gal Titan tank, Bilsteins, Line-X, Westin steps, Prodigy, Retrax cover, 16K Superglide, 5th-Airborne pin-box, Multi-vex mirrors, TST TPMS.
Consider the fact that some TT's have a GVW that is 2-3000 lbs more than UVW. Some have far less. 1000 lbs or so over UVW is a reasonable estimate even with water, propane and batteries and might be 1000 lbs or more less than GVW. Going strictly by GVW could eliminate a lot of possibilities. A well designed TT has some margin between UVW and GVW so, with a normal load, you are not right at the maximum rating for all your components. Different TT's are different. I would consider taking UVW, probably round it up, (if it says 6700, figure 7000), add 1000 and go from there for a working number.
CalamityRver wrote: another question and no offense intended. Why go by the GVWR? isnt the UVW the true weight of the camper? I realize that propane has weight and my gear has weight also. I assume all the tanks are empty while travelling or very little at least. Isnt the GVWR the max the trailer weighs with all the tanks full, propane tanks full and my gear/cargo factored in?
Myself I don't go by the GVWR of the TT, as I know it will NEVER weigh that much. I go by the yellow sticker on, or around the door. It is the actual dry weight of the TT including battery, propane, and all factory installed options. That is the true dry weight. Then I add around 700lbs to that, and I'm real close to the loaded, ready to camp weight of the TT. I know that, Because after loading my current TT. I weighed it, and that is how much I added.
Having said all that. I personally believe the TTs you have chosen will be too much for the Burb. IMOP. You need to be under 5000lbs Yellow sticker dry weight. Then your TT will come in somewhere around 6000 lbs loaded. but with empty holding tanks.
IF you are wanting a Bunk house. Surveyer has a very nice one, and the yellow sticker has it at 4600 lbs. Sleeps 9, and is 30' Bumper to ball.
canoe on top wrote: Consider the fact that some TT's have a GVW that is 2-3000 lbs more than UVW. Some have far less. 1000 lbs or so over UVW is a reasonable estimate even with water, propane and batteries and might be 1000 lbs or more less than GVW. Going strictly by GVW could eliminate a lot of possibilities. A well designed TT has some margin between UVW and GVW so, with a normal load, you are not right at the maximum rating for all your components. Different TT's are different. I would consider taking UVW, probably round it up, (if it says 6700, figure 7000), add 1000 and go from there for a working number.
I agree that 1000# + UVW is better than GVW. Most trailers now have a sticker that gives actual weight leaving the factory as well as weight that includes things like propane, full water, etc. But I don't think you can get that figure anywhere but in the trailer. You still need to add all your luggage. And you will be way over weight.
2007 Northwoods Arctic Fox 32 5S Fifth Wheel-for sale now that we are not full-timing
2011 Keystone 23rks Hideout to poke around the smaller parks in the great Southwest
2007 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD Diesel
Prodigy brake control
Unfortunately, using the OP's supplied UVW and the TV's max tow rating, he only has #455 of capacity. And that doesn't include the hitch weight. It doesn't include the tongue weight. It doesn't include any passengers or equipment in the TV. It doesn't include any pots and pans, chairs, BBQ equipment, food, water or propane.
That TT is way too much for his TV.
Terryallan wrote:
CalamityRver wrote: another question and no offense intended. Why go by the GVWR? isnt the UVW the true weight of the camper? I realize that propane has weight and my gear has weight also. I assume all the tanks are empty while travelling or very little at least. Isnt the GVWR the max the trailer weighs with all the tanks full, propane tanks full and my gear/cargo factored in?
Myself I don't go by the GVWR of the TT, as I know it will NEVER weigh that much. I go by the yellow sticker on, or around the door. It is the actual dry weight of the TT including battery, propane, and all factory installed options. That is the true dry weight. Then I add around 700lbs to that, and I'm real close to the loaded, ready to camp weight of the TT. I know that, Because after loading my current TT. I weighed it, and that is how much I added.
Having said all that. I personally believe the TTs you have chosen will be too much for the Burb. IMOP. You need to be under 5000lbs Yellow sticker dry weight. Then your TT will come in somewhere around 6000 lbs loaded. but with empty holding tanks.
IF you are wanting a Bunk house. Surveyer has a very nice one, and the yellow sticker has it at 4600 lbs. Sleeps 9, and is 30' Bumper to ball.
Erroll, Mary, Duffy the Badger Dog plus "Ollie"
2009 HiLo Towlite 2209T
2005 F150 Supercab 4x4, w/ 5.4L
Ya TV and either of those TTs are going to mean you are only in top gear when going downhill!
You are not the first on this forum to do this and you will not be the last to go out and buy a stronger TV very soon from now, if you insist on buying either of those TTs.
Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LTZ 2007 (new shape)
4x4 Crew Cab VORTEC MAX (L76) 6.0L V8 4L70E 4.10 axle
factory NHT Max Trailering Package.
2010 Coachmen Freedom Express 280 RLS
"...a Waldorf Salad?, sorry we are fresh out of Waldorfs!".......BASIL FAWLTY.
canoe on top wrote: Consider the fact that some TT's have a GVW that is 2-3000 lbs more than UVW. Some have far less. 1000 lbs or so over UVW is a reasonable estimate even with water, propane and batteries and might be 1000 lbs or more less than GVW. Going strictly by GVW could eliminate a lot of possibilities. A well designed TT has some margin between UVW and GVW so, with a normal load, you are not right at the maximum rating for all your components. Different TT's are different. I would consider taking UVW, probably round it up, (if it says 6700, figure 7000), add 1000 and go from there for a working number.
I agree that 1000# + UVW is better than GVW. Most trailers now have a sticker that gives actual weight leaving the factory as well as weight that includes things like propane, full water, etc. But I don't think you can get that figure anywhere but in the trailer. You still need to add all your luggage. And you will be way over weight.
That's a good point. Most people on here ar quick to point out that the advertised dry weight is not a good number, and quote percentages that they have read on the Internet, but they don't point out that the weight on the yellow sticker is. It's the actual weight of the trailer as it leaves the factory including options and propane and excluding fluids. If I'm not mistaken, that weight is required by Federal law to be accurate.
OP, unless you're towing on level (or fairly level) roads you'll wish you had a lighter trailer or a more powerful tow vehicle. Since I'm also in New England (MA) I'll give you our experience. We tow with a 4.6L Explorer (AWD, 7K tow rating) also with 3.73 rears. Our trailer has an UVW of 4200 lbs weighs in around 5K loaded (no water); we have towed filled with 36 gallons at times. The Explorer also weighs in a bit over 5K when loaded. We've made it up every grade (VT & PA has very steep grades) but the engine/tranny had to work hard (dropping down to 3rd & 4K on the tach) to keep the speed around 60 MPH. I consider myself at max weight because of those steep grades. Could I tow another 1K... probably but I would be dropping to 2nd for sure and speed would definitely drop as well.
One more thing, if you don't have a brake controller yet I highly reccomend the Tekonsha P3. We previously used the Voyager model (also inertia based) but it was jerky at times; the P3 is so smooth. Whatever you decide, do not get a timed based unit.
Thanks for all your help. So from what I gather so far... I cannot replace the TV yet, and will stay with the suburban. Having said that it seems that I need to find a TT that will weigh no more than #5000, #5500 in total? Once I get close to #6000-#6500 it will tax my TV, even though its still #700 under weight. This will make it much much easier to search for my perfect TT, thanks again.
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