Can I tow a 280BH Passport?

SteveM · 07-18-2009, 03:58 PM

We are very interested in a Passport 280BH, but am skeptical if my vehical can tow it.

My TV, a Chevy Tahoe (4.8 liter, 3.23 rear end) has a max rating of 5700 lbs according to the manual. The Passport has a weight of 4800. Seems as if I will be getting very close to my rating, if not exceed it when you factor in the people in the TV and all the gear. The dealer says I'll be fine, but he may just want to sell me a camper

I'm looking for other peoples experiences with towing and what they tow with and how it works out for them

Thanks in advance,
Steve

Festus2 · 07-18-2009, 05:10 PM

You should be skeptical. If you figure on about 1500 lbs of "extra stuff" - both in your Chevy Tahoe and in the Passport, you will exceed your rating by about 600 lbs. I think you can count on 1500 lbs as being close to the weight of everything ... and I am referring to propane tanks, water, passengers, and all the other "stuff" you put into both your tow vehicle and the Passport.
Flyguy has a Passport and he will be able to give you his recommendations and advice. But if I were you, I would consider a smaller, lighter TT or a bigger tow vehicle. The salesperson who told you that you would be "okay" is looking for a sale and probably couldn't care less what you pull it with.
Richard

Festus2 · 07-18-2009, 06:51 PM

You might want to read posts by Flyguy regarding his tow vehicle. He has an '08 Passport 280BH and tows it with a Toyota rated at 10,400 lbs and with a 5.7L engine. There is a significant difference between your two towing vehicles! Richard

Flyguy · 07-19-2009, 05:51 AM

Festus2 is correct, at present my TV is a Toyota Tundra which has no problems with my 280BH, however, my previous TV was a 2004 Toyota Tacoma pre-runner V6 Double-cab compact truck with about 190hp (3.4L) and a tow rating of about 5000lbs, it pulled the 280BH just fine except that in the hills of Tennessee I could only make about 40mph going up hills, I had just bought the trailer and picked it up in Louisville, KY and was taking it home to Headland, AL, about a 550 mile trip. I had propane in both tanks but no water or fluids in the holding tanks and I had my wife and another couple in the TV. I later installed a Toyota TRD supercharger on the engine which boosted the hp from 190 to 260 and boosted the tow rating to 6500lbs and turned the truck into an animal, no problems now going up hills and the supercharger would maintain full HP even at the higher elevations of the Smokey Mountains, However, the truck was small and the pickup bed was too shallow to carry my generator or even a large ice chest, soooo...... we went to the local Toyota dealer with a tape measure to see if the new Tundra had a bed deep enough to carry the generator with the Tourneau cover closed (like we had on the Tacoma) and one thing lead to another and before long we were the proud owners of a new Tundra (after the dealer made me an offer I couldn't refuse).

thewren · 07-19-2009, 01:50 PM

We tow the passport 300BH with an 04 GMC Denali with a 6.0l engine and the tow package, the tow package gave us the transmission cooler, tow haul mode, and 3.73 gears. We do not seem to have any problems, but I will tell you at the scales loaded for a week long trip with 2 kids and the wife, we usually weigh around 7000 lbs on the trailer, and right at 7000 lbs for the TV.
I would make sure that you have the longer wheelbase, that helps.
JMHO

Flyguy · 07-19-2009, 02:21 PM

I agree with "thewren", a long wheelbase TV is much better for towing a TT, with a short wheelbase, you get pushed around quit a bit from trailer sway and it can become a big problem, here you definetely need a hitch such as the "Hensley Arrow" or at least a Reese or Draw-Tite dual cam sway control hitch.

antiqfreq · 07-20-2009, 04:53 AM

You need a tow vehicle that has a longer wheelbase.

We used to tow our hybrid camper which was 21 ft long
wiht my GMC Envoy, and it did okay, but I would not
tow anything longer with it.

We live in flat lands (Florida) so never really had much
problems with the power - unless in a head wind.

But we certainly would never have gotten a longer trailer
without a longer tow vehicle.........

Jo a/k/a/ AntiqFreq

SteveM · 07-20-2009, 03:11 PM

Thanks for all the replies. I am still wavering what to do. I'm sure I can tow it, but may be in for a surprise when I approach some hills.

I am investigating getting the gears changed out to 3.73 which might help. According to the owners manual, it will boost my tow rating to 6500 lbs.

I have been told also that I should consider a vehical with a longer wheel base, not sure I understand why especally since I plan to have it properly equipped I (sway bars, brake control, leveling bars). My Tahoe also has the tow mode on the transmission.

The RV dealer says I should be fine, even offered for me to hook it up for a test run. Not sure that will be a decent test or not since it will not be fully loaded.

decisions, decisions....

