Journey with Confidence RV GPS App RV Trip Planner RV LIFE Campground Reviews RV Maintenance Take a Speed Test Free 7 Day Trial ×
 

Go Back   Keystone RV Forums > Keystone Fleet | Keystone RV Models > Travel Trailers
Click Here to Login

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
 
Old 07-29-2018, 12:24 PM   #21
JRWard
Junior Member
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: Worthington, OH
Posts: 4
Trailer Size

I tow a 5200 pound (when empty) trailer with a GMC Yukon XL. The truck is rated for up to 8400 pounds. A long wheel base is a good idea. They are a good match. I would not want any bigger (heavier) trailer than that. You need lots of margin to tow comfortably. We have gone on trips as far as 1200 miles one way.
JRWard is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 12:28 PM   #22
Wxman
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: West Central IN
Posts: 141
The sticker OP posted shows GVWR of 6500. Base curb weight for the vehicle starts at 5004 and looks like closer to 5400 or more for a loaded up V8 model. Looks like it could be very payload limited as others have alluded to, especially with kids to consider in TV. It seems these manufacturers post numbers that are only good for pulling a haywagon.
__________________
Wxman
2018 Passport Elite 19RB (sold)
2021 Jayco Eagle HT 274CKDS
2017 Silverado Z71 5.3L 3.42 gears(sold)
2021 Sierra 2500 4x4 CCSB SLT (gas)
E4 16k/1.6k hitch
Wxman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 12:41 PM   #23
JRTJH
Site Team
 
JRTJH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Gaylord
Posts: 26,836
Almost all of us that are over 50 remember that as children, we lived in a 3 bedroom, 1 bath house that typically was less than 1200 sqft. Some had a carport (single because "nobody had 2 cars") and a few had a garage, but most "got wet when it rained if we had to go to the car. Many of us didn't even have a car in the family, but most knew a relative to call if we had an emergency. Speaking of calling, most were on a "party line" and knew our "distinctive ring" and when "not to answer because we'd get yelled at to "GET OFF THE PHONE" !!!!!

That said, today, most feel that if it's not 2500 sqft+, 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2+ baths, at least a double carport, (triple garage is better) with at least 2 cars, a 4 wheeler, golf cart, probably a boat and a trailer parked nearby....

What I'm "getting to" is that "expectations" today are much greater than in the past. What was considered a luxury years ago is now a necessity and what most of us grew up knowing we'd never own is typically in most driveways..... It's that way with travel trailers and motorhomes as well as with homes and cars.... In the 60's a typical travel trailer was less than 20' long and usually towed by the family station wagon (or if a "diehard", the IH Travelall). The longest trailers of the day were around 30' and fifth wheels were a novelty that we seldom saw. Today, many believe that if it's not "at least 37', it's impossible to relax and travel.

Times have changed and so have expectations for living arrangements. At the same time, we buy economy cars governed by CAFE standards, 8 and 10 speed transmisisons and MDS systems to squeeze every mile out of every gallon of fuel.... For most, the two, "big travel trailers" and "economy vehicles" are the norm, but they simply are not compatible when it comes to towing. Therein lies the "framework for thought" that most newcomers to RVing bring to the table: I have a F-150, what is the biggest trailer I can tow?" Not: "I have a F-150, what is the appropriate sized trailer I can tow?"
__________________
John



2015 F250 6.7l 4x4
2014 Cougar X Lite 27RKS
JRTJH is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 12:58 PM   #24
Ellen
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2017
Location: Sunnyvale
Posts: 37
Spend a lot of research time on weights and capacities. Nothing seems straight forward. Tow weight is one thing, tongue weight another. Then add axel weights and the tire specs. All are important for your safety.
Ellen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 01:20 PM   #25
BAPotter
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: Salt Lake City
Posts: 48
Sticker weights are deceptive

I have a 2016 Bullet 251RBSWE that I was towing with a Chevy Tahoe that had 7,800lb tow capacity, 13,000 lb. GCVW. Although I “could” and did tow it within all the weight parameters, I was so close to maxed out that I decided to upgrade the TV this year. What I found was the stickers mean almost nothing. The TV had a factory curb weight of 5,200lbs but a scale weight of 5,980lbs. with full fuel and 2 people. My Bullet has a sticker weight (factory dry) of 5,139lb. but a scale weight of 6,566lbs wet, and ready for camping (almost 1000 lbs of that is on the tongue on a 14,000lb Equalizer hitch). Gross combined weight of 12,546. The Bullet is a well built, easy to tow trailer. My PDI had nothing on the punch list and everything still working at 2 years in.
BAPotter is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 02:14 PM   #26
JCR
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: DARTMOUTH, NS
Posts: 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kuwanger23 View Post
Hey guys and gals,

My wife and I have been looking for a little over a year now for our first travel trailer. We have a towing capacity of 7200lbs with our jeep trailhawk.

