First time buyer passport 239ML need some advise..

[aboyz]

I'm planning to purchase the passport 239ML. I got a couple of questions.

1. The dealer says the MSRP is listed at $31,000. What price range should I get average OTD price? is a 20% off OTD price good deal? or just OK deal?
2. I'm in the Riverside, CA and one dealer gave me OTD price $31,200 and another dealer in arizona gave me a price for $26,500 OTD. Arizona drive is 380miles. Is it worth the time to drive up there and get it? or find some other dealer local and get it down to around $27,500 OTD?
3. What place to go to to do some travel trailer pricing and comparison?
4. Will my tacoma truck good enough to to wthis.

I got a tacoma TRD sport 4x4 2020. Attached is the GVWR 5600lb and also pasenger weight of 900lb.
I'm getting this trailer. passport SL 239ml
shipping weight = 4,430 lb.
carrying capacity = 2,000 lb.
hitch = 436 lb.
tire size = ST205/75R15D

Family weight = 400lbs
food = 100lbs
bike = 50 lbs
blanket/pillow = 50lbs
pots/pan/etc 50lbs
misc = 100lbs


I will be getting the brake controller P3 and also weight distrubition Equalizer E2 and a backup wireless camera.

I think I should be able to handle this pretty nicely right? I live in California, Riverside, and just camping around this area within a 100miles radius.
Should be good? please advise if i'm missing anything.

thank you..

[flybouy]

I question the 2 K carrying capacity of the trailer. Shipping weight is empty and a useless number as it does not include the battery or LP tanks., so use the GVW of the trailer. With your numbers that's 6,430 lbs. Tongue weight should be around 13% of trailer GVW so 6,430 lbs X .13 = 840 lbs. Then add another 120 lbs for a good WDH and you are strapping 960 lbs on the truck before anyone sets in it.

Using your numbers the Toyota ain't gonna make it.

[aboyz]

What? are you sure. i read in the tacoma forum , maybe people have tacoma pulling this all day long.. Maybe i'm missing something. Attached is the sticker on my truck. I think i'm reading my truck wrong. it can do max 6200lb?
https://imgur.com/a/9Bg3p5j

https://imgur.com/a/9Bg3p5j

[flybouy]

What? are you sure. i read in the tacoma forum , maybe people have tacoma pulling this all day long.. Maybe i'm missing something. Attached is the sticker on my truck. I think i'm reading my truck wrong. it can do max 6200lb?
https://imgur.com/a/9Bg3p5j

https://imgur.com/a/9Bg3p5j

The sticker you posted lists 990 lbs of payload. Max towing is a misleading number. That's calculated pulling a flatbed trailer with a load that has very little tongue weight and is a useless number when it comes to towing campers.

That 990 lbs. of payload was what the factory states is the maximum the day the truck left the factory. Anything YOU or the dealer have added to the truck like a push bar, side bars, mud flaps, bedliner, tool box, tools, floor mats, and even the cup off coffee in the cup holder REDUCES that payload number.

That's the numbers, that's real, not "seat of the pants" or BS. I don't know what folks in the truck forum are saying but the numbers are what they are.

[dutchmensport]

...
2. .... Arizona drive is 380miles. Is it worth the time to drive up there and get it? ...

Absolutely! You WILL eventually be taking trips with your new camper that will be much farther than 380 miles from home. For the better price? Yes, it's worth it. When you go to pick it up, make a mini-vacation out of it. Plan on a full day at the dealership when you pick it up. Plan your first night at a nearby campground. Return home a couple days later and just have fun.

[flybouy]

Dutch I think you posted this in the wrong place? My bad, thought I was reading a different post. It's hell getting old.:facepalm:

[linux3]

We saved around $4,000.00 by traveling ~250 miles to buy our TT.
Stayed over night in a motel and got to the dealer early for plenty of time for inspection.

Local dealer here does annual inspection and any service I may want and happy to take my money.

That beings said, your Tacoma, as flyboy said, isn't going to cut it.
It doesn't matter what the tacoma forums say, do the math. You can't carry that much weight.
It's a non stop issue on this forum. The ratings given for trucks just don't apply to RVs.
The issues are max LOAD capacity, length and wind.
You can only have a legal load of 990 lbs, the length of the TT means the tail will be wagging the dog and when semi's pass you your suspension will have trouble keeping everything in line.

