New member family in Las Vegas

[Campy Sullivan]

Hello Keystone family! We would like to introduce ourselves from Las Vegas! We are the Sullivan Family! Brand new Travel Trailer family and just made our first purchase 2 weeks ago! 2021 Springdale 298BHWE. We posted a couple pictures but more will soon follow when we actually get the trailer in our possession. Made the decision to add a second A/C unit prior to taking it off the lot so we are still waiting on that completion!

First trip is already slotted and booked for July 5th. We will be heading to Flagstaff, Arizona to Woody Mountain Campground.

We will be pulling the trailer with a 2019 Ram 1500 Classic Big Horn. Has the Hemi 5.7 and 3.92 gears with the two package and factory rear sway bar. Ordered rear Air Lift 1000 Heavy Duty Coil Spring Kit so hoping we will be able to sit nice and level with that and the Weight Distribution Hitch.

HERE WE GO!

[Chris P]

Welcome Sullivan's and congratulations from New Jersey, There are a lot of knowledgeable people here.

[Gary R.]

Hello folks, and welcome to the forum.

And, congratulations on your new Springdale!

Travel safe.

[sourdough]

Welcome to the forum Campy and congrats on the new rig! Lots of great folks here with tons of knowledge and willing to share.

Man, I know you are excited and I hate to be a wet blanket but do so for your safety. That trailer is approx. 9500 lbs. gvw. That is more than your 1500 wants. I towed a trailer very similar to that with a Ram 1500 (2) and the 1/2 ton just doesn't have the cojones for it. It will get you there but not comfortably or safely.

You do have a large carrying capacity in the trailer;

https://www.keystonerv.com/travel-trailers/springdale/floorplans/298bhwe-travel-trailer/

This might be your saving grace. If loaded to gvw you won't like pulling it (mine had 2000 carrying capacity, 8000 dry and weighed 9200 loaded). I had to constantly leave things behind, weigh stuff before I put it in etc. I could not stand it.

If you choose to use that truck/trailer combo I would suggest; 1) air bags which you said you have installed (let the pressure down unloaded), 2) immediately get rid of the OEM trailer tires and upgrade to good LRE trailer tires, 3) pull the OEM P rated tires off your truck and put on a good set of LT tires and finally 4) make SURE you get a GOOD 4 point wdh with built in sway. All of those things help both the truck and trailer become more stable and comfortable to pull (btdt - all of it).

How many of you are there? Ages? What do you like to do and toys you intend to take? Anything/everything depletes whatever payload you have as well as moves you toward your max gvw and gawr. Look at the placards (stickers) inside the driver door for payload/axle capacity.

Again, not trying to rain on your parade but want you to be aware of potential hazards. Hopefully you don't need that 28xxlbs. of gear and can install the necessary upgrades to make it all doable and within all the weight specs. Good luck and happy camping.

[Campy Sullivan]

Yes! Hoping to tap into that knowledge! Already have some questions and i havent even hooked up and taken off yet! So, Campy (that is what our two children have named our trailer lol) is a 50amp connection. Our first site we are headed to is a 30amp connection. Besides the reduction in power, anything else i should be aware of or worry about?

[Campy Sullivan]

You arent raining on us at all and i appreciate the concerns! my research and number crunching has our trailer uvw at 6,620 and max at 9,480. The payload for my Ram Classic with the 3.92 gears before the air bags and wdh and sway bar is 1820. With the 4 of us in my truck and a large guess of 350 cargo weight that puts my total pay at 800. The hitch weight of Campy, maxed out at 9,480lb, is 680. So 680 + 800 = 1480. Take that away from my allowable 1,820 that my Ram can handle from the hitch and im left with right around 400lb to spare. Ill be pulling empty tanks for sure. We actually just weighed our cargo we are adding to the trailer and we aren't even at 1,000 yet. All we have left to add is food. So im guessing we will land around 8,200lb which leaves me still with over 2,000lb of tow capacity that the Ram can handle.
I know i am for sure a first timer here but i had those same concerns from day 1. Having the Big Horn geared higher and adding the rear sway bar and air bags has helped ease my mind. The dealership is installing and setting my weight distribution hitch so that helps. More importantly though I am a numbers guy. I have been able to really dive into and dork out on numbers to assure myself that my truck wont blow up.
Experience is definitely the most important math of all so i honestly appreciate the concerns and I will no doubt be updating this thread after the trip!

