thinking about a 36' camper

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by ALF

We are trying to decide if we can comfortably go to a 36' Work and Play. We have a 2014 F-250 Power Stroke with the 6.7 engine. The Work and Play we like weighs 10,110 lbs dry. Our major concerns are not if it will pull the camper but if we will be able to stop it comfortably. Can someone give me some feedback on this?

That's what trailer brakes are for.

[Ford Idaho]

Does it have the engine brake?
All wheel disc brakes?
Tow/haul?

Yes it should stop just fine.

[ALF]

How much difference does it make if we are pulling a TT instead of a 5th wheel?

[Ford Idaho]

Originally Posted by ALF

How much difference does it make if we are pulling a TT instead of a 5th wheel?

Fifth wheel is taller so more wind resistance, that is the only difference.

[dustman_stx]

Originally Posted by ALF

How much difference does it make if we are pulling a TT instead of a 5th wheel?

I may be missing something, but in lieu of reading through everything, the major differences in towing a 5w versus a TT are:

5W is taller
5W will place more weight on the tow vehicle, 15-25% vs. 10-15%
5W resists sway- pivot point is ~at rear axle of tow vehicle vs. a TT being several feet behind. A high quality hitch such as a ProPride or Hensley will make the TT pull very similar to a 5W.
5W and TV will be shorter than a same length TT since part of the rig is over the bed.

[mr dually]

Originally Posted by ALF

We are trying to decide if we can comfortably go to a 36' Work and Play. We have a 2014 F-250 Power Stroke with the 6.7 engine. The Work and Play we like weighs 10,110 lbs dry. Our major concerns are not if it will pull the camper but if we will be able to stop it comfortably. Can someone give me some feedback on this?

I don't see why you would have a problem. Guys pull 15k fith wheels with that truck.

[1l243]

With that weight you must be looking at the 36FKBS.....Nice rig. I tow a 30WR with a F250 Diesel... Braking you wont have any problems. You want a good brake controller but I think one comes with your truck. Also with your Tow Haul transmission should aid in slowing by shifting down.. So I would not worry about stopping. If you loaded the FKBS to it's max you may be over your trucks GCWR but I have never got close to max payload in my WR.. That said you could also have a exhaust brake installed..

I would reccomend air bags as your tongue weight will be substantial, mine is 1350 yours will probably be more. I would check the rating on your OEM hitch. Probably rated at 12500 and a tongue weight of 1250lbs (corect me if I am worng) not sure about the new trucks. You would want to upgrade your hitch with that trailer maybe up around 16k to 20k. I'ts not that expensive to upgrade the OEM hitch. You also want a WDH rated at or more than the trailers gross weight ie...14 to 16k... I would also use anti sway system of your choice. I use two friction anti sway bars on my WDH.

I have not seen a 36FKBS up close yet but if it's 6 feet longer than a 30WR it's a long trailer for sure...

[ALF]

Thanks for everyone's help in our making this decision. We just want to make sure it's right before we order this unit.

[ALF]

We have also looked at the 30WR as well. How long have you owned your unit and how has it held up. We travel sometimes weekly for about 10 months of the year since my husband is a welder and we want a durable one.

[1l243]

My 30WR is a 2011. I bought it new in 2010. It's held up fine. The only warranty issue we had was a leak in the shower that caused some damage to the sink vanity. Forest River approved the warranty work and a local dealer did a great job fixing and replacing it. The only thing I don't like about the new Work and Plays is the sprayed insulation under the trailer. I think it looks like C--- and it will eventually be a mess. You don't have to order it with the sprayed underbelly. I would not... All the other four season stuff is fine ie dual payne windows and wall insulation and heated tanks....

[Stg1]

I went from a 30 footer to a 34 foot TT. The extra length has not been a problem getting into State Parks or Corp Parks. As far as towing (2004 Nissan Titan 5.6 L w/ 373) has not changed any. Yes, it's aluminum sided, but prefer that to fiberglass. We have the rear kitchen, which gives us more cabinet space. If you want 36 feet, then go for it.

[ferguson65]

I did a lot of state park searching and research before we ordered our new Puma Unleashed 351THSS. At 37 feet, it's a good bit of trailer and some of the parks do have small sites here in PA. What I found was that some can only accommodate up to a 30' trailer, while most at least have a few sites that can fit the bigger trailers. Either way, whichever trailer we decided on wasn't going to fit on a 30' pad, as we wanted 2 bedrooms.

Granted the sites that will fit the trailer may not be the top choice sites, but sacrifices had to be made somewhere. The hardest part I've had with the state parks is the NARROW, one way roads through the campgrounds. Some have well designed spurs that come off at an angle and its no big deal. Others have pads that are 90 degrees to the road, and there's just nowhere for the nose of the truck to swing, and it takes a bit of space to swing the CCLB around.

[B and B]

Originally Posted by elind

A lot of the state parks in Michigan are older and set up when TT were 21-25 footers Each park has a size limit for each lot. I've been locked out CGs that still had 25% openings because my 38' 5er didn't fit.

Right now at 32ft I am having issues in Ontario Provincial Parks finding sites in many parks. I hand pick and keep a list when we visit. Fortunately the on line registration system has measurements and pictures.

[pacin]

ferguson65--you are right about the parks in Pa. We camp at Tionesta mostly, it is a very nice COE campground, but probably 3/4 of the sites would be too snug for our 38 foot salem.

[sakool]

We wanted a smaller camper than our current 30 ft. Proud to say we made. Waiting for our new 29 1/2 ft camper to arrive late March.