I am not a 100% sure but I think you might be over your tow capacity. To my knowledge you don't want to go right up against what your tofia goal can tell especially if your putting anything in your trailer. Consider getting the Ford expedition with the heavy duty tow package. That will give you obviously the vehicle that you need for a family as well as the additional Tokyo pasty which will bump you up to 9300 pounds towing with a weight distribution system. Hope this helps. Great video very informative settings for putting this together in Sherry. Happy camping.
I've only begun to search, but I think you saved me a lot of time. The bunkhouse versions of various brands is what I'm looking at. This Apex has better amenities that further refine it. For people with complaints about presentation, I thought you did a great job. You touched on the finer points and didn't drone on needlessly like the sales reps who host these. You are interested and appear happy to share. Thank you for posting. For those concerned about weight...empty/minimize your tanks and shower and grillmat the campground. Use paper plates; Purell; 12 0z bottled water; guests follow in another vehicle; use one propane tank; keep needless cargo out. Don't bring heavy generators.
Unloaded weight of trailer is just over 3,900 pounds. Gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000. I encourage you to take your rig to the scales after its been loaded for a trip and see where you are actually at for weight. Peace of mind knowing you are not exceeding any of the weight limits of your tow vehicle!
We go pretty light we have approx 264 lbs of gear and "stuff" in our camper when traveling and take a second vehicle for our family and other gear. I actually have 17yrs of collision center experience dealing with frames and uni bodies, and suspension I have two Ford dealerships in our dealerships network. One of my great friends is one of our master Ford techs. At the RV dealership we also had this discussion before purchasing. We ALL concluded that our rig is definitely safe. We are close on weight but do take a second vehicle to cut down on additional weight.
Me too. What about GVWR, Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating, Tire Load Rating, and front sand rear Axle Ratings, not to mention younger weight capacity? I would get this tow vehicle and rig on a CAT scale to make sure your not doing damage to your tow vehicle or rig by possibly exceeding any of these manufacturer limits when loaded with cargo.
Jim Kohn I agree. With all the gear and his family in the explorer, I guarantee he’s overweight. Unfortunately there are dealers out there, both automotive and trailer, that will do and say anything for a sale.
We go pretty light we have approx 264 lbs of gear and "stuff" in our camper when traveling and take a second vehicle for our family and other gear. I actually have 17yrs of collision center experience dealing with frames and uni bodies, and suspension I have two Ford dealerships in our dealerships network. One of my great friends is one of our master Ford techs. At the RV dealership we also had this discussion before purchasing. We ALL concluded that our rig is definitely safe. We are close on weight but do take a second vehicle to cut down on additional weight.
I would be interested to know what the tongue weight is with the bikes on the front. The Explorer has a hitch rating of 500 pounds. My 4300 pound trailer has a tongue weight of over 600 pounds...
@@DC-qy2fs If the manaul says it can tow 5000 lbs, as long as he's under the CGVWR he's fine. However, more than likely he's WAY over the max tongue weight. Looking at the specs, if this is the 203RBK, then the dry tongue weight is 478 lbs, unloaded. Max tongue weight according to the Explorer manual is 500 lbs; I didn't see a WDH either, which may be required for the max tongue weight. Either way, with loaded propane tanks, bike rack, and bikes, and loaded passthrough storage, the suspension is definitely overloaded and under stress.
As someone who has pulled 100K, 3 loads a day on highway and back road, if you inspect your equipment and maintain it properly and drive correctly, maintain proper following distance so you don't have to jack the brakes, running close to the GVWR wont be an issue, and no DOT trooper will give you a rash of shit if you go over a scale, they just say "Drive safe and have a nice day".
Thank you for the great video. I have a 2020 Ford Explorer and I wasn’t sure if it would toll my new trailer, but after seeing yours, I’m pretty sure will be OK. Thank you.
I believe fully loaded with all gear you will exceed the towing capacity of the Ford. At best you are on the edge being able to stop the trailer or pull a hill let along dealing with windy conditions. Nice trailer though.