[tech740]

You arent raining on us at all and i appreciate the concerns! my research and number crunching has our trailer uvw at 6,620 and max at 9,480. The payload for my Ram Classic with the 3.92 gears before the air bags and wdh and sway bar is 1820. With the 4 of us in my truck and a large guess of 350 cargo weight that puts my total pay at 800. The hitch weight of Campy, maxed out at 9,480lb, is 680. So 680 + 800 = 1480. Take that away from my allowable 1,820 that my Ram can handle from the hitch and im left with right around 400lb to spare. Ill be pulling empty tanks for sure. We actually just weighed our cargo we are adding to the trailer and we aren't even at 1,000 yet. All we have left to add is food. So im guessing we will land around 8,200lb which leaves me still with over 2,000lb of tow capacity that the Ram can handle.
I know i am for sure a first timer here but i had those same concerns from day 1. Having the Big Horn geared higher and adding the rear sway bar and air bags has helped ease my mind. The dealership is installing and setting my weight distribution hitch so that helps. More importantly though I am a numbers guy. I have been able to really dive into and dork out on numbers to assure myself that my truck wont blow up.
Experience is definitely the most important math of all so i honestly appreciate the concerns and I will no doubt be updating this thread after the trip!

One thing that you have off a little is tongue weight is usaully 10-15% on a TT. If you are loaded to 8,200 thats 820-1230 tongue weight. You will eat up your payload faster than you are anticipating. Remember the hitch adds cargo weight to the truck also. Happy camping glad to see you are actually looking at these numbers.

[Gegrad]

Your 1820 payload is from the yellow door sticker on your truck? I have never heard of a 1/2 ton Ram having that much payload. Color me impressed! Glad to see you have considered the numbers.

Oh, and happy camping from Pennsylvania!

[Campy Sullivan]

One thing that you have off a little is tongue weight is usaully 10-15% on a TT. If you are loaded to 8,200 thats 820-1230 tongue weight. You will eat up your payload faster than you are anticipating. Remember the hitch adds cargo weight to the truck also. Happy camping glad to see you are actually looking at these numbers.
Thanks for the response Brotha! I do appreciate it! Im picking her up Friday afternoon. Going to take her straight to a weigh station and grab my print out for each individual axle and total weight to see where i am at dry and empty then load up and re weigh before we head out on Sunday morning to see the difference in the two. Even with the tongue weight of lets say 850 and then my family and truck cargo at 800 that is still under. I know its not drastically under by any means but under keeps me legal on the road so that is a concern of mine.

[Campy Sullivan]

Your 1820 payload is from the yellow door sticker on your truck? I have never heard of a 1/2 ton Ram having that much payload. Color me impressed! Glad to see you have considered the numbers.

Oh, and happy camping from Pennsylvania!
Thats actually from my VIN printout straight from Dodge so thats why i was eased a bit. When the wife and I started this decision of getting into the travel trailer life i went straight there to my good friend who is a service manager. He punched up my VIN specific info and we rattled off numbers off what we could handle safely. He said 30' would be my high comfort pull and weight but we ended up liking the 28' so there we go. haha

[tech740]

Thats actually from my VIN printout straight from Dodge so thats why i was eased a bit. When the wife and I started this decision of getting into the travel trailer life i went straight there to my good friend who is a service manager. He punched up my VIN specific info and we rattled off numbers off what we could handle safely. He said 30' would be my high comfort pull and weight but we ended up liking the 28' so there we go. haha

Just out of curiosity would you be willing to compare that number from your vin to the yellow sticker on the drivers door jam for us? I have always wondered if the match.

