Hi I am NewHere

[NewHere]

Hi - I am new here because a neighbor had to move back North and I just bought their 2021 Keystone Bullet Premier 26RBPR hoping I will be able to comfortably and safely tow it to state and national parks with my 2022 front wheel drive Toyota Sequoia.

Our neighbors told me how much they learned from people in the forums and urged me to join.

Getting here, I read a few posts about hard-sided travel trailers and bears. Now, I'm wondering how mine will do with our Florida 'gators!

Steven

[sourdough]

Welcome to the forum! Lots of good knowledgeable folks here willing to help if you need it.

You have no worries about the FL gators, they're not going to bother you. You do however have some concerns with that trailer, tow vehicle combo. Look inside the driver door and see what the yellow/white sticker says your maximum payload/occupant capacity is....maybe 1300lbs.? BTW the Sequoia is not a front wheel drive vehicle, it's either rear drive or 4wd.

Your trailer has a gvw of 7500lbs. The tongue weight at gvw would be approx. 975lbs. Adding 100+ lbs. for a hitch puts you at 1075lbs. - not much less than your payload. I figure with a Sequoia you have more than you and a spouse? If so you're stretched.

[Outbackman57]

Maybe trade it on a Tundra? Hi from Daytona Beach Steven. As stated much good info here, and plenty of videos on Youtube about towing safely, backing up, what you’ll need to get started. There are many excellent producers, a good place to start might be ‘RV 101’ w Mark Polk. Good luck.

[travelin texans]

Originally Posted by Outbackman57

Maybe trade it on a Tundra? Hi from Daytona Beach Steven. As stated much good info here, and plenty of videos on Youtube about towing safely, backing up, what you’ll need to get started. There are many excellent producers, a good place to start might be ‘RV 101’ w Mark Polk. Good luck.

I doubt the Tundra would have very much more payload than the Sequoia.
Toyota & Nissan vehicles aren't designed to haul heavy loads. Typically they're great for the DYI guy or snowmobile/ATV trailers but not tongue heavy rv type trailers.
One of the newer 1/2 tons of the big 3 truck models will have more payload & a 3/4 ton would be plenty of reserve for a rv that size & the family with payload to spare.

[spicercars]

Welcome from northern MN.

[NewHere]

Originally Posted by sourdough

You have no worries about the FL gators ....

You do however have some concerns with that trailer, tow vehicle combo. Look inside the driver door and see what the yellow/white sticker says your maximum payload/occupant capacity is....maybe 1300lbs.? BTW the Sequoia is not a front wheel drive vehicle, it's either rear drive or 4wd.

Your trailer has a gvw of 7500lbs. The tongue weight at gvw would be approx. 975lbs. Adding 100+ lbs. for a hitch puts you at 1075lbs. - not much less than your payload. I figure with a Sequoia you have more than you and a spouse? If so you're stretched.

Whew! Thanks, for the reassurance about the gators! Puts my mind at ease.


I appreciate what you are saying about payload. Once Camping World gets done with a couple of things the prior owner already paid for, I plan on towing it across the street to a truck stop (Pilot, I think) where they have CAT scales so I can find out more about weight distribution.


BTW: Now I know why I like the Sequoia so much - nostalgia for one of my favorite cars, which was rear wheel drive. All I was thinking was that it is not 4-wheel drive (which I've had for twenty years or more).

[dutchmensport]

Well, if you are Arizona, you want to check your shoes each morning before putting them on to make sure spiders did not crawl in them over night, and Scorpions in Texas.

In the mountains of North Carolina, you wan to make sure snakes have not crawled into your sleeping bag when you go to bed (if you tent camp).

If you live in Indiana, you wan to make sure Bats don't land in your hair at night flying around.

Bears in Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina; Buffalo in South Dakota; Mountain lions in the Rockies, and Coyotees everywhere!

What's to worry about a little ol' alligator?

Welcome to the forums ... Congrats on getting your new camper!

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by NewHere

Whew! Thanks, for the reassurance about the gators! Puts my mind at ease.

Just a little caveat to the gator discussion; if you don't know anything about them just be aware they are active and protective from about June-August or so. I just figure May-Sept. I've watched lots of folks, and we read about them seemingly everyday anymore, that don't pay attention to them and get attacked by being too close. I've seen people's pets get gobbled up. Nothing to worry about, just give them respect and take proper precautions (plenty of room)....and they can move very fast for short distances.

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Just a little caveat to the gator discussion; if you don't know anything about them just be aware they are active and protective from about June-August or so. I just figure May-Sept. I've watched lots of folks, and we read about them seemingly everyday anymore, that don't pay attention to them and get attacked by being too close. I've seen people's pets get gobbled up. Nothing to worry about, just give them respect and take proper precautions (plenty of room)....and they can move very fast for short distances.

I would only add that they can out swim an Olympic gold medalist as well!!