Towing a Flagstaff Micro Lite 23LB

[Tynman]

Hi:
I have a 2014 Acura MDX with a 5,000 lb towing package. The vehicle has a 3.5 liter engine with 290 HP.
I'm looking to purchase a Flagstaff Micro Lite 23LB camper but am concerned about my MDX's towing ability.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Norm

[tipakajohn]

Look for a smaller travel trailer or a larger tow vehicle. Our last TV was a Chevy Trailblazer with a 2" longer wheelbase and it was not a fun drive when on the highway.

However, the 23LB is a great trailer setup/layout. We got the murphy bed that opened up the trailer floorspace.

[steepgrade]

We have a Micro-Lite 23FB and I agree with tipakajohn. I think you will want a little more pulling power for that LB

[goduc]

This would be a better match.
r-pod Travel Trailer by Forest River

[KDHfan]

Originally Posted by Tynman

Hi:

I have a 2014 Acura MDX with a 5,000 lb towing package. The vehicle has a 3.5 liter engine with 290 HP.

I'm looking to purchase a Flagstaff Micro Lite 23LB camper but am concerned about my MDX's towing ability.



Any thoughts?



Thanks,

Norm

I would advise against it. We have the twin TT, the Rockwood 2306. I know there is at least one other on these boards that's towing a 2306 with a 5,000 tow cap vehicle... But I believe that's on 100% flat terrain. My sticker is at 3954lbs. I'd bet sitting dry & empty you'll be over your combine limit and tongue weight.
I started out towing an Rpod 182G with a 6-cylinder Trailblazer. That was white knuckle driving all day long. I then upgraded to a Nissan Armada with a 6500# tow. With the added cap., we decided to upgrade to the 2306. It towed fine enough, but that had a 5.6L and a tranny cooler... And it still ran hot through the hills of PA. I wouldn't have towed my 2306 with anything less than the Armada. Can you tow it? Sure. Should you tow it? Only you can decide that.

Just a word of caution... Seems like the natural progression is... "I can't afford both a new camper AND new Tow vehicle." They decide to buy the camper anyway thinking they'll make do... Then end up buying the new TV also. Not that there's anything wrong with that... I've done it twice... Hahaha.


2014 Rockwood 2306 w/Murphy Bed
2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L CrewMax

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[beerjay]

Good advice here. Look for a bigger TV.

Had a Trailblazer I6 with a popup, ok but not good in wind or with transports passing due to the short wheelbase.

My 23FBS Super Lite trailer is a little bigger than the Micro Light and is 5100 # loaded and 24' long. Even the Suburban wheezes on hills and headwinds due to the wind loading.

[Tynman]

Thank you for your awesome responses. I really appreciate your honesty and advise options. My wife and I just retired and although we've done our share of tent camping, the whole travel trailer camping is new to us. Your willingness to share your experience and advice is SO appreciated.

Looked at the R-Pod but it's too small for our needs.

Now we're looking at the Flagstaff 19FD. It has a very similar floor plan to the 23LB but is about 1000 lbs lighter. Our local family owned dealer said we'll be fine in this one, especially with the weight distribution hitch and sway bar. We're still researching this one.

Thanks again!
Norm

[cowbelle]

That is sort of what we did. We found a 23LB on the lot that we really liked but knew it was too much to tow so we looked for a baby brother. We found a slightly used 19RB that we thought would suit us. We chose that over a 19FB because of the storage. With the murphy is really is enough for us, we even survived a whole weekend in the rain together

[rycej]

Be careful.. A lot of dealers will say you will be fine with the trailer and the tow vehicle. I did have a Ford Ranger to pull our Hybrid which has a sticker of 3,714 lbs (Surveyor SP192T). It could and did pull it fine as long as I didn't get in spots where I needed a little extra power. Such as on wet grass or pulling along a muddy road in a camp ground. I was able to climb hills and stay up to hwy speeds. Also, to be honest, there was no problem with sway from passing transports (transports going past me). Gas was horrible!

We decided to upgrade to a new F150 mainly due to the safety of the forward facing rear seats for our son (Ranger had sideways jump type seats). Boy it is a huge difference in pulling and gas!

