If you see a travel trailer being towed in the slow lane doing 55mph with the cruise control on, that’s me. Everybody flies by me like I’m doing 30mph but that’s ok, they can go around me. I’m in no rush! Driving between 55-60mph is a comfort zone for me and when I approach 60mph, I can feel the discomfort. HAPPY TRAVELS EVERYONE.
You aren't alone; we do the same. I tow a 33' and never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. Even when I had a blowout, the trailer stayed straight. Stay at 80% or less of gross, ensure proper hitch weight, correct tires, maintain a safe speed and weight distribution with sway control.
Ditto. I pull a fairly heavy 35' Grand Design Solitude, but I have a 2001 F-350 "Dually", and 60 is the absolute max. Best to get into the trucking lane on passes with downhill stretches.
I almost flipped my trailer .it scared the heck out of me. I went back to my dealer and told them and we decided to install an electronic sway control. It works great!!!!!!!!!!! As soon as it starts to sway from a truck the brakes apply and hold the trailer straight until the truck goes by. It is worth every penny and I think it was under $500
Good stuff. One thing I would add is that your break-away cable will do nothing unless you have a battery in good condition. The battery isn't just for boondocking.
Great video! I find it so amazing that many major RV dealerships don’t even APPROACH the subject of payload when it comes to getting a travel trailer/5th wheel. They only discuss tow capacity and that’s it. We just bought a TPMS and will be putting it on our truck and trailer before our next trip. When we bought our first travel trailer early in 2020, I didn’t know much, but prior to trading that one in and getting a bit bigger one, I did LOTS of research with regard to payload and tow capacity! One thing we invested in (after our very first camping trip) was an equalizer hitch, which made a big difference with trailer sway. On that first trip, it was beautiful weather on the way there, but on the way home it was rainy and windy and I was “white knuckling” it….and I wasn’t even the one driving! After adding that piece of equipment and having a similar weather situation, it made quite a bit of difference!
I had a great experience buying my first TT but, the dealer was so big, 3 people were trying to sell me on 2. Luckily I did my due diligence long before I went to the dealer and decided on one of the 2 (new to me) trailers. I bought a WDH and had the service dept put it together. I went a little over kill and got one rated at 10k lbs with a tongue Weight of 1k lbs. My trailer is 5900 dry and with full water but not much else I made sure my ram rebel isn't gonna be overloaded nor will I be pulling anything over 1,000lbs under my max tow weight. I just love to have a buffer so as to not wear out trailer brakes or my truck. Another plus is I won't be doing much traveling as I will be boondocking 90% of the time once I get it to my property.
As a travel trailer owner, I've come to understand that if you listen to all the Internet based advice on towing a 5,000lb trailer, you need at least a F550 or Heavy-Duty Tow Vehicle based on a semi-truck tractor chassis with a huge diesel engine!
I know right.... lol. So much of towing is balancing balancing load correctly, not too much or too little hitch weight. And the obvious tips in this video.But having the capability and not using it is better than over loading a tow vehicle. so many internet experts are like you need a semi truck to pull a 25ft hybrid trailer. I tow all the time with a Mercedes gls 550 and my brothers with the pick up trucks think it's not enough to tow a 4300lb travel trailer. I got air suspension and sway control built in. Way better than towing with a pick up with leaf springs in the rear squatting
My 30 years RVing ended. Had a all season cottage. I used to tow 7K 5th wheel with F350HD Camper special. Thinking back, thank god we never had any accident. I’m a safety freak.
I use a slide in truck camper most of the time and also haul my Jeep on a 16' trailer. Critical issue is to ensure the trailer load is properly positioned so the weight is enough to prevent adverse issues. I also like to install shock absorbers on the trailer so it does not get the shock as much as it would if it had nothing but the springs. Good discussion.
The key word there is LIMIT...which is set for four wheeled vehicles almost never a safe speed for towing. A better rule is to tow 10% UNDER the posted limit. You will also save around 10% in fuel costs. That doesn't sound like a lot in mpg but how many of us would go out of our way to save 30 cents per gallon at the pump?
Make sure your ball is the right size! For bumper pull, obviously. We borrowed a covered cargo trailer from a friend when we were moving several years ago, and he also gave us the ball for our hitch on our truck. My husband thought it felt slightly loose, but trusted that our friend had the right size ball for his own trailer. We hit a bump in the road and the whole trailer bounced off the ball! Thank goodness for the chains and breakaway cable! Luckily no one was hurt, and we purchased the correct size ball and gifted it to him when we were finished.
Great video. BTBRV is great. JD does explain in detail in a way you can understand about payload and towing capacity. I absolutely love his channel also. People speed past us on the road also. I don't want an accident.
Good advice in this video. You are on a recreational trip. Slow down and enjoy the ride. You will get there. For travel trailer users, get a high quality weight distribution and anti sway bar hitch. This makes all the difference. It makes pulling a trailer much easier and safely. Good travels and thanks for all your advice.
We watch your channel all the time. Towing? We have a 36 foot travel trailer whitch is 7200 lb. We have a Ram 2022 2500 diesel, so we have alot of room to spair. What gets me is watching someone hooking up a 30 foot 7200 lb camper to a SUV, and one of the ones we saw they hooked this 30 ft 7200 lb trailer up to a Jeep Cheerkee. could not be leave, they were doing that unreal. We had a 2014 Ram 1500, we pulled our 7200 lb camper and were on the line weight wise. then upgraded to a 2019 6.4 2500 Ram. The deilersip gave me 6000 more then I paided for it new so I bought the 2022 Ram Diesel just about an even trade. I could not help myself.
At 5:46 when you are hooking up the safety chains. You can clearly see that the Brake Away cable is routed back and then forward through the frame. It should be routed in a straight line to your vehicle. Instead of it just pulling the pin straight out it's going to yank it backwards first and probably break the unit instead of applying the brakes.
Amen, MJ and Izzy, I couldn't agree more, all great advice. In the past few years of driving a Class A, we have been on highways and have had other motorhomes speed by us like they are hell bent to get somewhere in a hurry! I typically drive 5 to 10 mph UNDER the speed limit and stick to the right lane. For one thing, realize that the faster you go, the longer it will take you to stop if there is a situation you need to avoid, and Class A's, and most other RV's, are not that maneuverable, you can't simply crank the steering wheel to avoid debris or other vehicles, it can easily flip over. The faster you drive, the higher the stress level. Also, as an aside, I took a road race course class a few years ago in which instructors tell you to constantly scan the road ahead, make yourself aware of what is going on as much as 1,000 feet ahead, it could give you time to avoid being involved in a bad accident. And it's always good to have a copilot, another set of eyes to watch the road.
I'm always scanning and anticipating what other vehicles may do. It has prevented several crashes during my time driving.Thanks for watching and the comment
You hit the nail on the head with that one, some people think that you can stop a 30,000 lb vehicle on a dime & get a quarter back in change. I use to drive a tractor trailer rig & people would cut me off then stop in front of me, there’s been a lot of time I almost took them out & they would shoot me the finger.
It stinks because we bought our two cars (2017 Kia Soul and 2020 Ford Escape Titanium) before we realized we wanted a motorhome and neither one of them are flat towable and like you we only have a 5,000 hitch on our class c even though the owners manual says we can tow 7,500 pounds. Of well. We bought Lectric Bikes and if we have to go farther than we want on the bikes we will rent a car. We have learned a lot from you two. Thank you so much.
One very important point with pulling any trailer, is the way it is loaded. I have pulled trailers for 50+ years. I will tell you a story about something that happened to me. I had a Dodge duel tired one ton Diesel 4x4 pickup with a 10 and a half foot Lance camper in the bed. I was pulling a 2 axle flatbed trailer with a car loaded on it. I normally took this trailer with me camping and had 2 full size quads on it along with assorted tools and extra gas. I never had any problems with this set-up, and I have went in places that I had to have the truck in 4 wheel drive - low range to get where I wanted to go. I had the car loaded and it was as far forward as I could get it. I had an 18" box that went all the way across the trailer in the front, and the car was as close as I could get it to the box. I still did not have enough tongue weight, and I knew this, so I kept my speed down to 50/55. I towed it this way for 250 miles with no issues. I was going down a hill on the freeway, and I did not notice the speed creeping upon me. The trailer suddenly started to fish-tail. I will tell you what, If it were not for the fact that the truck weighed 7,500 pounds and I had a 3,000 camper in the bed, and I had duel tires on the pickup, I would have lost control. As it was, the fish-tailing was so bad that it separated all 4 trailer tires. If your travel trailer has too much rear-weight and not enough tongue weight this will happen to you, especially going down a hill. Going down a hill will compound a tongue weight problem. I am glad that I had the car anchored down well, or it probably would have came off, or even worse, half off. I would much rather have too much tongue weight than not enough. Like you said, it is best to have everything set up, the truck level, the trailer level to start with. Just pay attention to how you load it. I have seen people with these huge boxes lashed to the back of their travel trailer to put all kinds of heave stuff in. That is recipe for disaster.