[aboyz]

Absolutely! You WILL eventually be taking trips with your new camper that will be much farther than 380 miles from home. For the better price? Yes, it's worth it. When you go to pick it up, make a mini-vacation out of it. Plan on a full day at the dealership when you pick it up. Plan your first night at a nearby campground. Return home a couple days later and just have fun.

yeah that is what i'm planning to do. drive up there in the morning. pick it up in the afternoon, and go to a nearby campground and stay there for 2 nights and come back. sound like a good mini vacation :)..

When going over the walk thru of the trailer. what should i look for? to make sure everything is working? like gas, stove, water and AC all that? anything in specific i should be looking for in case major issues when i bring it back home.

[SacDan]

It's a seller's market right now. Used to be able get a 30% + discount of the MSRP. Dealers are not so willing these days. Travelling 400 miles is well worth the saving IMO.

[aboyz]

We saved around $4,000.00 by traveling ~250 miles to buy our TT.
Stayed over night in a motel and got to the dealer early for plenty of time for inspection.

Local dealer here does annual inspection and any service I may want and happy to take my money.

That beings said, your Tacoma, as flyboy said, isn't going to cut it.
It doesn't matter what the tacoma forums say, do the math. You can't carry that much weight.
It's a non stop issue on this forum. The ratings given for trucks just don't apply to RVs.
The issues are max LOAD capacity, length and wind.
You can only have a legal load of 990 lbs, the length of the TT means the tail will be wagging the dog and when semi's pass you your suspension will have trouble keeping everything in line.

I really wanted to get this model because of the dual axle. the one axle only have two wheel and its a safety concern. If that is the case I'll look for a lighter trailer.. The reason i'm getting this is becuase my tacoma lease will be over in 2 year. I will get a tundra with more horse power. I don't want to buy small on the trailer for future use. know what i mean?? this is a hard decision.

look at this guy towing a 4300lbs travel trailer. no issues, same car same thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FtSfzPFX3o&t=279s

also check out this tacoma forum as people two it with no issues.
http://www.tacomaforum.com/threads/travel-trailers.9027/

[flybouy]

Personally I think this is bad advice. Never towed before, first trip with a new setup, 6 or more hours from home, an inadequate overloaded truck with squishy P metric tires to boot. I'm glad I'm not on the same roads.

[JRTJH]

I'm not sure where you got the specifications for the Passport 239ML, but the carrying capacity is NOT 2000 pounds. According to the 2019 brochure, here are the specs:

Empty weight: 4189 (essentially a worthless number because you'll never see an empty trailer)
Cargo Capacity: 1211

GVW: 4189+1211 = 5400 pounds

Tongue weight: (adv) 425 (again, you'll NEVER see this weight once you add batteries, propane to the tanks and any cargo to the trailer)

Realistic Tongue weight: 11-15% of GVW: 594-810

To that you'll need to also add the weight of your hitch, usually 125-175 pounds.

Now, as for pricing, the 239ML is no longer being manufactured. It has been replaced by the SL series 219BH. Many of the internet sales list the trailer as "Passport Express SL 219BH (239ML)" On the Keystone website, the 219BH is listed with an MSRP of $25,734. The "older Passport 239ML" was listed $26,801 https://www.keystonerv.com/product/passport-sl/comfort-travel-trailers/specs

Now, I was surprised to see your Toyota payload was so small. With a 990 pound payload, deducting the "light end tongue weight" (best case) of 600 pounds, then adding a 125 pound hitch, you're already at 725 pounds, and that's before you put even a driver in the vehicle. So, while others may be claiming they regularly tow that trailer with similar vehicles, they may well have a different suspension and/or other considerations that significantly increase the payload on their specific truck. I don't see any way to "within the certified ratings of your truck" tow a trailer of that size "and stay under the limits"..... YMMV

As for what to pay for the trailer, most people can easily negotiate 30-35% off MSRP, then add tax, title and registration. Depending on where you're located, delivery charges may range from $100 (around the factory) to several thousand for a cross country delivery.

