What Size Trailer/Camper to Buy

[bpd138]

In our case with a Ram 1500 if you can get loaded steer axle weight to say 3,300 or more and keep drive axle weight down to 4,300 preferably 3,900 (mfg max spec) you can get to something you are not afraid to let your wife drive.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, what do you mean by "Steer wheel" and "Drive axle"?

The comment I made about buying a Class A RV was more tongue in cheek. As was suggested going the Class A route presents it's own set of problems. lol

I've been looking at Forest River Travel Trailers, more specifically the Flagstaff 25BHS. I won't quote the specs but the dry weight is well below the 6800lbs towing capacity of my truck and the hitch weight is 648lbs. The reason I like this trailer is because it has the double bunk which shouldn't be too bad for the couple joining us on the trip.

What do you more experienced "tower's" think of this choice?

Once again, the responses and advice are very appreciated.

http://www.forestriverinc.com/product-details.aspx?LineID=203&Image=5387&ModelID=899#Main

 

[clay282]

Steer wheel axle are the front wheels and drive wheel axles are the rear wheels.The lingo is usually used by truckers or folks who haul all the time. If you hear "tandem axles" used, those would be the double set of axles on the trailer. Think about being hooked up to the trailer front to back = Steer / drive / tandom axles.

I just Googles "Flagstaff 25 BHS" and got this...

https://www.bigdaddyrvs.com/product/new-2018-forest-river-rv-flagstaff-micro-lite-25bhs-428074-29

If that's what your planning on towing, GO FOR IT! It's only 4800lbs empty. Your well within the trucks ability. The only thing that throws a flag is the flay front... At highway speed it'll be like pulling a billboard. I love that Murphy bed design if that's the right one.

 

[AFMoulton]

I would say that is a perfect choice based on weights. Obviously if it’s what you like too and you have a good hitch go for it. Everyone is going to have an opinion. You can make it work if you really want to. Just have to do it. I’ve had two different campers with my 1500. A Keystone Hideout 26BHS, that crosses the scales at 7645 loaded out. Only about 500lbs less than my max, had a good hitch and set it up right, never had any problems towing it.



Then Household 6 (Wife) wanted more, and we needed more for the 5 kids, so we got way more trailer than my truck could handle. Highland Ridge Open Range LT308BHS, which crossed the scales at 9730! Used the 1500 to tow it home and that was that! LoL got into a 2500 with the 6.4.



My point in this ramble is your truck, if set up properly can tow that trailer. Go for it, if it matches what you like and fits your budget


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bpd138]

Steer wheel axle are the front wheels and drive wheel axles are the rear wheels.The lingo is usually used by truckers or folks who haul all the time. If you hear "tandem axles" used, those would be the double set of axles on the trailer. Think about being hooked up to the trailer front to back = Steer / drive / tandom axles.

I just Googles "Flagstaff 25 BHS" and got this...

https://www.bigdaddyrvs.com/product/new-2018-forest-river-rv-flagstaff-micro-lite-25bhs-428074-29

If that's what your planning on towing, GO FOR IT! It's only 4800lbs empty. Your well within the trucks ability. The only thing that throws a flag is the flay front... At highway speed it'll be like pulling a billboard. I love that Murphy bed design if that's the right one.

Yes Clay, that's the one. Back to the Steer wheels.......are you talking about the truck or the trailer. The only reason I ask is that the trailer has two axles and I wasn't sure if you were talking about distributing the weight in the trailer evenly between the two axles.

 

[clay282]

Think of the trailer axles as 1 axle... even thought there is 2 axles, think of them as 1. There is a maximum weight they can haul and that's called the gross trailer weight. Moving things to the front or back of your trailer to make them even out will only change the tongue weight - tongue weight is the weight the trailer hitch presses down on the back of your truck. The tongue weight will change once you actually use it and load it and then move things IN the camper to where you want them and use them.

The trailer has a tongue weight number, but that number is the weight with nothing IN the trailer, it will change when you load the trailer. The truck has a maximum tongue weight. That weight doesn't change, it's always the most weight you can put on the hitch of the truck. Tongue weight is the weight that will actually sit on the back of your truck. Think of a seesaw at a park and your back wheels (drive axle) is the pivot point of that seesaw. Push down on the back of your truck and the front wheels (steer axle) lifts up.

A weight distribution hitch connects the truck and trailer as one unit instead of ALL of the trailer tongue weight pushing down on the back of your truck and raising up the front... it distributes that weight across the front wheels and back wheels. The dealer will set up your truck and hitch on an empty load. Once you go home and load all kinds of crap you think you need, but don't... that'll be more like your typical weight. At that point, have your hitch set up all over again and that will readjust the wight properly on your front and back wheels. There's plenty of Youtube video that'll show you how, it's not very hard.

THEN, at the end of season when you winterize it, clean it out, throw out allllll the junk you forgot you loaded, things you picked up along the way, things you never used but thought you would and it'll weigh less. By the end of season you will probably also have moved things out of your truck into the camper permanently and that will have changed the truck weight. Then at the beginning of next season load up, weigh it to make sure you don't need to redo the hitch and enjoy.

If you've never had a camper... the 1st season will be a clustefork... Don't worry about it! The reason I say you should set the hitch up after your loaded and after your first season is because you will change so much. You'll throw crap in your truck then one day get sick of loading and make a permanent spot IN the camper for it. If it makes you feel any better... my V6 RAM 1500 could pull the trailer your looking at. It's WELLLLL within all RAM 1500 HEMI compacity

 

[bpd138]

Thank you very much for the explanation Clay, you answered all my questions. I love this forum, not only are the people here very helpful, it's wealth of information.

 

[clay282]

Your very welcome! Once you get it, start out close to home. Even if you just camp at a park in your town, stay close. Your going to forget things, you'll be awkward... Staying close will take a huge stress load off you. If you need something, you'll know where to go or you can run home for it. Going there to camp and heading home from camping, burn a tank of fuel driving on roads you already know so you get the rhythm of turning it and backing it up. Back up a lot in empty parking lots so you and your wife can get a groove down and she can be a good spotter. Cheap walkie talkies are great.

After a couple trips you'll feel comfortable. The reason I do not suggest longer trips is because we've run into so many people at our favorite lakes and state parks who are NOT having a good time. They're new, 1st trip, stressed out, forgot stuff, fighting backing it up because they don't know what the other is telling them and they're 4 hours from home and have no idea where to go for anything... they're lost and scare and stressed. Can't figure out stuff and then they're embarrassed so they're even more stressed. The rest of us feel your pain but had they tried it close to home, 95% of the pressure would be over. We literally have had someone ask us for wheel chocks they were so unprepared. When you get to the state parks, some are very remote. You forget something, it's a long drive to get it.

Once you've had a few close local trips and you got your groove on... then venture out. Always get a park map when you check in and mark the best spots you see when your out walking to book next time. And forget any preconceived notion you have of camping. You'll get favorites and you might even find a place you love that's seasonal and you'll just tow it 2 times a year.