[Campy Sullivan]

Just out of curiosity would you be willing to compare that number from your vin to the yellow sticker on the drivers door jam for us? I have always wondered if the match.
It is a little off....My sticker states front axle gawr 3600 and rear gawr 3900 for with total trailer weight of 10,700....when i pull my vin specific model from Dodge it is actually front gawr 3700 and rear gawr 4100 with total trailer weight pull of 11540 which is more than i thought....ill add the picture of the print out on my profile for whoever to check out.

[Gegrad]

It is a little off....My sticker states front axle gawr 3600 and rear gawr 3900 for with total trailer weight of 10,700....when i pull my vin specific model from Dodge it is actually front gawr 3700 and rear gawr 4100 with total trailer weight pull of 11540 which is more than i thought....ill add the picture of the print out on my profile for whoever to check out.

Yeah, i think the previous poster wanted to see if that matched the tire and wheel sticker on your door pillar. The yellow one that says "maximum combined weight of occupants and cargo should not exceed XXX lbs" Then it has the tire pressure info it. They wanted to see if that matched your printout.

[Campy Sullivan]

Yeah, i think the previous poster wanted to see if that matched the tire and wheel sticker on your door pillar. The yellow one that says "maximum combined weight of occupants and cargo should not exceed XXX lbs" Then it has the tire pressure info it. They wanted to see if that matched your printout.
Yup! my apologies! my sticker says not to exceed 1667 lb so still off quite a bit. Its actually weird looking up the classic. Especially when trying to find and buy aftermarket parts. Alot of catalogues dont even recognize the classic. I think technically it isn't a Generation 5 but the factory Towing Chart doesn't recognize anything other than 5th generation Rams. ?????? Its a ghost!!!

[Bill-2020]

Yes! Hoping to tap into that knowledge! Already have some questions and i havent even hooked up and taken off yet! So, Campy (that is what our two children have named our trailer lol) is a 50amp connection. Our first site we are headed to is a 30amp connection. Besides the reduction in power, anything else i should be aware of or worry about?

Yes. You're going to be 20AMPs low on available power. You'll only be able to use one A/C at a time, not both. A 50amp system splits the two 120V legs off to two different sections (sort to speak) to enable you to power each of the A/Cs on separate 120V legs. The 30amp power only has one leg, not two. Some of the 120 systems won't have power I believe. If both do have power, you're still under powered for two A/Cs.

Talk to your dealer when you do your PDI. Pick their brain as much as possible and write it down for future reference. (Oh, you'll need a 30amp to 50amp adapter/dog bone)

[Campy Sullivan]

Yes. You're going to be 20AMPs low on available power. You'll only be able to use one A/C at a time, not both. A 50amp system splits the two 120V legs off to two different sections (sort to speak) to enable you to power each of the A/Cs on separate 120V legs. The 30amp power only has one leg, not two. Some of the 120 systems won't have power I believe. If both do have power, you're still under powered for two A/Cs.

Talk to your dealer when you do your PDI. Pick their brain as much as possible and write it down for future reference. (Oh, you'll need a 30amp to 50amp adapter/dog bone)
Thank you!! Very good to know there. I have a nice cache of adaptors going right now. Haven't picked up the 50 amp surge protector yet....looks like i'll need to hit the lottery to afford that one!! haha

[Gegrad]

Yup! my apologies! my sticker says not to exceed 1667 lb so still off quite a bit. Its actually weird looking up the classic. Especially when trying to find and buy aftermarket parts. Alot of catalogues dont even recognize the classic. I think technically it isn't a Generation 5 but the factory Towing Chart doesn't recognize anything other than 5th generation Rams. ?????? Its a ghost!!!

