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Old 02-21-2010, 11:04 PM   #1
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Surveyor 186/189 vs Rockwood 188/Flagstaff 18BH

We are looking for an ultra-lite that we can pull with our 2006 Honda Odyssey (V6 engine, 244 hp, towing rating 3500 lbs, GVWR 5952 lbs).
1) Can our vehicle pull either Surveyor?
2) We have two boys. We would need to purchase the 129 lb overhead bunk option. Anyone with experience with this option.
Also in the running are the Rockwood 188/Flagstaff 18BH twins.
Any buying advice would be appreciated.
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Old 02-21-2010, 11:17 PM   #2
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OK, you are reading numbers in a book, but you don't know what the numbers mean. Tow 3500 with driver, 3050 with 4 people. That means the 3 extra people weigh no more than 450 pounds. That also means the extra people and GEAR weigh no more than 450 pounds. Now we have that settled, you have the camper picked out, and give us the model number PLEASE publish the weights. We're glad to help, but now we have to look up a camper model we may not be interested in, and find the weights, and do some math for you. You need to know what the Honda weighs with people and gear. You need to know the tongue weight of the camper LOADED. You need to know what the Gross Combined Weight Rating is of the Honda. Now the math part, you take the Gross Combined Weight Rating of the tow vehicle, you subtract the loaded weight of the tow vehicle, and what you have left is the max tongue weight you can tow. WAIT, there's more. Now you take the loaded weight of the tow vehicle, and the loaded weight of the camper, add them up, and it must be LESS than the Gross Combined Weight Rating. Now ONE MORE CHECK. You go to the post, "What Can I Tow" and you scroll down to the wheelbase chart, and you check the wheel base of your tow vehicle against the recommended MAX trailer length, and see how you compare. Bust any of these limits will it cause trouble? Maybe not, but you will not have a pleasant towing experience. I hope I haven't offended you, or anyone else, and if a moderator wishes to delete this then please do. I just wonder how many times this question must be answered. Think I'll work on an Excel Spreadsheet, and let ech one fill in the blanks.
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Old 02-26-2010, 06:34 PM   #3
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Canuck: I have a 2010 Surveyor 186. The website describes it as 2,743 dry weight with a load capacity of 2,239. However, the sticker attached to the trailer itself shows an empty weight of about 3,200 pounds, which seems more like it to me. I figure I tow it at well under 5,000 pounds. I tow with a V-8 Silverado that's rated at 7,500 pounds. I opted for cabinets above the bed instead of the fold-away bunk. I use an Equalizer hitch, and it tows like a charm. I hope this helps.
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Old 02-26-2010, 07:40 PM   #4
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check out the forest river r pod trailers or the "visa" by gulfstream. They are both packed with features and are quite light. Some rv dealers will let you test tow before you buy!
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Old 05-05-2010, 02:52 AM   #5
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WOW , with a first reply like that I can see why crazyCanuck only has 2 posts since February.
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Old 05-05-2010, 06:41 AM   #6
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Cool