You have to keep in mind, not only do you have the weight of the trailer, you have the wind and the resistance of the trailer as it hits the wind. If you buy something near the limit of your weight, you still have to think about that weight, plus the big sail slowing you down behind you.

[PSUFan1]

Originally Posted by Tynman

Thank you for your awesome responses. I really appreciate your honesty and advise options. My wife and I just retired and although we've done our share of tent camping, the whole travel trailer camping is new to us. Your willingness to share your experience and advice is SO appreciated.



Looked at the R-Pod but it's too small for our needs.



Now we're looking at the Flagstaff 19FD. It has a very similar floor plan to the 23LB but is about 1000 lbs lighter. Our local family owned dealer said we'll be fine in this one, especially with the weight distribution hitch and sway bar. We're still researching this one.



Thanks again!

Norm

Glad to hear you changed your mind towing the 23lb with the MDX. We made the mistake last year and upgraded our tv to the v8 version which does better but still not great. The issue was primarily hills.

I'm sure you can find something smaller that will meet your needs.


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[thebrakeman]

Looks like the trade off is losing the triple bunks, but gaining a larger bathroom.
Did you need bunks (grandkids)?
I agree that the 21-23ft units, while technically doable (probably 4800 lbs loaded weight), you would be right at the limit, and overworking the Honda on the expressway.
The 19' units can probably be kept under 4000 lbs loaded.
That 19FD (with the 2 person dinette and flip own upper bed) look great for a retired couple by themselves, plus 1 or 2 grandkids occasionally.

If you plan to bring along some kids most of the time, I would recommend you find something in that weight category (3000 lbs dry), that has dedicated bunks. Not sure it can be found without going to a hybrid.

[Tynman]

Good advise thebrakeman. You pretty much nailed my intentions for using the trailer. My wife and I are retired and plan to travel with our 2 small dogs. The 23lb is PERFECT for us but I just don't think the MDX will pull it. The 19fd looks like a good alternative. Sure wish I could get the 23lb though.
The Murphy bed is a must for us, so that limits our search considerably.

I really appreciate your feedback. You're either very familiar with the models I'm looking at our you researched it before responding. Either way...Thank you! :-)

[KDHfan]

I know you don't want to hear this... But I'm going to say it... My suggestion is to buy yourself a used pick up and then buy the camper you really want. I only wish I had done that the first time around (and the second time). A year down the road you'll think back and kick yourself.


2014 Rockwood 2306 w/Murphy Bed
2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L CrewMax

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[Tynman]

Awe man, there you go getting logical. LOL

Hey KDHfan. Thank you for "saying it." You make good sense. I really should have looked more seriously at trailers before purchasing my vehicle. I hadn't thought about finding a used pickup but need to give that consideration.

This forum has been SO helpful. I really do appreciate everyone's candid opinions, based on their own experience. Thank you! :-)

[rpolikoski]

I am not sure about the specs on your TV, but mine had a tow capacity of 4500 lbs and a 3.5L V6. Wife and I just bought a 2014 Rockwood 2306 and tow it with a 2009 Ford Flex. Sticker weight is just over 3800 lbs. We drove the unit home from Western Ohio to Northern NY. Then a few days later camped for a week at Wellsley Island - on the Canadian Border. Our truck did fine - better than fine. I am no expert and am not a professional driver by any means, but I never felt that the truck was 'working too hard'. We have logged over 2000 miles in the last month and all has been fine. Again our experience, towing with 2 small children and I am often accused of being too conservative (risk perspective) on many things, so I keep my kids safe. If I had it to do all over again, I'd buy the same trailer and keep the same TV. The murphy bed has been fantastic for us!

[Evereddie]

Wife and I have a Rockwood 2306. Got it about the same time as KDHfan. Also have to agree with his suggestion. Get the camper you want / need. You'll find a good used vehicle to pull it with. We found a great 2004 Escalade that pulls it like a dream. You may not want to go that route and get a truck instead but the deals are out there. There are also deals on very slightly used campers that will help fund the TV needed to pull it.

And yes, we also love the Murphy bed and when we show the trailer to people they can't get over all the room inside because of that Murphy bed.