Festus2 · 07-20-2009, 04:17 PM

A few comments.......
I would say that unless (a) you can test your Passport and tow vehicle which is pretty much full of whatever you plan to take on a "normal" camping outing (except full fresh water tanks) and (b) drive it up a moderate climb, both in length and in grade, I really dont think that driving an empty trailer around on pretty much flat roads will tell you very much. Unless, of course, you plan on doing all of your RVing in flat areas, void of any mountain climbs or steep grades. Taking it out for a short test drive around the block a couple of times won't tell you much!
As has been already pointed out, having a long wheel base on your tow vehicle is an excellent idea. I would recommend that you visit this site which might shed more light on what Flyguy and Antiqfreq have been saying: www.davidsrvtips.blogspot.com
The first portion of this site talks about wheelbase and the importance of it when towing a trailer.
Having the 3.73 gear ratio would be better than what you have now but you might consider the cost of doing this - which I sure you have already done.
I realize that there will be an additional expense in upgrading to a larger and more powerful tow vehicle but in the long run I really believe it will be worth every penny. There is also a safety factor to consider. Not sure if you have children but I wouldnt spare any expense to make sure that you arent pushing the limits of their safety by staying with what you have. And I think that you are on the edge so why not erase any doubts about the safety issue and upgrade to a bigger tow vehicle? Then , when you go camping you can relax, knowing that what you have is safe.
Yes, it is a difficult decision for you but putting your family's safety first makes could make the decision a whole lot easier.
Richard

SteveM · 07-21-2009, 04:38 AM

I think I will start looking for a different tow vehicle.

I probably be looking at a 3/4 ton crew cab p/u.

What kind of specs should I be looking at besides the tow capacity? Would a 1/2 ton do the job, or will I be disappointed still

I am partial to GM, so a 2500 3/4 ton crew cab is tops on the list (3.73 rear end?). Don't think I need a diesel.

Anyone wanna buy a Tahoe in excellent condition

)

Thanks for all the advice...

Flyguy · 07-21-2009, 08:12 AM

Well I think it's what you get the best deal on, a 3/4 ton truck to pull a Passport 280BH is overkill, the Passport series was designed to be pulled by a 1/2 ton full size pickup or SUV. The empty weights range from about 4000lbs to about 5500lbs, my empty weight is stated as 4580lbs with a gross weight of 6040lbs, I always figure that after I load up I'm running about 5600lbs and any full size 1/2 ton will easily handle that, of course if the dealer has a 3/4 ton that he wants to get rid of for a price that approaches that of a 1/2 ton then yea, go for it. Be sure to look for one with a tow package and the extendable tow mirrors, I have this on my Tundra and I can see almost to the immediate rear of my trailer and I'm pleased with that.

hoffbrew · 07-21-2009, 02:20 PM

Been there... done this... Buy a diesel. I purchased my first truck (2500HD 4X4 CC 6.0 Kenne Bell Super Charger) and a Keystone Sprinter 314DBHS. This was great, but when it came to the hills, she had a bit of a struggle and liked to make frequent stops at the gas stations!
I purchased a LB CC Diesel and should have done this the first time. Gets better MPG esp towing. Now I have a 40' Raptor and tows this hog awesome!

DFreiberger · 10-04-2010, 05:26 PM

Hey Steve,

Just want to share my thoughts. Before I bought my TT, I had a 2010 Toyota Tacoma Extended Cab w/long bed. It had a 6500 lb. tow capacity.

My wife and I shopped at six different dealers to find the right TT that met our needs and fell within our tow capacity. Many of the TTs fell under the tow capacity but by the time you factor in additional weight for belongings, etc., we would come close to the max, or we would have to settle for a smaller TT.

What I didn't want to do was be towing up a grade and be stuck in the right lane with flashers on towing at 40 MPH because I didn't have enough truck to get it done.

Nor did I want to settle for a smaller TT, one which we might not like in time because it is smaller than we wanted. Don't settle. You need to consider buying the TT you want or you may not like the whole camping thing.

The trailer we wanted was a Keystone Outback 260FL. Dry weight 6300 lbs./31 ft tongue to tail.

With that said, I took my Tacoma and traded for a 5.7L Tundra. I wanted to be able to tow the trailer we really wanted and not one we settled on due to tow capability constraints.

You have to enjoy the TT you choose because if you do not enjoy it, you won't use it.

Just my thoughts

Dutchman

Bruno · 11-06-2010, 06:04 PM

I'd be skeptical also. Best if you moved up to a Tundra. There are several here who swear by them.

traveler · 11-07-2010, 02:12 AM

We had a 2008 4 Runner 4.7 V 8 with 373 gears. I would NOT pull our 2011 285 RL with it because the wheel base was too short and it had a 7200 lb tow package.
We bought a left over new 2010 Ford F 250 with the 5.4, 300 hp 380 torque and 373 gears with 10,000 lb tow package. It's the super cab with 8 ft bed (long wheel base).
Loaded for a trip we should be at about 70% or so of the tow rating and that is a safety margin I am comfortable with.
We put an "undrcover" solid bed cover on to secure items in the bed.
Good luck on your choice.

vipermn · 11-11-2010, 01:36 PM

I just picked up a 2010 Passport 292bh and tow with my 1/2 ton 5.7L Hemi. It has the tow package and 3.92 rear end. It still struggles on the hills with the trailer in tow. Get a bigger TV!!

Seann · 11-12-2010, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveM

We are very interested in a Passport 280BH, but am skeptical if my vehical can tow it.

My TV, a Chevy Tahoe (4.8 liter, 3.23 rear end) has a max rating of 5700 lbs . The dealer says I'll be fine, but he may just want to sell me a camper

Thanks in advance,
Steve

The dealer is just interested in selling an RV he dont give a flying french freak after you buy it... To verify what I am saying have him put it in writing that your tow vehicle is ok to tow this trailer and that insurance will cover it if anything happens... HE WONT DO THAT...... and will have 10,000 excuses why he cant.
Seann
PS get a Chevy diesel... you will NEVER regret that move.....

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