Can we safely tow this TT?

[Falcon72]

JNKS2010... you certainly have me thinking now. I ordered a 2015 FR Surveyor 32BHDS just a week ago. It weighs 6866 lbs dry according to the OEM information.

I have almost the same truck you do except its a 2013 GMC. I have;

2013 GMC 1500 CC with towing packing which means
3.42 Rear Axle

The max towing for 2013 is 9500 lbs but reading this forum of course makes we realize it will he payload capacity that I max. out on before total towing weight.

My wife and I looked at a lot of them at an indoor RV show and this Surveyor is the only one we truly love. The layout is also critical for us given we have 3 boys.

We already have plans to use it a couple of times this Spring. I guess I better be planning a 3/4 ton truck purchase.

[asquared]

Originally Posted by JNKS2010

Well I am sorry to say that unfortunately we will not be a forest river owner....... after much thought we pulled out of our deal for the 291BHSS, we loved it but I think for now being first time TT owners and towers we decided to play on the side of caution. we went with a keystone Bullet 243bhs it's identical to the FR Serveyor 245bhs except lighter and about $3,000 cheaper.

My wife and I want to thank each and everyone of that helped bring the light to our eyes on the weight issue, we hope to be able to continue posting and getting amazing advice from all of you in the future if that is alright.as of now we have been unable to find any keystone rv forums such as this that are visited frequently.

Absolutely stay and hang out here. congrats and good luck with the bullet.

[fx2]

Originally Posted by Falcon72

JNKS2010... you certainly have me thinking now. I ordered a 2015 FR Surveyor 32BHDS just a week ago. It weighs 6866 lbs dry according to the OEM information.



I have almost the same truck you do except its a 2013 GMC. I have;



2013 GMC 1500 CC with towing packing which means

3.42 Rear Axle



The max towing for 2013 is 9500 lbs but reading this forum of course makes we realize it will he payload capacity that I max. out on before total towing weight.



My wife and I looked at a lot of them at an indoor RV show and this Surveyor is the only one we truly love. The layout is also critical for us given we have 3 boys.



We already have plans to use it a couple of times this Spring. I guess I better be planning a 3/4 ton truck purchase.

I have the 321BHTS and had to move to a 3/4 ton from an EcoBoost, mine is about 500 lbs more. I don't regret the move to the 2500 at all


Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

[asquared]

Originally Posted by Falcon72

JNKS2010... you certainly have me thinking now. I ordered a 2015 FR Surveyor 32BHDS just a week ago. It weighs 6866 lbs dry according to the OEM information.

I have almost the same truck you do except its a 2013 GMC. I have;

2013 GMC 1500 CC with towing packing which means
3.42 Rear Axle

The max towing for 2013 is 9500 lbs but reading this forum of course makes we realize it will he payload capacity that I max. out on before total towing weight.

My wife and I looked at a lot of them at an indoor RV show and this Surveyor is the only one we truly love. The layout is also critical for us given we have 3 boys.

We already have plans to use it a couple of times this Spring. I guess I better be planning a 3/4 ton truck purchase.

You don't need a 3/4 ton just the right half ton although the 3/4 ton will serve you well.

[MickeyD]

Originally Posted by JNKS2010

Our tow vehicle:
2015 GMC Sierra 1500
Double cab standard bed

GVWR:7200
Gross axle weight ratio rear: 3950
Gear ratio: 3.42
Max towing capacity: 9200lbs

The trailer is:
2015 Surveyer 291BHSS
About 6,000lbs
Hitch weight according to book was 744

What are your thoughts? My head is spinning with all these numbers...

Info about us:
2 adults and 2 daughters (3 and 13)
More weekend warriors then anything else
Our favorite camp ground is about a half hour away... But we may travel up to a couple hours once or twice a year...

I pulled a LaCrosse 329BHT (about a foot longer and taller and 2500 pounds heavier) with a 2014 GMC Sierra with the 5.3 that was initially rated to to 10,500 pounds and then derated to something like 9500. The truck had no problem problem dragging the trailer down the road at 65 and between the trailer and truck brakes stopping was fine too. The problem was whenever we took the trailer out it was a white knuckle ride (and I have been towing everything from equipment trailers, overweight hay trailers, and the like for 35 years). Even with the WDH hitch and the sway bar, it was a case of the tail wagging the dog. When a truck would pass either coming or going, it was tough to keep it in my lane. Side winds were murder.

Figured I would have to upgrade the tires to good LTs like Michelins, add air bags to the rear, and replace the hitch with a Hensley or an Arrow, and upgrade the shocks. Instead of doing 5K worth of upgrades that I was not positive were going to help, I ended up trading it in on a 3/4 ton Ram. Took a $3500 loss on the GMC (after having it 5 months and 8K miles) and got 11K off of the Ram sticker. The difference in towing is night and day, and sometimes I don't even bother with the sway and WDH bars, it pulls that much better.

With what I know now, I would get the dealer to let you take the trailer for a good test tow on the highway in traffic to see how it does behind your truck and see how you feel with it back there.

[asquared]

Originally Posted by MickeyD

The difference in towing is night and day, and sometimes I don't even bother with the sway and WDH bars, it pulls that much better.

It may handle a lot better but I'm willing to bet the tongue weight of that tt exceeds your hitch's weight carrying (no wdh) rating. Most class V hitches state you need a wdh for over 500 lbs. I wouldn't run without your wdh hooked up.

[Falcon72]

I am going to pull the trailer with my 1/2 ton a couple of times to fairly close locations to see how it tows. If I find it ok I may stay with my truck for awhile...if not I will be trading it for a 3/4 ton.

[goduc]

Originally Posted by Falcon72

I am going to pull the trailer with my 1/2 ton a couple of times to fairly close locations to see how it tows. If I find it ok I may stay with my truck for awhile...if not I will be trading it for a 3/4 ton.

Get that trailer out on the open road for a couple hours where there's some semi's or winds. Just going a short distance and not encountering everyday issues won't tell you the whole story.

[MickeyD]

Originally Posted by asquared

It may handle a lot better but I'm willing to bet the tongue weight of that tt exceeds your hitch's weight carrying (no wdh) rating. Most class V hitches state you need a wdh for over 500 lbs. I wouldn't run without your wdh hooked up.

The class V hitch on the truck is rated for 1200 on the tongue and 12,000 on the trailer without the WD, and 1700/17,000 with WD. That being said, it does ride better with the WD bars on and I only skip them for short trips (no water and not a lot of crap loaded in the trailer). The 300 pound Ranch Hand cow catcher front bumper and 1200 pound Cummins also helps keep the front planted.