You can "browse through 38 listings" for that trailer at this link: https://www.rvtrader.com/Passport-239ml/rvs-for-sale?model=Passport%20239ML Some are new, some are used, all are priced with what the dealer "hopes to get" at retail. These prices are with no negotiations involved, so I'd suspect every one of them will actually sell for significantly less than the asking price.

[aboyz]

I'm not sure where you got the specifications for the Passport 239ML, but the carrying capacity is NOT 2000 pounds. According to the 2019 brochure, here are the specs:

Empty weight: 4189 (essentially a worthless number because you'll never see an empty trailer)
Cargo Capacity: 1211

GVW: 4189+1211 = 5400 pounds

Tongue weight: (adv) 425 (again, you'll NEVER see this weight once you add batteries, propane to the tanks and any cargo to the trailer)

Realistic Tongue weight: 11-15% of GVW: 594-810

To that you'll need to also add the weight of your hitch, usually 125-175 pounds.

Now, as for pricing, the 239ML is no longer being manufactured. It has been replaced by the SL series 219BH. Many of the internet sales list the trailer as "Passport Express SL 219BH (239ML)" On the Keystone website, the 219BH is listed with an MSRP of $25,734. The "older Passport 239ML" was listed $26,801 https://www.keystonerv.com/product/passport-sl/comfort-travel-trailers/specs

Now, I was surprised to see your Toyota payload was so small. With a 990 pound payload, deducting the "light end tongue weight" (best case) of 600 pounds, then adding a 125 pound hitch, you're already at 725 pounds, and that's before you put even a driver in the vehicle. So, while others may be claiming they regularly tow that trailer with similar vehicles, they may well have a different suspension and/or other considerations that significantly increase the payload on their specific truck. I don't see any way to "within the certified ratings of your truck" tow a trailer of that size "and stay under the limits"..... YMMV

As for what to pay for the trailer, most people can easily negotiate 30-35% off MSRP, then add tax, title and registration. Depending on where you're located, delivery charges may range from $100 (around the factory) to several thousand for a cross country delivery.

You can "browse through 38 listings" for that trailer at this link: https://www.rvtrader.com/Passport-239ml/rvs-for-sale?model=Passport%20239ML Some are new, some are used, all are priced with what the dealer "hopes to get" at retail. These prices are with no negotiations involved, so I'd suspect every one of them will actually sell for significantly less than the asking price.

Thank you for the info.. I think my truck can only handle bullet. passport SL is way too heavy for me..

I"m thinking about getting this. https://www.keystonerv.com/product/bullet-crossfire/comfort-travel-trailers/floorplans/1700BH

what do you guys think? any concern i should be worry?

[JRTJH]

Thank you for the info.. I think my truck can only handle bullet. passport SL is way too heavy for me..

I"m thinking about getting this. https://www.keystonerv.com/product/bullet-crossfire/comfort-travel-trailers/floorplans/1700BH

what do you guys think? any concern i should be worry?

There is one member who is active on the forum (CrazyCain) who tows a trailer of similar size with a Chevy 1500. Hopefully he will "chime in" with his thoughts. Remember, a single axle trailer is ALWAYS going to be more prone to sway, bow wave movement and crosswinds than a dual axle trailer.

[sourdough]

OP, you're truck cannot safely tow that trailer by any stretch of the imagination. Here is a link to the trailer;

https://www.keystonerv.com/product/passport-sl/comfort-travel-trailers/floorplans/239MLWE

You wills see that it has a 4430 dry weight and 2000lb. payload = 6430 lbs. of trailer - behind a truck with a MAX gvw of 5600lbs (per your sticker). Calculate tongue weight of the trailer at 13% and you get 836lbs. Add 120 for a weight distribution hitch and you are at 956lbs. At this point you have not put a person, coke cup....ANYTHING in the truck. It isn't up to the task - at all.

Look a little further; your tires are suggested to run at 29 PSI!!! You can't tow a trailer that size with P tires at 29psi....the vehicle was never meant for it.

You can forget the "Tacoma" forum as a place for advice on towing anything. A Tacoma, properly equipped (yours is not), might pull a very small trailer but yours isn't. The forum is populated with Tacoma "fans" that pat themselves on the back, make wild claims and pump each other up over having the baddest "whatever" out there (many forums do). Used to do that as a kid but no longer.