The floor plan (the only thing trailer buyers really care about) can contribute problems to the loading issue. Rear bathrooms with full holding tanks result in too little tongue weight. If the kitchen is all the way in the front or all the way in the rear you can also have problems because of the weight of canned goods, beverages, cooking utensils, etc. Remember, the folks in Elkhart designed the trailer to sell so they could make money, not for it to be towed safely down the road. The dealer just wants you to tow it off of their lot so that they make their money. They don't care what happens the moment you hit the street. It is up to you to know more about towing and trailer design than the dealer and manufacturer put together.
@@davidgates1122 Unfortunately, you are absolutely correct. Camping World is a great example of that. I would NEVER have those people work on anything that I own. They did not screw me over, but I have read about sooooo many others that they DID screw over. Many places have a 30/30 guarantee, 30 feet, or 30 seconds. One of my neighbors is an old man, and he let the RV dealer talk him into a new camp trailer. It started falling apart after the first camping trip. It looks nice, but it is shoddily built. I, myself, have a Lance 25 foot camp trailer that is very well made. However, it was not cheap. You get what you pay for. I have a saying--------If you buy the cheapest thing that you can find, that is exactly what you will have!
I had the same problem last night, but I was towing my 34 ft RV with a Ram Van 1500 that was empty. Both the van and the RV trailer were wrecked and totaled and I am very lucky to be alive as well as my dad who was traveling with me. It was a very short journey and I was going slow (50-55mph), but the highway had a very bad lowpoint on the side of the passenger, it was a very old RV with a couple problema and we had a crosswind hitting us from the drivers side that made it fishtail real bad. We crashed into the side wall (the rock of the mountain we were passing through) and luckily both of us walked out of the van by our own foot. I'm buying a Ram 3500 dually to tow anything on the future, I'm not taking the risk again of not being able to raise my children after an accident.
Good advice. You have to know your numbers for weights on your rig and tow vehicle. DOT can stop you and make you park. If you get in a wreck with a over weight vehicle insurance can deny your claim. 👍👍
We got a great deal on our RV because the salesmen convinced the original purchaser it was half-ton towable based on basic sticker data. Too much of that happens!
I think speed, trailer brakes and having the proper vehicle to tow the trailer are the most important things you can very easily overlook. I wreched and totaled my truck and a big 34ft rv trailer 24 hours ago because I didn't have trailer brakes (i had just purchased the trailer and thought I could get away with towing it and having those things fixed the next day) and I was towing it with a van that was too light, underpowered and had an axle separation way too short. Fortunately me and my dad survived an absolutely fatal accident with only a few bruces and nothing more. But please, drive safe and follow the specs and rules for towing. If the highway gives you a speed limit don't go over it (specially while towing), if your vehicle has a certain towing and payload limit dont push it, if your trailer is as heavy as your truck or more have brakes on it. Never push the absolute limit for your power delivery on a highway, sometimes you can need that extra "umpf" to stabilize a trailer and be able to recover from a nasty accident. I learned the hard way to always have 10% to 20% of headroom (power, acceleration capability, payload, towing limit, braking power, etc) to be able to save a lost situation. God was watching after us yesterday and he lnows I'm thankfull because he gave me annother day to kiss my wife and play with my kids. It was a gift, please don't risk not having it for you.
Great video y’all! Mainly it’s those with 5ers and TT’s that end up blowing the GCWR, because they don’t understand it. Mostly because the dealer tells them their truck can pull it. They told me that once before when I went looking, because it was a Silverado they were adamant it would tow 7500 lbs. I knew better because of the gear ratio which limited the trailer to 4500.. Needless to say I didn’t purchase from them because they wanted me to buy something I couldn’t tow. Back to the GCWR, I see them in and out of Stone Mountain Park all the time well above GCWR along with being well over the GAWR because the bed of the truck is crammed full of stuff then they hook the TT to it. It also comes down to knowing the tongue weight of your trailer and proper use of the weight distribution system. Most don’t understand that either in my experience. Hoping people will heed your advice and checkout JD’s channel to learn the ins and outs of safe towing. Safe travels to you three!
Guys, great info but I'm going to add another. Tongue weight. If you have too much weight in the rear the trailer will fishtail. Make sure you lean toward front heavy when loading a trailer. I
As I've always said about those who speed, In a hurry to get nowhere fast. Because they can speed and end up wrecked, hence getting nowhere. We're never in a hurry. We enjoy the drive while pulling our TT. As far as TPMS goes, I'm not a fan. I'm retired from the tire industry of 30+ years and I can pretty much eyeball psi and can tell from the way our TT is tracking and handling if the tires get over heated. The rule I've always followed when psi is concerned, air to 15 psi below max cold. Reason being is as the tires warm up, they'll reach max psi and will preform very well right at max psi without incident. I've been doing this for decades and have never had a tire failure. Tnx for the tips y'all and happy camping 🏕 and safe travels
I have a 2012 F150 Crew Cab that is rated for 9200 Lbs towing capacity. My trailer weighs 5000 lbs dry and about 6200 lbs fully loaded so I always stay at least 2500 Lbs under the truck towing capacity. Also weight distribution with cargo is very important in the trailer when towing. Ì have sway bars and always make sure the truck and trailer are level, do not overload the truck box. Slow down when towing, I never go over 60 MPH. In over 25 years of towing a few different truck and trailer units I have never had an issue or close call. Just be smart, be careful and never travel in a hurry.
This is great info. When we got our first rv we failed to have weight distribution system. That was not safe. We towed that way from Ohio to Florida for 7 days. Now we know better and we have a weight distribution and our rv is wet weight is 3500. Thank you for sharing. Lou & Angie
Trailer sway is caused by a combination of things, #1 - the axils on RV Travel Trailers are not really set back far enough bad balance, #2 - the bad balance combined with the forces of the wind increasing air pressure on the tail of the trailer the faster you drive, and the suction forces caused when coming close to semi's creates an unequal air pressure on your RV sucking you into the semi ,and also when you are pushing past the semi the air that its displacing at its nose will give the tail of your trailer a good wiggle, and cause it to start saying, with these trailer designs it's best to not pass big trucks over 55mph and don't go over 65mph 60mph I'd prefer,
Combined vehicle weight . Most people have no idea what that means. They buy a truck not thinking about fuel load, passenger weight, loaded and empty trailer differential.
If you're running dually's an "equity " system will keep your inside & outside tires at the same pressure and you just have to look down to see if you need air plus only one air chuck FYI inside tires heat up and stay hotter than outside tires
Grew up on huge ranch, hauling trailers with livestock. Dad used to say there's steering and then there is driving! Slow down. As a ER trauma and flight nurse of 40 years you don't want to come across my meat table in trauma. People have no idea what pain can be until they experience it first hand. It's worth slowing down.
Road conditions make a difference, Tie down straps, and the right applanations. I saw a guy hauling his car with two tied down straps that you would use for your ATV. straps, tow chains, safety chains tires all have there ratings. Winter tires and studded tires, have there ratings and limits. Look on some tire manufactures testing, you will find the tires are tested under 35mph. You will see people fly by you on icy roads, later in the ditch. Some have more then 9 lives but have a turn of disaster coming there way soon I'm sure. Be careful out there.
