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Small travel trailer advice for my 2014 Silverado needed

Txjose

By Txjose
in Towing, Hauling & Hitches

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gmckenzie Enthusiast

gmckenzie

Posted
Posted

Also.... What does "this unit is winterized" mean??

 

Gimic or is their actual heated plumbing tubing? Good to know since last job was in North Dakota during the winter. Now am blessed with working in Texas but still.

 

 

Means the unit has anti-freeze in the lines that you'll need to clear out before using it. Doesn't speak anything to how it handles the cold weather.

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Txjose Senior Enthusiast

Txjose

Posted
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Means the unit has anti-freeze in the lines that you'll need to clear out before using it. Doesn't speak anything to how it handles the cold weather.

Ah ok... Bummer.

 

Any pointers on what to look out for so i dont get taken for? ... Since this will be the first time i have ever purchased a TT from a dealer.

 

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xelli Enthusiast

xelli

Posted
Posted

Also.... What does "this unit is winterized" mean??

 

Gimic or is their actual heated plumbing tubing? Good to know since last job was in North Dakota during the winter. Now am blessed with working in Texas but still.

 

 

Means the unit has anti-freeze in the lines that you'll need to clear out before using it. Doesn't speak anything to how it handles the cold weather.

 

Most travel trailers are 3 season only and not really designed to use in freezing weather. The ones that do have features like extra insulation in the walls and roof, dual-pane windows, heated fresh water and holding tanks, heated dump values, protected water lines, heated or protected propane tanks and so on.

 

Some additional reading for you.

http://www.doityourselfrv.com/choose-ideal-four-season-rv/

 

More tips and example brands:

http://www.guaranty.com/blogs/winter-friendly-rving-and-camping

 

 

Nathan79 Enthusiast

Nathan79

Posted
Posted

Some travel trailers come with an Artic/Polar package which generally includes heated underbelly and maybe improved insulation.

 

The brand Artic Fox has a pretty good reputation as a "4 season" travel trailer.

Txjose Senior Enthusiast

Txjose

Posted
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Posted

Some travel trailers come with an Artic/Polar package which generally includes heated underbelly and maybe improved insulation.

 

The brand Artic Fox has a pretty good reputation as a "4 season" travel trailer.

Would units like those be a "special order" since im in Texas?

 

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Txjose Senior Enthusiast

Txjose

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FYI - all 4-season trailers I'm aware of are pretty heavy when compared to the newer "lightweight" trailers.

 

I believe the smallest and lightest Arctic Fox is pretty darn close to your vehicle limits - if not over it.

 

http://northwoodmfg.com/

http://northwoodmfg.com/arctic-fox-2/arctic-fox-22g/

 

attachicon.gif22G Specs.PNG

Ouch... You're right.... Max towing for me is 6900.

 

So sad that my truck cant tow what i want. Didnt have these plans when i bought it.

 

Now im stuck with having to make it work.

 

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gmckenzie Enthusiast

gmckenzie

Posted
Posted

My Cougar has the "Polar Package". It is not a 4 season trailer. It does have an enclosed and insulated underbelly with heating ducts through the underbelly where they can warm the tanks, but it has single pane windows and is pretty thin on the insulation side. Using it in the shoulder season takes a bit of propane to keep things warm. And if I don't run the furnace, but rely on electric heaters, the underbelly gets no heat and stuff there can freeze.

 

How cold does it get where you are going to be?

Txjose Senior Enthusiast

Txjose

Posted
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Posted

My Cougar has the "Polar Package". It is not a 4 season trailer. It does have an enclosed and insulated underbelly with heating ducts through the underbelly where they can warm the tanks, but it has single pane windows and is pretty thin on the insulation side. Using it in the shoulder season takes a bit of propane to keep things warm. And if I don't run the furnace, but rely on electric heaters, the underbelly gets no heat and stuff there can freeze.

 

How cold does it get where you are going to be?

Right now i am stationed in the pan handle of Texas, so not very cold. But im coming from North Dakota, this past winter it git to about 25 below and the year before i remember seeing 37 below 0.

 

So it just depends where i get sent to next, i want to be ready for everything.

 

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Txjose Senior Enthusiast

Txjose

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At -37, camp in heated storage.

 

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Link?