I think we have it narrowed down between three trailers. But first let us list or wants, preferences and needs:

Wrap around dinet
Bunks
Outdoor kitchen
Bathtub (for my son who turns two next month)

The more we can get of the above the better. And we have other nit picky things that I won't bother to list here.

We are still learning. A lot. Learned something about flush systems yesterday that seems like a big deal. But without further ado, here is what we think we are looking for. Of course we are open to this groups wisdom and suggestions as you guys have hands on experience:

Jayco Jayfeather 25BH

Keystone Bullet 243BHS

Shadow Cruiser 240BHS (saw that it has a similar weight, build, layout to the above two but haven't looked at one yet).

Discuss...
We tow a similar size trailer (5300 LB dry weight) to what you are considering with a Grand Cherokee with factory tow, air suspension, EcoDiesel and Equalizer hitch with no issues. We towed RV back from Toronto last November through very windy conditions through northern NB without any significant issues. We were certainly aware of the wind but manageable. We typically have 3 adults max but very little gear in TV. Loaded we estimate trailer is 6000-6200 which is 1000 below max rated capacity. We typically travel at 100 kph, and manage long grades without problem.
JCR is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 03:25 PM   #27
ctbruce
Site Team | Emeritus
 
ctbruce's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Kansas City
Posts: 3,878
Gonna be blunt here. Not trying to step on any toes, but probably will.

Estimating your weight is not the same as knowing your weight. Using the manufacturer's brochures is not a substitute for knowing actual weights. Using only one weight parameter to make a decision on which size trailer to buy is crazy. Telling yourself that your setup is great will not make it so.

You have to weigh it to know where you are at towing-wise. Guessing is not the way to go.

That said, there are a lot of us on this forum who have documented their experiences of having an undersized setup. But the difference is that we were aware of the limitations and made a plan to correct this as soon as possible. And we did.

It's about safety, for you, your family, and others. Will you have a wreck and kill everyone in the county just because you tow over the limits? Probably not, just based on odds. But the possibility of having a wreck with the potential to seriously or permanently hurt or destroy someone by using underrated equipment goes up exponentially every time you tow this way.

Food for thought. Carry on.
__________________

Chip Bruce, RPh
Kansas City, MO
2016 Impact 312
2017 Silverado 3500HD SRW
ctbruce is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 04:17 PM   #28
sourdough
Site Team
 
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: W. Texas
Posts: 17,598
Quote:
Originally Posted by ctbruce View Post
Gonna be blunt here. Not trying to step on any toes, but probably will.

Estimating your weight is not the same as knowing your weight. Using the manufacturer's brochures is not a substitute for knowing actual weights. Using only one weight parameter to make a decision on which size trailer t ok buy is crazy. Telling yourself that your setup is great will not make it so.

You have to weigh it to know where you are at towing-wise. Guessing is not the way to go.

That said, there are a lot of us on this forum who have documented their experiences of having an undersized setup. But the difference is that we were aware of the limitations and made a plan to correct this as soon as possible. And we did.

It's about safety, for you, your family, and others. Will you have a wreck and kill everyone in the county just because you tow over the limits? Probably not, just based on odds. But the possibility of having a wreck with the potential to seriously or permanently hurt or destroy someone by using underrated equipment goes up exponentially every time you tow this way.

Food for thought. Carry on.