Absolutely! Another one is having the tow hitch adjusted so the trailer is level. I see many trailers with the nose in the air because the hitch is too high, and vice versa. What a world.🥴
Years ago I almost tipped my trailer. Scary. I then installed an electronic sway control. Worked great. Truck comes and trailer start swaying this thing applies the brakes to keep trailer straight. Wouldn’t have a trailer without the electronic sway control Under $500
Tire pressure is key but what many don’t understand is a tire that says Max 80psi don’t think about air expansion when it gets hot that’s why there is so many blow outs on the highway I run a few psi lower to allow for air expansion from heat
I have changed out the OEM bump stops with the Timbren system and upgraded to Bilstein shocks. Also have the Blue Ox weight distribution system. I'm very happy with what I have done and think it's a great setup to haul a travel trailer. I firmly believe it's an bsolute must to make some enhancements to the stock items on any pickup truck if you intend to haul any trailer with a significant amount of weight.
I see people on the highway all the time with the chains wrapped around the tow bar not connected. I cringe and try to get away from them as fast as I can. If I see them in a rest area like that, I will make a smart-ass remark about "wonder why they give you chains?" Can't help myself. Good information people need to be aware of.
Good stuff guys, My sweet spot for traveling speed is 60 MPH towing or not towing, I'm 26,000 lbs. of moving mass. I have no need to go any faster. It's called the "Law Of Physics"
Im towing a travel trailer 60mph unless I need to pass and always maintain the space in front of me and always take 10 minute breaks every hour I can still cover a lot of miles in day. I believe most of the tire blow outs is operator errors .
I limit my speed to no more than 65 but prefer 60. I do get honked at and flipped off quite a bit even though I stay to the right. Safety is much more important to me than upsetting someone who really has no clue or doesn't care about being as safe as possible.
You also have to take into consideration of your trailer and the vehicle you're towing the combined weight of those two has to be less than your tow vehicle
Sandra Westley from the UK it’s good to see something like this, I have watched many, many RV s, trailers, 5 th wheels, and nobody mentions how important this is for safety on the road, a rule of thumb here is you do not tow any more than 80% of the gross weight of the tow vehicle, so you should not get the tail of the dog, shaking the body, otherwise your in trouble. Also you need to know the weight of what you add in clothes etc, in this country if you go over the weight of the vehicle you invalidate your insurance, so should you have a serious smash through over load you would not have any insurance to cover your loses.
that’s ridiculous. So my 3/4 ton truck with a factory tow rating of over 14000 pounds and a cargo capacity of over 3000 pounds would be limited to towing a trailer that is no heavier than 5,600 pounds. I’m all for safety, but some people should not be commenting on here. For the record, that 80% rule is typically about the vehicle’s tow rating, not its gross weight.
My rule now is have more truck than you need and won’t have to worry about it. 10,000 lbs on a dually is my rig. Been in serious wind suddenly that blew the camper to the point of seeing the entire side of the camper and didn’t upset the truck at all Also got clipped at 70 mph from behind and again didn’t upset the truck. The only way I’m towing now dually 👍🙂
I am a couple months away from getting my towable. My RV can haul 36,000 pounds that is like so many good pizzas. Like we could feed so many people and make them pizza happy. Good info and wait until you all see the hippie bus set up coming very soon to a NJ elks lodge near you!
Following distance is one of the most important things to remember when towing. The braking distance is greatly increased by the additional weight of the towed item.
Never go by tow capacity. Payload capacity is the key to all tow vehicles. Working trailer brakes and for god sakes sway control. Don’t skimp. And a note about trailer tires ALL FACTORY TOWABLE units come with C range tires. First off they are barely legal to transport the unit empty. Once loaded with gear they are overloaded and all special trailer tires are only rated to 65 mph. Spend the money and get speed rated 10 ply E range tires and change them every 5 years regardless of tire wear
Great information and recommendations. Your channel is very helpful, especially to people like me who are trying to decide IF they want to jump back into RV-ing again. Please keep up the good work, and Thanks for your excellent content!...
I know your comment has been awhile back but I'm so glad someone said to cross those chains. So, so many videos here of people not doing that don't realize that keeps the tongue off the ground in an emergency.
We purchased a camp trailer made for towing with a 1/2-ton truck. All the numbers were well within the towing envelope. Even with a premium equalizer hitch and factory installed tow package on the truck it always felt a little marginal, especially descending steep grades. We traded the 1/2-ton gas for a ¾-ton diesel; now towing is a pleasure instead of a nerve-racking event. Thanks for the video.
Always make sure that your rv and tow vehicle are level when towing. Also your may be over on your tongue weight. As always I say stay at 70% or less if your tow vehicle towable weight…..,
I think you. Guys put out a great video about towing. When I towed either a travel trailer or even a fifth wheel I mad sure that I kept in the right speed limit. I hope to see you guys on the road.
Another great video! Future suggestions... backing up correctly... know your heights for underpasses, the amount of bridges hit where I live in Clifton Park, NY is staggering!... turning radius with what's being towed bei g mindful of curbs, medians, sidewalks, and traffic waiting at stop lights/signs... again excellent video! You guys are great 👍 thanks again!
Seeing all the videos of crashes and misinformation I wish that there was a government training for people who tow or drive big RV's ...I also tow a travel trailer so I also include myself because if you want to drive a simi you need a special license.... Your information is spot on.... I hate people that post videos with a 4500lbs travel trailers and their vehicles have a max towing of 5000lbs and they say in the videos " Tow capacity is a personal set limit".... Isn't that why manufacturers hire engineers 🤔 to determine the set limits?
Distribution of weight in both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle can change vehicle dynamics. In brief, the truck axle weight limit must not be exceeded. Drive the truck and trailer combination, fully loaded, to the scales. Weigh each axle individually. You may have to rearrange your load to keep every axle within limits. You are also wise to check tongue weight on your trailer. The trailers you see wagging like the tail of a dog probably have too little weight on the front end of the trailer (not enough tongue weight). Towing with this condition can cause the entire rig to flip onto its side.
Very good simple tips to follow. Took your advice pop for a TPMS you recommended. When we purchased my wife's SUV we got a Jeep Cherokee, light weight and flat towable, in case we went A class. Turns out we went with a fifth wheel, but it is there if we change our mind. As most of the time we use campsites we don't carry much water on board and think about what we bring. Even if your rig can take the weight why put unnecessary stresses? If you use the 80% of tow capacity rule for max towable weight include propane, water, your stuff, etc., you will have a much better experience. As you said it is recreation, not white knuckles on the steering wheel.
People need to STOP swerving off the road to avoid a side swipe from some kid in a rice rocket. My truck is 7500+ pounds and with a trailer behind it, it's not moving when someone is going to hit me trying to cut through traffic. People post their flips and roll overs on Facebook and then say they swerved off the road to not get side swiped by a small car and then the car drives off. This should end with a trading of insurance with minor damage to your vehicle rather than flipping on the side of the road by yourself.
EVERYTHING WEIGHS GUYS! I have a friend that is a forensic traffic examiner. Unfortunately he is known in the court system. He gets on the stand and says you're overweight...game over!
Been RVing since 1983, have never done 70 mph. Always under speed limit. My average speed in a 70 mph is 62-64. Be safe everyone, and consider your cargo. Wife, children, pets.
Another thing people own class A motorhomes and no nothing about 22.5 tires and zipper tears which can kill if aired up improperly. Low air pressure causes side walls to break down and when aired up can explode. If you air these tires , use a 6ft. whip line and remote gage . (If only 10psi on less) Anything more than 10 psi is dangerous. Most motorhome people I've talked to do not know this.
As I was watching this video last night, a headline popped up warning drivers to stay off the interstate locally due to a major RV crash. Where a highway entrance lane merges with a busy exit lane, an RV had left the road and wrapped around a bridge support in the median. The chassis roof and floor were separated entirely from the rest of the trailer. I have no idea what caused the accident or if the driver and passengers were injured - I pray they’re ok. It’s a tough spot to navigate in any vehicle and another reminder of how critical it is to stay aware and drive safely.
I've seen too many crashes on video that people did not know how to stop a trailer from deadly swaying. That's when the trailer develops a severe sway that will yank the tow vehicle out of control and causes a jack knife and or the swaying will cause the trailer will flip on its side and drag to a stop. In all these cases the severe swaying of the trailer can be stopped by manually applying full trailer braking at the trailer break control unit on the dashboard.