As was previously stated, numbers don't lie. In your case those numbers are not good for your hopes. I don't know what the other specs on your truck are but with that low payload I suspect you have a 4 cylinder, less robust Tacoma??

Edit: After posting I saw OP had changed his mind about what trailer to pursue....great.

[aboyz]

There is one member who is active on the forum (CrazyCain) who tows a trailer of similar size with a Chevy 1500. Hopefully he will "chime in" with his thoughts. Remember, a single axle trailer is ALWAYS going to be more prone to sway, bow wave movement and crosswinds than a dual axle trailer.

Thank you. that was excatly my issues the single axle trailer will prone to sway more than the dual axle. But any dual axle trailer will have a weight of 4000+ so that is out of the question. So much hassle just getting a trailer and a truck that can support it. Pulling my hair out!!! :banghead:

[aboyz]

OP, you're truck cannot safely tow that trailer by any stretch of the imagination. Here is a link to the trailer;

https://www.keystonerv.com/product/passport-sl/comfort-travel-trailers/floorplans/239MLWE

You wills see that it has a 4430 dry weight and 2000lb. payload = 6430 lbs. of trailer - behind a truck with a MAX gvw of 5600lbs (per your sticker). Calculate tongue weight of the trailer at 13% and you get 836lbs. Add 120 for a weight distribution hitch and you are at 956lbs. At this point you have not put a person, coke cup....ANYTHING in the truck. It isn't up to the task - at all.

Look a little further; your tires are suggested to run at 29 PSI!!! You can't tow a trailer that size with P tires at 29psi....the vehicle was never meant for it.

You can forget the "Tacoma" forum as a place for advice on towing anything. A Tacoma, properly equipped (yours is not), might pull a very small trailer but yours isn't. The forum is populated with Tacoma "fans" that pat themselves on the back, make wild claims and pump each other up over having the baddest "whatever" out there (many forums do). Used to do that as a kid but no longer.

As was previously stated, numbers don't lie. In your case those numbers are not good for your hopes. I don't know what the other specs on your truck are but with that low payload I suspect you have a 4 cylinder, less robust Tacoma??

Edit: After posting I saw OP had changed his mind about what trailer to pursue....great.

Yeah. thank you for pointing it out. I cannot fight with you guys. since you guys are the expert :). I need to fit in. So with all this comment and suggestion I have decided to focus on a Bullet 1700BH, as that is the higher end of springdale and hideout and also the white cabinet and chrome appliance look much higher class. :)

So my question is MSRP is around $21,000. I should be able to get it down to $15,000 + tax and registration fee?

Does that offer sound reasonable? or am I pushing the limit?

[flybouy]

Reminds me of the Chevy S10 I bought in 2001 IIRC. It was rated atn5K towing capacity. I bought a Keystone Cabana, 21' dual axle hybrid. What a handful. Didn't take long to figure that one out. Anyway I put a fiberglass lid on the bed. My neighbor asked me why I spent the moony on the color matched fiberglass lid vs a tonneau cover. I told him I had bought a car without a truck lid so I wanted the paint to match on the trunk lid.

[sourdough]

Yeah. thank you for pointing it out. I cannot fight with you guys. since you guys are the expert :). I need to fit in. So with all this comment and suggestion I have decided to focus on a Bullet 1700BH, as that is the higher end of springdale and hideout and also the white cabinet and chrome appliance look much higher class. :)

So my question is MSRP is around $21,000. I should be able to get it down to $15,000 + tax and registration fee?

Does that offer sound reasonable? or am I pushing the limit?


I don't know about that mark down but doubt it. I bought mine in March just as all the "pandemic" was breaking out. I got a little over 30% off MSRP which was very consistent on the same trailer over 3 states. With an msrp of 21k I don't know, but doubt, if they have that much fluff they can/will take off.

[flybouy]

abozs I'm glad you're reconsidering your decision. In an earlier statement you said you wanted dual axles for "safety concerns" but it appeared to me that you weren't concerned with the safety of the truck being overloaded. I thought your mind was set.

