Input on TT I'm wanting to purchase

[Mez]

Hello,

I am going to be purchasing a new TT this upcoming Spring and am already getting things prepared, reading up on and deciding what TT to purchase.

I just recently purchased a 2014 Ram 5.7l Hemi with 3.92 gear ration giving me a hauling weight of 10,150 pounds. We are looking to camp mostly in closer proximity of at best 2 or 3 hours away, with hopes of getting somewhere further near a beach one week a year. Otherwise it will be mostly what I would consider local.

My wife absolutely loves the Sprinter 316BIK, but it has a dry weight of 8700. However they look like they released a new model that's an exact clone of this called the Sprinter 316BIK-WB, it is wide and lighter and it looks like it comes in at 8100 pounds. Seeing it is a new model I wouldnt expect anyone to have any experience with this exactly but regardless if they do with the first one then I will take any good/bad or what to look out for and so forth on it.

For my part I love these as well, but there is a watered down version called the Cougar X-Lite 32RBK, which is 7400 dry. I think this gives us way more room weight wise, plus is very similar to the other ones. If anyone has any advice or good/bad, things to look out for, I would be grateful!

I may not settle on Keystone since there are a couple other TT's to consider but as it stands right now, these are our first choices.

Thanks for any/all input!

Mez

[JRTJH]

Mez,

Welcome to the forum and potentially to Keystone RVing.

You say that you're looking to upgrade in the spring. If you look at the Sprinter website, you'll find that all their floorplans are "Stock Only" meaning that they are no longer in production. What is available on the dealer's lot and possibly a few at the factory awaiting shipment are all that remain.

Apparently Sprinter has ceased production of the current models in favor of the "wide body" line which appears to be marketed as the "new Sprinter WB"

I'm not familiar with the Sprinter line, but if you "have your heart set" on a current model and really "REALLY" want it, waiting till spring may not be a good option since there are no backups to be built later on.

Realistically, and you probably don't want to hear this information, but the 316WB has an empty tongue weight of 950 lbs. By the time you add a 150 lb hitch to the rig, 60 lbs of propane and one 50 lb battery, the empty tongue weight will be well over 1000 lbs. You state that you've got 10,100 lbs of towing capacity, but you also need to figure your truck's payload into the calculations. By the time you add passengers, cargo in the truck, the hitch and tongue weight of a 35 ft trailer, you're going to be overloaded with almost any half ton truck. Do some research on the forum and read what's available in the towing/tow vehicles section.

Either of the Sprinter models you mention will put you in the "overloaded" category with your truck.

You might want to look at lighter RV's or at bigger tow vehicles if you want that much trailer.

[Mez]

John,

Thanks so much for the info, I didnt realize that the Stock Only meant last of that line. I am completely new to camping, last time I did it I was a kid who just had fun and let my poor dad figure it all out. Now I am the dad with 2 kids who get to do the same to me

I guess it comes down to the Sprinter 316BIK-WB, or the Cougar 32RBK as of now. Since the original line was 8700 pounds, I feel that is to heavy for a 1/2 ton truck, despite the ratings being higher. Once everything is loaded, thats cutting it to close. Where the other ones welcome a lot more play weight wise, esp the Cougar.

So if anyone has any experience with the other two, I would love to hear about it! I think they are both really nice models.

[GaryWT]

I agree with John, what is the payload of your truck? Check that and then look at trailers. For what you are looking at you can pull it as long as you payload is not out of line.

[Mez]

My max payload is 1488 pounds on my truck.

Not sure if this works into that figure but the Cougar Xlite 32 RBK hitch weight is 750. The Sprinter 312BIK-WB is 950.

[fla-gypsy]

The payload rating may exclude the heavier tongue weight. A listed TW of 950 easily becomes 1100+ in the real world and leaves you no room for passengers and gear in the truck. Choose wisely.

[Mez]

So judging by a hitch weigh of 950, would you recommend looking into the Cougar X-Lite instead that is only 750?

[GaryWT]

200 lbs is a body or two or gear in the back of the truck or the like. If your payload was 1700 or 1800 you could look at more but yours is somewhat limiting. Best of luck in finding a trailer that works for the family.

[JRTJH]

Look at some of the older threads in the forum concerning towing trailers with half ton trucks. It is "doable" but not any trailer or any truck combination. There are limits (as you're finding out)

Here's a thread to get you started. http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/showthread.php?t=14222

Rather than repeat myself, just look at comments made to this member's quesitons....

Keep in mind the trailer gross weight x 15% to get your maximum tongue weight. That seems to really be a "magic number" that if you can manage that, you can manage the trailer in any situation. If you can't get the truck to work with that number, then you have to start compromising..... Where you compromise??? Hopefully not in safety of your family or others who share the road