As usual another great video with a wealth of information. So many people think that they do what they want, not thinking about the consequences of wrong choices. Have a blessed day & God Bless. Keep the great videos coming. Y’all be careful out there, as you see there’s many people who don’t need to be behind the wheel
I did tow my old school camper and it had all my earthly possessions, it was way overloaded. It was scary all the way across country, but I made it going 45 mph on the interstate. Going to get a one ton truck next time.
Check the rear ratio when choosing a truck. The tow capacity varies greatly from a 4:10 rear and a 3:08. The ratio is on the Maroney Label on new trucks and is a code number on the label in the glove box on GM trucks.
Got my first full size truck (2017 F350 gas 6.2L 3:73) in 2020 and my first RV (GD BH2800 6000 Lbs dry - 7400 if loaded) in 2021. I LOVE my truck. Truck says 12,000 Lb limit. My RV tops out at 7400 Lbs. I ask myself every trip if I'd feel safer in a diesel (yes, I probably would) and is it really worth it given our type of driving and where we go (MD/PA/VA etc)? No, it's not. Is it worth upgrading to a 7.3 with 4:10 gears and 10 spd trans? Highly likely in a few years unless e-trucks get the range and charge time issues ironed out.
I have a 2019 Nissan frontier King cab 2.5 rated for 4700 lb pulling a pop-up camper That's 3500 lb and I have the husky weight distribution hitch my truck sit a little low so I had to get it with the sway bar and tow mirrors and I do about 60 to 65 and see other RVs passing me at almost 80 mph that's ridiculous even with big rig pass me I can feel my pop-up trailer and truck shaking a little bit so it's not good to go that fast on the road people take your time and plus you save on gas peace
I see so many trailers blow by me every trip. Interestingly, some guy on the Flagstaff E-pro Facebook site was bragging about how great his trailer towed at 80 mph. When I mentioned that if he lost control at that speed he and anyone next to him was dead, he called me a troll and claimed I was just another know nothing -ss h-le. I do 65...tops, For some reason, everyone seems to forget what could happens to the vehicles around them if they lose it. If I die, that's bad, if I kill someone because of my stupidity, that is criminal and if it is a child...... Life is short, my trailer is for recreation, slow down and enjoy the view. Isn't vacation to De-stress????? Great video guys, I really enjoy your channel and insite....help up the good content and be safe.
The number one insurance claim is for overhead collisions. Mount two cameras, one aimed foreword at front edge, and one aimed rearward at rear edge, two inches above the highest point of roof. When backing or creeping foreword, any collision will be easily avoided by monitoring that camera. Clean lenses frequently.
I immediately started to comment to send people to JD’s channel……then you covered that soooo…………I see trucks with travel trailers and 5th wheels flying past me all the time. Scary! I’ve got the TST TPMS and it works great also. Another great video and an important one. Thank you!!
Another thing many people don't do is check their straps on the vehicle on their tow dolly. These can loosen up as you travel. So they need to be checked periodically. I kid you not my sister-in-law and brother-in-law moved from South Florida to Ohio and rented a u-haul box truck and tow dolly for their vehicle. They thought the ride in the towed vehicle would be much smoother so all the good and breakable stuff went in the towed vehicle instead of the box truck. Well up in the mountains a vehicle pulled next to the box truck and said hey Mister you lost your vehicle a while ago. It came loose and fell off the tow dolly and rolled down a mountain. Destroying all the good and breakable stuff.
FYI - Most trailer tires are rated at the maximum of 65 mph. You should never drive any fifth wheel or travel trailer over 65 mph. I personality have pulling travel trailers and motorhomes for over 57 years and don't drive faster than 60 mph. I have never had any problems other than having one Carlyle brand tire to blow out on one of my travel trailers and and two on my motorhome which were recalled tires. All 6 tires were replaced by the manufacturer for free. ----- Also if your travel trailer starts to sway back and forth, use your trailer brakes ONLY to stop the sway.
We always drive 65 on a 70 road. We let the speeders pass us. Pay attention to following distance. And it seems the thing for people to jump in front of you with barely one car length! Even truckers! Very bad practices. Just drop behind a bit and give them room. Better to arrive alive and intact!
One thing to consider is driver fatigue. Driving with a trailer is a lot different than a luxury SUV. Take lots of breaks and don't travel all day long. Also having more truck than trailer with proper sway control is a lot easier, than fighting an underpowered SUV that keeps blowing in the wind while towing too large of a camper.
Thank you for the great info. The dealers need to give first time buyers some initial instruction. It would have been helpful for us. We have a fifth wheel and I left something loose in the pickup bed that shifted when I was starting off and it hit and pulled the trailer brake cable out of its socket and the trailers brakes locked up bringing us to a stop. We got by easy on that one. Lesson learned.
Im pulling a 2002 25Z Fleetwood, Canadian Edition, Terry Lite double axle 4300 pounds with a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with a 4 inch lift 33 x12.50 R17S Highly Modified To Pull Over 6500 Pounds, Factory its rated 5000 pounds I believe but I have dine Everything Needed To Do It Safely.
What a lot of people don't understand about speed. Is many motorhomes and HD pickups use commercial tires. If a person checks the manufactures tables that show tire data. Most commercial tires are only rated for 65mph. And many floatation sizes also have a lower speed rating than passenger tires. The trailer tires also typically have a lower speed rating than passenger tires.
Don’t forget hitch weight. Too little weight on the hitch will cause your trailer to oscillate uncontrollably as you demonstrated in one of the videos for this session. The tongue weight should be around 10% of the TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT. Check it out on another resource. We use a hitch by weigh safe that has a gauge for tongue weight. With my Jeep, on an Alumina trailer, and a total weight of about 6,000 pounds, we travel with 600 pounds tongue weight. This is super critical especially for trailer toy haulers where the vehicle is loaded behind the trailer tires
The proper trailer tongue weight is so important for the safety and handling of a rig. Some folks are just too lazy (or ignorant) to move the heavy stuff to the back of the trailer if their truck squats too much.
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If you see a travel trailer being towed in the slow lane doing 55mph with the cruise control on, that’s me. Everybody flies by me like I’m doing 30mph but that’s ok, they can go around me. I’m in no rush! Driving between 55-60mph is a comfort zone for me and when I approach 60mph, I can feel the discomfort. HAPPY TRAVELS EVERYONE.
You aren't alone; we do the same.
I tow a 33' and never felt uncomfortable or unsafe. Even when I had a blowout, the trailer stayed straight.
Stay at 80% or less of gross, ensure proper hitch weight, correct tires, maintain a safe speed and weight distribution with sway control.
Ditto. I pull a fairly heavy 35' Grand Design Solitude, but I have a 2001 F-350 "Dually", and 60 is the absolute max. Best to get into the trucking lane on passes with downhill stretches.
Payload includes not just weight in the bed but ANY thing put in the cab also. People, bikes, toys in the back seat anything in the truck.
I almost flipped my trailer .it scared the heck out of me. I went back to my dealer and told them and we decided to install an electronic sway control. It works great!!!!!!!!!!!
As soon as it starts to sway from a truck the brakes apply and hold the trailer straight until the truck goes by. It is worth every penny and I think it was under $500
Good. Stay safe! - MJ
Good stuff. One thing I would add is that your break-away cable will do nothing unless you have a battery in good condition. The battery isn't just for boondocking.
👍
Great video! I find it so amazing that many major RV dealerships don’t even APPROACH the subject of payload when it comes to getting a travel trailer/5th wheel. They only discuss tow capacity and that’s it. We just bought a TPMS and will be putting it on our truck and trailer before our next trip. When we bought our first travel trailer early in 2020, I didn’t know much, but prior to trading that one in and getting a bit bigger one, I did LOTS of research with regard to payload and tow capacity!
One thing we invested in (after our very first camping trip) was an equalizer hitch, which made a big difference with trailer sway. On that first trip, it was beautiful weather on the way there, but on the way home it was rainy and windy and I was “white knuckling” it….and I wasn’t even the one driving! After adding that piece of equipment and having a similar weather situation, it made quite a bit of difference!
Thanks for sharing that info
I had a great experience buying my first TT but, the dealer was so big, 3 people were trying to sell me on 2. Luckily I did my due diligence long before I went to the dealer and decided on one of the 2 (new to me) trailers. I bought a WDH and had the service dept put it together. I went a little over kill and got one rated at 10k lbs with a tongue Weight of 1k lbs. My trailer is 5900 dry and with full water but not much else I made sure my ram rebel isn't gonna be overloaded nor will I be pulling anything over 1,000lbs under my max tow weight. I just love to have a buffer so as to not wear out trailer brakes or my truck. Another plus is I won't be doing much traveling as I will be boondocking 90% of the time once I get it to my property.
