TV may be a deal breaker

[Duvalfamilycampers]

I need advice......we are planning on buying a Bullet 230bhs. We own a 2011 Jeep Cherokee Grand Laredo, 3.7l 6cyl (rated at 5000# tow weight). The bullt has a dry weight of 4200# and a hitch weight of 450#. I just wanna make sure we could handle this without endangering my family or hurting the TV...thanks for input...really really love the 230bhs

[Paddler]

Duvalfamilycampers, welcome to the forum! Without going into great detail, I'd suggest you will be over the weight limit for your Jeep, once you add up the weight of the trailer options, the items you will pack into the trailer, food, clothes, and stuff; and your family in the vehicle. You might want to consider a smaller, lighter trailer or a larger Tow vehicle.

[Duvalfamilycampers]

Thanks for the reply...These RV saleman will tell you anything to by a TT, We were told at a reputable dealership that if we did not do mountains and stayed in flat areas, we could pull a 4800# apex trailer...

[KJcachers]

Not a chance. We have a Liberty with factory tow and the 3.7l 6 cylinder and had issues with a 3300lb small hybrid. Can it pull it okay at slow speeds/ in town? Yes. The real problem was when we hit the open road and had that wall dragging behind creating such wind resistance we were constantly running high RPMs to try to stay up to highway speeds. Finally gave up and bought a Ram truck with the Hemi. No more problems. Also, dry weight doesn't include full propane tanks or battery or any gear in the camper. Your passengers and all your stuff in your tow vehicle count against the tow rating of the Jeep as well.

[SteveC7010]

I believe I have posted this info previously as someone asked the same question about the new Grand Cherokee.

I've got the Hemi version of the '11 Grand Cherokee sitting in my driveway. It's a great hot rod but I would not expect it to haul anything heavier than a hybrid in the 3,500# GVWR weight group. It's just not a real tow vehicle.

Look around the forum here. Almost everyone of us is towing with a half ton pickup or bigger (depending on the trailer), equipped with tow packages, etc.
There is a reason for that.

Every once in a while, you will find an experienced RV owner that tows a pretty good sized rig with something like your Jeep. Not saying it can't be done safely, but without the depth of knowledge and experience that they bring to the table, it's not the right thing to do for yourself, your family, or the rest of us who share the highway with you.

[jbsmith]

I towed our last trailer, a Coachmen 23GSX hybrid ~5000 lbs 500 lbs tongue, with my 2008 4Runner V8 Limited. It's rated at 7000 lbs tow and 700 lbs hitch. It towed great, plenty of power and torque, but wheel-base was the big concern. The Equalizer kept everything in line, but I never felt comfortable or that I'd be able to have the control I would need in an emergency. You might keep that in mind since the Jeep and 4Runner are similarly sized and configured vehicles.

[Duvalfamilycampers]

We are thinking of trading the Jeep for maybe a Chevy Silverado with a 4.7 l 8 cyl

[ls1mike]

We are thinking of trading the Jeep for maybe a Chevy Silverado with a 4.7 l 8 cyl

You mean a 4.8 truck? Just get the 5.3. It cant cost that much more and is better.

[SteveC7010]

You mean a 4.8 truck? Just get the 5.3. It cant cost that much more and is better.

+1

Get the larger engine and full tow package. You will not regret it.

[Jim & Kay]

I agree with all of the above, that you cannot tow your Bullet and do it safely with your current TV. Good choice to trade up and I agree with Steve to get the larger engine & full tow package, you will be glad you did. In the future you may want to tow a larger RV and my moto is "more tow capacity is better".

[rrohrer]

that's a lot of trailer for a grand cherokee! yikes! maybe hybrid would be a better choice. had one and towed it with a frontier no problem. weight was around 3500. wouldn't have towed much heavier with it. probably somewhere comparable to a grand cherokee. with a silverado you would be fine

[wincrasher]

Three problems with the GC.

Payload is low - suspect you'll be way over with loaded tongue weight and passangers/cargo.

Engine - you'll run out of power really quick. Ratings are not everything. You might be able to manage cruising in flat land, but any hills and you'll be gasping.

Wheelbase - just not long enough - stability will be an issue - especially in an emergency situation. Yes, you can get a pretty high end sway control system and that may help a lot.

Some guys will get on here and tell you they pulled a 30ft trailer over the Rocky Mountains with a 4 cylinder Suzuki Samari and they didn't even know the trailer was back there! Yes, some things can be done. It's really a matter of how well.

[Duvalfamilycampers]

agreat input thanks everybody, we are so excited about joining the RVing community...we think we might have found a vehicle for the Bullet 230bhs we want.

2009 GMC Sierra 1500Crew Cab Short Box 2-Wheel Drive SLE, 5.3L 8 cyc

Any thoughts on this vehicle?

[ls1mike]

That sounds nice. You should be good with that. Just watch your pay load.

Do you figure your trailer is about 6400 loaded?

[rrohrer]

you'll be good

[Duvalfamilycampers]

Also looking at a 2009 dodge ram 1500 quad cab with 5.7 Hemi...any thoughts

[Duvalfamilycampers]

Toyota tundra seems like a great tow vehicle with the 5.7 L

[chris199]

Have a 2012 Tundra 5.7L V8. Tow a 6700 Cougr 29Rev. Tows really well.

Have an issue at times in a campground at 5 mph, going up a steep hill, with loose gravel. Slip it into 4WD at times, if needed, for 50 feet. I suspect any 1/2 ton truck rear wheel drive will behave the same way......wheels will spin/slip some. Other than that I love the Tundra.

