Hauling a Travel Trailer w/ a 2014 Big Horn 1500

[upchurch_k]

I know there are a lot of threads on the forum about hauling travel trailers with a 1500. I was hoping that maybe some of y'all could give me some real world examples of your set up and tell me if I'm going to hate hauling our travel trailer with my 1500. So here's the rig break down:

Truck:

• 2014 Big Horn, Crew Cab, 3.21 gears, 5.7L Hemi, 8 speed transmission, Class IV hitch, factory tow package, AirLifter 1000 bags, and a weight distribution hitch
• GVW=6,348 lbs.
• GVWR= 6,800 lbs.
• Tow Rating= 7,900 lbs.

Trailer:

• 2019 KZ Connect Lite C201RB
• GVWR=5,200 lbs.
• Tounge Weight= 410 lbs.
• Dry Weight= 4,240 lbs.
• LP Gas= 40 lbs.
• Misc. Gear= 500 lbs.
• Gross Trailer Weight= 4,780 lbs. ready for travel

 

[BruceMorgan]

You'll be fine; that's close to my setup.

Trailer is a 2018 Kodiak 201QB, rear bath like yours, no slideout though, and 5300 GVWR. Single battery, dual 20lb propane tanks.

Truck is a 2017 Express quad cab 5.7 Hemi, optioned up a bit, including 20" wheels, factory tow package, class IV hitch. 3.92 gearing isntead of your 3.21, and no airbags. Equalizer WDH. I bought the Ram to replace a Frontier which was just a bit too small to tow the Kodiak with cruise-down-the-road ease.

I took the trailer out this past weekend for the maiden voyage with the truck and it did awesome. Plenty of power, brakes well, easy to maintain lane position. No sway or porpoising.

I weighed the truck at a CAT scale, then with the trailer with a little water in the fresh tank, then filled the fresh water tank to overflowing. I loaded most everything into the trailer because at some point I want to have my dirt bike in the bed of the truck.

Truck ratings ​

• GVWR 6900​
• GAWR front 3900​
• GAWR rear 3900​
• payload 1531​

Truck alone (full tank of gas, me, wife, Corgi, no real gear) ​

• front axle 3340​
• rear axle 2620​
• truck total weight 5960​

Truck + trailer with mostly empty water tank, WDH adjusted: ​

• front axle 3300 ​
• rear axle 3320​
• truck total weight 6480​
• trailer axle 4040​
• trailer weight 4560​
• combined weight 10520​
• tongue weight 520 (11% trailer weight)​

Truck + trailer with full water tank, same WDH: ​

• front axle 3200​
• rear axle 3320​
• truck total weight 6520​
• trailer axle 4360​
• trailer weight 4920​
• combined weight 10880​
• tongue weight 560 (11% trailer weight)​

It looks like I want a little more tongue weight, which is fine because we want to replace the queen mattress with something much better (and likely heavier).

​

 

[upchurch_k]

I appreciate the response Bruce, I figured the truck "could" handle it. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to hate it while driving. To me there's not much use in having a travel trailer if you hate towing it. Glad you don't have much sway or porpoising with that set up. Bruce if you don't mind me asking what size WDH did you get for your trailer?

 

[BruceMorgan]

Don't worry about hating the experience; mine was smooth and sweet. No white knuckles, no death grip, no worries. Much better than the Frontier which was within 100lbs of max payload, and had a 4.0 V6 and 6-speed auto. The Ram's heavier weight, longer wheelbase, much more powerful engine, and 8-speed auto make it a much more capable tow vehicle. So as you say, the Frontier "could" tow it, but me, I didn't "want" to tow that way.

The trailer mirrors make a big difference; you'll need those if you don't have them.

EDIT: the trailer is GVWR of 5300, so 15% of that is 795 pounds. The hitch included by the RV dealer with our deal is the 1000 lb tongue weight / 10000 lb trailer weight model:

https://www.equalizerhitch.com/store/hitches/1-000-10-000-lb-equal-i-zer-sway-control-hitch

 

[wascrash]

Why do people even worry about towing 5 thousand pounds with a new or even older 150/1500? Thats not **** that a 1500 can not handle fine.

 

[yillbs]

my trailer is a bit heavier than yours, and i have the 3.21's. I have a six inch lift,and 35's though. My truck does a decent job ( trailer is 7000 lbs ). I think you're going to have a decent experience.

 

[BruceMorgan]

Why do people even worry about towing 5 thousand pounds with a new or even older 150/1500? Thats not **** that a 1500 can not handle fine.

Because Internet. After reading a few threads about trailer sway and tongue weight, what seems straightforward at first enough starts to keep you up at night with worry. You have all your loved ones aboard, there's a great deal of money invested, etc.

Safe, comfortable towing really boils down to staying within payload and keeping the correct tongue weight percentage, and having a well adjusted WDH. Payload is used up by options on the truck, that's why the door sticker payload is important. But what your really have to do is just weigh the thing. The best way to do that IMHO is to use a CAT scale station. It's really easy. The most complicated part is setting up the account due to name, address, billing info, account activation, etc. Then you download an app to your phone, and then drive on the scale for a weighing. The app does all the communication and they bill you $11.50 and send you a PDF, or you can screenshot like below.

With the numbers below two weighings, you can calculate trailer weight and tongue weight. Weigh the truck alone, and weigh the truck & trailer. Trailer weight is the truck & trailer gross - truck gross. Tongue weight is the trailer weight - trailer axle.

I'm an engineer, I like numbers that work out correctly. YMMV.