I suspect it is because the yellow sticker is specific to your truck, that print out you got is for a generic 2WD 1500 crew cab. You likely have other options on there that bring your payload down a bit. That is still a good number for a 1/2 ton RAM, but I suspect if you love the camping life you will be moving on from the 1/2 ton soon with that very heavy Springdale. Hey, on the bright side it is not an ultra light, so you won't be in here complaining about the soft luan floors like many of us do. :lol::lol:

[sourdough]

Campy it is nice for you to be looking at the numbers and trying to get it right.

The only numbers that matter to you are the ones inside the driver door...they are "specific" to your truck and your truck only. I have a few "service manager" friends as well but none, no one, can get into a conversation about RV weights...they just don't know. They do know what their respective manufacturer hype says.

"Classic", "max tow", heavy duty package, etc. etc. etc. mean absolutely nothing. Whatever that sticker says is what all those "things" have done for you as far as towing capability; there is nothing more to add to it.

Short of a fully loaded, cat scaled weight of the trailer the only way to safely estimate what you have is to go with gvw. At 9480 your estimated tongue weight at 13% (which mine have ran over time) would be 1232 lbs. With an actual payload, for that truck, by the sticker (the definitive number - nothing else) of 1667 you are not in a good place. With 2 children and the things they will want to take on a trip vs a couple, you are going to be hard pressed not to be "between a rock and a hard place".

Remember, whatever they call a truck "classic", hd, mega xxx etc., the only thing that defines the towing/carrying capability is the sticker inside the door. Factory brochures, anecdotal thoughts from those that "know" etc. are meaningless. Look at the numbers that are being presented; they aren't as rosy as you think and will need careful scrutiny along with diligence to keep you from endangering you and your family....did I say btdt?

[Bill-2020]

Thank you!! Very good to know there. I have a nice cache of adaptors going right now. Haven't picked up the 50 amp surge protector yet....looks like i'll need to hit the lottery to afford that one!! haha

Better start playing then, like tonight. You NEED an EMS, either hardwired or an external unit that your 50amp cord plugs into. You want one that will monitor the voltages. Under voltage and over voltages can cause damage to components in your camper (like that new second A/C you just paid for). $300+ for a good EMS (electrical management system) is an insurance policy you can't skip. It's saved my butt before.

Here's an example of one.

https://www.amazon.com/PROGRESSIVE-INDUSTRIES-EMS-PT50X-Portable-Protector/dp/B01N9MOY7B/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2D37IU9SI32P5&dchild=1&keywords=rv+ems+surge+protector+50+amp&qid=1593486164&sprefix=RV+EMS%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1

There are several on the market to select from. If you buy one for about $100 or more, you're only getting the "surge" protection type, not the voltage fluctuation protection you need. Think summer time, everyone in the park is running their A/C and microwaves and mini fridges, and fans, and they have the fridges on 120v instead of LPG, and everything is fine until the voltages begin to drop in the campground/RV park and it dips into the danger zone and your A/C burns itself up. That $300+ EMS just saved you a thousand at the dealer.

I'll get off my soapbox now, but get one soon, ok. But have fun in the new camper! We'll be out in ours this coming weekend as well.

[Bill-2020]

And read this posting too, from tonight. It mentions things I forgot to mention (like miswires and such).

https://www.keystoneforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42969

[Campy Sullivan]

Campy it is nice for you to be looking at the numbers and trying to get it right.

The only numbers that matter to you are the ones inside the driver door...they are "specific" to your truck and your truck only. I have a few "service manager" friends as well but none, no one, can get into a conversation about RV weights...they just don't know. They do know what their respective manufacturer hype says.

"Classic", "max tow", heavy duty package, etc. etc. etc. mean absolutely nothing. Whatever that sticker says is what all those "things" have done for you as far as towing capability; there is nothing more to add to it.

Short of a fully loaded, cat scaled weight of the trailer the only way to safely estimate what you have is to go with gvw. At 9480 your estimated tongue weight at 13% (which mine have ran over time) would be 1232 lbs. With an actual payload, for that truck, by the sticker (the definitive number - nothing else) of 1667 you are not in a good place. With 2 children and the things they will want to take on a trip vs a couple, you are going to be hard pressed not to be "between a rock and a hard place".