Anyway, I think there's several price factors. The market (as in overall economy), the local market, demand for the product, the product itself (like cars, there's a larger profit margin in the luxury segment then the economy models), your credit rating if financing etc. I don't think anyone can "reasonably" say what you should pay. As with any negotiation go in offering less than you are willing to spend and commit to walking away if they are unwilling to come down to the most that you are willing to spend.

[aboyz]

abozs I'm glad you're reconsidering your decision. In an earlier statement you said you wanted dual axles for "safety concerns" but it appeared to me that you weren't concerned with the safety of the truck being overloaded. I thought your mind was set.

Anyway, I think there's several price factors. The market (as in overall economy), the local market, demand for the product, the product itself (like cars, there's a larger profit margin in the luxury segment then the economy models), your credit rating if financing etc. I don't think anyone can "reasonably" say what you should pay. As with any negotiation go in offering less than you are willing to spend and commit to walking away if they are unwilling to come down to the most that you are willing to spend.

What would you say is a fair price just to start at? say the MSRP is $21,000. If I can get it down to $15,000 that is a great price right? and $16,000 will be a good price and $17,000 will be a ok price? is that how you would see it?

I just wanted to know the range of this so when I'm dealing with the dealer I am well prepare for battle. I won't be finanacing it I"ll just pay it off.

Thank you again.

[aboyz]

I don't know about that mark down but doubt it. I bought mine in March just as all the "pandemic" was breaking out. I got a little over 30% off MSRP which was very consistent on the same trailer over 3 states. With an msrp of 21k I don't know, but doubt, if they have that much fluff they can/will take off.

If not, what is a reasonable offer price for this trailer that is MSRP $21K? Fair price is $16K+ tax and registration fee? I provide my brake controller and equalizer e4 sway bar?

I was told I needed to purchase from them the sway bar or else they will not install it for me. They are charing me $650 for the equalizer e4 with labor. Seem fair?

[dutchmensport]

Memories: In 1986 I purchased a new Chevy S-10 (2 door) long bed. I put a cap on the bed and we used it for camping several times with a tent. We slept in the truck and put all our junk in the tent.

Anyway, I was in the Army, and I rented a pop-up camper from the post AAFES for a week. I was stationed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia (Alexandria, Virginia, near Washington D.C.) and we traveled to Fort Story, (Norfolk) that had a military campground. Now, it's called First Landing State Park.

We traveled from there back to the mountains, followed the Blue Ridge Parkway North and then cut back over to Washington D.C.

The bumper had a hole in it for a hitch ball, and that's how I towed the trailer.

When the trip was over, the bumper was bent down and all twisted up from towing the pop-up. I eventually got a new bumper put on. It was my first lesson on towing any RV.

It's just a memory now. But dang! That was a fun trip. My baby boy, who is now 35 years old was not even 1 year old yet. We'd been married just a year! Very exciting times back then. Good memory. Chevy S-10??? I haven't thought about that truck in a long time!

Edit: I found the photo. Yes, that's me! 35 years ago when I still had hair (not bald), I was still THIN, and I still had all my original body parts! (1986 - Fort Belvoir, Virginia. For anyone who has memory of the Fort during this time period, that is Lewis Heights (inadequate) housing in the back ground. Wow! What memories!

https://i.imgur.com/nRyvkEp.jpg

[flybouy]

What would you say is a fair price just to start at? say the MSRP is $21,000. If I can get it down to $15,000 that is a great price right? and $16,000 will be a good price and $17,000 will be a ok price? is that how you would see it?

I just wanted to know the range of this so when I'm dealing with the dealer I am well prepare for battle. I won't be finanacing it I"ll just pay it off.

Thank you again.

I really couldn't begin to guess to be honest. I'm not familiar with the local market there and what they are getting for that type unit. I don't think a $6K reduction on a $21K trailer is likely but all they can do is say no. The most important thing to do in my experiences is:

1. DON'T get in a hurry! Rushing to buy ANYTHING because you just gotta have it is a guarantee to get gouged. Salesman can "smell" that anticipation.