As a travel trailer owner, I've come to understand that if you listen to all the Internet based advice on towing a 5,000lb trailer, you need at least a F550 or Heavy-Duty Tow Vehicle based on a semi-truck tractor chassis with a huge diesel engine!
👍
I know right.... lol. So much of towing is balancing balancing load correctly, not too much or too little hitch weight. And the obvious tips in this video.But having the capability and not using it is better than over loading a tow vehicle. so many internet experts are like you need a semi truck to pull a 25ft hybrid trailer. I tow all the time with a Mercedes gls 550 and my brothers with the pick up trucks think it's not enough to tow a 4300lb travel trailer. I got air suspension and sway control built in. Way better than towing with a pick up with leaf springs in the rear squatting
I’ve never heard anyone exaggerate that much, but I have seen people towing beyond their vehicle.
My 30 years RVing ended. Had a all season cottage. I used to tow 7K 5th
wheel with F350HD Camper special. Thinking back, thank god we
never had any accident. I’m a safety freak.
We do our best to stay at the speed limit wherever we are. We’ve had quite a few scary moments in high winds but so far so good!
Good, stay safe! - MJ
High winds are no joke! Stay safe and stay smart!
I use a slide in truck camper most of the time and also haul my Jeep on a 16' trailer. Critical issue is to ensure the trailer load is properly positioned so the weight is enough to prevent adverse issues. I also like to install shock absorbers on the trailer so it does not get the shock as much as it would if it had nothing but the springs.
Good discussion.
The key word there is LIMIT...which is set for four wheeled vehicles almost never a safe speed for towing. A better rule is to tow 10% UNDER the posted limit.
You will also save around 10% in fuel costs. That doesn't sound like a lot in mpg but how many of us would go out of our way to save 30 cents per gallon at the pump?
Make sure your ball is the right size! For bumper pull, obviously. We borrowed a covered cargo trailer from a friend when we were moving several years ago, and he also gave us the ball for our hitch on our truck. My husband thought it felt slightly loose, but trusted that our friend had the right size ball for his own trailer. We hit a bump in the road and the whole trailer bounced off the ball! Thank goodness for the chains and breakaway cable! Luckily no one was hurt, and we purchased the correct size ball and gifted it to him when we were finished.
Oh wow scary!
Great video. BTBRV is great. JD does explain in detail in a way you can understand about payload and towing capacity. I absolutely love his channel also. People speed past us on the road also. I don't want an accident.
Yes JD is awesome. Thanks for checking out the video! - MJ
Good advice in this video. You are on a recreational trip. Slow down and enjoy the ride. You will get there. For travel trailer users, get a high quality weight distribution and anti sway bar hitch. This makes all the difference. It makes pulling a trailer much easier and safely. Good travels and thanks for all your advice.
Well said!
We watch your channel all the time. Towing? We have a 36 foot travel trailer whitch is 7200 lb. We have a Ram 2022 2500 diesel, so we have alot of room to spair.
What gets me is watching someone hooking up a 30 foot 7200 lb camper to a SUV, and one of the ones we saw they hooked this 30 ft 7200 lb trailer up to a Jeep Cheerkee.
could not be leave, they were doing that unreal. We had a 2014 Ram 1500, we pulled our 7200 lb camper and were on the line weight wise. then upgraded to a 2019 6.4 2500 Ram.
The deilersip gave me 6000 more then I paided for it new so I bought the 2022 Ram Diesel just about an even trade. I could not help myself.
Love BTBRV! Best Channel for people towing bar none!
🙌 yes!
At 5:46 when you are hooking up the safety chains. You can clearly see that the Brake Away cable is routed back and then forward through the frame.
It should be routed in a straight line to your vehicle.
Instead of it just pulling the pin straight out it's going to yank it backwards first and probably break the unit instead of applying the brakes.
Amen, MJ and Izzy, I couldn't agree more, all great advice. In the past few years of driving a Class A, we have been on highways and have had other motorhomes speed by us like they are hell bent to get somewhere in a hurry! I typically drive 5 to 10 mph UNDER the speed limit and stick to the right lane. For one thing, realize that the faster you go, the longer it will take you to stop if there is a situation you need to avoid, and Class A's, and most other RV's, are not that maneuverable, you can't simply crank the steering wheel to avoid debris or other vehicles, it can easily flip over. The faster you drive, the higher the stress level. Also, as an aside, I took a road race course class a few years ago in which instructors tell you to constantly scan the road ahead, make yourself aware of what is going on as much as 1,000 feet ahead, it could give you time to avoid being involved in a bad accident. And it's always good to have a copilot, another set of eyes to watch the road.
I'm always scanning and anticipating what other vehicles may do. It has prevented several crashes during my time driving.Thanks for watching and the comment
You hit the nail on the head with that one, some people think that you can stop a 30,000 lb vehicle on a dime & get a quarter back in change. I use to drive a tractor trailer rig & people would cut me off then stop in front of me, there’s been a lot of time I almost took them out & they would shoot me the finger.
Great advice. Stay safe!!!
It stinks because we bought our two cars (2017 Kia Soul and 2020 Ford Escape Titanium) before we realized we wanted a motorhome and neither one of them are flat towable and like you we only have a 5,000 hitch on our class c even though the owners manual says we can tow 7,500 pounds. Of well. We bought Lectric Bikes and if we have to go farther than we want on the bikes we will rent a car. We have learned a lot from you two. Thank you so much.
Thanks and safe travels !
One very important point with pulling any trailer, is the way it is loaded. I have pulled trailers for 50+ years. I will tell you a story about something that happened to me. I had a Dodge duel tired one ton Diesel 4x4 pickup with a 10 and a half foot Lance camper in the bed. I was pulling a 2 axle flatbed trailer with a car loaded on it. I normally took this trailer with me camping and had 2 full size quads on it along with assorted tools and extra gas. I never had any problems with this set-up, and I have went in places that I had to have the truck in 4 wheel drive - low range to get where I wanted to go.
I had the car loaded and it was as far forward as I could get it. I had an 18" box that went all the way across the trailer in the front, and the car was as close as I could get it to the box. I still did not have enough tongue weight, and I knew this, so I kept my speed down to 50/55. I towed it this way for 250 miles with no issues. I was going down a hill on the freeway, and I did not notice the speed creeping upon me. The trailer suddenly started to fish-tail. I will tell you what, If it were not for the fact that the truck weighed 7,500 pounds and I had a 3,000 camper in the bed, and I had duel tires on the pickup, I would have lost control. As it was, the fish-tailing was so bad that it separated all 4 trailer tires.
If your travel trailer has too much rear-weight and not enough tongue weight this will happen to you, especially going down a hill. Going down a hill will compound a tongue weight problem. I am glad that I had the car anchored down well, or it probably would have came off, or even worse, half off. I would much rather have too much tongue weight than not enough.
Like you said, it is best to have everything set up, the truck level, the trailer level to start with. Just pay attention to how you load it. I have seen people with these huge boxes lashed to the back of their travel trailer to put all kinds of heave stuff in. That is recipe for disaster.
The floor plan (the only thing trailer buyers really care about) can contribute problems to the loading issue. Rear bathrooms with full holding tanks result in too little tongue weight. If the kitchen is all the way in the front or all the way in the rear you can also have problems because of the weight of canned goods, beverages, cooking utensils, etc.
Remember, the folks in Elkhart designed the trailer to sell so they could make money, not for it to be towed safely down the road. The dealer just wants you to tow it off of their lot so that they make their money. They don't care what happens the moment you hit the street. It is up to you to know more about towing and trailer design than the dealer and manufacturer put together.
@@davidgates1122 Unfortunately, you are absolutely correct. Camping World is a great example of that. I would NEVER have those people work on anything that I own. They did not screw me over, but I have read about sooooo many others that they DID screw over. Many places have a 30/30 guarantee, 30 feet, or 30 seconds.
