I was able to get out of my deal for a new travel trailer that was too heavy for my 05 Dodge Durango to pull. Now I'm looking for a hybrid. My wife likes the KZ Coyote 19CT or the 20C. I'd like to know what I should pay for either of these trailers.
Can someone recommend a different hybrid? Is there a manufacture or model I should avoid? I have never owned a trailer, is there anything I should look for?
I think I have a handle on the weight issues. I'll be fine as long as I stay under 4000 lbs. empty and 22'-0" in length. I plan to get sway bars and electric brakes for additional safety. I need room to sleep two adults and two kids or three adults and no kids but in separate beds.
I'm not apposed to buying new or used as long as it's no more than three or four years old. I would prefer to spend less than $15000 before taxes, registration and hitch work. I have a class 4 hitch along with the electrical connections. What should I plan to spend to have an electrical break controller and sway bars installed? Would I need anything else for the hitch?
I know I've thrown a lot of things at you guys. I would really appreciate it if some of you would take a moment and pass along some of you knowledge.
Also...If you live in the Phoenix area and could recommend some good dealers, I'd appreciate that as well. I've been to Kemptons and they seem nice enough, at least they cared about my towing limits. I can't say that for some of the other dealerships I have visited.
We live in Goodyear and bought our Travelstar at Payless Auto and RV on Bell Rd. They have two locations, East & West. Both on Bell rd. We bought at the West location. Got a very good deal, love our Travelstar 19ck. They have bigger ones there also.
Goody Luck
first, let me clear up something. you'll need a weight distributing hitch or WDH, not just sway bars. some come with built-in sway control, like the Equalizer(about $400) or Reese Dual-Cam.
second, yes you'll need a brake controller, i recommend the Prodigy(about $100). all these trailers come with electric brakes as standard.
third, what size engine and rear end does your Durango have? this will help us give you info.
fourth, every brand has happy and satisfied customers. the Coyote is a popular brand. but so is Jayco, Roo/Shamrock, Kodiak/Cub, Surveyor, Travelstar/Antigua, Palomino, Trail-lite, and so on.
look at different brands' floorplans. find the ones you like and use the website's dealer locator to find a dealer near you. then go look at examples of those brands' hybrids. even if they don't have the exact floorplan you want.
one warning, prices out west are much higher than the midwest. we drove to Chicago for our hybrid and still saved over $3,500 after the costs of the trip. and hybrids are harder to find out west.
Dan- Firefighter, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
I can't imagine that you won't be able to find something under that price; our price for an 09 roo 23SS LOADED with options AND an Equalizer 1/10 installed AND Prodigy installed was under that out the door, very under. We were fortunate that even though we purchased in MS, reciprocity with AL meant no sales tax, just the tax with registration back home which was only a few hundred including the tags (our popup tags can't transfer to HTT in AL, different category) Shop around, make a couple dealers fight for your business if you can at all, that strategy was a big payoff for us. They want your money but you control how much they get at plenty of dealers right now,, hopefully there's a few of them near you eager to deal with you. Good luck, hope you get The One that's perfect for you all ~ D.L.
Our best friends and travelling companions were looking for something exactly like you are. Size and weight considerations were exactly like yours. After looking at many different units from all the major manufacturers, they purchased a Starcraft Antigua 195ck. It was the best combination of quality, floorplan, features, construction, style. You might take a look.
I have the 2005 Durange SXT, 4WD, 5-speed Automatic, 545RFE Transmission, 4.7L Magnum (R) V8 Engine. With the 3.55 Axle Ratio I can tow 5850 lbs.
The Durango, my family and a full tank of gas weighed in at 5580 lbs. That doesn't include the dogs or the kayak and rack which would add about 200 lbs. for a total of 5780 lbs.
If I subtract the 5780 lbs. from the 11000 lbs. GCWR I get 5220 lbs. Subtract
another 250 lbs for 20 gal. of water and 20 gal. for gas I'm now at 4970 lbs. If
I figure another 800 lbs. of gear in the trailer it puts the maximum dry trailer
weight at 4170 lbs. Therefore I think it would be wise to keep the maximum gross
dry weight of the trailer to 3500 lbs. or less. I also want to keep the TOTAL
length to 22'-0" or less. I'm not interested in anything that exceeds these
limits.
Most of the hybrids I've looked at are between 3200 and 3500 lbs. BTW...If I have left anything out or have underestimated any of my calculations, please let me know. I want to be safe, not sorry.
just remember that the published "dry" weight is a barebone trailer. it doesn't include options or even things you think would be standard, like a spare tire. so you should always look at the trailer's GVWR weight. if that figure is within your numbers, you'll be great.
You're right, the GVWR posted in the trailer is something I will look at very closely. Most are listed at 5000 lbs for the trailers in my size and weight range. I figured 1050 lbs for water, LP and trailer cargo. That would leave about 500 lbs for any extras the manufacture or dealer may add. I will have both vehicles weighed together to determine exact loading limits. I don't think I could fill a 22' hybrid with 800 lbs of stuff but it seemed like a good number to start with.
I have use the numbers provide by Dodge to set my weight limits. I've had a few dealers try to sell me something based on the Travel Life Towing Guide numbers which are way off for my vehicle. I'm trying to be very careful here but if it looks like I'm cutting it too close, please let me know.
Travis, we used to have the same Durango when we bought our current HTT (Jayco 23B). It fit within the limits numerically and we made several trips with it...until we hit the mountains. We knew then that to tow safely we needed a bigger TV. Legally and numerically, we were fine, but we just didn't feel safe towing with that setup. We ended up getting an 07 Durango with the Hemi; gas mileage was just as good (or bad depending on pov), but towing capability was night and day.
When you decide to make your purchase, ask the dealer if you can hitch up and give it a run. The dealers will tell you that you can pull a 5W with a Pinto. YOu're smart to do your own research. Good luck! And happy camping.
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, Shawn- Musician/Entrepreneur
, Zoe- Faithful Golden Retriever
, 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche LS, 2007 Rockwood Roo 23SS w/Equalizer and Prodigy, and 5 Mtn. bikes and 2 Road bikes
