1st RV 14 Mountaineer By Montana

[freerepublic]

Bought first RV Travel Trailer and homesteading in it on 5 acres we bought in NW Georgia. Have a 2016 F-150 XLT Supercrew V8 4x4 5.0. Added the upgraded tow package and stabilizer bars. Will add a Trans cooler before we travel but right now just happy being on our land in it.

[jsb5717]

Welcome aboard! I'm glad you found us. Right off the bat I'm concerned about your combo. You said you got a Montana Mountaineer? If so that's a 5th wheel which is WAY too much trailer for a 1/2 ton truck.

I hope I've misunderstood you but perhaps you could post the year and model number of the trailer. You will be wise to look at the GVWR of that trailer and it's loaded pin weight. Then compare that to the posted payload rating of your truck.

One of the important things we do here is help keep each other safe. Please let us know your set up.

Edit: I just discovered that the Moutaineer did, in fact, come in a travel trailer. I didn't know that. That certainly helps. What size is yours?

[bobbecky]

If the trailer is a 2014, it is a fifth wheel trailer. There were travel trailers in early to later mid 2000's, but by 2014, only fifth wheels.
https://www.rvtrader.com/Keystone-Mo...ER%7C764951885

[wiredgeorge]

Originally Posted by bobbecky

If the trailer is a 2014, it is a fifth wheel trailer. There were travel trailers in early to later mid 2000's, but by 2014, only fifth wheels.
https://www.rvtrader.com/Keystone-Mo...ER%7C764951885

https://recreationalvehicles.info/20...r-brochure.pdf

At the end of this brochure, the specs are listed; mostly one ton and many in the dually category needed to drag one down the road. Serious safety concerns for the OP and those on the road with him. Hopefully they safely got this camper to the "homestead" and set it up and won't be on the road with it on top the little F150 again.

[freerepublic]

Originally Posted by jsb5717

Welcome aboard! I'm glad you found us. Right off the bat I'm concerned about your combo. You said you got a Montana Mountaineer? If so that's a 5th wheel which is WAY too much trailer for a 1/2 ton truck.

I hope I've misunderstood you but perhaps you could post the year and model number of the trailer. You will be wise to look at the GVWR of that trailer and it's loaded pin weight. Then compare that to the posted payload rating of your truck.

One of the important things we do here is help keep each other safe. Please let us know your set up.

Edit: I just discovered that the Moutaineer did, in fact, come in a travel trailer. I didn't know that. That certainly helps. What size is yours?

Yes, it is definitely a travel trailer. 2014 2004 33 ft Model 315RLS. The GSWR is 9620 posted in the kitchen cabinet. I called my truck dealer who was very helpful and he was saying to stick around 7800. Which is what I thought I was getting when I researched the model. I may have been sold on the RV from the previous owner who assured me my truck had what I needed but probably just wanted to make the sale. It handled fine and stops well getting it to my land but I do agree I may have more trailer than truck. But right now we are homesteading in it which was the priority. Thanks for looking out for us. Might still get that bigger truck I wanted anyway.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by freerepublic

Yes, it is definitely a travel trailer. 2014 33 ft Model 315RLS. The GSWR is 9620 posted in the kitchen cabinet. I called my truck dealer who was very helpful and he was saying to stick around 7800. Which is what I thought I was getting when I researched the model. I may have been sold on the RV from the previous owner who assured me my truck had what I needed but probably just wanted to make the sale. It handled fine and stops well getting it to my land but I do agree I may have more trailer than truck. But right now we are homesteading in it which was the priority. Thanks for looking out for us. Might still get that bigger truck I wanted anyway.

You might want to look into the model and brand of that trailer. I can't find a Mountaineer 315rls travel trailer and the only Mountaineers I've ever seen were 5th wheels. I had a Cougar High Country 319rls travel trailer and I think there may have been a Cougar 315rls 5th wheel about that time (I know there was later) but 2014 Mountaineer travel trailer???

[bobbecky]

I'm really thinking this might be a 2004 year, not a 2014. Here is listings for the Mountaineer travel trailers, and they are 315RLS models, but none 2014. https://www.smartrvguide.com/rvs-for...=2&per-page=15

[freerepublic]

Sorry guys not sure why I got this was a 2014 it is a 2004 as my Wife has now fixed me.