Surprisingly we have 1000 miles of towing it already and it's done great on all kinds of conditions. Fortunately for us we have the best set up possible as far as explorers go. Stiffest suspension, best motor and tranny set up. We have very little sag as well and have had great experiences towing so far!!
Probably at the max or over on the tongue weight. Definitely shouldn’t be towing that much with an explorer. My acaidia has 5200lb max and I won’t tow anything over 4000lb. That is an unsafe setup you have.
@@billwilliam1001 thanks for the reply Bill, the myth here would be your forfeit your insurance. That certainly is not the case your travel trailer is insured for a certain dollar amount for total cost of trailer, plus additionally you can insure a certain dollar amount of belongings inside your travel trailer. As a veteran from the automotive collision industry,I have an insurance license in 23 states and am very familiar with insurance claims. The vehicle and travel trailer would be covered whether it was an "at fault" or not. Thanks again for the comment Bill and Happy Camping!
I have a 2018 F150 supercrew 4x4 with the 3.5 ecoboost and the max trailer tow package that puts me in the 13,000 lb max trailer weight. I use a Blue Ox WDH. However it's different towing a low utility trailer with say 10,000 lbs than a higher RV with lots of sidewall for the wind to push against. The RV this gentleman is talking about in this video, I feel is the perfect size for comfortable towing with my truck. Just because the manufacturer says you can, doesn't make it safe in all instances. Just my humble opinion.....
Good informational video, we have a Tahoe and don't want anything too heavy. Not that it can't handle it at a 7600 lb towing capacity, however I don't want to put that much strain on our vehicle so I like that this trailer is much lighter than other travel trailers, but still the functionality of having that spacious feel. Thank you again for the video.
the stickers on both the vehicle and the trailer will give you the correct numbers. after fully loading your car and trailer take it to the scales and you will be astonished how overloaded this is legally. You will be struck as if by lightning.
Wow. I wish this was true, really do. I have a 2002 Lexus 470 (i.e. Toyota Land Cruiser) towing capacity 6,500 lbs, 4.7L V8. When I was looking for a trailer I really really wanted a Coachman 192RBS at 4,100 lbs. But when I did the calculations for GCVW adding in weights of Fuel, 2 people, 2 dogs, camping gear, hitch weight, and tongue weight, I was a few pounds over. So, we dropped that idea and went with a more conservative 2,841 lb Rpod 180 (unloaded weight). When we traveled I40 in N.C. to Cherokee the Black Mountain grade of 6% I had to drop into 2cd gear. I was slower than cars which was to be expected but faster than those 18 wheelers. Coming back downhill back in 2cd gear again. I did fine going uphill and downhill. I use and definitely recommend a Weight Distribution Hitch with Anti-Sway. You might have some validity though. I know folks with the same vehicle I have are towing RVs weighing 5,800 dry, and then loading in all their "stuff". Just maybe manufacturers are too conservative with their published numbers, who knows for sure. The only "data" we have are the published "numbers", and folks testimony.
I have a 2004 GX470, and we're renting an RPOD 176 that weighs 2,564 lbs dry. Going to be towing up I-75, I-40 and I-81 to NE TN. Glad to hear it'll do it. I'm a little nervous being at about half my capacity. This guy is a moron towing that big of a camper with a unibody crossover. Even if he doesn't kill someone, he's going to absolutely destroy that Exploder mechanically.
I know there are many comments already and you have extensive experience in towing, but I am NOT towing this rig with a mid-size SUV. Probably not even with a half-ton truck, at least not confidently. It is not just the weight and the length of the trailer but the height is pretty tall. Up and down the mountain and cross-wind will be a killer.
We have had zero issues with wind or trucks, we just got back from another 500 mile trip with actually tons of "hills" step grade for 11 miles im uploading the video in the next week. Im sure if people aren't "car" people maybe makes some people more nervous. I know what to expect from vehicles and their performance surprisingly the explorer does wonderfully and im not really a Ford person. Again I've had less desirable towing experiences with heavier duty vehicles. Again not touting Ford here but with 1500 miles now under our belt towing with this I can forsee future issues
Great video overview, nice steady camera person too. Makes a big difference in a nice video! Looks like a great camper with lots of storage and comfort for all!!