One of my neighbors is an old man, and he let the RV dealer talk him into a new camp trailer. It started falling apart after the first camping trip. It looks nice, but it is shoddily built. I, myself, have a Lance 25 foot camp trailer that is very well made. However, it was not cheap. You get what you pay for. I have a saying--------If you buy the cheapest thing that you can find, that is exactly what you will have!
I had the same problem last night, but I was towing my 34 ft RV with a Ram Van 1500 that was empty. Both the van and the RV trailer were wrecked and totaled and I am very lucky to be alive as well as my dad who was traveling with me. It was a very short journey and I was going slow (50-55mph), but the highway had a very bad lowpoint on the side of the passenger, it was a very old RV with a couple problema and we had a crosswind hitting us from the drivers side that made it fishtail real bad. We crashed into the side wall (the rock of the mountain we were passing through) and luckily both of us walked out of the van by our own foot.
I'm buying a Ram 3500 dually to tow anything on the future, I'm not taking the risk again of not being able to raise my children after an accident.
Good advice. You have to know your numbers for weights on your rig and tow vehicle. DOT can stop you and make you park. If you get in a wreck with a over weight vehicle insurance can deny your claim. 👍👍
Right on!
We got a great deal on our RV because the salesmen convinced the original purchaser it was half-ton towable based on basic sticker data. Too much of that happens!
I think speed, trailer brakes and having the proper vehicle to tow the trailer are the most important things you can very easily overlook.
I wreched and totaled my truck and a big 34ft rv trailer 24 hours ago because I didn't have trailer brakes (i had just purchased the trailer and thought I could get away with towing it and having those things fixed the next day) and I was towing it with a van that was too light, underpowered and had an axle separation way too short.
Fortunately me and my dad survived an absolutely fatal accident with only a few bruces and nothing more. But please, drive safe and follow the specs and rules for towing. If the highway gives you a speed limit don't go over it (specially while towing), if your vehicle has a certain towing and payload limit dont push it, if your trailer is as heavy as your truck or more have brakes on it. Never push the absolute limit for your power delivery on a highway, sometimes you can need that extra "umpf" to stabilize a trailer and be able to recover from a nasty accident.
I learned the hard way to always have 10% to 20% of headroom (power, acceleration capability, payload, towing limit, braking power, etc) to be able to save a lost situation.
God was watching after us yesterday and he lnows I'm thankfull because he gave me annother day to kiss my wife and play with my kids. It was a gift, please don't risk not having it for you.
Great video y’all! Mainly it’s those with 5ers and TT’s that end up blowing the GCWR, because they don’t understand it. Mostly because the dealer tells them their truck can pull it. They told me that once before when I went looking, because it was a Silverado they were adamant it would tow 7500 lbs. I knew better because of the gear ratio which limited the trailer to 4500.. Needless to say I didn’t purchase from them because they wanted me to buy something I couldn’t tow. Back to the GCWR, I see them in and out of Stone Mountain Park all the time well above GCWR along with being well over the GAWR because the bed of the truck is crammed full of stuff then they hook the TT to it. It also comes down to knowing the tongue weight of your trailer and proper use of the weight distribution system. Most don’t understand that either in my experience. Hoping people will heed your advice and checkout JD’s channel to learn the ins and outs of safe towing. Safe travels to you three!
Thanks, you too!
Guys, great info but I'm going to add another. Tongue weight. If you have too much weight in the rear the trailer will fishtail. Make sure you lean toward front heavy when loading a trailer.
I
Weight Distribution and Anti-Sway bars. We have Husky system, very solid. A must if you are towing. Don’t even think of not doing this!
You should also check the tire rating some tires are rated at no more than 55 miles an hour and you don't want a blowout with any mobile home or RV
Most times people need a adjustable trailer hitch and that will level your truck/SUV,And Use A Sway Bar Kit Is A Great Idea
As I've always said about those who speed, In a hurry to get nowhere fast. Because they can speed and end up wrecked, hence getting nowhere. We're never in a hurry. We enjoy the drive while pulling our TT.
As far as TPMS goes, I'm not a fan. I'm retired from the tire industry of 30+ years and I can pretty much eyeball psi and can tell from the way our TT is tracking and handling if the tires get over heated. The rule I've always followed when psi is concerned, air to 15 psi below max cold. Reason being is as the tires warm up, they'll reach max psi and will preform very well right at max psi without incident. I've been doing this for decades and have never had a tire failure.
Tnx for the tips y'all and happy camping 🏕 and safe travels
Be safe!
Running tires low on air pressure will cause them to run hot.
@@EndlessRVing Running tires low on air isn't safe.
I have a 2012 F150 Crew Cab that is rated for 9200 Lbs towing capacity. My trailer weighs 5000 lbs dry and about 6200 lbs fully loaded so I always stay at least 2500 Lbs under the truck towing capacity. Also weight distribution with cargo is very important in the trailer when towing. Ì have sway bars and always make sure the truck and trailer are level, do not overload the truck box. Slow down when towing, I never go over 60 MPH. In over 25 years of towing a few different truck and trailer units I have never had an issue or close call. Just be smart, be careful and never travel in a hurry.
Thanks for sharing
Very Informative Video. I Love all of Your videos Thank You for all You Do
You should mention that the battery needs to be connected for the breakaway braking to function
This is great info. When we got our first rv we failed to have weight distribution system. That was not safe. We towed that way from Ohio to Florida for 7 days. Now we know better and we have a weight distribution and our rv is wet weight is 3500.
Thank you for sharing.
Lou & Angie
Good. Stay safe guys!
Trailer sway is caused by a combination of things,
#1 - the axils on RV Travel Trailers are not really set back far enough bad balance,
#2 - the bad balance combined with the forces of the wind increasing air pressure on the tail of the trailer the faster you drive, and the suction forces caused when coming close to semi's creates an unequal air pressure on your RV sucking you into the semi ,and also when you are pushing past the semi the air that its displacing at its nose will give the tail of your trailer a good wiggle, and cause it to start saying, with these trailer designs it's best to not pass big trucks over 55mph and don't go over 65mph 60mph I'd prefer,
Combined vehicle weight . Most people have no idea what that means. They buy a truck not thinking about fuel load, passenger weight, loaded and empty trailer differential.
If you're running dually's an "equity " system will keep your inside & outside tires at the same pressure and you just have to look down to see if you need air plus only one air chuck FYI inside tires heat up and stay hotter than outside tires
Grew up on huge ranch, hauling trailers with livestock. Dad used to say there's steering and then there is driving! Slow down. As a ER trauma and flight nurse of 40 years you don't want to come across my meat table in trauma. People have no idea what pain can be until they experience it first hand. It's worth slowing down.
Thanks for sharing Lissa
Road conditions make a difference, Tie down straps, and the right applanations. I saw a guy hauling his car with two tied down straps that you would use for your ATV. straps, tow chains, safety chains tires all have there ratings. Winter tires and studded tires, have there ratings and limits. Look on some tire manufactures testing, you will find the tires are tested under 35mph. You will see people fly by you on icy roads, later in the ditch. Some have more then 9 lives but have a turn of disaster coming there way soon I'm sure. Be careful out there.
Absolutely! Another one is having the tow hitch adjusted so the trailer is level. I see many trailers with the nose in the air because the hitch is too high, and vice versa. What a world.🥴
I’m a commercial driver and you guys are right. I would say those are the most common mistakes I see on the road
Years ago I almost tipped my trailer. Scary. I then installed an electronic sway control. Worked great. Truck comes and trailer start swaying this thing applies the brakes to keep trailer straight. Wouldn’t have a trailer without the electronic sway control
Under $500
Thanks Tom!
Tire pressure is key but what many don’t understand is a tire that says Max 80psi don’t think about air expansion when it gets hot that’s why there is so many blow outs on the highway I run a few psi lower to allow for air expansion from heat
We run our tires based on the weight of our coach and then referring to tire manufacturer inflation charts. Thanks for watching
Agreed! I drop about 4- 5 lbs psi.
Boy if I had a dime for every time I saw a trailer switching back and forth I'd be a rich man! Please stay safe everyone and thanks for this post!
Thanks for checking it out!
I have changed out the OEM bump stops with the Timbren system and upgraded to Bilstein shocks. Also have the Blue Ox weight distribution system. I'm very happy with what I have done and think it's a great setup to haul a travel trailer. I firmly believe it's an bsolute must to make some enhancements to the stock items on any pickup truck if you intend to haul any trailer with a significant amount of weight.
