A Class C to tow 6500lbs

[USNMM1VETERAN]

Hello,
I could use a little input and help. Am looking to buy our first RV (hopefully tomorrow) but am a little worried about the weight of my tow. We need to tow our 2013 Ford Transit Connect wagon. The GVW of it is 4950, we also will have my mobility scooter in it 225 lbs, and a bike rack and 2 bikes about another 125 lbs. So as you see I am over 5000 lbs which seems to be the norm for hitches. Does anyone have any suggestions on Class C that can handle my tow weight of 5300 lbs. Oh Also I can not flat tow the ford so I need a tow dolly that i assume will add to total weight.
Thanks for any suggestions

[MrJoe]

I've heard the new Sunseekers are being fitted with a 7500# hitch.

[USNMM1VETERAN]

dealer said any of them with the Ford chassis will be rated high enough. Am looking for something 26-30' max. Just me and the wife and she is tiny.

[huntr70]

Sunseeker just had their frames re-certified and upgraded the hitches to 7500 lbs.

Supposed to be online and built soon....

[USNMM1VETERAN]

So does that mean I am Not bringing home a new RV this weekend????? Bummer. we are so excited and finally have finances ready and are itching to get out

[Am544]

Ford transit connect weighs 3500 pounds... That would leave you with 1500 pounds of gear, scooter, etc... That falls within the range of the 5000 hitch that is currently on the class c's.

[MotocrossCamper]

Does anybody know what, if anything, they changed on the frame to get the higher rating.

[MikeRP]

The frame for a newer Sunseeker/forester is rated for the weight. They just upgraded the hitch to match the weights. 14500 GVWR plus 7500 = 22000 gvcwr.

[USNMM1VETERAN]

Thanks,
that's pretty much what i thought, but i wonder why they don't ship them from the factory with a 7500lb rated hitch. The one i got has a 5000lb rated hitch and the dealer is making a big deal out of it and saying that the factory isn't getting back to them on what they need to do. I see it as simple take the 500lb hitch off install the 7500lb rated hitch. The reason i bought this was to tow more than 500lbs and they knew it, so i am holding them to installing the correct hitch

[MikeRP]

The story I got from Mr. Clemons and he will see this so he can speak for himself, but the 5000 lb hitch was tested to a much higher number and only am emergency connection eyelet failed. The fact they are going with a 7500lb hitch, in my opinion, is that this is a selling pt now and a capability the others don't have, so why not offer it?

[MikeRP]

But being anal, I'm going to have the new one installed this winter. We need to get over this argument the frames won't take it, because they will. The rig is rated at 22000 lbs period.

[USNMM1VETERAN]

Ok MikeRP,

This is sort of what i am thinking and understanding. The Ford E450 has the power to pull a heavier load than the Chevy, which is also available on the 3051 model, so if the chassis is able to pull a rated 7500 lb tow why would you put a 500lb hitch on it? I understand the vast majority of customers will pull way less than 7500lbs, and most under 5000lb, so they do not need a beefier hitch. My thing is why not just make the 7500lb hitch a standard. would it cause problems for someone to pull say 4100lbs on 7500lb hitch? would think it wouldn't matter and that the problem occurs when you pull a load heavier than the rating.

So Forest River tested the 500lb rated hitch and found out that it failed at a much higher weight, does that mean that it ok, safe and i guess legal for me to go ahead and tow my approx. 6000lb on the hitch that is on the RV now?

[MikeRP]

My understanding is that FR is putting the 7500 lb hitch on new models but that is very recent. I'm calling my dealer tomorrow and see if they can get the hitch. As far as safe and legal that's probably two different questions. I don't think I would have any issue with the 5000 lb hitch. But I don't want to argue this if there is an accident. So what would a reasonable man do? At 6000 lbs, I would upgrade the hitch. At 5050lb., I wouldn't be concerned. It has safety factor. It also depends on what you are towing, how you are towing it, and what the weights are on your Coach before you hook up and then after you hook up. For instance are you flat towing, dolly towing or trailer towing. But at your weight, I would definitely upgrade. It's cheap insurance.

I just was out camping this weekend and I love it . And I love the Sunseeker. Very cool Coach.

[USNMM1VETERAN]

Mike,
I was doing some research and ame upon some info that will either help or further confuse the towing dilema. On Reese mfgr. site there was a FAQ asking difference between tow weight and weight distribution. According to them a receiver class III rated at tow weight of 5000 CAN TOW 7500lb with weight distribution kit added. They stated that the receiver must be rated for weight distribution if not then it is rated for dead weight only of 5000lbs. So I went and looked at my hitch, it is made by Buyers products(I never heard of them) and shows Max tow weight of 5000lbs and tongue weight 500lbs. Not it does not say anything about weight distribution.

Now I google Buyers products and find the website. I search the part no. of the receiver PART NO. 3011706 and it does nor show up. i am thinking it is an OEM part no. for Forest river. Kept searching site and can not find any receiver that is for the Ford E450 chassis. I found their Class III receiver, it has a different part no, and the specs for it show MTW of 5000 AND a weight distribution rating of 7500lbs. It looks exactly like the hitch on my forester 3051S, i know looks don't mean anything, so i now have no idea what to do.

[MikeRP]

It is generally true that hitches generally carry a wd weight higher than the normal one. I doubt that the hitch itself is different I. The catalog versus your Coach. So of we know the gcvwr is 22000 and the gvwr is 14500. We have 7500 lbs of weight the Coach can pull.

But I seriously doubt you can increase the tongue weight from 500 lbs. You have to remember the cantilever you are putting on the rear duals with dead weight downforce on the hitch. So typically a 7500 lb wd hitch would say you could up the 500lbs to maybe 1000 lbs downforce. I doubt the manufacturer would allow that because it would overload the rear duals. So that's why flat towing is so good. It puts very little downforce on the rear hitch.

So you are pulling a truck? What type and have you weighed it? Are you dolly towing or flat towing?

[USNMM1VETERAN]

I will be dolly towing a 2013 Ford Transit Connect. The GVW of it is 4950. Now I will have my mobility scooter in it which weighs 225 lbs. Also will be a mike rack and 2 bicycles with total weight of around 150. I researched the Transit and found out I can not flat tow it so i will have to dolly it. so without the tow dolly I am at 5325. Now if i add a tank of gas 15 gallons at say 9lbs a gallon add another 135 lbs. So I need to tow about 5500lbs. And talking to dealers I need a unit that can tow 7500 lbs which is why i bought the 3051S.
I am starting to get frustrated because I can not get a straight answer from dealer or now the factory, i have called and can not get a return phone call.

[MikeRP]

Send bclemens a private message

[Joseph Carozzoni]

We have a 2650S that was produced only weeks before the 7,500lb hitch was released (didn't know it was in the works). We tow a 3,600lb car on 1,350lb Aluma trailer (5,000++ lbs with “stuff”). We do have a w/d hitch, but went on two 7-hour round-trip trips without the w/d bars because we needed special brackets to install the w/d bars on the trailer (finally got them and will install, but no more trips this year). No sway at all. No squat at all – with 600lb tongue weight and 60psi in air springs, trailer lowered back only ¼”. The V-10 Ford with cruise control and tow-haul transmission mode kept constant 60MPH on 6-degree road sign marked grade between Cortland and Syracuse NY on I81. Won’t do that again as engine rev’ed to 5,000 RPM. But it was good to know what kind of thrust that V-10 can give.

[MikeRP]

Honestly I know 5000 rpm's bother you but it doesn't bother that motor, it is made to rev. Saying that I know the feeling....... I like to keep mine 4000 or below. But the only thing it will cost you doing that is gas.

[MrJoe]

Here's the new hitch on my new Sunseeker.