Quote:
OK, you are reading numbers in a book, but you don't know what the numbers mean. Tow 3500 with driver, 3050 with 4 people. That means the 3 extra people weigh no more than 450 pounds. That also means the extra people and GEAR weigh no more than 450 pounds. Now we have that settled, you have the camper picked out, and give us the model number PLEASE publish the weights. We're glad to help, but now we have to look up a camper model we may not be interested in, and find the weights, and do some math for you. You need to know what the Honda weighs with people and gear. You need to know the tongue weight of the camper LOADED. You need to know what the Gross Combined Weight Rating is of the Honda. Now the math part, you take the Gross Combined Weight Rating of the tow vehicle, you subtract the loaded weight of the tow vehicle, and what you have left is the max tongue weight you can tow. WAIT, there's more. Now you take the loaded weight of the tow vehicle, and the loaded weight of the camper, add them up, and it must be LESS than the Gross Combined Weight Rating. Now ONE MORE CHECK. You go to the post, "What Can I Tow" and you scroll down to the wheelbase chart, and you check the wheel base of your tow vehicle against the recommended MAX trailer length, and see how you compare. Bust any of these limits will it cause trouble? Maybe not, but you will not have a pleasant towing experience. I hope I haven't offended you, or anyone else, and if a moderator wishes to delete this then please do. I just wonder how many times this question must be answered. Think I'll work on an Excel Spreadsheet, and let ech one fill in the blanks.
Hmmmm! Someone having a bad day? The great thing about having a seperate section for the Surveyor and other brand names, is that it gives people a place to inquire about a brand and get answers from people that own that brand. Most people that I know that own and are interested in Surveyors are nice people. Don't give up on Surveyor owners. I am sure that some one of us that have owned the model you are interested in will offer some help.
Dick Chayer a owner
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Old 05-05-2010, 09:21 AM   #7
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I am sorry if I upset any Surveyor owners or others. What I read in the first post is "can I tow......?" I tried to help them through the numbers in the book so they could get a reasonable weight on a trailer they could safely tow. The first post also mentions Rockwood and Flagstaff, so to me it wasn't brand specific about trailers, but more on what could the Honda tow. I am sorry if I offended any one, and if I had looked up all the numbers and they gave them the "NO" answer, that is not helping to me, that's doing the work. I hope they figured out how much they could tow with the formulas provided and have went on their own and found a camper they can SAFELY tow.
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Old 05-05-2010, 09:57 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dichayer View Post
Hmmmm! Someone having a bad day? The great thing about having a seperate section for the Surveyor and other brand names, is that it gives people a place to inquire about a brand and get answers from people that own that brand. Most people that I know that own and are interested in Surveyors are nice people. Don't give up on Surveyor owners. I am sure that some one of us that have owned the model you are interested in will offer some help.
Dick Chayer a owner
OK, I gotta chime in on this.

Windrider has given excellent advise to many potential TT owners on this forum. We have probably differed a few times, but not sure. I hope he continues to give his opinion, as well as others, even if there is some controversy. I think the members working through a towing thread gives the OPer both sides of the towing question.

I don't think towing information is make specific..... towing is towing. I have answered many questions on other makes, and hope to continue to do so unless the moderators request me to stop. If windrider had not posted to this thread, then I would have asked a lot of the same questions that windrider did. I might have even been more blunt and just say that the trailers and TV listed would probably not be a good combination. I am not a certified towing expert.......I don't think anyone here is. We have all learned through reading and actual towing, and are willing to give our opinions to help newbies out. But across the board, I think most of us want newbies to have the best possible towing experience, with safe and enjoyable camping trips.

There was a reply from a Surveyor 186 owner, which gave real-world weights of that particular model.
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Old 05-05-2010, 10:02 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by windrider View Post
Think I'll work on an Excel Spreadsheet, and let ech one fill in the blanks.
I have been working on a spreadsheet in setting up my WDH. A spreadsheet that gives potential new owners a good look at their tow vehicle and possible trailer models would be great.
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Old 05-05-2010, 12:32 PM   #10
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Thanks Mtnguy, and you're right, we all have opinions and for most us, me included, that's what they are, opinions. I gave up on the spreadsheet when a simple search on the internet revealed many to choose from, some very good ones. Here is one I found:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vze1nh79/s...iles/TCM11.xls

Seems to be pretty simple and easy to use. Why reinvent the wheel when there is one out there already rolling. My whole point in that post was to try and get the owners to do their own homework, and then they could determine what they could tow, according to calculations, whether it be a camper or a horse trailer. I've towed all my life, all kinds of trailers, even semi's, and I'm not trying to discourage anyone. I just want us all to be safe and have a good towing experience. When reading a post, we don't know age, experience, locations were towing, etc. All these things need to be considered for a final decision. Remember, we do this for fun, so let's make sure we have fun doing it.
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