 

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Nathan79 Enthusiast

Nathan79

Posted
Posted

Would units like those be a "special order" since im in Texas?

 

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I think you would have to go to your local travel trailer dealer and see. For example our Springdale made by Keystone has the Polar package. It wasn't special order but I'm in Oregon.

Jon A Senior Enthusiast

Jon A

Posted
Posted

Bought used and didn't have a manual :(

 

Yup. Exactly. My point was don't worry about it. If you swap gears to 3.42 or better, feel free to tow 9600 to your heart's content and nobody in the real world (as opposed to the internet) is every going to bother you. A cop rummaging around in your glove compartment looking for your owners manual so he can look up your GCWR with factory installed gears is something that never happens in the real world.

Blue2500CC Enthusiast

Blue2500CC

Posted
Posted

Txjose,

 

You work in the oil field industry it looks like based on your avatar? When traveling from job site to site, what do you haul in the bed of the truck, any amount of tools or heavy items?

 

Asking because another limiting factor of what size tt you can haul besides the gearing is the payload for your truck. There is a yellow sticker in the drivers door jamb that states "All passengers and cargo not to exceed XXXXlbs". That is for your truck as it was built. That amount includes as stated, all passengers (not a lot obviously), any accessories added since the truck left the factory, all cargo in the bed (is this much?), the wdh, and the tt tw (travel trailer tongue weight).

 

Know that the trailer manufactures "brochure" weights may not even include options, even this options that are "mandatory". And the "dry" tongue/hitch weight does not include the weight of the propane tanks or a battery on the tongue.

 

Verify that you do have the hd cooling on your truck. It seems that the new '14 models had the extra cooling even if they didn't have the tow package.

 

For pride if you can get about 30% off the msrp of the trailer (before tax, title, delivery charge, etc) you are doing pretty good. More is great!!! Lol Jayco is one of the few manufactures that lists prices, including prices for options on their website as far as I know.

 

Another thing to look at on the trailers is check all the specs!!!! We were looking at one model from Coachmen that had two 4400lb axles, but somehow the gvwr was about 9500lbs.... What some manufactures are doing is adding the "brochure" dry tw to the axle rating for a higher gvwr. I would rather have the rating of the two axles equal the gvwr. To me the suspension will have more "reserve" capacity instead of running very close to max. Yes, some weight is carried on the hitch, but to me this is a false way to have a higher gvwr. For comparison, our Jayco has two 5000lb axles, with a 9975lb (something like that) gvwr. It is the same floor plan as the Coachmen we were looking at.

 

Considering how much you may travel in one trip (then sit for a while), check the tires weight capacity as well. Since you will be full timing in the rig, you may be packed a little heavier, and some manufactures put tires on that barely have enough weight rating for the trailer minus the weight placed on your truck (tw) when hooked up. Another place I like to have a little more reserve cushion for the weight rating. One reason I plan on getting new tires this year, going one load range higher than stock for more "cushion".

 

Get a good wdh with integrated sway control. The Reese Dual Cam Reese SC, and the Equal-I-Zer 4 way system are all very good models. The Dual Cam is a little more finicky to set up, or if you change how the trailer is loaded changing the tw a fair amount (will probably need re-adjusting), but a great system. The SC and 4 way system are very similar. The Reese hitch head (same for both the SC and DC) does allow a little more fine tuning adjustment than the Eaual-I-Zer model, but all three are very good and you won't go wrong choosing one of them.

 

Get a good brake controller. The Pridigy P3 and P2 models have very good I was planning on buying a P2, but we ended up buying a new truck with the factory controller instead.

 

Good luck!!!

BigBadSierra Senior Enthusiast

BigBadSierra

Posted
Posted

 

Yup. Exactly. My point was don't worry about it. If you swap gears to 3.42 or better, feel free to tow 9600 to your heart's content and nobody in the real world (as opposed to the internet) is every going to bother you. A cop rummaging around in your glove compartment looking for your owners manual so he can look up your GCWR with factory installed gears is something that never happens in the real world.

 

In Ontario Canada the ministry of transportation has their own enforcement division so they pull campers, trailers and Semi's over all of the time. They pull you over just to ensure you have a load in the back of your truck secured.

 

The only good thing is they focus on the trucking industry mostly but they do get the odd person towing their camper.

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