Thank you for such an informative video. I currently own a 2019 Highlander with the V6 and towing package. I am looking into getting a bunk house trailer for my family of 4 and you have a good contender there. Still do not understand why some people are so upset and/or worried about your setup. You are very knowledgeable about frames, you have been traveling with this setup for MONTHS with no problem, so my question to all is why do they care? Why are people so insisting that you get a bigger truck/SUV? Keep doing what you are doing my man. If it works for you and your SUV is performing as it should then pay no attention to the truck salesmen trying to make you get a bigger truck. Again thanks for the videos. I am learning quite a bit. Happy travels.
They care because it's dangerous and you can kill someone. No way in hell it's safe to pull that trailer with an explorer. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.
@@crk140 agree to disagree my man. It has been a while since he posted this and Ihave not seen him post any issues with his set up. So my prior comment applies even more; who cares? I sure don't and if he says it works for him and his family and the set up still holds I say good for him. However, you are still free to purchase a $50,000 big rig so you feel "safe" pulling sonething like that. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy his videos and learn from him. Have an outstanding day/night.
@Orestes CR it works until it doesn't. Sooner or later when you push the limits of a tow vehicle you will get into trouble... no matter what his ego tells him. I hope your indifference and his ego don't seriously injur an innocent bystander, but hey at least he doesn't have to buy a new vehicle and he hasn't hurt anyone yet so who gives a shit right?
@@crk140 he seems to be a very safe individual with no accidents, injuries or issues so yet again I ask who cares? Obviously you do yet it escapes me why you should. Maybe to make yourself happy you should come over to his house and scold him on how his set up, which has been working safely for a while now, should not be use in the chance, albeit rare, that something goes wrong. My man, with that logic no one would ever drive, fly, or play sports. Let others enjoy their life and better yet enjoy yours. Plenty out there to do and see.
@Orestes CR That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. There's no equivalence between flying and towing unsafely... not only morally but statistically. Towing at or near tow capacity is orders of magnitude more dangerous than flying.
Very nice coach and love the review. If it works for u and your family then that’s amazing but I definitely would not tow that myself with anything less than a half ton pickup. I would never max out the listed tow capacity on my vehicle let alone going over the max tongue weight capacity. Can u safely tow it with anything in the tanks let alone bikes, tools and necessities?
Our weight is calculated with the propane fuel...but no liquids. I NEVER tow with liquids period as 99% of the places we go have water and sewer on-site. We have added 264lbs of "stuff" but that is it. Now having over 1500 miles of towing with it...we have had zero issues towing
@@FerreedomOutdoors get real. People travel with the fresh water tank full. Boondocking is huge. If you personal are scared to fill the fresh water tank before leaving on vacation, you sir clearly have concerns regarding your load capacity. Huge RED FLAG! Get a proper suited vehicle for that trailer already or a much lighter trailer and quit being so damn irresponsible and arrogant! You are giving bad advise based on your tow fantasies and you are seriously endangering other peoples lives by preaching your irresponsible nonsense. People are buying in to your garbage and someone could be killed.
@@darrinsteven7002 hey Darrin thanks for all on your non fictional garbage. I maybe could listen to you if you had factual information but you have NONE. Your are rants are those of a scorn child. I literally have more automotive experience than you in one year of my life than you do in your entire life guaranteed! Some people on this channel actually understand towing. Some of the people that question my situation are actually rational enough to understand when present with facts say yeah...you are right. I have been fortunate enough to have worked with all major vehicle manufacturers, top insurance companies and have been certified by ICAR the collision industry standard for certified repairs. I am also ASE certified, and consult for insurance companies on repair practices. Oh wait also I am PPG certified and have spoke at their conferences, hold multiple Dupont certificates and aided in training strategies at their Downingtown facility. So by all means Darrin your babble with no facts certainly trumps what I know. Oh Also I do own a 2021 half ton truck but tows no better than my explorer. Certainly we will use our half ton for our new travel trailer. Darrin just stop being bitter and find something better to do with your time.