[Tynman]

Thanks for the additional posts on my "Towing" question. This has been a confusing issue for me and your advice is REALLY helpful. I spent time yesterday looking at hard shell campers that fold out at the ends like a pop-up. That would allow me to pull a smaller trailer that is still spacious when fully opened. My concern with these are there are many places we want to go that don't allow these because of bears, so we would have to keep the ends (beds) closed. I have to say though I'm still most impressed with the Flagstaff 23LB (or it's counterpart Rockwood 2306) with the Murphy bed.

The big question that keeps coming up is: What is the towing capacity of my TV. I looked at my manual and called my dealer and spoke with the service manager. He (and the manual) said that the "Combined Max Load Capacity is 9833 lbs. (Vehicle, Passengers, cargo, trailer).

My calculation came out like this:
Gross Vehicle Weight: 5677 lbs
Hitch Weight: 150 lbs
Roof Rack Weight: 45 lbs
19 Gal of Gas (@ 6 lbs per gallon): 114 lbs
Passengers: 460 lbs
I've been told to figure about 400 lbs for cargo

Total: 6,841 lbs

Combined Max Load: 9,833 - 6,841 = 2,992 towing capacity. That seems really low, having a 5,000 hitch.

Still looking.

[KDHfan]

Your numbers might be correct. On vehicles like yours... and mine... You'll hit your max combined way before you hit your tow capacity. My max tow is 9800lbs... But with 4 people, bikes and other "stuff," I can't even get close to that number before running out of combined. I believe your vehicle weight already includes a 150lb driver and a full tank of gas... But I think you're a little low on the cargo at 400lbs. You could probably get away with that on a weekend trip.


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[WatkinsGlenCamper]

I bought a new 2013 Micro-Lite 23LB last Spring. I towed it twice last year with a extended cab GMC Sierra, 1/2 ton, 4X4, 4.8 engine with the towing package. I didn't have any WD hitch and it towed fine with no sway or bounce and the steering felt good, but the 4.8 motor (295 hp) labored terribly on the hills. Last September I traded the GMC in for a new 2013 Ford F150 with all the options the GMC had except the Ford has a 5.0 engine with an additional 65 hp over the 4.8 of the GMC (and the torque went from 305 ft-lbs. @ 4800 rpm with the GMC to 380 ft-lbs. @ 4250 rpm for the Ford). The first time out with the Ford with the TT hitched up, I couldn't believe the difference the additional 65 hp (and torque) made on the hills. Again with no WD hitch, the Ford steering felt very light and much less responsive than the GMC, although there wasn't any noticeable sway at highway speeds. But I was still concerned with the steering. This past Spring I bought an Equal-i-zer 4 point WD hitch, set it up and now my Ford tows the Micro-Lite like there isn't anything hitched to the truck and the steering feels just as it is without a TT behind it. In other words: I now feel safe and much less stressed when towing my TT which makes for a way more enjoyable trip.

I guess my point is: I found that two different brands of pickups drive very differently when towing a TT...much more than I would have ever imagine. Whether it's the difference in the frame, suspension, tires, wheel size or whatever (the wheel base difference is 1 inch between the two trucks) I'm not sure. But it was like day and night between the two trucks when towing without a WD hitch. I'd recommend a truck with adequate horsepower (I guess you can never get enough), correct tow and weight specs and a good WD hitch that's properly setup for your TT and vehicle and towing shouldn't be an issue at all.

Also, I haven't had any major issues with my 23LB and like it very much...especially the Murphy bed option that opens up a lot more living space during the daylight hours. And the bunks come in handy if there're any kids (or grandchildren) that tag along for a weekend.

[blue river]

Originally Posted by KDHfan

I know you don't want to hear this... But I'm going to say it... My suggestion is to buy yourself a used pick up and then buy the camper you really want. I only wish I had done that the first time around (and the second time). A year down the road you'll think back and kick yourself.


2014 Rockwood 2306 w/Murphy Bed
2014 Toyota Tundra 5.7L CrewMax

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you are spot on with this advice--we thought we had the right sized tow vehicle for our 2012 Flagstaff VLite 30FWKSS, based on the Chevy dealer and the math with a 2013 Silverado 1500 gas. But it was hellacious to drive with any wind or passing truckers. Luckily found a great deal on a brand new 2013 diesel Silverado 2500HD still sitting on the dealer's lot after 550 days.
The driving experience is completely different; can't even tell the trailer is back there.