Remember, whatever they call a truck "classic", hd, mega xxx etc., the only thing that defines the towing/carrying capability is the sticker inside the door. Factory brochures, anecdotal thoughts from those that "know" etc. are meaningless. Look at the numbers that are being presented; they aren't as rosy as you think and will need careful scrutiny along with diligence to keep you from endangering you and your family....did I say btdt?
Well Sourdough i will keep you posted sir!! Thanks for keep me on my toes with all the opposite side of seeing this experience. All im doing is gathering as much information as possible to ensure i can get this going and get my family out for new experiences. I was just trying to share that with a cool community with similar trailers and experiences. I heard good things about the travel trailer and camping community.....so ill leave this forum at that....good luck to you all....the shared knowledge was very much appreciated and I thank you all again!!

[sourdough]

Just trying to make you aware of the pitfalls that so many of us have faced and had to overcome; sometimes at great expense.

RV camping with children can be a barrel of fun with kids and they will get to see and do so much. Don't know what kind of memories we would have had if they were minus all the traveling and camping.

Load the truck and trailer along with all the family and "stuff" you want to take for a fun outing then hit a scale. You've got the numbers you need on the door of your truck. Stick within those and you will be good to go. I don't recall anyone mentioning trying to give yourself a 10% safety cushion below those max numbers but that would be ideal.

As you progress, when you have questions about those numbers or their implications, please post back and someone will address it. The ultimate goal is for you and your family to have as much fun as humanly possible with as little inconvenience and confusion as possible while keeping you and yours as safe as possible (how's that for an overextended, compound, fractured sentence?).

As you travel please post back with your experiences and travel locations. We are all looking for interesting places to visit and love to see/hear of others fun and adventures.

[travelin texans]

With the 298BHWE it's not 28' but most likely 32-34' from hitch to bumper with a tongue weight of 1000lbs or more.
Your truck payload of 1667 doesn't leave you any room after you add the 800lbs you've stated for people/pets, the tongue weight alone will exceed the payload by a couple hundred pounds BEFORE you add the weight distributing hitch or 1 bag of potato chips into the RV.
Your truck will pull it, but nothing ruins the camping experience worse than a stressful screaming engine white knucklehead towing experience to your campsite, BTDT!
Unless your buddy at the truck dealer has been towing RVs in excess of 40 years like a few, possibly several, on here he doesn't know what RV length/weight that truck is capable of except what they advertise.
The same with the RV dealer you're about to deal with, their goal is to sell you as much RV as you're willing spend money on & will swear your truck can handle it, believe me they don't know or care as long as they sell you whatever you want.
Good luck to you & be safe!

[Campy Sullivan]

With the 298BHWE it's not 28' but most likely 32-34' from hitch to bumper with a tongue weight of 1000lbs or more.
Your truck payload of 1667 doesn't leave you any room after you add the 800lbs you've stated for people/pets, the tongue weight alone will exceed the payload by a couple hundred pounds BEFORE you add the weight distributing hitch or 1 bag of potato chips into the RV.
Your truck will pull it, but nothing ruins the camping experience worse than a stressful screaming engine white knucklehead towing experience to your campsite, BTDT!
Unless your buddy at the truck dealer has been towing RVs in excess of 40 years like a few, possibly several, on here he doesn't know what RV length/weight that truck is capable of except what they advertise.
The same with the RV dealer you're about to deal with, their goal is to sell you as much RV as you're willing spend money on & will swear your truck can handle it, believe me they don't know or care as long as they sell you whatever you want.
Good luck to you & be safe!
HAHAHA....Ok community thank you...yea i clearly understand that there is a difference between the box length and the overall end to end length, thank you....so to review....All the factory numbers that are given to us by the manufacturers of our trucks and our rv's are bs and lies....my attempt at this experience will be awful....I have the wrong truck....My trailer is too big...the cargo i am physically weighing is actually heavier based on the advice here.....alright, sounds good boys lol this has been a very uplifting experience and just like every other social media outlet i will be rethinking this as well....thanks for the warm welcome RV Community!