@@FerreedomOutdoors your rant just proved my point. I, like so many others in your comments are trying to save lives on the road. What are you up to? Stop giving bad irresponsible advice ok. Perfect.
I have a bazillion questions, including the sticky slinky and so forth...my husband and I are planning to buy an RV, we have a Subaru Ascent. We are still researching. Thank you for inviting us to your RV.
Your subscribers should be presented with actual numbers derived by scales not brochures. We have a loaded 2021 Expedition Limited with the 536 HD Towing Package and 22" wheels pulling a 23'8" overall length Lance 1985 - 4245# dry wt, 6200# GVWR. The Lance has 781# of tongue weight (12.6% of GVWR ) when loaded. Even with the Expedition's 9200# towing capacity, it's payload of 1605# becomes the limiting factor. With an E2 WDH (transferred 13.6% of tongue weight to trailer), four adult passengers w/limited cargo, I have only 42 lbs of payload to spare. The towing capacity is usually not the issue, payload is.
I know that lots of people have already commented that they feel that this rig is too much for your Explorer to tow, and I know you have answered them by saying that you only have about 264 lbs. of equipment in the camper. But I would encourage you to take your rig to a scale and get some actual numbers. Typically, the dry weight of campers listed by the manufacturer does not include things like batteries, full propane tanks, and definitely not full fresh water/gray water/black water tanks, which can hundreds of pounds to your payload. Perhaps most important is your GVWR. I'd be surprised if you're not at or over that, when adding up passengers, tongue weight (probably the biggest issue here, and one that you should get weighed so you know for sure what you're dealing with), luggage, etc. My feeling is that you may not necessarily have a huge safety risk with this trailer/tow vehicle set up. It looked like you have a WDH, and presumably trailer brakes and a good brake controller. However, I'd be concerned that you're overtaxing your Explorer, especially the transmission. Does it have a transmission temp gauge? Have you noticed the engine temp getting too high? I know you are not towing over the Rocky Mountains, but you still have decent grades in the East (plus you may want to vacation in the West at some point--I'd highly recommend it). You don't need a Superduty F350 Powerstroke to tow that camper, but I think you may want to consider upgrading the Explorer to an Expedition (if you're a Ford guy), or else a Durango or Tahoe/Surburban with trailer towing packages. Not only will that be a MUCH more suitable tow vehicle for your camper, but your growing family will have a ton more room.
Thank you I have a GMC Sierra 6 cylinder truck I didn’t know I could pull a trailer of that weight I’m looking I new to this I’m a 1st time buyer this helps me alot
Commenting for algorithm. Thanks for the video & tour. Good camera work by your significant other. I clicked because of title & because of your tow vehicle. This particular rv has just made it on our list.
We have a 3400 lb TT. Tongue weight is around 450. We started with a midsized SUV but quickly learned it wouldn’t work. We upgraded to a half ton and have no regrets. If you are only camping a short distance from home this setup might work, but to me it isn’t worth it. Nice video though and it’s a nice looking camper.
Is that 4300 dry? That’s awfully heavy for 5k tow capacity. Have you done the math on payload and towing capacities? I would be su[raised if you wrent over. I do like the setup. Nice camper.
@@mikewatson1675 He'll tell you like he told me your wrong!!!! He's an over glorified ✏ pusher!!!!!!! The village idiot!!!! Who would rather put others including his own family at risk to say he's right and you are wrong!!!! I have my own rule minus your vehicle payload from your towing capacity that way you won't go over!!!! I walked away from a trailer that was 600lbs under my tow rating because I have consideration for others on the road and I don't want to strain my vehicle and I refuse to upgrade my tow vehicle...
@@mikewatson1675 or a lighter trailer!!!! I drive a highlander same tow capacity 5000lbs I will only tow a travel trailer with a grwr of 3800lbs that leaves 1200lbs for payload and passengers......