^^^^ xxx3 what he said!
__________________
Danny and Susan, wife of 56 years
2019 Ram 3500 Laramie CC SWB SB 6.4 4x4 4.10
2020 Montana High Country 331RL
sourdough is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-29-2018, 06:10 PM   #29
Ken / Claudia
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Fruitland
Posts: 3,357
A proper TV/RV combo should not have any issues with the TV minor/major or significant.
__________________
2013 24RKSWE (27ft TT) Cougar 1/2 ton series SOLD 10-2021
2013 Ford F350 4x4 CC 6.7 engine, 8 ft bed, 3.55 rear end, lariat package
Retired from Oregon State Police in 2011 than worked another 9.5 years as a small town traffic cop:
As of 05-2020, I am all done with 39 years total police work. No more uniforms for me.
Ken / Claudia is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-30-2018, 07:36 PM   #30
Rubicon100
Member
 
Rubicon100's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Indianapolis
Posts: 85
Quote:
Originally Posted by sourdough View Post
^^^^ xxx3 what he said!
What he said times 4
Rubicon100 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-31-2018, 11:39 AM   #31
Alamen
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Canada
Posts: 11
You have a 3700 lbs rear axle. That will be 3700 lbs over axle weight with the weight of the SUV, gas at around (8 pounds a gallon) passengers and anything else you stick in the unit. I can tell you without a doubt that the units you are selecting for their weight will put you over axle load. Those are light axles with small brakes. People seem to think that GCWR is the only thing to be concerned with. It just boggles my mind. There are 3 concerns always.

1) True over axle weight. Hitches, fuel, water and anything else you put in that unit will add up on tongue weight. Anything in the vehicle will take away from usable tongue weight. You can only CARRY so much. Guaranteed your over with a 5500 LBS dry trailer with the axles on the Jeep. Has nothing to do with combined vehicle weight. To be safe you should have an equalizer hitch to prevent sway. Those aren't light. Again taking away from amount you can CARRY not tow. You can drag more across the ground on any vehicle out there, you just cannot CARRY it. Get in an accident, even a minor one and watch what your insurance does for you.

2) Stability. Longer wheel base means more stability. This is critical. You are going to get passed by semi's and they are going to move you with air. Trust me. Equalizer hitch will help this. Get air shocks to help with keeping the rear level under weight. You will need them. Your rear springs aren't going to cut it. When you drop the trailer on the hitch your front end should not move up more than 1" with a proper setup. Or close to it. Measure from ground to bottom of front wheel well and then re-measure again after load and equalizer hitch is adjusted. Check for the 1" rating.

Measure trailer from front to back to see if its level. Low front trailer will cause your truck front end to lift when brakes are applied hard. High front of trailer will cause rear of truck to lift. Get it? Its a pocket knife. The blade is strong when straight out but collapses when bent in.

3) Downhill. You need brakes and the ability to slow the unit down going downhill. Make damn sure you can hold this unit back going downhill without using a ton of brakes. Brakes heat up and fade, then you cannot stop and the unit runs away on you. Brakes are for maintaining desired speed. Apply to keep speed at desired level by applying the letting go. If you got to ride them to hold the units back your in trouble. They will heat up and fail.

