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Old 05-28-2020, 06:12 PM   #41
sourdough
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BTDT - been there, done that.
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Old 05-28-2020, 06:22 PM   #42
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BTDT - been there, done that.
I thought it was RV speak. I needed that laugh.
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Old 05-28-2020, 06:28 PM   #43
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Another little something to keep in mind . The trailer load capacity isn’t always evenly distributed. The battery, or batteries,50 to 100 lbs, goes right on the trailer tongue. The 60 lbs of propane, goes right on the tongue. Where is the storage compartment that you are going to place all of your camping gear? Yep, right at the front. So what was a big part of your trucks payload consumption just got a lot bigger.
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Old 05-28-2020, 06:43 PM   #44
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When looking at the carrying capacity, does that also mean the battery, LP, water? In that case you could exceed the carrying capacity real quick in these small trailers.
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Old 05-28-2020, 06:55 PM   #45
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When looking at the carrying capacity, does that also mean the battery, LP, water? In that case you could exceed the carrying capacity real quick in these small trailers.
Yes, empty weight is what it weighed when it came out of the factory door. It will never weight that again. The dealer adds a battery (or 2), propane tanks, and a spare tire. All that comes off the trailer's payload. Then you add cloths, cooking/eating utensils, pots & pans,coffee maker, toiletries/paper goods, linens, water, food, drinks, etc., etc. Take all that off the payload and add to the empty weight. It adds up very quickly.
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Old 05-28-2020, 08:02 PM   #46
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Uzelessknowledge, I am going to share my scale results on my setup as I think it is close to the truck/size/weight you are looking at. I have a 2012 F150 4x4 extended cab with a Passport Elite 23rb.

As you can see the weights are tight but workable. The camper was filled as for normal camping plus a full tank of water. I normally don't travel with full water but wanted to know what that did to my weight if I ever wanted or needed to. For reference on my camper the water tank is under the bed located in the front of the trailer. I don't think we carry more stuff than we need, but the stuff does add up over the years. In the front storage we have two chairs, a rug, Clam Screen shelter, weber grill, two water hoses, power cord and extra power cord, two tubs or mis parts (one fresh water items and one hitch pins, lube, etc) two milk creates of plastic Level blocks, X-chocks, jack, sewer house support, and road flares. (how did I get all this crap in here!).

Hopefully this helps.
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Old 05-28-2020, 08:07 PM   #47
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Uzelessknowledge, I am going to share my scale results on my setup as I think it is close to the truck/size/weight you are looking at. I have a 2012 F150 4x4 extended cab with a Passport Elite 23rb.

As you can see the weights are tight but workable. The camper was filled as for normal camping plus a full tank of water. I normally don't travel with full water but wanted to know what that did to my weight if I ever wanted or needed to. For reference on my camper the water tank is under the bed located in the front of the trailer. I don't think we carry more stuff than we need, but the stuff does add up over the years. In the front storage we have two chairs, a rug, Clam Screen shelter, weber grill, two water hoses, power cord and extra power cord, two tubs or mis parts (one fresh water items and one hitch pins, lube, etc) two milk creates of plastic Level blocks, X-chocks, jack, sewer house support, and road flares. (how did I get all this crap in here!).

Hopefully this helps.
For reference the empty weight was suppose to be 4,560lbs. so I close to a 1,000lbs of stuff added to the trailer. Small trailer and two people so I think it is close to what you are looking at.
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Old 05-28-2020, 08:11 PM   #48
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For reference the empty weight was suppose to be 4,560lbs. so I close to a 1,000lbs of stuff added to the trailer. Small trailer and two people so I think it is close to what you are looking at.

Justin, thanks for sharing the above info. I'm thinking it will go a long way in shedding light on the towing issue for Travis.
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Old 05-29-2020, 04:36 AM   #49
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For reference the empty weight was suppose to be 4,560lbs. so I close to a 1,000lbs of stuff added to the trailer. Small trailer and two people so I think it is close to what you are looking at.
So a scale will give you a report like this?

Even after all your stuff you were still ~1,300lbs short of the trailer gvwr. Did you have all your stuff in the trailer like clothes and food etc?
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Old 05-29-2020, 05:40 AM   #50
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So a scale will give you a report like this?

Even after all your stuff you were still ~1,300lbs short of the trailer gvwr. Did you have all your stuff in the trailer like clothes and food etc?
No, a scale will not give you a report like this. You need the scale weights to get the data (weights) to plug into the worksheet that you get online. All the scale will provide is the "raw weights" that you must then "interpret" to obtain the margins/percentages of vehicle capacity.

To answer your question about 1300 pounds short of trailer GVWR, with 2240 cargo capacity, that means he has about 940 pounds of cargo in the trailer.

NOTE: The tongue weight is advertised at 500 pounds and is actually 980, nearly twice as much as "advertised".

The specs for the 23RBS are:4560 2240 500 25’ 11”
Shipping weight: 4560
Cargo Capacity: 2240
Tongue weight: (advertised) 500 (as you can see, definitely not accurate for towing purposes)
Length: 25’ 11”
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Old 05-29-2020, 06:02 AM   #51
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CAT scales are at many truck stops and are the most popular scales in use. Their site is very informative. https://catscale.com/
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Old 05-29-2020, 05:51 PM   #52
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So a scale will give you a report like this?

