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Old 08-29-2011, 05:47 PM   #1
Wayne
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35 foot travel trailer

I am looking at the Cougar High Country travel trailer. This is 35 ft 4 inches long and I am concerned with the length being an issue with passing big rigs & camp ground sites. The shipping weight is 7625 & carrying capacity is 2375. My TOW is a GMC Crew cab 2500 6L gas. Does anyone have a travel trailer near this length & can you share any advice?
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Old 08-29-2011, 06:02 PM   #2
jq1031
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My Laredo is 33.5ft, towing with a 2500 GMC Duramax. Towing is not an issue however, some campgrounds make the back in a little tight, although not impossible. I usually ask for a pull through site if available, if not I just make it work. Regarding passing big rigs I use a Reese WD hitch with friction sway control which does the job but to make it do the job better I'm going to add a 2nd friction on the other side. The dual cam would be the best way to go however, I did not want to retro fit my battery box to make it work. I've towed over 6000 miles since the end of March so that in itself is the test. Good luck & enjoy the new rig!
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Old 08-29-2011, 06:03 PM   #3
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Mine's roughly 33.5' bumper to hitch. Haven't had an issue on length yet. I might not be able to park my truck in front of the camper at certain sites though, just beside it.
With a good weight distribution hitch with sway, you really shouldn't have any issues if set up right. I use the reese dual cam which is great, others have used the equalizer, which is good too.
My buddy had a sister trailer, pulling it with a chevy 1500 5.?? He had issues. Now he has a 2500 Duramax and says it night and day.
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Old 08-29-2011, 08:22 PM   #4
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Boy, those stats sure sound familiar! You wouldn't be looking at a High Country 321RES, would you? I picked mine up beginning of July and have been full timing it since.

This is my first RV, but I feel that I did a lot of research before pulling the trigger with some of the same concerns you have.

My thoughts (in reverse of your questions, because one kind of answers the other):
2 - Tow Vehicle: You should be more than fine. I currently tow with a 2010 F-150 SCrew (5.4L V8, 3.55:1, 5.5' Bed, Tow Package & Brake Controller). It has a tow rating of 9,600 lbs, but you gotta pay more attention to the GCWR, which limits me to 8,300 lbs.....which means if I put a passenger in the truck, I'm tapped out. However, the acceleration and braking are fine. The issue that I have is going a constant 65 in a straight line when the rear end starts to get a bit squirrely. Next trip I will max out the rear tire pressure to see if it helps. However, I'm also looking at upgrading to either a F-250 or a 2012 F-150 (properly equipped can yield 2500 lbs payload! Same as some F-250s!).

1 - Length: So far no issues. I've been able to back it into my narrow driveway, and this backin campsite a few times with no issues. Just gotta give plenty of room to turn. And with a 3/4 ton truck like you have, your squirrely-ness on the highway should be significantly reduced from what I see. I've talked to couple transporters that have pulled this trailer, and they all say it's one of the nicest towing trailers they've delivered.....and I don't disagree.
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Old 08-29-2011, 08:56 PM   #5
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Our outback 295RE is 35' overall, couple that to a truck that is 20' makes for a long rig. Private RV parks haven't been an issue with us, but yes, older campgrounds can be a problem, especially ones w/o hookups. some of our favorite spots are now off limits, no way to even get around the loops, let alone into sites. Unless I know the campground, I make it a point to call ahead unless the site shows some pad lengths of 50' or longer. And you'll probably have fewer choices of sites that you'd have with a smaller trailer. But that's one of the tradeoffs we made.

As far as towing, our outback is a very easy towing rig, hardly know its behind us, thanks to a good WD setup and the Reese DC sway control. You'll probably find it is easier to back than smaller trailers!

We've towed ours about 8000 miles this last year and spent almost 90 days camping, wonderfull times.
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Old 08-30-2011, 04:41 AM   #6
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Our 303TG is 35ft and so far have had no issues. There have been some wiggle due to towing on a windy day. However, the Reese Dual Cam w/sway has been wonderful. Haven't noticed a thing with trucks going by.

As for sites it can be a bit tricky however I've been abel to get into each one so far (may not be the prettiest but it get's in there). ktmracer made a good point about calling ahead and make sure they can accomodate the length.

Good luck
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Old 08-30-2011, 03:53 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne View Post
I am looking at the Cougar High Country travel trailer. This is 35 ft 4 inches long and I am concerned with the length being an issue with passing big rigs & camp ground sites. The shipping weight is 7625 & carrying capacity is 2375. My TOW is a GMC Crew cab 2500 6L gas. Does anyone have a travel trailer near this length & can you share any advice?
I have a 35' Sprinter and I tow it with a 2000 Ford Excursion (7.3 diesel) with a Hensley Arrow hitch. No problems. Make sure you have a good towing package. I recommend the Hensley, but it is pricey.
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Old 08-30-2011, 05:52 PM   #8
Wayne
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Thanks for your responses

I appreciate all of your responses. We currently have a 30 foot
Cougar Xlite and use the Reese dual cam plus friction. I was a little concerned with the additional five plus feet. It sounds like the biggest problem will be limited camping spots. Thanks
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Old 08-31-2011, 05:12 PM   #9
cumminsdad08
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i am not quite 35 feet, but its still long. i have issues with draging the rear sometimes, and i have been able to work all the campgrounds i have been to. state parks can be a pain. they tend to have tighter turns and more trees whrere they shouldn't be. my biggest problem is parking at my house. i have no driveway, and have to park on the street. the neighbors don't really appericiate it. especially when my other neighbor brings his fiver home. he gets one side and i get the other. but we make do, and i say if its nice and what you want, go for it.!!)
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Old 08-31-2011, 05:22 PM   #10
skifreak76
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i have a 35 ft sprinter 311bhs and i have not had a problem towing or moving but i have been told by some campgrounds that they cannot fit my size rv but they must not of needed my money? as i camp lots all summer all over the place and there has only been a couple places that said that.
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Old 09-12-2011, 04:44 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wayne View Post
I appreciate all of your responses. We currently have a 30 foot
Cougar Xlite and use the Reese dual cam plus friction. I was a little concerned with the additional five plus feet. It sounds like the biggest problem will be limited camping spots. Thanks
It may not be the only big problem. You should also mindful of what your longer trailer is doing behind your truck. the more length, the more prone you may be to sway. Keep an eye on it and if it becomes an issue, you may want to look into another hitch.

As LeeMedic noted, the Hensley Arrow is a bit pricey but it does the job. For me, the Hensley was the only solution to my sway. I had an Equalizer and fine tuned it to a point where the sway was reduced, but by no means eliminated.

food for thought.
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Old 12-12-2011, 12:19 PM   #12
rdf254
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Just purchased a 30rkswe - 35' long, pulling with 2008 Suburban 6ltr. Hopefully the length will not be a factor, although it is for my driveway.
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Old 12-12-2011, 04:45 PM   #13
tjl
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We have a Springdale 311 RESS. It's right at 36'4" bumper to hitch and I pull it with a '96 F350 crew cab dually. The truck is 21' long so teamed up it's a pretty long set up. We traveled all over PA and NJ last summer and didn't have any real problems. Passing big rigs was no problem at all. Some of the campgrounds were tight but just take it slow and watch close and you shouldn't have any problems. The camper has a GVWR of #9450 and I've doubled the factory horsepower of my truck so towing it is no problem at all.
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Old 02-15-2012, 08:34 PM   #14
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I also have the 311BHS and at 35ft I have not had any problems in any northwest campgrounds.
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