17 years experience in automotive and towing vehicles this actually tows great just shot a video the other day 6% grade for 11miles and didn't even have to down shift trans temp was great, also stops and turns absolutely fine...id honestly say towing back in the day with less sophisticated equipment was much more unsafe than this my personal opinion I've towed lighter trailers with half ton trucks that were no where near as smooth and effortless as this. Yes is it "close" to tow limit yes but well within safety range. Ideally having a 3/4 ton truck would be great but doesn't mean you can't tow with something less again my opinion if you've done your research on your vehicle and set up
Van Renegades normally it’s payload that causes the problem. It might be able to tow 5000 pounds but after family and gear it seems like it would be a lot for the vehicle. But nice trailer inside and out
@@FerreedomOutdoors I towed an Apex nano 15x, and I white knuckled it with my 2017 Explorer Sport. Plenty of power with the 3.5 Litre, but the suspension was maxed out in my opinion. I had frequent sway issues, even with sway control attach to my weight distribution hitch. I would not want to tow that camper with my Explorer! I simply dont agree.
Yes actually! We are doing that video this weekend along with a few others. I won't do a spoiler on the fixes from construction but I will say it was minor. Also we are adding a video about "upgrades" and changes we have made and will be making! Stay tuned
Towing has to do more with the weight of the vehicle stopping the trailer. Explorer can pull it easy. It's about stopping power. If anything just throw extra weight in the vehicle.
Yep always make sure your trailer brakes and vehicle brakes and well maintained and have a good brake controller. I feel our explorer stops with this travel trailer very seamless
Great job.. only thing is u need to account for fuel in the car.. every gallon of gas is a extra 8 pounds and your storage ... Also if u fill the fresh water to tank your easily over your safe towing compacity..then your families weight too... but she'll put it lol.. good luck sir
I think you need a longer fresh water hose :-) . Not sure what its called but you would make a great "presenter" as in showing cars, campers, houses...etc
This setup with a Explorer will surely put you over your tongue weight limit. Camper tongue weight is 514 lbs, plus propane / battery, bike carrier and WDH you’re actually 650 to 700 lbs. Better to go with a smaller travel trailer or pop up with 350-400 camper tongue weight.
I know you mentioned the rest of your family and gear travels in a second vehicle, which seems sensible. But even still, unless you’re cranking down pretty hard on a WDH (and I don’t see one), I’d bet that you’re exceeding the tow vehicle’s max tongue weight, and moreover it’s rear-axle rating. I know this, because I tow an Apex Nano 208BHS, and its tongue weight runs heavy even without bikes and rack, and with only a single 20 lb propane tank. My tow vehicle is a Dodge Durango R/T with a significantly beefier hitch weight rating of 720lbs and a good WDH. But even still when I weigh in at the CAT scales, it is dangerously close to the rear-axle weight limit. If you haven’t yet, I strongly recommend visiting the CAT scales and verifying the loaded rear axle weight.
@@FerreedomOutdoors The WDH will definitely help, but you’d need to crank it down a lot. If there was still enough sag to compensate with air bags, that tells me your WDH isn’t doing enough. The sag that is “corrected” with Air bags, is only superficial. It won’t redistribute any weight from the rear axles, and it won’t assist with front axle steering or braking. In fact it may actually add more weight to the rear axles, as demonstrated in this very helpful video where they do a live experiment showing the diff between air bags and WDH: ruclips.net/video/XBZu39pQ8Gg/видео.html I don’t know - you might be fine, and I hope you are! But axle weight is a VERY important measurement, maybe more so than sag or “feel”, and getting it weighed is the only way to determine that for certain.
Your sewer hose needs to be off the ground and at an angle to drain it and keep it from backing up. We were full time for over a year, you can get a hose holder from Amazon
That a sharp looking trailer with all of the amenities for its class ,being that it’s tandem is a plus with a pop out is even better…..but with all the extra weight how is the Explorer doing it ?