Even after all your stuff you were still ~1,300lbs short of the trailer gvwr. Did you have all your stuff in the trailer like clothes and food etc?
This was after a weekend trip so some things like water/beer food were no long onboard. While yes I was short of the trailer max GVWR notice how heavy the tongue weight was. Just showing how fast he payload on the truck can be taken away by the trailer tongue weight.

The report I posted is using scale weights but it is not the report you will get from the scale. This website walks you through the weighing process and will do the calculation for you. https://fifthwheelst.com/conventiona...alculator.html

Hopefully this all helps!
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Old 05-30-2020, 10:48 AM   #53
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Found this spreadsheet and it seems to be helpful.
https://confessionsofanrvaholic.com/...ty-calculator/

Thank you all for your help. I’m sure I’ll be back with some questions.
Things do seem to be doable and I don’t seem as challenged. After getting the right numbers for the truck and putting them in the calculators I have a better grasp on things. I will still take the truck to the scales.
We aren’t making a decision now so we have plenty of time.
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Old 05-30-2020, 02:26 PM   #54
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My two cents, get more truck than you need. If you need a 3/4 ton, look at the one tons. They really don't cost that much more and the ride is better than you'd expect. You may like RV life and want to go bigger one day.
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Old 05-30-2020, 05:45 PM   #55
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First, the GCVWR is defined as "the maximum allowable weight of a loaded vehicle and its attached loaded trailer." 12,000 on a 6,000 lb truck? Somehow these numbers don't seem to gel.
And something I need to point out to you. This an entry level trailer, very small, and very few amenities. I think it is a quality choice, mind you, but if it works out you will be looking to upgrade fairly quickly. I would encourage you to shop wisely, possibly looking at a well-kept 5 year old similar model, have the brakes and bearings redone, buy four new tires and hit the road. No depreciation to speak of and easier to sell.
We'd also like to know the 'cargo capacity' from the door jamb sticker of your truck.
Buy five new tires - The spare is probably just as old as the camper is. Even covered, it's still too old should you need to use it.
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Old 05-30-2020, 05:49 PM   #56
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I whole-heartedly concur!
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Old 06-06-2020, 10:10 AM   #57
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Went tent camping Thursday till today. Wow. I saw some interesting things. Trucks that were too high in the front. Tongues that were too low. Some strange noises. Some trailers being pulled by vehicles that I didn’t think would pull that much. Saw Tahoes, small trucks, small suvs.

Still looking at looking at numbers. I guess I never realized the tow vehicle payload ability played such a big factor. So glad I’m researching this before making a mistake. I can’t buy a new truck and a trailer. Since we don’t know if this is really what we want, we are going to look at a small trailer that has some of the things we want.
A fridge with freezer. Don’t want a dorm fridge. Highest ceiling possible with sky light in shower. I’m 6’1” and need every inch I can find.
We haven’t been looking yet but I’m started looking at some of the Jayco Jay Flights and Grey Wolfs.
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Old 06-06-2020, 10:15 AM   #58
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Good on you for not making any rash decisions. I have had lots of exposure to the Jayco Jay Flight...I would be very cautious about buying one. Look it over with a magnifying glass and operate EVERYTHING in it before towing it home. Not saying they are ALL bad, just that a majority of the ones I PDI'd were full of problems from the factory, YMMV.
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Old 06-06-2020, 10:17 AM   #59
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Good luck in your search. It's true there a lot of folks out their towing unsafe rigs. I was one of them for many years. I look back at some of the stuff I did when I was <cough> younger and just cringe. I (and my family) was very lucky things didn't go south.

You don't have to purchase a Keystone to get help in this forum, so don't leave just because you purchase something else. There's lots of great help here.
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Old 06-06-2020, 10:23 AM   #60
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Good on you for not making any rash decisions. I have had lots of exposure to the Jayco Jay Flight...I would be very cautious about buying one. Look it over with a magnifying glass and operate EVERYTHING in it before towing it home. Not saying they are ALL bad, just that a majority of the ones I PDI'd were full of problems from the factory, YMMV.


^^^^x2. First "RV" I ever bought was a Jayco pop up in the early 80s. Touted as Amish craftmanship etc. even though it was a pop up. Nothing but trouble. Looked at them off and on since but just seem to see issues....and the floorplans/interiors? Like whoever designed them never spent a week in one.

Other than that, the dealer (if you plan to use one for the sale and/or maintenance) should be the highest priority. Are they any good? Good reputation? Capable/honest? Customer oriented? Do your due diligence on this prior to purchase and let that be your guiding criteria if it plays into your plans.

I buy Keystone for that very reason. The dealer also sells FR products as well. Never had a good experience with FR nor little brother so I keep going with Keystone. YMMV I am sure, just do your homework as you have been doing. A 1500 will tow a nice enough trailer for you to have lots of amenities (far, far removed from a tent) and that 8cf. double door fridge that we had for many years and it did really well by us.
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