Looking to buy first TT (yes, another newbie) and went to the RV show here in Charlotte, NC last weekend. Saw many TT's and I really liked the 29BHS (or should I say the wife especially liked the kitchen set up?).
My TV is a 2007 Ford Expedition Eddie Bauer 4X2 with the HD Tow Package, including 3.73, tranny oil cooler, class IV hitch, etc.
9,200lb = Max trailer weight
7,400lb = GVWR
15,000lb = GCWR
Hitch sticker specs show - Weight Distributing 9,200lb Max Gross Trlr Wt & 920lb Max Tongue Wt.
My only concern with this TV - TT combo is with the Dry Hitch Weight. The spec on the 29BHS says it is 840lb. dry and I know it will go up with full propane tanks, cargo loaded into TT, water tanks and other variables. All other weights are well within the range of my Expedition. See link to 29BHS specs if it helps. http://www.jayco.com/php/products/floorplans.php?id=149&mod_id=714
The Dealer is recommending the Equil-i-zer 1,000lb WDH setup and tells me the 840lb dry hitch weight will not be an issue. The WDH will effectively lessen the weight on my hitch down to around 500lb-600lb range vs. the 920lb max. I realize the weight won't actually be less, physics being what they are, and that the weight is actually just distributed across the TV and TT (thanks to so many helpful posts on WDH setups). Does this sound right and will the 920lb max tongue weight rating of my hitch be sufficient?
We do have a couple of other TT's ranked such as the R-Vision SuperSport SS26BHS and the KZ Spree 289KS, both of which have much lower dry hitch weight specs. But the family would love to pull the trigger on the G2 29BHS if it makes sense.
Thanks so much for any and all comments everyone may have.
Just wanted to point you to a good reply I got from TURK2500
in my thread about the 2007 29BHS but he posted helpful numbers about this exact model your talking about read the whole thread it will make more sense.
Anyhow I would say from the research i've done and the response with yours being a tad higher than my 2006 Expy you should be okay. Although I'm new also but his advice was very useful.
It SOUNDS like your dealer is more interested in a sale than your well being. If the empty tongue weight is 840 I'd GUARANTEE you'll be over when loaded unless you pack the trailer VERY carefully and play games with the loading. You may NEED to tow with FW tanks full to get tongue weight down or may NOT be able to travel with anything in the black tank for the same reason. Adding extra battery power may put you over weight...those type of examples. Provided you have GVWR and GAWR capacity to spare (and you MAY NOT have it)AND your tires have enough load carrying capacity, then you could always upgrade to a class V receiver. I'd WATCH that dealer though. Good luck / Skip
If you were a close friend or family member, I would MAKE you get either a Pullrite Trailer hitch or a Hensley Arrow. But as I am actually a fellow RVer worried about you and your family...I'll just suggest it! These two hitches act as a "virtual fifth wheel" in that the hitch point changes to just below your rear axle, giving the handling characteristics that mimic 5th wheel towing. The sway issues are gone, the push you would feel when passed by a big rig, are dialed out, and safety in towing is now in a comfortable range.
Your Jayco will be 4 feet longer, and 1500 lbs heavier than our former 2002 Jayco Eagle, with no slide out. And that tongue weight is a bit high! Our 2002 Eagle was also being towed by the same Expy you have, with equalizer sway systems. It did not do well. We now have a F250 with a new Jayco JayFlight fiver, and, in hindsight, wish I had kept my Pullrite hitch when we bought our last 2002 Eagle. It kept us safe thru 4 other TT's, but I sold it with the rv...and without it, the Eagle ended up on it's side on a freeway. Just my experience, for what it's worth after 30 years of towing RV's. You did pick a great brand, as I can attest to after having 7 Jayco's! Good luck.
I pulled the tt in my sig. with a 2004 Nav (same vehicle as the Expy). I was right up to the max numbers when I towed, but it was ok...not great, but ok.
I'm a little confused with your numbers, but they may be correct. My Nav had a GVWR of 8600lbs and CGVWR of 14500lbs. You indicate your GCVWR is 15000 (500lbs more than mine was), but the GVWR if only 7400lbs, 1200lbs below mine. In 3 years did they really reduce it 1200lbs?
BrokenElbow wrote: I pulled the tt in my sig. with a 2004 Nav (same vehicle as the Expy). I was right up to the max numbers when I towed, but it was ok...not great, but ok.
I'm a little confused with your numbers, but they may be correct. My Nav had a GVWR of 8600lbs and CGVWR of 14500lbs. You indicate your GCVWR is 15000 (500lbs more than mine was), but the GVWR if only 7400lbs, 1200lbs below mine. In 3 years did they really reduce it 1200lbs?
Did you have a 2004 Lincoln Navigator with 7,450lbs GVWR?
I'm a little confused with your numbers, but they may be correct. My Nav had a GVWR of 8600lbs and CGVWR of 14500lbs. You indicate your GCVWR is 15000 (500lbs more than mine was), but the GVWR if only 7400lbs, 1200lbs below mine. In 3 years did they really reduce it 1200lbs?
Do you mean that Your Max Tow Rating
was Only 8,600 pounds, Not Your GVWR?
Your GVWR would have been No higher than 7,400 pounds...
The tonque wt dry may be a bit high but you actually have some control over the "on the road" wt by your loading technique and using the FW tank to balance the TT. Careful though not to get the TW to low or problems will result.
The dealer is correct in that the W/D hitch will transfer some wt back to the TT axles. Up to 33% but I use 25% as a rule of thumb for a properly set up hitch. That should leave you somewhere around 630 lbs on the hitch. I stongly suggest a Shurline tonque scale and remember it will read high if under the tonque jack (shorter lever arm) instead of the coupler.
Dick
2008 Toyota Tundra Crew Max Limited TRD
2009 Cougar 268 RLS ~8400 lbs road wt
Equal-i-zer 12,000 lb hitch, Prodigy BC.
2006 Jeep Liberty Turbo Diesel.....TV in Training
2005 Jeep GC 5.7 HEMI,(retired)
2005 Jayco Jay Feather 25Z, 4" lift (Retired)
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