2. DON'T get snarky or insult the salesman. Make a "low ball" offer so there's room for a counter and negotiations but don't get ridiculous as that will alienate and put them on the defensive. Make it clear up front that you're not trying to steal it but you're not "giving"your money away either. Knowledge is power so what you are doing is good. Research what the local market is doing. The salesman will typically try to "befriend" you so he/she can manipulate you. Be cordial but remember their job is to get as m,uch money from you as possible.

3. DON'T tell them it's a cash deal out of the gate. They make money off of financing sales thru banks and other institutions. If they know that they won't get their "cut" from financing then they'll get that from you in the price.

4. DO make them put the numbers to paper. I always tell them to draw up a "sale" with everything included. I don't care where the numbers go as I'm spending my money ONE time and that's the number beside TOTAL. Don't accept any BS about advertising fees, or "prep" fees, opr fabric or paint treatments, etc.

5. DO prepare to walk away from the deal if the numbers don't work. After trading numbers and hitting an impasse I'll tell the salesman that "here's my final number, it's all in, everything included and if this isn't acceptable then we won't have a deal. If the salesman want's to "talk to the manager" I'll tell them fine, but if you're not back in 10 min don't bother, I won't be here. They will try to "wear you down" to mentally exhaust you and ghet you to submit. More than once I've told a salesman that the the car, truck, camper, whatever is "depreciating as we speak" so if the process is delayed I'll reduce my offer. My time is valuable to.

I've walked away from deals in the past. I've had a salesman call me back a half hour later and agree to my offer and I've had them call me and try to renegotiate. The important thing is to be steadfast on your high limit and DON'T exceed it. DON'T let the "shiny stuff" blind you into a bad decision. DO let the salesman know that they don't have to "sell" the trailer as you've made up your mind on what you want (this will also stop them from trying to "upsell" you to a more expensive unit). Let then know the only thing they have to do is get the price right.

These are some of the things that I have found useful over the years in making purchases and negotiating contracts for goods and services when I was working. I hope this helps and I wish you luck in your venture.

[linux3]

I looked at rvtrader before I bought my current TT but the problem is that prices are all over the place.
I do kinda wonder just what dealers actually pay.

https://www.rvtrader.com/Keystone-Bullet-1700bh/rvs-for-sale?make=Keystone%7C2273942&model=BULLET%7C764842539&trim=1700BH%7C60606

[wiredgeorge]

My advice is to decide what you currently think is important in a camper. Then go buy a used one and camp in it for a season or two and then you will really know what is important. Start saving for a real truck to open your options weight-wise. New campers WILL have issues and used campers, if you are careful, will have some, if not most of these issues sorted out. Main thing to look for in a used camper is water intrusion.

[allanbradl]

I'm planning to purchase the passport 239ML. I got a couple of questions.

1. The dealer says the MSRP is listed at $31,000. What price range should I get average OTD price? is a 20% off OTD price good deal? or just OK deal?
2. I'm in the Riverside, CA and one dealer gave me OTD price $31,200 and another dealer in arizona gave me a price for $26,500 OTD. Arizona drive is 380miles. Is it worth the time to drive up there and get it? or find some other dealer local and get it down to around $27,500 OTD?
3. What place to go to to do some travel trailer pricing and comparison?
4. Will my tacoma truck good enough to to wthis.

thank you..

The 239ML has been discontinued, it is replaced with 219BH. Keystone website MSRP on this trailer is 24K , or so it was. The replacement is priced at 25k . There is a delivery charge, as these towed at a rate of something like 1$/Mile. So I believe , it would be fair to say that if you can get this out the door for 24K (+ tax) you can sleep well. Unless you live a block away from assembly plant in Indiana.

[aboyz]

The 239ML has been discontinued, it is replaced with 219BH. Keystone website MSRP on this trailer is 24K , or so it was. The replacement is priced at 25k . There is a delivery charge, as these towed at a rate of something like 1$/Mile. So I believe , it would be fair to say that if you can get this out the door for 24K (+ tax) you can sleep well. Unless you live a block away from assembly plant in Indiana.

