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Old 09-13-2015, 05:14 AM   #1
SubVet
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Keystone Laredo 294RK

I am looking at at 2015 294RK at a local Mom and Pop dealer. Trying to avoid the conglomo dealer if I can.

If you have one or have had one I would appreciate your observations about the TT. Have you towed one with a 1/2 ton? It will be under the limit for my truck the way it is configured by about 1000lbs.

Thanks,
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Old 09-13-2015, 05:37 AM   #2
Ken / Claudia
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Nothing about the trailer to help, just the truck, be very careful. That trailer will be around 32ft long and really how much wt. More than you think. The weight that your 1/2 ton can carry is the problem. Check out the GVWR sticker to see. These trailers say how much they weight and how much the tongue weight is but, that is empty and without battery, propane, hitch, etc etc. See my listed trailer. As I recall the factory says the tongue wt is around 640 lbs, it is not over kill for many 1/2 tons. I camp to enjoy it and so I do take stuff like chairs, a few tools, food, water, clothes. I took the trailer over a scale at found the real world tongue weight is over 900 lbs. No problem with my truck, I can still travel with the truck bed loaded and 4 passengers and will not be over weight. If your new to towing and RVing and with that truck check it out alittle further to be towing your family safely and being safe for the others using the roads your on.
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Old 09-13-2015, 09:15 AM   #3
sourdough
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x2 on what Ken/Claudia said.

I don't have any experience with the trailer but your question about the 1/2 ton towing is very relevant. The trailer has a GVW of 8500 lbs BUT the tongue weight dry is 860 lbs. That will push 1000 lbs when loaded. Depending on what 1/2 ton you have you will be at or over your payload by the time you load everything you want when going camping. Look at the payload/carrying capacity listed on the sticker inside your vehicle door and you will have a better understanding of what the truck is capable of. Don't forget that after you have the 1000 lbs + for the tongue weight you need to add another 100lbs or so for the WD hitch, then cargo, then people etc.

The trailer is right at 35' long and towing it with an overloaded 1/2 ton isn't a good thing; nor is it really fun. I did it with a trailer 2' longer and 200 lbs heavier on the tongue. Seemed OK but I knew it was overloaded and I couldn't justify endangering my family or anyone else so bought a new 3/4 ton after the first trip. What "seemed OK" turned out to be not so OK after hitching it to the 3/4 ton and feeling the difference.


Just do your homework and remember that towing at or over the limit can be not only tedious and worrisome but dangerous to you, your family and others on the road.

By the way; Welcome to the forum!! Not trying to rain on your parade; just trying to provide some food for thought.
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Old 09-13-2015, 11:54 AM   #4
SubVet
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Thanks for the information. I am looking at right at 2K on GVWR. Do not plan on anything in the truck but Spouse and I and full tank of Gas. Did not think about the Hitch and Battery adding weight to the tongue.

Might have to go another way.

Thanks again.
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Old 09-23-2015, 05:25 AM   #5
MuskyHuntr
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294 Towing

I have a 2012 and love it.. tows really nice with my F-150 STX 4WD with the small V8...But as has already been said be careful of what your tow vehicle can handle.. Good luck.
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Old 09-23-2015, 06:44 AM   #6
JRTJH
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SubVet View Post
I am looking at at 2015 294RK at a local Mom and Pop dealer. Trying to avoid the conglomo dealer if I can.

If you have one or have had one I would appreciate your observations about the TT. Have you towed one with a 1/2 ton? It will be under the limit for my truck the way it is configured by about 1000lbs.

Thanks,
You've included no information about which 1/2 ton truck you plan to use. There is much to consider when pairing a travel trailer to a tow vehicle. The usual "GVW and engine size" are only the "tip of the iceberg" when it comes to what to consider. As an example, there are half ton "small v-6" vehicles with a "large GVW" and on the other end of the spectrum, there are half ton "big v-8's" with a "small GVW". The range between those two includes a number of "very capable" tow vehicles as well as some "very poorly equipped" tow vehicles. Which half ton do you have and how is it equipped? With that information, you'll get much better advice on what to expect. All in all, the 294RK is an extremely large travel trailer and is, at best, "on the cliff" of being more than most half ton trucks can handle.
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Old 09-23-2015, 06:56 AM   #7
GMcKenzie
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The question of which 1/2 ton you have is key.

I tow a similar trailer (Cougar 30RKS). Comparing floor plans, you have the newer kitchen configuration which I think is better than I have. Other I love the trailer. There are just 2 of us and 2 dogs so the lack of sleeping beds isn't an issue for us.

