Why so heavy?

sponge · 01-25-2015, 10:09 PM

I am in the process of downsizing from a 28 foot toy hauler as I am just not enjoying the towing experience. My goal was to look at hybrids and I went through a shamrock 21dk.

It was amazing. It may be my favorite floor plan I have seen in any camper. I honestly loved everything about it. Then I saw the weights. It is actually a heavier tongue weight than my toy hauler and would kill the payload of my f150.

It left me quite frustrated as I thought I found our next camper. It just strikes me that they really are limiting their audience by making the camper so nice it is too heavy for many tow vehicles...yet it is a hybrid so they kill a big portion of the luxury crowd as they won't do canvas.

I am extremely jealous of the owners that fit this camper as it sure is beautiful. It just seems like it could have a lot larger market share if it shaved a few hundred off the tongue. Is it the huge slide?

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firedaniel · 01-25-2015, 11:30 PM

That tongue weight does seem heavy for that size trailer. I have a F150 as well what engine and package do you have? My Ecoboost would handle it but would need airbags most likely. It pulled my old Wildwood 26tbss just fine with a good wdh.

**bikendan** · 01-26-2015, 12:10 AM

Your F-150 must have some weak areas, to not be able to handle a probable tongue weight around 800lbs.

with a huge u-dinette and a kitchen slideout so far forward, on a shorter length trailer, no wonder it's tongue heavy.

sponge · 01-26-2015, 08:33 AM

My f150 is the ecoboost and it would pull it like it isn't there. The problem is my payload is around 1200 pounds. I saw the 4000 pound weight of the shamrock and thought I was in business...but the tongue is around 700 pounds. Assuming real world closer to 800, it likely puts me over pretty quickly.

It just struck me as being at odds with the whole advantage hybrids bring to the table...though I would of course enjoy the shorter length. I doubt I would notice any improvement over my toy hauler outside of backing in. It is just as tall, just as wide, and just as heavy.

Awesome camper though!

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rockfordroo · 01-26-2015, 07:51 PM

Remember your toyhauler puts the REAL weight behind the axle.

davel1971 · 01-26-2015, 07:55 PM

if you were hauling a toy hauler with a half ton truck, no wonder you are not enjoying the towing experience

ChibullsAN · 01-26-2015, 08:05 PM

I pull the roo 21dk with my xterra. I use a equilizer WDH and have no issues what so ever. I love the floor plan but would probably get the 21ss for more floor space/interior room. But couldn't swing the gvw with the xterra. Each to his own with what and how they decide to haul it, but it seems that others with less can haul it. Good luck!

sponge · 01-27-2015, 09:30 AM

Thanks for the feedback. The toy hauler had a tongue weight around 600, weighed 5700 lbs and I carried a kayak, no motorized toys. 27 feet. I wasn't towing a monster toy hauler.

Thanks again. I guess I will need to decide if 2k less pounds and 5 feet shorter will make enough difference to improve my tow experience. My hunch is it will be remarkably similar due to frontal profile.

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donanddona · 01-27-2015, 10:24 AM

Your thoughts on pulling a 5r toy hauler? My 1/2 ton pulls my 5r like real nice.

dustman_stx · 01-27-2015, 10:35 AM

You are worrying about things that you shouldn't worry about, IMHO. Neither you nor your truck will every know the difference in ~200lbs. tongue weight. How did we survive before payload stickers and internet forums…...

OldCoot · 01-27-2015, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dustman_stx

You are worrying about things that you shouldn't worry about, IMHO. Neither you nor your truck will every know the difference in ~200lbs. tongue weight. How did we survive before payload stickers and internet forums…...

We didn't have the weight police reading lawyer stickers. LOL

KMP44 · 01-27-2015, 11:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sponge

Thanks for the feedback. The toy hauler had a tongue weight around 600, weighed 5700 lbs and I carried a kayak, no motorized toys. 27 feet. I wasn't towing a monster toy hauler.

Thanks again. I guess I will need to decide if 2k less pounds and 5 feet shorter will make enough difference to improve my tow experience. My hunch is it will be remarkably similar due to frontal profile.

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What is it about towing the current camper that you don't like? The big frontal area and the drag it creates won't change with the Roo. But, toyhaulers tend to be tongue - light which can make them difficult to tow. Not sure that is your case though with just a kayak.

We tow our 23IKSS with an older F-150 with the 5.4L V-8. The Eco-boost should be as good/better for power and towing. What gear ratio do you have? Ours is tongue heavy as well - like 800 lbs. When I weighed it we were right at the max GVWR for the truck, so I try to keep the stuff in the bed to a minimum, but tows and handles nicely.

Guess it depends on what the issue is with current tt, but the 21DK may well be a good match for your truck.

X96mnn · 01-27-2015, 12:17 PM

I would think when you load the toys in the back it will transfer some of that weight. Your problems before May have been based on the length of the trailer and not the actual weight of it. See if they will let you test tow it.

People can describe their own personal experiance with towing and state things tow just great, but only your comfort zone will tell the true story. Been in lots of great towing setups that I found towed very poorly. The jolts from the back did not bother the owner and they stated towed great, I like not knowing it is back there. Talk is cheap, test tow it if you can,

sponge · 01-27-2015, 12:56 PM

Thanks...great advice. I think it was the sum of the parts that bothered me. Too long to pull into the drive to load and kind of a pain to back up into storage...heavy enough on the tongue that I worry about packing...and the width that makes it difficult to see around. I was hoping the hybrid would help with 2 of the 3. I think it will help only with length.

I will look into a test tow.

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nipmuck · 02-05-2015, 11:39 AM

This is one of the reasons I went with the 23SS instead of the 21SS or the 21DK. Althought the base weights are similar, the tongue weight is about 200 lbs less. The additional counter space was also a factor, but the tongue weight was a a big one for me, given the limitation of 660lb on the Tacoma TRD sport.

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