Noob Question Roo 19 - Tow setup

[RoadDog66]

Howdy everyone. I'm new to the forum and travel trailers in general and have been researching the heck out of them. I found the Roo Hybrid's to be the right type for our family and just ordered a 2012 Roo Model 19.


From my research the GVW Dry weight will be about 3650# and the dry hitch weight is about 370#. The GVWR is about 4660# and loaded the dry hitch weight will be closer to 550#.


My mid-size truck (V6) is rated at a 6100# tow capacity and has a Curt Manuf hitch rated at 500/800# (standard hitch/WD hitch). I ordered an Equalizer 1000/10,000# WD hitch w/sway control and Prodigy P2 brake controller.


Does this setup seem appropriate?

[bikendan]

well you picked a great WDH and brake controller.

need to know what your TV is and where you'll be towing and how many are riding in the TV. do you plan to tow in mountains. recommendations for someone living in Colorado would be different than someone living in Florida.

since the truck has an aftermarket Curt hitch receiver, your truck may not have the factory tow package, which makes a huge difference in how much you can tow.
this means your truck doesn't have the package's tranny cooler, pre-wiring for a brake controller, towing rear end ratio and 7-pin connector.
if it doesn't have the factory tow package, you can't tow that 6100lbs. amount.

by the way, i deleted your other post since it was a duplicate and in the wrong forum.

[RoadDog66]

Bikendan,
Sorry for leaving that out and the double post. My truck is a '11 Nissan Frontier CC Pro-4x with auto 5-speed tranny and locking rear with 3.69 gears. Nissan doesn't offer a tow pkg per se, but does upgrade the tranny cooler on all Frontiers now. I installed the factory 7-pin wiring harness which is pre-wired for trailer brakes. The Curt Hitch was rated at the same weight rating as the Nissan offered OEM hitch.

Hope that is enough info.

[bikendan]

you can add about 400lbs. to the dry weight, for the standard "options", whose weights aren't included.
things like: awning, a/c, spare tire, battery, oven and so on.
that should give you a ballpark weight from the factory, sitting on the dealer's lot.
i think the Roo 19 is a great match for your truck.

on a different note, still hard to believe my v-8 Avalanche gets better mpg than the 4x2 Frontier.
when i was shopping for a new tow vehicle, i really liked the Frontier but when i looked at the mpg ratings for it and the Tacoma, i couldn't believe the mpg ratings compared to the newer full-sized v-8 trucks.
i assumed that a lighter v-6 truck should get much better mpg than a heavier v-8 1/2 ton truck but i was wrong.

[RoadDog66]

You are right about the mileage...it sux. These things are built like bricks. I had a Titan 4x4 (avg 14-15 mpg) before and a Frontier 4x2 (avg 19-20). This one is the Pro-4x so it has bigger, heavier tires and sits higher so I guess that could be a reason I get 15-16 avg driving very short daily trips to/from work. I can get 20 on the highway, but that's on longer trips on the flats. We drove from MD to IL and averaged 20.5 mpg both ways. Gotta say though I love my Pro-4X, perfect size and plenty of power (261hp/283 lb-ft torque).

The trailer GVWR I got off of the factory door sticker from a similarly optioned 19 so I'm hoping my numbers will be close. Of course that is without water and battery. My final figures loaded are a high estimate of about 5000-lb with family and gear. That puts me around 80-85% of my tow rating.

I know the surface area of the Roo and wind sheer/resistance is a consideration when towing. I park next to a guy with a Ford F-150 4x4 and my Pro-4x was 6" shorter and about 8-10" narrower. I'm pretty confident though that I will have enough power to handle it. My friend tows a Roo 21BH (same weights, but longer) with a 2004 Ford F-150 V8 that has a lower tow rating than my Pro-4x, and he says his tows well and just lags a bit on steep inclines.

I guess we'll see in a few months when it's finally built and ready to go. Thanks for your info.

RD66