Good stuff!
Valuable Video ERV Family!
Blessings and thank you!
Thanks so much for the kind words and for watching. Stay safe! - MJ
I see people on the highway all the time with the chains wrapped around the tow bar not connected. I cringe and try to get away from them as fast as I can. If I see them in a rest area like that, I will make a smart-ass remark about "wonder why they give you chains?" Can't help myself. Good information people need to be aware of.
Some people just don't get it, until they are forced too. Thanks for watching Aaron
Good stuff guys, My sweet spot for traveling speed is 60 MPH towing or not towing, I'm 26,000 lbs. of moving mass. I have no need to go any faster. It's called the "Law Of Physics"
Exactly! Safety is key. Thanks John. - MJ
Im towing a travel trailer 60mph unless I need to pass and always maintain the space in front of me and always take 10 minute breaks every hour I can still cover a lot of miles in day. I believe most of the tire blow outs is operator errors .
I limit my speed to no more than 65 but prefer 60. I do get honked at and flipped off quite a bit even though I stay to the right. Safety is much more important to me than upsetting someone who really has no clue or doesn't care about being as safe as possible.
@@tomjones4986 Tom my speed is also 60 mph stay at the speed you are comfortable with. Safe travels.
You also have to take into consideration of your trailer and the vehicle you're towing the combined weight of those two has to be less than your tow vehicle
This was an excellent video on such an important subject. Thanks.
Thanks so much Cindy. Yes it’s SO important! - MJ
Sandra Westley from the UK it’s good to see something like this, I have watched many, many RV s, trailers, 5 th wheels, and nobody mentions how important this is for safety on the road, a rule of thumb here is you do not tow any more than 80% of the gross weight of the tow vehicle, so you should not get the tail of the dog, shaking the body, otherwise your in trouble. Also you need to know the weight of what you add in clothes etc, in this country if you go over the weight of the vehicle you invalidate your insurance, so should you have a serious smash through over load you would not have any insurance to cover your loses.
Thanks for sharing that info!
that’s ridiculous. So my 3/4 ton truck with a factory tow rating of over 14000 pounds and a cargo capacity of over 3000 pounds would be limited to towing a trailer that is no heavier than 5,600 pounds. I’m all for safety, but some people should not be commenting on here. For the record, that 80% rule is typically about the vehicle’s tow rating, not its gross weight.
My rule now is have more truck than you need and won’t have to worry about it. 10,000 lbs on a dually is my rig. Been in serious wind suddenly that blew the camper to the point of seeing the entire side of the camper and didn’t upset the truck at all
Also got clipped at 70 mph from behind and again didn’t upset the truck. The only way I’m towing now dually 👍🙂
I am a couple months away from getting my towable. My RV can haul 36,000 pounds that is like so many good pizzas. Like we could feed so many people and make them pizza happy. Good info and wait until you all see the hippie bus set up coming very soon to a NJ elks lodge near you!
😂 Hope all is well Drew. - MJ
Following distance is one of the most important things to remember when towing. The braking distance is greatly increased by the additional weight of the towed item.
Definitely!
Never go by tow capacity. Payload capacity is the key to all tow vehicles. Working trailer brakes and for god sakes sway control. Don’t skimp. And a note about trailer tires ALL FACTORY TOWABLE units come with C range tires. First off they are barely legal to transport the unit empty. Once loaded with gear they are overloaded and all special trailer tires are only rated to 65 mph. Spend the money and get speed rated 10 ply E range tires and change them every 5 years regardless of tire wear
Great information and recommendations. Your channel is very helpful, especially to people like me who are trying to decide IF they want to jump back into RV-ing again. Please keep up the good work, and Thanks for your excellent content!...
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks guys. Good info as always. Stay Calm and R V On. Harry & Cathy.
Thanks Harry
Great job guys. These basics can make a huge difference. These aren’t just basics but essentials I think. Stay safe and hope to see you out there.
Thank you, you too!
Always put oversized safety chains and cross under hitch!
I know your comment has been awhile back but I'm so glad someone said to cross those chains. So, so many videos here of people not doing that don't realize that keeps the tongue off the ground in an emergency.
We purchased a camp trailer made for towing with a 1/2-ton truck. All the numbers were well within the towing envelope. Even with a premium equalizer hitch and factory installed tow package on the truck it always felt a little marginal, especially descending steep grades. We traded the 1/2-ton gas for a ¾-ton diesel; now towing is a pleasure instead of a nerve-racking event. Thanks for the video.
Always make sure that your rv and tow vehicle are level when towing. Also your may be over on your tongue weight. As always I say stay at 70% or less if your tow vehicle towable weight…..,
I think you. Guys put out a great video about towing. When I towed either a travel trailer or even a fifth wheel I mad sure that I kept in the right speed limit. I hope to see you guys on the road.
Thanks so much Robert for watching. Stay safe!
Always go bigger on a tow rig….less problems and better experience
Another great video! Future suggestions... backing up correctly... know your heights for underpasses, the amount of bridges hit where I live in Clifton Park, NY is staggering!... turning radius with what's being towed bei g mindful of curbs, medians, sidewalks, and traffic waiting at stop lights/signs... again excellent video! You guys are great 👍 thanks again!
Seeing all the videos of crashes and misinformation I wish that there was a government training for people who tow or drive big RV's ...I also tow a travel trailer so I also include myself because if you want to drive a simi you need a special license.... Your information is spot on.... I hate people that post videos with a 4500lbs travel trailers and their vehicles have a max towing of 5000lbs and they say in the videos " Tow capacity is a personal set limit".... Isn't that why manufacturers hire engineers 🤔 to determine the set limits?
Good info.. amazing how many people overlook or just decide that the know better... and they don’t. Be safe. Thanks
Yep. We agree Jerry. Hope everyone is well.
I wonder how many lives can be saved by following these few rules of towing!
Thanks You guys,
Not sure but simple things that can keep everyone safe
Very informative video, thanks a lot.
Distribution of weight in both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle can change vehicle dynamics. In brief, the truck axle weight limit must not be exceeded. Drive the truck and trailer combination, fully loaded, to the scales. Weigh each axle individually. You may have to rearrange your load to keep every axle within limits. You are also wise to check tongue weight on your trailer. The trailers you see wagging like the tail of a dog probably have too little weight on the front end of the trailer (not enough tongue weight). Towing with this condition can cause the entire rig to flip onto its side.
Great advice, ty. Let's hope ppl listen. Stay safe
Car dollys can be used to tow a small family car
Very good simple tips to follow. Took your advice pop for a TPMS you recommended. When we purchased my wife's SUV we got a Jeep Cherokee, light weight and flat towable, in case we went A class. Turns out we went with a fifth wheel, but it is there if we change our mind. As most of the time we use campsites we don't carry much water on board and think about what we bring. Even if your rig can take the weight why put unnecessary stresses? If you use the 80% of tow capacity rule for max towable weight include propane, water, your stuff, etc., you will have a much better experience. As you said it is recreation, not white knuckles on the steering wheel.
Exactly. Safe travels to you! - MJ
People need to STOP swerving off the road to avoid a side swipe from some kid in a rice rocket. My truck is 7500+ pounds and with a trailer behind it, it's not moving when someone is going to hit me trying to cut through traffic. People post their flips and roll overs on Facebook and then say they swerved off the road to not get side swiped by a small car and then the car drives off. This should end with a trading of insurance with minor damage to your vehicle rather than flipping on the side of the road by yourself.
EVERYTHING WEIGHS GUYS! I have a friend that is a forensic traffic examiner. Unfortunately he is known in the court system. He gets on the stand and says you're overweight...game over!
👍 Thanks Ronald!
Been RVing since 1983, have never done 70 mph. Always under speed limit. My average speed in a 70 mph is 62-64. Be safe everyone, and consider your cargo. Wife, children, pets.
Thanks for watching and the comment
Another thing people own class A motorhomes and no nothing about 22.5 tires and zipper tears which can kill if aired up improperly. Low air pressure causes side walls to break down and when aired up can explode. If you air these tires , use a 6ft. whip line and remote gage . (If only 10psi on less) Anything more than 10 psi is dangerous. Most motorhome people I've talked to do not know this.