[jsb5717]

Yes, a 2004 makes sense. I was surprised that the Montana line actually had travel trailers but sure enough. Here's one:

https://www.jerrystrailers.com/Pre-O...ebraska-898198

If you end up doing some traveling with it you will definitely want to get into a Heavy Duty truck to manage the weight and size. A strong gust of wind will have the tail wagging the dog. Good luck getting set up.

[JRTJH]

Not that it would replace the actual information that you've got on that cabinet door, but here is a link to the 2004 Montana Mountaineer brochure. The 315RLS floorplan and the specifications are on the last 3 pages of the brochure.

https://www.jerrystrailers.com/fckim...ountaineer.pdf

I'd think that's a pretty heavy trailer for a half ton truck. We had a 1993 Holiday Rambler 34CBFK travel trailer back in 93. It weighed 6800 pounds "dry" and close to 7500 pounds with batteries and full fresh water tank. It was all my F150 could do to shift into 4th gear and it would then start slowing down until it shifted back into 3rd gear. So, we wound up with a new F250 diesel....

Take a look at the brochure, if only out of curiosity, to get a feel of what the company "pushed as important" back in those days... Take note of the tires, both in the brochure and what's on your trailer. Chances are good that they are "aged out" (the date stamp is in an oval that's molded on the tire sidewall). That date stamp will be 4 digits, the first two are the week of the year and the last 2 are the actual year. As an example, 5117 would be the 51st week of 2017. Most people replace tires that are older than about 5 years even if the tread still looks "brand new"... The polyester cording in the tire carcass "dry rots" and the tires then will explode while towing. That's a "great way to lose the side of the trailer, much of the floor and the wheelwell.....

Welcome to the forum and enjoy "homesteading" in your new to you trailer.....

[flybouy]

And pay no attention to that hitch weight in John's pictures. That was derived without batteries, propane, or as much as a book of matches inside. Typical trailer tongue weight ends up closer to 15% of the trailers ACTUAL weight. Seeing as how you will be living in it full time I'd bet you're going to be at or over the trailer gvw of 10,000 lbs. That will equate to a tongue weight of around 1,100 to 1,200 lbs

Add the weight of a good weight distributing hitch (about 120 lbs) and you're strapping 1,200 to 1,300 lbs on the back of that light truck. And that's before you put as much as a can of soda in the cup holder, tools in the bed, or anything else. I'm speaking from experience.

When we first bought our trailer I hitched her up to our 2009 F150 King Ranch and off we went. Joined this forum and few concerned citizens raised the weight issue. I was stunned, thought they were "just wrong" and went on my way. The 5.4L pulled it without issue, thr Reese Straight Line hitched did its job and I didn’t drive over 65 while towing. All was right with the world until it wasn't.

Driving over a mountian in western Maryland all the "wrong elements" alighned and I came close, increadibly close to become an accident statistic. The highway was 4 lanes seperated by a Jersey Barrier. Traveling about 50 mph in the fast lane passing a semi going maybe 40 mph. Two semis side by side on the opposing lanes. The wake of the 3 trucks hit simultaneously.

That started the party. Maybe 150' later, the wind was howling up the east face of the mountian. The west side (the lee side) was calm. It took every bit of both lanes to regain control. Our daughter was following us in her car with freinds. She called my wife to make sure we were ok. I asked her if the trailer was on 2 wheels and she yes, a couple of times on each side. At the first available pull over I got out and crawled under the trailer with a flashlight and thurolly inspected the trailer hitch, trailer frame and suspension and was amazed it was ok. Inside the trailer was quite the mess as cabinets opened up and things went flying but again no damage.

I finally stopped shaking, thanked God for lprotecting someone who was arrogant enough to think "its all good, I'm a good driver and I can handle any emergency". Perhaps the latter was true or perhaps it was "devine intervention" but after that I didn’t want to repeat the performance to find out.

This was my experience and I can tell you that after getting the 3/4 ton diesel there just is no comparison. There have been several instances where I've said out loud "thank God we have the 250".

[RollaMo]

Originally Posted by flybouy

This was my experience and I can tell you that after getting the 3/4 ton diesel there just is no comparison. There have been several instances where I've said out loud "thank God we have the 250".

Wow!
Thanks for posting that eye-opening experience.
Glad everything worked out for you, and you can do your best to help educate other's with less experience or new to towing.

We had a 1/2 ton with our old Jayco.
It was only a 5,000 GVWR trailer so we were within all specs.
But I traded that truck in on our current 2500, and boy could you tell the difference in the towing experience.

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.