Shouldn't I be OK? 6900lb TT, 5.7 w/3.21

[muzupan]

Lots of good tips here y'all, and I really do appreciate them all. I'll keep length in mind as well as weight - but we do want bunks (although a full bunkhouse is probably out due to weight).
Seeing some of the smaller models lose the sofa and just have a dinette - need to decide if we need the sofa... That should mean lighter and shorter.

I have a 30 ft coachman apex. The bunk house in the back has a slide out and the living room with sofa / kitchen has a slide out. My tt dry weight in under 6200Lbs with a gross weight of 7600lbs. Also FYI the Bullet tt also has the same layout and the same weights.

 

[PippinAin'tEasy]

Lots of good tips here y'all, and I really do appreciate them all. I'll keep length in mind as well as weight - but we do want bunks (although a full bunkhouse is probably out due to weight).
Seeing some of the smaller models lose the sofa and just have a dinette - need to decide if we need the sofa... That should mean lighter and shorter.

Cruiser makes a 29' bunkhouse model. Fwiw.

"Oh, sweet debt. Thy name is Truck."

 

[rctoyguy]

We are pretty much only looking at smooth sides. I just prefer the look and (possibly incorrectly) have been told they are generally lighter than the wood frame/aluminum side TTs.
Top on the list right now is a Mallard M29 - I think it's a camping world thing.

 

[chris1965]

uh- camping world. just a hint...- shop around. there are a lot of smaller dealers around on every corner, breaking you a deal. I went to Asheville and to Spartanburg- the best part: they show you campers and their standard answer to the question if you truck can tow it: yeah- it will...
Sorry- but I'm healed from camping world. google and you will find real deals. My neighbor drove down to Orlando and picked up her fifth wheel there. picked it up and combined it with a 5 day vacation there at KOA. And the dealer there paid half of the camp ground cost as little giveaway.

 

[rctoyguy]

I've heard that a couple of times about them. Still looking..
Trying to find that balance of what we want and what this truck will handle - it does make it difficult when you don't know if you can trust the RV salesman.

 

[chris1965]

your truck can handle a camper with ~7600#. This weight limits automatically the length. should be up to 28ft.- every foot is extra weight. and up to 7600#, there are a lot of choices out there. There might be some special light weight editions out there- but well- it's the question how much you wan to spend.
If you write down your corner points- tongue weight, gross weight, tow capacity, pay load, you can corner your available choices.
Usually with campers you don't have to worry too much about tongue weight, because if you look in the 26-28ft range- they're pretty much all the same- if it's no toy hauler.
with other words- check the floor plans within the footage and choose. when you have your choices, check the prices at all rv dealers around you. Another thing- the best deals you get in October/November/December.
yeah- it's not easy to find the right thing.- good luck!

 

[rctoyguy]

Thanks again for all the help/advice... When you refer to a camper length, of say, 30' - is that box length or full tongue-to-back bumper length?
I've found that the "model" doesn't necessarily give the length. So I'm guessing the model is about box length, and length is overall.

 

[chris1965]

usually they show the box length and for the tongue you can add 3ft.
if you have a 27ft camper means, the box is 27ft and the complete length is ~30ft.
And if you book camp sites with a camper this size, always book the ones for 35 ft and longer. gives you little more room.

 

[silver surfer]

I always thought length was tip of tongue to bumper. But that is another discussion.

 

[pcschwenke]

Our camper is a 2016 Jayco 28BHBE and it measure overall 33'. Five foot over the number listed on the side, is close for most trailers overall length. As I mentioned, we have zero issues pulling it over 2k miles last year. I ended up getting 11mpg, which is pretty good! My father-in-laws 6l Chev 3/4 gets 8-9mpg pulling a trailer that weighs 1,000 lbs less.

 

[cableguy_hd]

Pretty sure i have the same camper as muzupan and I've only pulled it twice and i could tell a difference in a few extra feet behind me. With that said my only advice is to try and be safe with whatever you do, cause ive pulled some **** i aint proud of. In regards to shopping around, i emailed one of the discount places in ohio, got a price and then asked a local dealer to make worth my wild to buy from them and they got with in 800$ of it which i was happy with. Good luck

 

[rctoyguy]

That's a 9000 pound camper. What are you pulling it with?

 

[Hemi_1340R]

So I bought a new ram with 3.21 gears mainly because they had a hard time finding one with my options with the 3.92 gears I would like the extra towing ability the 3.92 gearing gives you so say I bought the new gears from moes performance and had a professional mechanic install them would doing that make it so my truck can tow the same as a 3.92 geared from the factory ?

 

[smurfs_of_war]

Yup. Not on paper but GCWR and Trailer tow rating are not a legal standard anywhere.

 

[Hemi_1340R]

I thought I seen the gear ratios are the same through 6th gear it's just 7th and 8th that are different is that true? If so could I just leave it in 6th And be fine ?

 

[zflat]

I was in your exact shoes six weeks ago, only I had 3.92 gears and a max tow rating of 10,000 lbs. Pulled the trigger on a 31 ft TT with a dry weight of right around 7500 lbs. WD hitch and sway control.

Towed it twice and traded my 2016 1500 in for a 2500. Will the truck pull it? Absolutely. Your issue is going to be the wind blowing your light little truck all over the road.

I wasn't comfortable with how out of control I felt while driving, plus I've always wanted a 3/4 ton anyway

It's also worth mentioning that the closest place I would be camping is 2-3 hours away and the furthest would be 8-9 hours, multiple times a year. If you're not going to be towing it far it might not bother you too much.

 

[PippinAin'tEasy]

I've heard that a couple of times about them. Still looking..
Trying to find that balance of what we want and what this truck will handle - it does make it difficult when you don't know if you can trust the RV salesman.

Knowing that you cannot trust any RV salesman will make things easier on you. Just study and know yer truck. Anybody shoots you a line tell 'em you want to see the tongue on a scale. You challenge any of these jokers and they're quick to get in line.

"Oh, sweet debt. Thy name is Truck."

 

[rctoyguy]

I'm a couple of weeks into owning the truck and I like it more all the time, even though I "settled" for a little less towing ability than some others (OK a lot less than a 2500 Cummins) - I'm thinking it'll be the same way with a camper.
Spent most of today riding around looking at campers, plan to go again tomorrow. Still don't know which way to go, but I think I've upped my maximum GVWR for the camper to about 7500 - or basically dry weight about 6200-6500.

 

[audio1der]

I was in your exact shoes six weeks ago, only I had 3.92 gears and a max tow rating of 10,000 lbs. Pulled the trigger on a 31 ft TT with a dry weight of right around 7500 lbs. WD hitch and sway control.

Towed it twice and traded my 2016 1500 in for a 2500. Will the truck pull it? Absolutely. Your issue is going to be the wind blowing your light little truck all over the road.

I wasn't comfortable with how out of control I felt while driving, plus I've always wanted a 3/4 ton anyway

It's also worth mentioning that the closest place I would be camping is 2-3 hours away and the furthest would be 8-9 hours, multiple times a year. If you're not going to be towing it far it might not bother you too much.

Finally, I'm not the only one. If I could go back I would have kept the trailer shorter.

 

[chris1965]

Finally, I'm not the only one. If I could go back I would have kept the trailer shorter.

Yes, I always thought, I get claustrophobic in a short camper. Now, that I've seen what's possible in 26ft, I'm all for it now. This will be my next size. And the best part, I get a higher trim level for the same price a 28-30ft basic would cost.
People forget the wind and even though the 1500 is not a lightweight by it self, but you can't beat out physics.