Question:
We are a family of 3 (couple w/7yr old girl) shopping for our first trailer.
We have the tow vehicle purchased ..94 GMC 1500ext. 2wd, 350cu,
frame hitch, transcooler and trailer brake actuator all installed.
We purchased this truck with plans to buy a 24-27ft travel trailer
and are now trying to decide what to buy. There seems to be little
trailer review/ comparison info on the net...or am I looking in the wrong
place (more likely)? Are there books that specifically rate...compare
trailers? We are thinking a Jayco Quest, Eagle or Fleetwood Prowler,
Prowler lite seem the best quality for the $$. I am wondering specifically
about weight and durability issues. Is aluminum framing, fiberglass exterior
a benefit or just a different build method? Central air or is roof OK?
Heated tanks a big deal or only if winter camping? We want this trailer to
last 20-30 yrs with tlc. Are we dreaming? We are excited yet scared
of making a huge mistake.....as you can tell from my anxiety.
Answer:
I have good news and bad news. The good news is that you
aren't in serious trouble yet. The bad news is that your truck has
very limited tow capacity. It probably has 3.42 final drive gears and
will be very much overstressed trying to handle a big TT. You need to
find out what the tow rating is, and plan to stay well below it.
Study the GM tow guides carefully, and consider the following:
Someone wrote:
>I believe the [name of vehicle] is quite safe pulling its rated loads.
This view has a certain amount of support, in that a lot of people
believe it. I think there is pretty general agreement that it is
unwise and possible dangerous to EXCEED maximum ratings, but many of
us feel strongly that "quite safe" is misleading. Recognizing that
safety is always relative and not absolute, I offer the following
reasons for disagreeing:
1. The tow rating is ALWAYS a maximum figure, and is as large as the
manufacturer dares make it. They hope you will buy their stuff for
towing. Their rating may or may not be right for you. Every maker
has his own methods of setting tow ratings. Some are quite
conservative and some are ludicrously over-stated (many Jeep
Cherokees are rated at 5,000 lbs, and IMO are hopelessly overloaded
at that figure).
2. MOST tow ratings (nothing personal or specific vs your brand)
do not allow for long steep grades - up or (especially) down.
3. Most tow ratings make no allowance for bad road conditions.
4. Most tow ratings are accompanied by asterisks that call attention
to special equipment "required". Your rig may not have those features.
5. Most tow ratings make no allowance whatever for emergency
maneuvers. I assure you your vehcile WILL NOT turn or stop as
fast or as safely with the maximum load as it will with a lot less.
Don't believe me? Try a few tactics in a large parking lot.
6. Vehicle tow ratings make no allowance for the DRIVER'S "tow
rating". No insult intended, but if you have to ask how much your
rig will tow, you have neither the experience or the knowledge to
handle the maximum load safely. IMO.
7. One of the most-overlooked factors in safe towing is a COMBINED
maximum (GCWR) that very often dictates a much lighter-than-maximum
TOWED load. Much of the weight of cargo & passengers in the tow
vehicle must be deducted from the permissible towed load to find the
true rating.
8. What is reasonably safe and comfortable at 45 mph may well be a
lethal weapon at 75. Tow ratings, IMO, do NOT reflect any respect for
this hazard.
9. One party wrote to say "I live at 6200 feet above sea level and
since an internal combustion engine loses about 2 1/2 to 3% efficiency
per thousand
feet I'm losing 15-18 % of my performance unless I have a turbocharger
or supercharger. I would not dream of loading past 75% of capacity
regardless of what the engineer says."
BOTTOM LINE: IF you trust the experienced trailerists who have been
there and done that and don't want to go back, you will not exceed
about 75% of the rated maximum. The number is of course not writ by
the finger of God on a stone tablet - it is merely an indication that
you should stay well below the manufacturer's maximum allowance if you
want a safe, comfortable trip. Some say the figure ought to be as low
as 50 or 60%. But except for Frederick Young and a few macho
braggarts, most experienced folks agree in principle if not detail
with these concerns.