As I was watching this video last night, a headline popped up warning drivers to stay off the interstate locally due to a major RV crash. Where a highway entrance lane merges with a busy exit lane, an RV had left the road and wrapped around a bridge support in the median. The chassis roof and floor were separated entirely from the rest of the trailer. I have no idea what caused the accident or if the driver and passengers were injured - I pray they’re ok. It’s a tough spot to navigate in any vehicle and another reminder of how critical it is to stay aware and drive safely.
Praying they’re ok. 🙏🏼
Load distribution in your trailer!!
Would like to have so info on determining max trailer length for my truck
Love my tire minder. Great Product. Thank You for making this video. Very informative.
Thank you
So I did okay with my f350 diesel ? Lol. Thank u for the vid. 👍👍
I've seen too many crashes on video that people did not know how to stop a trailer from deadly swaying. That's when the trailer develops a severe sway that will yank the tow vehicle out of control and causes a jack knife and or the swaying will cause the trailer will flip on its side and drag to a stop. In all these cases the severe swaying of the trailer can be stopped by manually applying full trailer braking at the trailer break control unit on the dashboard.
As usual another great video with a wealth of information. So many people think that they do what they want, not thinking about the consequences of wrong choices. Have a blessed day & God Bless. Keep the great videos coming. Y’all be careful out there, as you see there’s many people who don’t need to be behind the wheel
Thank you- stay safe! - MJ
I did tow my old school camper and it had all my earthly possessions, it was way overloaded. It was scary all the way across country, but I made it going 45 mph on the interstate. Going to get a one ton truck next time.
What did you tow it with?
Thanks for the video I Tow at 55 mph
Nice work! :)
Check the rear ratio when choosing a truck. The tow capacity varies greatly from a 4:10 rear and a 3:08. The ratio is on the Maroney Label on new trucks and is a code number on the label in the glove box on GM trucks.
Always important to know your numbers. Thanks for watching and the comment.
It's called a "Maroney Label". I learned something new early today. So much better than calling it "the label with that info".
Also at 5:46 what is the Residential Electrical junction box on the trailer for?
Got my first full size truck (2017 F350 gas 6.2L 3:73) in 2020 and my first RV (GD BH2800 6000 Lbs dry - 7400 if loaded) in 2021. I LOVE my truck. Truck says 12,000 Lb limit. My RV tops out at 7400 Lbs. I ask myself every trip if I'd feel safer in a diesel (yes, I probably would) and is it really worth it given our type of driving and where we go (MD/PA/VA etc)? No, it's not. Is it worth upgrading to a 7.3 with 4:10 gears and 10 spd trans? Highly likely in a few years unless e-trucks get the range and charge time issues ironed out.
I have a 2019 Nissan frontier King cab 2.5 rated for 4700 lb pulling a pop-up camper That's 3500 lb and I have the husky weight distribution hitch my truck sit a little low so I had to get it with the sway bar and tow mirrors and I do about 60 to 65 and see other RVs passing me at almost 80 mph that's ridiculous even with big rig pass me I can feel my pop-up trailer and truck shaking a little bit so it's not good to go that fast on the road people take your time and plus you save on gas peace
I see so many trailers blow by me every trip. Interestingly, some guy on the Flagstaff E-pro Facebook site was bragging about how great his trailer towed at 80 mph. When I mentioned that if he lost control at that speed he and anyone next to him was dead, he called me a troll and claimed I was just another know nothing -ss h-le. I do 65...tops, For some reason, everyone seems to forget what could happens to the vehicles around them if they lose it. If I die, that's bad, if I kill someone because of my stupidity, that is criminal and if it is a child...... Life is short, my trailer is for recreation, slow down and enjoy the view. Isn't vacation to De-stress????? Great video guys, I really enjoy your channel and insite....help up the good content and be safe.
The number one insurance claim is for overhead collisions. Mount two cameras, one aimed foreword at front edge, and one aimed rearward at rear edge, two inches above the highest point of roof. When backing or creeping foreword, any collision will be easily avoided by monitoring that camera. Clean lenses frequently.
I immediately started to comment to send people to JD’s channel……then you covered that soooo…………I see trucks with travel trailers and 5th wheels flying past me all the time. Scary!
I’ve got the TST TPMS and it works great also.
Another great video and an important one. Thank you!!
Yes people drive crazy Lori. TST is a great TPMS. Thanks for sharing
Another thing many people don't do is check their straps on the vehicle on their tow dolly. These can loosen up as you travel. So they need to be checked periodically.
I kid you not my sister-in-law and brother-in-law moved from South Florida to Ohio and rented a u-haul box truck and tow dolly for their vehicle. They thought the ride in the towed vehicle would be much smoother so all the good and breakable stuff went in the towed vehicle instead of the box truck. Well up in the mountains a vehicle pulled next to the box truck and said hey Mister you lost your vehicle a while ago. It came loose and fell off the tow dolly and rolled down a mountain. Destroying all the good and breakable stuff.
Yea that does happen. We tighten up when we stop for fuel. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for your videos. We bought a TPMS from tire minder the I10 and we used your code.Thank for your information.Monica&Wally.
Awesome, thanks and enjoy! - MJ
FYI - Most trailer tires are rated at the maximum of 65 mph. You should never drive any fifth wheel or travel trailer over 65 mph. I personality have pulling travel trailers and motorhomes for over 57 years and don't drive faster than 60 mph. I have never had any problems other than having one Carlyle brand tire to blow out on one of my travel trailers and and two on my motorhome which were recalled tires. All 6 tires were replaced by the manufacturer for free. ----- Also if your travel trailer starts to sway back and forth, use your trailer brakes ONLY to stop the sway.
We always drive 65 on a 70 road. We let the speeders pass us. Pay attention to following distance. And it seems the thing for people to jump in front of you with barely one car length! Even truckers! Very bad practices. Just drop behind a bit and give them room. Better to arrive alive and intact!
One thing to consider is driver fatigue. Driving with a trailer is a lot different than a luxury SUV. Take lots of breaks and don't travel all day long. Also having more truck than trailer with proper sway control is a lot easier, than fighting an underpowered SUV that keeps blowing in the wind while towing too large of a camper.
Travel trailer tongue weight also goes against the trucks payload capacity.
Great topic. Very useful information for newbies and experts here. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for checking it out. :) - MJ
I try to always put safety first ! I dont want to be in an accident or cause one . Great factual video thanks guys.
Same here. Thanks for watching Gus
Thank you for the great info. The dealers need to give first time buyers some initial instruction. It would have been helpful for us. We have a fifth wheel and I left something loose in the pickup bed that shifted when I was starting off and it hit and pulled the trailer brake cable out of its socket and the trailers brakes locked up bringing us to a stop. We got by easy on that one. Lesson learned.
Don’t count on the dealer to do anything but get you to sign the paperwork LOL. Thanks for watching and the comment
Check your ins. Ins companies can get real particular. Some ins companies may not pay if you live out of the motor home.
Im pulling a 2002 25Z Fleetwood, Canadian Edition, Terry Lite double axle 4300 pounds with a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo with a 4 inch lift 33 x12.50 R17S Highly Modified To Pull Over 6500 Pounds, Factory its rated 5000 pounds I believe but I have dine Everything Needed To Do It Safely.
What a lot of people don't understand about speed. Is many motorhomes and HD pickups use commercial tires. If a person checks the manufactures tables that show tire data. Most commercial tires are only rated for 65mph. And many floatation sizes also have a lower speed rating than passenger tires.
The trailer tires also typically have a lower speed rating than passenger tires.
Thanks for sharing that info. 👍
Don’t forget hitch weight. Too little weight on the hitch will cause your trailer to oscillate uncontrollably as you demonstrated in one of the videos for this session. The tongue weight should be around 10% of the TOTAL TRAILER WEIGHT. Check it out on another resource. We use a hitch by weigh safe that has a gauge for tongue weight. With my Jeep, on an Alumina trailer, and a total weight of about 6,000 pounds, we travel with 600 pounds tongue weight. This is super critical especially for trailer toy haulers where the vehicle is loaded behind the trailer tires
PS: we’re hauling with a Super-C Freightliner with tow capacity of 20,000 pounds.
The proper trailer tongue weight is so important for the safety and handling of a rig. Some folks are just too lazy (or ignorant) to move the heavy stuff to the back of the trailer if their truck squats too much.