7800 vs 9800 lb trailer?

[Keen Family]

We are in the process of buying a new old stock travel trailer, a 2014 Forest River Cherokee Grey Wolf 29BH. We haven't confirmed the deal yet, but we are close to signing on the dotted line.

A 2014 new old stock Forest River Cherokee 284BH has just come available, at a slightly better price, from a different dealer. The Grey wolf has a GVWR of 7753 lbs, and the 284BH has a GVWR of 9985 - so 2200 lbs heavier. Both have very similar floor plans - Queen bedroom with solid doors, living room slide, and quad bunks for the kids.

Our tow vehicle is a 2015 Ford F150, with the 3.5 ecoboost and max tow package - it is rated for 10,500 lbs. Both are under our tow capacity, but the 284BH is getting close.

We've never towed anything as heavy as either trailer. To date, the heaviest thing we've towed (on a 6000km round trip), is a 3500 lb tent trailer. We'll be getting a weight distribution hitch and sway bar combination. We expect to be doing lengthy tows (1000 - 3000 kms) with the trailer - as we will be using it as a base to explore Canada and the U.S.

What comments do you have on these trailers? Which would you be most interested in?

[Hornnumb2]

I would think with both those trailers you will be over your payload rating. Look inside the door on your truck at the tire info sticker and see what it says for payload.

[Mr Havercamp]

New old stock..........slightly better price????
I think I would need to get a massively better price to buy a 2014 new old stock trailer.
Look on the yellow sticker for its build date. It could of been built as early as about 4-2013. In that case it has been sitting taking UV exposure for 2+ years and UV exposure is not a good thing. What is its history that it hasn't sold? Has it been taken to an RV show or two and had thousands of people go through it? Has it been sitting on a lot having a constant stream of people going through it? The 2017's will be out in a few months. I would pass on the new old stock.

[Keen Family]

There's about an $7000 price difference between these and a 2016 (maybe more). The 2014s were bought when the Canadian dollar was at par. The dealer cost on a 2016 is about 35% more, because we are up in Canada, and the dollar is trading at about 73 cents at the moment.

[Keen Family]

Specs for the truck are 16,100 GCWR, 10,700 maximum loaded trailer weight rating, 2070 lb maximum payload weight rating. The hitch weight for the heavier TT is 953 lbs, the hitch weight for the lighter is 650. We should be within specs for either TT, but there is less of a safety margin with the heavier trailer.

[caper]

I would go with the lighter trailer unless you are planning to upgrade your TV.

[Oaklevel]

I do not always do what I say but the lighter trailer will have more of a safety factor for you . At one time they said to stay 15% under capacity of the truck trailer tow cap.

You will be really close or over on your payload capacity on the heaver trailer. I personally would take your empty truck to the scales & weigh empty (but as close to ready to camp as you can) loaded. You might be surprised. For us two adults, the dogs, a full tank of fuel, hitch, and stuff in the truck (cooler, DW's pocket book, , grill etc.) puts us close to or over 1000 lbs. of cargo.

Good luck......... I would not worry too much about a 2014 though, as our dealer always has 2-4 year old new trailers on their lot...... If had the $ when we bought our current trailer the dealer had a 2010 Sabre on the lot that had sat there since new that we could have bought at their cost.......

[uhduh camping]

Also keep in mind that your tongue weight will be at least 200 lbs heavier than sticker by the time you're ready to camp. So that will cut in to your payload.

[jgourlie]

I say get the 284bh in the end it may be ok. Worst case scenario you have to buy a bigger truck, but you won't be able to get a deal on a lower priced trailer if you pass on it now.

Hope that helps,

[UltraV]

When we bought our first trailer it was close to the maximum for the TV. It pulled the trailer but it whined, moaned, and groaned doing it. It wasn't long before we bought a new truck. A consistent message in these posts - have a generous margin of error in your towing capacity especially if you are planning extended trips.

[Dodge Guy]

I posted over on RV.net, but I'll post here too. The lighter trailer has a lower CCC. The heavier one has a 3k lb CCC. You'll be over the first trailers GVWR with a family packed up for a week trip (even a weekend).

Go with the heavier trailer for the better CCC.

[Harkerr]

Go light with your truck

[Keen Family]

Thanks for the messages everyone - very helpful.

[atcbrownie]

I have a 312qbud 7500ish pounds. Had a 2014 f150 with max tow and an 11000 capacity. It pulled great on the flats not so much on the mountains. The best I could do up an interstate mountain is 45mph floored. I traded for a 2015 duramax.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by atcbrownie

I have a 312qbud 7500ish pounds. Had a 2014 f150 with max tow and an 11000 capacity. It pulled great on the flats not so much on the mountains. The best I could do up an interstate mountain is 45mph floored. I traded for a 2015 duramax.

Eco boost? What mountains?

[atcbrownie]

Yep.

[Steeljag]

Originally Posted by dalford

Eco boost? What mountains?

Assuming Ecoboost from " yep" post, interested in what MT range ? grade ?

[atcbrownie]

By the time you load up the camper with bedding, clothes, food, games and whatever else you need. Plus stuff in the bed of the truck and the family with dogs in the cab of the truck you are easily overweight with the 9k camper and very close if not over with the 7k

[emm-dee]

I weighed my TT when delivered and not yet "stocked". 6,100 pounds. Loaded with normal stuff (food, dishes, etc etc) AND an 800 pound Harley, it weighed in at 7,440 pounds (which is 2,400 pounds below the TT max weight). Without the Harley I'm carrying about 500 pounds of payload. Even with trailer hitch weight, two pax, a well stocked toolbox and full fuel in the truck I still have about 400 pounds of payload available (Ram 1500) and have a 2,400 pound reserve before I hit GCVR.

I don't plan on any more weight in the truck...any extra weight in the trailer would go mostly behind the rear axle so hitch weight change will be negligible.

Sometimes the heavier trailer is not that much of a penalty (except for that 10 mpg figure I'm getting).

[atcbrownie]

Yea it was ecoboost. I had all the options to give me the absolute best towing ability in the f150. I was on I68 heading west from Cumberland Maryland to morgantown wv. I believe it is 6% grade.