[Bill-2020]

Well, you all tried...

[flybouy]

HAHAHA....Ok community thank you...yea i clearly understand that there is a difference between the box length and the overall end to end length, thank you....so to review....All the factory numbers that are given to us by the manufacturers of our trucks and our rv's are bs and lies....my attempt at this experience will be awful....I have the wrong truck....My trailer is too big...the cargo i am physically weighing is actually heavier based on the advice here.....alright, sounds good boys lol this has been a very uplifting experience and just like every other social media outlet i will be rethinking this as well....thanks for the warm welcome RV Community!

If you were expecting a a warm hideho and welcome to the campfire as we turn a blind eye when you asked if you should have any other concerns then I'm sorry we didn't meet your expectations.

The weight numbers for your truck and trailer you were stating are incorrect. Not BS, not a lie but a misinterpretation of published generic numbers that do not reflect the reality of your truck or your loaded trailer. This is a very common occurrence with "new" RVrs. No one was belligerent or belittling towards you but quite the opposite. Everyone has been trying to help you with a genuine concern for your safety. What you do with this information is your decision as is whether or not you choose to remain a member in this community.

Whatever you decide I wish you well and safe travels in the future.

[DetnNet]

Congrats on the new rig! Welcome from Indiana!

[formyfelinebabies]

I have to say... I have been reading these forums for many years and this is the most gentle kind “your truck ain’t big enough” set of replies I have ever seen. Good job guys! I really am sorry the OP took offense but sometimes the male ego is a mans downfall... I wish I had been told all this when I tried the travel trailer route. I was told all the BS by dealer, sold the WD hitch and waved off with my fat check in their pocket. It ruined towables for me. One trip over seven mile bridge in the keys with practically NO wind and I was literally thanking God we made it to the other side. I have been driving Rv’s since I was 19 and NEVER have I been so miserable as I was in an oversized overweight trailer that my truck should NEVER have been pulling. But I hadn’t been on these forums so I believed the BS. all we can do now Is pray his ego doesn’t hurt himself or his family’s someone else that is innocent.

It’s even harder to hear the truth when you think you have done your best to be smart. But advice is only good if it’s correct and you guys are correct. Just because SOMEONE said you can pull it doesn’t mean you should...

[Campy Sullivan]

Definitely don't need or want a new truck thats for sure but thanks for the kindly spoken words...Towed like a dream....cruise control at 70 the way to Flagstaff climbing up to almost 8,000 elevation...65 on the way home with 30 mph winds....before leaving, we weighed in at 6450 empty and 6,850 loaded and ready to roll...so i guess the factory does get it right when printing and posting their numbers. Thats only 3060lb on my front axle and 3320lb on the rear and a hitch weight of only 1085lb with the family and bikes.

Have a wonderful day Keystone Community and thanks for those who reached out kindly!!

Safe travels

[wiredgeorge]

Definitely don't need or want a new truck thats for sure but thanks for the kindly spoken words...Towed like a dream....cruise control at 70 the way to Flagstaff climbing up to almost 8,000 elevation...65 on the way home with 30 mph winds....before leaving, we weighed in at 6450 empty and 6,850 loaded and ready to roll...so i guess the factory does get it right when printing and posting their numbers. Thats only 3060lb on my front axle and 3320lb on the rear and a hitch weight of only 1085lb with the family and bikes.

Have a wonderful day Keystone Community and thanks for those who reached out kindly!!

Safe travels


Glad to hear you are enjoying yourself. My only advice is to keep to camp grounds that have 50A so your kiddos don't fry. Almost all the parks in our neck of the woods have 50A (my trailer is 30A) and have only been to one with no 30A and only had 50A and I did have an adapter. Get that EMS as campground electricity can be no bueno at times... Frying a new camper's electricals may void your warranty! :lol: