Lacrosse 329 BHT Questions

[ChairFlyer]

We are new to the forum and looking at the 329 as our next trailer, but my wife has some concerns. She hates stainless steel appliances, but that is all you can get in 2015 models. The specific trailer we are looking at has the big 12.0 cu ft refrigerator in stainless steel (Dometic 1350). Here are our questions:

1. Is 2015 the first year for the 329?
2. Has anyone seen the Dometic 1350 with matching wood inserts in any other floorplan or model (any company)? (We would be willing to trade our stainless inserts )
3. My wife thinks the drawers in the kitchen island are small and she doesn't think a silverware holder will fit. Does anyone have any feedback?
4. The dealer is recommending an equalizer 4 point sway control hitch. If anyone is towing a long Lacrosse with this hitch, feedback would be appreciated.
5. Anyone else towing a Lacrosse with a Suburban C2500?
6. Anything else we should know about the 329?

Thanks for your help. It's a big decision for us.

[Platokidd]

Welcome to the forum from the top side land of Lincoln
Lacrosse is top of the line!
Tow my Lacrosse with the equalizer 4 point sway control hitch , works good for me.

Anything else we should know about the 329?
Look under the slides for fabric , if yes get the fix when you buy it.
http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...tml#post786145

[checca]

1. Is 2015 the first year for the 329?
--> NO
2. Has anyone seen the Dometic 1350 with matching wood inserts in any other floorplan or model (any company)? (We would be willing to trade our stainless inserts )
--> Yes I've seen them, they are not at all hard to change out. I bet you could match the wood in the kitchen from a home improvement store and stain to match.
3. My wife thinks the drawers in the kitchen island are small and she doesn't think a silverware holder will fit. Does anyone have any feedback?
--> sorry I'm no help here
4. The dealer is recommending an equalizer 4 point sway control hitch. If anyone is towing a long Lacrosse with this hitch, feedback would be appreciated.
--> Great setup ... I have it for my Lacrosse 318bhs ... I highly recommend the equalizer setup.
5. Anyone else towing a Lacrosse with a Suburban C2500?
--> sorry no help here either
6. Anything else we should know about the 329?
--> check out the "under slide wear" thread.

We love our Lacrosse it fits us perfect and hasn't given us any trouble!

[Flagstaffer06]

I can't answer all of them but, for what I can answer.

Silverware drawer, in our current camper we couldn't fit a silverware holder. My wife went to the Dollar Store and bought little plastic trays about 2.5" wide x 8" or so. We have one of those for each silverware type in the drawer.

Equalizer 4pt hitch, I have it on my setup and it's awesome. I can only compare it to a reese setup that I had previously. The Equalizer gets some pretty high praise.

[Houstonkid]

Dry tongue weight is coming in at 900+lbs. You will want some type of weight distribution/sway control on that beast. Equalizer makes a great product as do a couple of others. When I had my Lacrosse I went with the equalizer. I installed myself so that it would be done correctly. I didn't trust the dealer to follow the step by step instructions.

[scayne62]

1. Is 2015 the first year for the 329?
Nope mine is a 2014
2. Has anyone seen the Dometic 1350 with matching wood inserts in any other floorplan or model (any company)? (We would be willing to trade our stainless inserts ) I have not seen them but I am a fan of the stainless
3. My wife thinks the drawers in the kitchen island are small and she doesn't think a silverware holder will fit. Does anyone have any feedback?
I bought a silverware drwaer organizer from Menards, did not think it would fit but it does very well witout much if any movement.
4. The dealer is recommending an equalizer 4 point sway control hitch. If anyone is towing a long Lacrosse with this hitch, feedback would be appreciated. no help here I have a reese
5. Anyone else towing a Lacrosse with a Suburban C2500?
I tow with a crew cab z71 2500HD
6. Anything else we should know about the 329?
It is a beast but the best of the best, how quite a few issues, mostly mnor and one major that I am getting remedied at the dealer right now, nothing that kept us from camping all year. The mattress sucks but find a stock rv mattress that does not. all in al lI am in love with my lacrosse and cannot wait to get it back, spiffed up and back camping.

[ChairFlyer]

Many thanks to all who responded! We appreciate your insight. Today we pulled the trigger and bought the Lacrosse 329! Delivery is probably a couple of weeks out. Looking forward to a great camping season.

[scayne62]

Congratulations!! You won't regret your decision. It is a beautiful rig.

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by scayne62

Congratulations!! You won't regret your decision. It is a beautiful rig.

what he said

[MickeyD]

We bought a 2015 329 BHT last fall and really like it. The big fridge was a major selling point, and the stainless does brighten up the inside a little. I pull ours with a 2014 Ram 2500 (started out with a 2014 GMC 1500 CC 4x4 Z71 and it was a case of the tail wagging the dog) and it does fine, but it "feels" heavier than what Primetime claims. By the time you fill the front storage bay, add a battery, propane, a little water in the tank, front AC unit, and the tongue weight quickly goes up.

The good:
- The kids and dogs having their own room is really nice.
- Love the outdoor kitchen.
- Tows well for how big it is.
- Kitchen layout is good with a LOT of storage space.
- Build quality is better than a lot of other brands that we looked at.

The bad:
- The hinges broke on the bunk room sleeper sofa the first time that we folded it out.
- The dinette table mount is not very sturdy.
- If you fold out the sofa sleeper in the living room it blocks the bathroom and front bedroom.
- Either I am a little too fat or the shower is a little too small because it is tight in there.
- The factory master bedroom mattress was built for the Spanish Inquisition. We used it twice and got a much better one from Amazon.

Other thoughts:

- If you plan on using it where it gets hot, make sure you get the 2nd AC option. We have friends that had a 27 footer with one AC and they would bake on the hot summer evenings. With 2 units ours will freeze you out.

- Spend the extra money and get a Pro Pride hitch. This is a big tall trailer that can get pushed around in the wind. My Ram weighs over 9K pounds loaded for camping and that comes in handy for keeping the trailer in check.

[The_Rhino]

ChairFlyer, IMO the Lacrosse 329 (@8,800 empty) will push the payload & GCVW ratings of your Suburban 2500...

We really liked the Lacrosse 318 & 329 but chose the Tracer 3150 because it's only 6,500 empty yet still has a slide-out bunkhouse... With family of 5 & our gear, our tongue weight is 1,100, our payload is 2,200, and our GCVW is just below 15,000... Since your 329 is 2,000 lbs. heavier, expect your payload to be around 2,400 & GCVW around 17,000 ready-to-camp... I'm not sure which Suburban 2500 you have, but these are pretty big numbers for the newer 'burbs to handle...

However, I agree that the Lacrosse is a beautiful & roomy TT. You will really enjoy camping with it. Expect your camping neighbors to want to check-it out also - one good way to meet new folks!

[ChairFlyer]

Thanks for the feedback. We had the dealer throw in a free Equalizer hitch and new receiver for our Suburban so we will try that setup and see how it does. I've heard nothing but good about the ProPride hitch, but the cost is a factor for us. If the Equalizer doesn't do the trick, we may spend the bucks. Right now, the next big decision for us is picking out the slide toppers for the 329. The dealer is recommending AE toppers and the 3 color choices are white, black and satin. Does anyone have any suggestions? I prefer black, but my wife thinks they would fade after a few years and would cause extra heat buildup. Don't know how white would look with the Champagne color. We are going to also install the Fantastic Vent covers in a Smoky color. Decisions, Decisions.

We have a 1999 C2500 Suburban with a 7.4L engine and a 4.10 axle. We bought it new and have taken great care of it (hasn't even passed 100K miles yet). It is rated at 10,000 lbs towing capacity and in 1999 there is no published GCVR I can find. We had the Suburban weighed and we will be well under the GVWR and the max axle weight limits. Our Lacrosse weighs 8759 dry (with 2 air conditioners), so that gives us 1241 lbs for stuff (even though the 329 can carry 2200+ lbs). We usually pack about 1000 lbs for a typical trip (there are only 3 of us), so we should be OK. Not planning any trips out west for a few years, so most of our towing will be on relatively flat terrain. We will get a new tow vehicle in the next few years, after we get our money's worth out of the Suburban.


Anyone have any suggestions for bike racks? Our old Cougar had the bike rack on a pull out platform which was really handy. Has anyone mounted a receiver to the bumper for a bike carrier?

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by ChairFlyer

Right now, the next big decision for us is picking out the slide toppers for the 329. The dealer is recommending AE toppers and the 3 color choices are white, black and satin. Does anyone have any suggestions? I prefer black, but my wife thinks they would fade after a few years and would cause extra heat buildup. Don't know how white would like with the Champagne color. We are going to also install the Fantastic Vent covers in a Smoky color. Decisions, Decision.

Look into this last summer for my Lacrosse.
White is the cheapest and Black does look cool with champagne.
Liked the EZ line from dometic, but think acrylic fabric would hold up better then vinyl . (carefree toppers).

[MickeyD]

We tow ours with a Cummins Ram 2500 and about half the time I don't even put the sway bar on it. I think that as long as your suspension is pretty tight (good ball joints, tie rod ends, and the like) and you are running good LT tires like Michelins at 80PSI (check your rim ratings!) you will be fine. LT tires running at maximum tooth jarring pressure do not have a lot of squirm that I feel lets the trailer start swaying and gets ugly from there.

I have towed some big equipment trailers with a 454 before and that is a great engine for pulling, but it does suck down the gas. You should stick with premium gas when you are loaded to keep the pinging down, you don't want to knock a hole in a piston. We used to tow big hay trailers with mid 70's 454 1 ton trucks and between 20 round bales and the trailer it would be over a 20K pound load and the engines never gave problems, just burned clutches from 16 year old drivers.

[The_Rhino]

The 1999 C2500 Suburban w/ 7.4L 454 & 4.10 axle is a beast compared to some newer 'burbs, so it looks like you are good to go... I agree that you should start-out with the Equalizer 4 (& tweak it at full payload) before spending more.
Although the 454 is a real guzzler by today's standards, buying anything new that will tow the same is big bucks. So IMO you are better-off paying extra for gas vs. payments on something newer especially since your 'burb seems to well cared-for. Enjoy your first season out with the new Lacrosse!

[art_vandelay]

I know most people seem to be pulling the 329BHT with 3/4 ton or 1 ton units, but is there any reason the new 2015 half ton Ford's can't pull it? Looks like the ratings should handle it (11,500 lb towing capacity and over 2,000 lbs in payload).

[MickeyD]

Originally Posted by art_vandelay

I know most people seem to be pulling the 329BHT with 3/4 ton or 1 ton units, but is there any reason the new 2015 half ton Ford's can't pull it? Looks like the ratings should handle it (11,500 lb towing capacity and over 2,000 lbs in payload).

After having pulled one (not very comfortably) with a 14' GMC CC 4x4 6.5' bed with the 5.3 engine I am sure that it will pull it down the road but the trailer is going to be in charge. The 329 does not look that big when it is on a lot with other trailers jammed in tight, but when you have it hooked up to a truck you see that it is a BIG trailer with tall (about a foot taller than most) wind catching sides. If you were just pulling that much weight on a lowboy trailer it would do fine (my 14' GMC pulled a 14K pound equipment trailer without much complaint and it was a very stable tow) while the 329 pushed it around a lot in traffic on the interstate. It did not feel safe and I did not want to put my family at risk to the point that I traded in an almost new truck and took a $3500 hickey on it plus spent a crapload more money going to a 2500 diesel.

The replacement Cummins Ram 2500 weighs close to 9K pounds with the deer bars on the front and the extra fuel tank and toolbox and that weight comes in handy in controlling the trailer, it is actually a pretty relaxed ride even in heavy traffic. If you load the trailer up with a bunch of stuff (like everyone does) it is going to weigh almost twice what the new aluminum Ford will, and with a bumper pull that does not sound like a recipe for relaxation. I suspect a fifth wheel would pull a lot better than a trailer will with the new light weight trucks from applying the load (and sideways motion) over the rear axle instead of levering it out 4 plus feet behind it.

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by art_vandelay

I know most people seem to be pulling the 329BHT with 3/4 ton or 1 ton units, but is there any reason the new 2015 half ton Ford's can't pull it? Looks like the ratings should handle it (11,500 lb towing capacity and over 2,000 lbs in payload).

It will tow it, better if the trucks has proper equipment. Lot depends on the driver as to how well it handles. Or what you the driver can handle.
To me the mfg tow rating dont mean all that much.(sales pitch) Only the dodge uses the J2807 standard last I looked.
So right now Im in the 3/4 ton crowd as my truck does a great job

[art_vandelay]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to research the F150 a little more, but it still looks like the specs can handle it. Our camping trips are within a few hours of where we live, so we're not driving it too often. Right now my gut is telling me that the F150 can do the job.

We love the layout and the large fridge which is why we're considering the 329BHT over anything else right now.

[The_Rhino]

As noted on my other posts, I seriously considered trading-in my Ram 2500 for a F150 EB HD to get better mileage on my daily commute, but I don't want to give--up my Ram's 3,000 lb. payload. Those beefy springs not only handle the 3,000 lbs. but they keep the rear-end very stable on curvy 2-lane highways, high winds, etc.

Specs are one thing & then there is real world experience. For a number of years I worked for (3) different companies towing commercial trailers with any number of 1/2, 3/4, and 1 ton trucks. IMO the biggest issue was continually repairing brakes, bearings, front ends, broken springs, etc. when trucks were pushed near their specs. However, at some point I had white knuckle experiences with each.

For instance, on a two lane highway, a young teen missed a stop sign & slid to stop blocking my lane. With a flatbed carrying (2) Kubota backhoes, I had just enough time to swerve around her and get back into my lane before risking hitting oncoming traffic... Although the F150 had the "specs" to tow this load, I was sure glad had the 1 Ton that day...

That said, I can't afford a diesel 1 ton as my daily driver but I feel the 3/4 ton I have is very capable & safe match for the TT & gear we haul.