Have to be honest though, we are borderline on payload. MHO: 1/2 ton pickups, in general, cannot tow anywhere near their brochure max towing capacity without exceeding the payload. If I had to do it all over...I'd get the 3/4 ton GMC either Vortec gas or diesel (if I wanted to spring for the extra $$$).

[rrohrer]

agree with chris 1999. any 1/2 ton will do. Mine also occasionally slips on stones at c.g. just put it in 4wd and good to go. chris also probably right about payload. I probably come close to payload too. but I can't afford to drive or buy a 3/4 and mine seems to do the job fine.

[Duvalfamilycampers]

We are purchasing a bullet 230BHS with a dry weight of 4200# and a max capacity of 6400#, a hitch weight at 450ish...I feel the Dodge ram 1500 or Tundra would be more than adequate,,,,both have a 5.7L of course.

[chris199]

Check the numbers on the truck....but I suspect you re fine. Truck has factory tow packge?

[Duvalfamilycampers]

yes all vehicles we are looking at have factory package and HD cooler for tramsmission

[bennydog]

We towed our 24RKS Cougar dry weight of 5460 hitch of 450 from the book with an 07 Ram 1500 with the Hemi. The truck did OK, it was always the payload that troubled me. I seem to recall it was in the 1200 range and after you put me and the DW and the dog and the other junk in the truck I was left with about 800 lbs and the proper hitch weight to get the trailer to tow nicely was closer to 700lbs so I had to be real careful about what else we could take.
I know of a place called Duvall in Washington, we live across the valley from it toward Woodinville and there is no way out of town that is flat. You have to climb out of the valley to get anywhere. I finely tired of the 1/2 ton and moved up to a 2500 with the diesel this passed year. Will the match up work...yes...will you get hooked and buy a heavier trailer...yes, we are on our third trailer and now our 4th tow vehicle. Go as big as you can with the TV maybe it will last longer then one trailer.

[Duvalfamilycampers]

How close is hitch weight to what manufactors say.... I have a 4200 dry weight 2000 cargo capacity and 450 hitch...if the Dodge or Tundra has 8000 or 10000 capacity, would it not be easy to tow this TT?

[bennydog]

I can't recall if Keystone is one of the manufactures that includes in their hitch weight things like batteries and full propane tanks or not. I think I understand that hitch weight should be 12% to 15% of the trailer weight. Having said that a trailer weighing 10,000 lbs should have a hitch weight of some where between 1200 and 1500 lbs so the cargo capacity of the truck that tows that trailer would need to be that number plus whatever else goes in the truck, like the driver. There are always at least 2 things to consider when looking at a TV.
Cargo capacity and trailer weight. We'll leave the wheel base conversation for another day :). For the trailer you are looking at I suspect that either the Ram or the Tundra would do nicely.

In our trailer the fresh water tank is near the front of the trailer and I use that to adjust hitch weight to make the trailer behave back there.
I like the hitch weight to be closer to 15% the trailer just seems to tow better with more rather then less hitch weight.

B

[chris199]

My hitch wgt was easily 200 lbs over the brochure. My propane is in rear of TT so I suspect if you propane is up front it would be even more. Battery or batteries need to be added in addition to stuff stored up front in TT and in storage areas up front.

I have the 5.7L Tundra. At total trailer wgt of only 6700 lb or so, I am at max Payload with just my wife and I, hitch wgt of trailer, and small amt of stuff in truck. There is no way I can even approach towing 9600 lbs (max - new calculation) with the truck....payload would be far exceeded. That's the deceiving part of 1/2 ton trucks and towing capaciities.....you have to know what you are doing otherwise you can create a very unsafe condition for you and others on the road and, even worse, be unware of it.

Know Thy Numbers.....

[Duvalfamilycampers]

We pulled trigger tonight and purchased a 2008 Tundra 5.7 with 52k miles hopefully no issue pulling 230bhs.....how do you know if you have factory tow package it has small radiator on radiator..... can you tell if deal put towing package on??

[SteveC7010]

We pulled trigger tonight and purchased a 2008 Tundra 5.7 with 52k miles hopefully no issue pulling 230bhs.....how do you know if you have factory tow package it has small radiator on radiator..... can you tell if deal put towing package on??

The "towing package" really can not be installed by a dealer these days. It usually includes a different (larger capacity) alternator, oil and tranny coolers, factory style trailer wiring, factory WD receiver.

You have to check accessories noted on the ID plate somewhere under the hood.

The smaller radiator is usually the tranny cooler. My Dodge has a sandwich of at least two radiators plus something in there for the A/C as well.

[rrohrer]

sounds like your describing the transmission cooler. you'll need that. you were gonna tow trailer with a jeep G.C., so you are definitely gonna be more comfortable now. Don't forget you'll need a brake controller and weight dist. hitch with sway control. also. I used to drive motorcycle and I tow my camper kinda the same. Not too fast, leave room between you and vehicle in front of you, and watch for intersections that someone might pull out in front of you quickly. drive knowing tht your stopping distance is longer.

[Duvalfamilycampers]

Made the decision after much consideration. Pick up new Bullet 281BHS. We love the TT, We decided that the Tundra will be able to handle the load....down the road we will get a 3/4 ton but decided that get our next trailer first. Very excited we'll be asking alot of advice from this forum.

[rrohrer]

Made the decision after much consideration. Pick up new Bullet 281BHS. We love the TT, We decided that the Tundra will be able to handle the load....down the road we will get a 3/4 ton but decided that get our next trailer first. Very excited we'll be asking alot of advice from this forum.

congrats. enjoy your new tt and tv!