Thank you!! this is excellent. now i know what i can ask for.. hahhaah

after some more research, can my tacoma carrie a
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
Length 26'11"
Width 96"
Exterior Height 9'10"
Interior Height 6'8"
ADDITIONAL SPECS
Dry Weight 3,899
Hitch Weight 500
Net Carrying Capacity 3,601

? thoughts. is this too heavy for my tacoma? or just right

[QCMan]

7500 pound trailer with about 950 pounds of tongue weight. Please post itinerary when traveling so that we can avoid you.

[flybouy]

Thank you!! this is excellent. now i know what i can ask for.. hahhaah

after some more research, can my tacoma carrie a
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
Length 26'11"
Width 96"
Exterior Height 9'10"
Interior Height 6'8"
ADDITIONAL SPECS
Dry Weight 3,899
Hitch Weight 500
Net Carrying Capacity 3,601

? thoughts. is this too heavy for my tacoma? or just right

Check those numbers again or post the year, make & model of the trailer. I'm not aware of any travel trailer that's capable of carrying close to it's empty weight. A 27' trailer weighing 3,899 with a gvw of 7,500 lbs. I'd suspect that empty weight is off. But if the gvw is correct then when loaded your looking at 975 lb tongue weight then add about 120 for wdh and your slapping on nearly 1,100 lbs on the truck's back.

[travelin texans]

Thank you!! this is excellent. now i know what i can ask for.. hahhaah

after some more research, can my tacoma carrie a
KEY SPECIFICATIONS
Length 26'11"
Width 96"
Exterior Height 9'10"
Interior Height 6'8"
ADDITIONAL SPECS
Dry Weight 3,899
Hitch Weight 500
Net Carrying Capacity 3,601

? thoughts. is this too heavy for my tacoma? or just right

Simple answer...........NOPE!
That much rv would be about the limit for the Tundra!
Toyota makes great trucks for the DYI handyman to make lumber runs or haul their lawnmower & even hook up a trailer for their skidoos or snowmobiles, but neither of them are not nor never were designed to carry large heavy loads such as RVs, regardless of the ridiculous commercials or advertising.

[sonofcy]

I'm planning to purchase the passport 239ML. I got a couple of questions.

1. The dealer says the MSRP is listed at $31,000. What price range should I get average OTD price? is a 20% off OTD price good deal? or just OK deal?
2. I'm in the Riverside, CA and one dealer gave me OTD price $31,200 and another dealer in arizona gave me a price for $26,500 OTD. Arizona drive is 380miles. Is it worth the time to drive up there and get it? or find some other dealer local and get it down to around $27,500 OTD?
3. What place to go to to do some travel trailer pricing and comparison?
4. Will my tacoma truck good enough to to wthis.

I got a tacoma TRD sport 4x4 2020. Attached is the GVWR 5600lb and also pasenger weight of 900lb.
I'm getting this trailer. passport SL 239ml
shipping weight = 4,430 lb.
carrying capacity = 2,000 lb.
hitch = 436 lb.
tire size = ST205/75R15D

Family weight = 400lbs
food = 100lbs
bike = 50 lbs
blanket/pillow = 50lbs
pots/pan/etc 50lbs
misc = 100lbs


I will be getting the brake controller P3 and also weight distrubition Equalizer E2 and a backup wireless camera.

I think I should be able to handle this pretty nicely right? I live in California, Riverside, and just camping around this area within a 100miles radius.
Should be good? please advise if i'm missing anything.

thank you..

Discount the price by 37%.
That truck is nowhere near enough.
For a TT minimum is 3/4T, for a 5er 1T diesel, maybe dually.
Best is to go 1T dually. The truck will last forever and will pull anything you might buy in the future.

[Camp CA]

.............I'm planning to purchase the passport 239ML. I got a couple of questions.

1. The dealer says the MSRP is listed at $31,000. What price range should I get average OTD price? is a 20% off OTD price good deal? or just OK deal?
2. I'm in the Riverside, CA and one dealer gave me OTD price $31,200 and another dealer in arizona gave me a price for $26,500 OTD. Arizona drive is 380miles. Is it worth the time to drive up there and get it? or find some other dealer local and get it down to around $27,500 OTD?
3. What place to go to to do some travel trailer pricing and comparison?