Anybody can drive a unit on the flats and be reasonably safe. Be prepared for the above 3 things and your heading in the right direction. Those are the things that will fail you. I towed a 5800lbs dry weight Cougar on a 2008 F150 with tow package and once I scaled it I was only 200lbs under axle weight in rear and 250 under on front. This was with proper setup. My rated tongue weight on trailer was 550LBS. One of the lower ones on the market. Very well balanced trailer. Weighed more of course once hitch was attached.
Alamen is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-01-2018, 04:57 PM   #32
Gary-n-Liz
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Domiciled in South Dakota
Posts: 14
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanaJan View Post
We raised our kids in a pop up. But had been looking for a TT for a few years that would meet our needs. We discovered the Keystone Passport Ultra-light Grand Touring 2400 BHS and fell in love with it. It has everything you mentioned. We bought it new in March and have been very happy! We are close to retiring but wanted the double bunks for grandkids. The bottom bunk also works wonderful as a bed for another adult without having to put the table down. A lot of storage space, too! Insist on the Teddy Bear mattresses. Very soft and comfy. We may need to replace the queen mattress, however.
From Liz: A comment on a new mattress. From our personal experience Mattress Insider in Colorado is the way to go. Excellent quality, made to the measurements you give them (they even call you to verify), you choose how hard or soft, and the price is right. Still happy after two years.
Gary-n-Liz is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2018, 10:10 AM   #33
Jeepshots
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Central Arkansas
Posts: 235
Hi - we own the 243BHS, and initially started towing it with a Dodge Durango Citadel AWD with the 5.7L Hemi. Dodge's version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, albeit with 3rd row seating. It had the 7200 lb towing capacity. It also had 1200 lbs of cargo capacity. The TT did not come with an electric tongue jack. I had the dealer install one after I tried to hand-crank it up/down (it went down very easy, up - notsomuch). While we were at it, also had them install a slide topper. Wish I'd have thought about a fantastic fan or Maxxair or something along those lines as well. Back to the tow vehicle... We could tow with the Durango, but it was a handful. Trailer easily succumbed to winds and 18-wheelers moved you around when they passed. We had two kids and two dogs. Because of the numbers, we didn't carry anything in the Durango other than a small cooler for drinks/snacks that sat between the kids. Nothing in the back. The reason was, with the tongue weight of the camper and all of us in it, we were pegging the cargo capacity of the vehicle. After five months of towing with the Durango, we traded it in on a Ram 3500 crew cab. It has more room in the back seating area than the Durango had, and winds/18-wheelers no longer move us around. I can load up all I want in the bed, as we went from 1200lb cargo capacity to 3800lb cargo capacity. Basically, the truck doesn't care/know that the trailer is behind it. You never forgot it when driving the Durango. So much easier towing our camper now.

I'm not saying you can't do the 243BHS with the Trailhawk - you can. But you'll be right up there near your limits. Upgrade your tires to LT tires to remove the squishiness/wiggliness you'll feel, get a great weight distribution hitch and get it set up properly. Find a reputable trailer brake controller and get it dialed in. Distribute your items thru-out the camper - don't just load it all into the front storage. Get all set up for camping, all loaded out, and go! Hit the scales on your way out (research the proper weighing process for CAT scales - very easy and eye-popping informative). Don't get in a rush to get where you're going, and use tow/haul to help keep your engine/tranny happy. Enjoy your camper! Ping me for questions if you have any...
__________________
- Doug
2017 Bullet 243BHS
2014 Ram 3500 Laramie Crew Cab w/6.4L Hemi
~ In your darkest hour when the demons come, call on me brother and we will fight them together! ~
Jeepshots is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-02-2018, 07:04 PM   #34
Jefster
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Grand Haven
Posts: 54
The best advice I heard was - buy your second trailer first. When you buy new, you're going to have it a while before you can get out of it what you owe (presuming you finance it), so after living in it a while you might find some things that seemed like they would be a big deal, but they end up not being so important to you. I always wanted an outdoor kitchen, but the more I thought about it and the last several years of camping in our hybrid, I realized that's not as important as I once thought it was to me. Storage space wasn't real high on my radar when we bought our first one because we were upgrading from a pop up, but once we ran out of storage space camping became more of a chore because of all the loading and unloading every time. You might plan on using the dinette for a bed and think that's no problem, but two years in decide that's not going to work and you wish you'd have gotten one with one more sleeping space.
All that to say, you don't want to be stuck in a trailer that doesn't work for you because you didn't anticipate what you were going to need a few years down the road.

We bought a brand new Jayco Hybrid 7 years ago and just sold it this summer. I never had a problem with that camper except for the front bunk seal, but that's a very common hybrid problem. It even came with real tires on it.
We bought our passport just recently, and I've got several small things for the dealer to fix already, but they are pretty small things. What attracted us to it is the relatively light weight of the aluminum construction, giving us a lot more space and 2000 pounds lighter than other similar trailers I'd seen.

I like the floor plans you sent, but I wonder about inside seating in the bullet. If you're camping with friends, sometimes a couch is nice to have. The only seating space is at the dinette and that's not going to fit 7. A couch plus dinette is nice for having more than 2 adults inside a trailer for any length of time. Just a thought. Some people don't like them and would rather use the space for something else, but it all depends on how you will use your trailer.
Jefster is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
travel trailer

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

» Featured Campgrounds

Reviews provided by

Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v3.2.3
Disclaimer:

This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Keystone RV Company or any of its affiliates in any way. Keystone RV® is a registered trademark of the Keystone RV Company.


All times are GMT -8. The time now is 12:36 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.