My rated trailer weight is 8,200. I have 1,050 lbs of tongue weight, as per a scale. I was about 7,500 lbs trailer weight that day.

I'm towing with a 2015 Sierra with the max tailering package and have no issues. But this is a bigger rear axle and all the other goodies it comes with. Tow rating is 10,800 and payload is 2015 so I am well within the limits. I would not tow this trailer with an older 1/2 ton.
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Old 09-23-2015, 10:20 AM   #8
SubVet
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Ok I know that my 1/2 Ton truck is rated for TT GVWR of 9600 lbs , 15,000lbs GCWR. I have the HD towing, HD Cooling, etc. It is a 2011 Silverado extended cab, standard bed, 4x4 with 3.42 gears and a 5.3L Flex engine. Confirmed the information with both the owners manual and the 2011 Trailer Life Towing Guide. The sticker inside the truck tells me that my max cargo is within range for everything.

I went to this URL http://changingears.com/rv-sec-calc-...eight-tt.shtml and did the calculator.

I am sitting at a 15% safety rate for any calculations. So assuming ( I know dangerous to assume makes an a$$ out of u and me ) that the values on the TT were correct from the factory, max load. I should be within the recommended saftey range of 10% to 20%. By the generic calculation I should be sitting at 15%. But i guarantee we will be much less than max load in the TT. Neither the DW or I need a bunch of stuff to tote for camping. We are pretty minimalist by nature.

So before I purchase I will do a CAT Scale weight on my truck to make sure of where it is. But my feeling is that I will be pretty close to where I think I am.

That still begs the original question. What is the option of this specific model TT?

Thanks,
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Old 09-24-2015, 05:54 PM   #9
jessieboy
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towing the 294RK

I tow a 2014, 294RK with my 2013 F150 ecoboost. I have a Husky Centreline hitch and installed the Roadmaster Active Suspension System on the truck, to help with the 'squat' due to the heavy tongue weight. The trailer tows very well, with or without items in the truckbed.
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Old 10-17-2015, 04:51 PM   #10
wayfun
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Subvet, we looked at the 294RK and decided on a 2015 322RL instead. The floorplan is similar from the bathroom forward. While I think the 294RK is a very nice trailer I'll give you our logic for moving to the 322RL. We use the trailer as a winter home in Florida and it is just my wife and I. We were very comfortable in it for 4 1/2 month last fall and winter. We preferred the 322RL for it's seating position relative to the entertainment center. We didn't want to have to turn and look 90 degrees to the side in order to watch TV. With the 322RL the TV is easily visible from the sofa or recliners. Also, my wife preferred the island kitchen configuration and the pantry. Our last trailer had a pantry similar to the 294RK with deep cabinets and she had trouble reaching to the back of the cabinet. The 322RL pantry is wide but shallow.

If you plan to use the trailer in hot climates I would encourage you to opt for the second AC unit. We did. The single 15K AC unit will struggle to keep it comfortable as the temperature approaches 90 degrees. If you do opt for the second AC unit see the thread I started regarding the duct work.

http://www.keystonerv.org/forums/sho...ghlight=laredo

The first change we made was the mattress. We tried the original mattress in the back yard when we brought the trailer home and tossed it out before we even used it. We switched to an inexpensive memory foam mattress from Amazon and love it.

I can't help you much on the tow vehicle. Your truck is more capable than mine. Other than the initial trip to Florida, I only have to pull the trailer from storage to our lot. I pull it with a 2009 Tahoe with a 6.2L and 3:42 rear end. The CAT scales confirmed that I am about 1200 lbs OVER my GCVWR. I only pull it two times a year, once from storage in the fall and once to return to storage. And when I pull I pull slow and easy. Rarely over 50 mph. However, I did pull it to Florida down I-75 and it actually towed better than my previous 28ft Jayco. If I had planned to travel frequently with the trailer I would have upgraded to better tow vehicle. I just have no need for a truck the other 363 days of the year.

So far we've been very satisfied with the quality of the Laredo and we would buy it again.
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Old 10-17-2015, 05:04 PM   #11
wayfun
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Subvet, you mentioned that you are looking at a mom and pop dealership. We also looked at a local dealer but decided to buy from RVWholesalers.com. They beat our local dealer by about $8,000 and offered warranty coverage if we had any problems in Florida. Our local guy tried to convice us that his shop could provide better warranty service. That didn't work for me because the trailer will never return home. You might check them out www.rvwholesalers.com
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