Buying a trailer 380 miles from home is a big risk in the event you discover warranty work or need some repairs. A friend of mine in northern California drove to Arkansas to purchase a trailer at a lower cost than he could purchase locally and when he discovered warranty issues the local dealers would not take care of them since they only service their trailer customers. Plus that may be a long way to pull a trailer for your first trip towing a trailer.

[travelin texans]

Buying a trailer 380 miles from home is a big risk in the event you discover warranty work or need some repairs. A friend of mine in northern California drove to Arkansas to purchase a trailer at a lower cost than he could purchase locally and when he discovered warranty issues the local dealers would not take care of them since they only service their trailer customers. Plus that may be a long way to pull a trailer for your first trip towing a trailer.

RVs are not like automobiles, rv dealers are not obligated to do warranty work on RVs they did not sell.
Also if planning to tow that rv with that truck 380 miles back is going to be a VERY VERY long trip, especially if there's wind or lots of truck traffic, I'd give it a 10 on the pucker factor scale.

[KeystoneKal]

Based on my experience of buying my Keystone Hideout 30RLDS at the Greater Cleveland RV Show. MSRP $30,000 selling price $19,999. Add ons less than $1,000.plus tax.
At the RV Show in January the dealers take orders. The TT arrived in April. The same unit on the dealers lot inventory usually sells for more.
If you look at the RVTrader website you will see what dealers through out the US are selling the make and model you are interested in buying. At the 30 K price point you may see a range of pricing on identical units.

[B&T_NF-NY]

First off welcome. Traveling Texans and flyboy are spot on, used to be that there was a ton of leeway on the price. Now that RVs are selling like crazy you might have a more difficult time negotaiting. That said, getting a better price non locally will benefit you as long as you don't need much maintenance, as stated - dealerships will give preference to their customers first. I've heard ( but not experienced ) of RVs being tied up all season. There's a ton of experience and knowledge on this site and I've benefited so much from the advice offered. Good luck to you and have a safe and fun experience.

[blubuckaroo]

aboyz,
We've got a Passport 2210RBWE. It weighs about 400 pounds more and 100 pounds more tongue weight than your trailer.

The dealer hitched it to our 2012 Tacoma and said it was a perfect match.
Our Tacoma had the bigger 4.0 motor with tow package and had no problem with power.
We actually made several long trips with it before I had to admit the trailer was pushing us too much on downhill curves.
I was really disappointed. The Tacoma looked great towing our trailer. The trailer even had the same blue stripes that the Tacoma was.
We traded the Tacoma in on a 1500 Silverado.
I wouldn't say we get to the top of the ridge faster, but the rig feels more secure.
Also, our Tacoma was the crew cab long bed. I'm certain that's why it towed as well as it did. I sure wouldn't have even tried it with a standard cab or short bed. Tow vehicle wheelbase length is important.

[NCAL_YEE]

Hi, I bought the exact travel trailer you mentioned.
My tow vehicle is a 2001 ford sport trac with 4.0l V6.
I was also very worried since i'm pretty much at the limit and make sure to pack as little as possible.
I purchased a Eazlift R6 WD hitch with sway control.
When I took it out the first time on the freeway it was very smooth and yes I could feel the weight but it pulled it okay. Maybe this is better since it keeps you from going to fast.
Anyway the trailer pulls with no sway on the short trips so far. Of course when you when you get hit with wind gusts you will fill it and a little scary but under control.
I will eventually get a bigger more capable tow vehicle but want to make sure I like h=this before spending too much money.
I think Keystone builds fairly good quality trailers so far no issues.
Only thing I had issues with was the dealer not grounding the battery to the frame, which I did and fixed my issues.
I paid about 31K out the door no haggling in N CA since the dealer said he could sell these at this price any day.
I also heard that there nay be some used deals around since people who bought like myself may have a change of heart or got too scared after there first trip.
Anyway good luch and Merry Xmas,
IYEE

[Prolab]

Hi. I am looking to get a 1700BH. any update on your sales experience? We’re you able to haggle and how much off MSRP? Any help is appreciated. I do not see any in California for sale.

[sonofcy]

Hi. I am looking to get a 1700BH. any update on your sales experience? We’re you able to haggle and how much off MSRP? Any help is appreciated. I do not see any in California for sale.

I negotiated a 37.81% discount and probably could have done better.