Thank you for sharing! I just put a deposit down on one and picking up later this week. Any recommendations/quality of life improvements you have made since this video? How is it handling the colder weather? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
That is awesome to hear you put a deposit!!!everything has been going very very well with this since we have purchased it. We do live in the north east and did camp in it until December and I was very good in the cold temperatures...the coldest night we experienced was 22 degrees!!! However that being said we DID come up with some improvements for the cold...just to help out even more a few of the improvements we already make were doing some extra sealing around the front window and we added a electric thermostat heater. We are actually doing a video on all of the things we are upgrading so stayed tuned. It will be in a couple weeks when we get back to our other house where we keep our travel trailer.
Great camper indeed. I am thinking of doing an upgrade as well. One idea forya. Connect your water filter to your camper then your hose then to your water source. I found that when you do this you will filter out the taste of the hose in the water. The way you have it you’re filtering the water but then it goes through the hose and it will pick up what ever is in the hose. Taster and or contaminants. I am looking up this camper today after work. Great video mate.
Ferreedom Camping I don’t like telling people what too do but our complaint was the hose taste in our camper. One of our friends pointed this filter placing out to use and it worked.
We are shopping for campers and have decided to purchase the 208bhs. I have not seen the Outfitter package in person but like a lot of the features, steps and tank heaters mostly. That being said. It looks like it sits up a lot higher than the off grid and regular ones. Does it sit much higher than your Explorer? I am worried it would lean down in the front while pulling.
It definitely does in fact sit higher. Sitting with the explorer and our equalizer E2 weight distribution hitch it sits pretty level. What I would tell you that is more of the "problem" if there would be a problem is the fact that the factory tongue jack is manual and the length or the throw of the tongue jack is short. We have to bring a fairly tall amount of wooden blocks when leveling our camper so the tongue jack isn't maxed out! Especially if your in a not too level campsite. We are actually working on and editing our set up video and im going to show this because it will play into what you actually need to bring with you for set up! Hope this helps anything else you can think of feel free to let me know!!!
I love all of the armchair experts saying this is unsafe and overweight without any real knowledge of the situation. If they say it can tow 5k, it can probably tow 6k for safety (obviously i'm not saying you should exceed the capacity). Why would vehicle manufacturers ever open themselves up to the liability of someone towing 5k safely if they couldn't. Secondly, I have the same trailer and it's dry weight is 3900, loaded comes out to around 4600 with a tongue weight of 415 lbs (with WD hitch). All these "experts" probably think you have to have an F350 duelly to pull a utility trailer... Thank you for the videos and your time, keep it going!
Your 100% correct! Manufacturers definitely are not going to open themselves up for lawsuit after lawsuit. Being in the collision industry for 17 years I understand this for sure. I also agree don't go just overload just to do it, but again the Explorer tows this perfectly fine. Thanks again and Happy Camping!!
Thanks for this. Looking at this same trailer and running a 2020 explorer which has a tow cap of 5600lbs. Isn't your tongue weight a bit higher than published??
@@jeffreyquaintance8348 just looked it up. Max tongue weight rating on his explorer, per Ford is 500lbs. Just the trailer alone is over at 518. Add 35lbs for a single filled propane tank and about 75lbs for the WDH and hes breaking the tongue weight limit by over 100lbs. That's not counting ANY gear in the trailer
@@billwilliam1001 that’s why it has the WD hitch, I took it over to our dealer to rate the tongue weight after it was loaded and they weighed it at 430 lbs.
🤔 for those experts travel trailer towers! That think this is 2 big for a mid size SUV.......Thoughts in regards of towing this with a 1/2 ton trucks? If upgrading to a 2500 is not convinent at this point of time.
I am actually going to be talking alittle about maintenance this weekend...whether permitting, we are shooting some new videos and we have much more to come!!!!
Thanks! This will be very helpful as a newbie. Im looking to full time this exact model. Just getting acquainted with the do’s/dont’s and full operation process
Its is ironic you bring that up. On the road this summer we did hear of and experience other campers have some regrets. We had talked to a few other people that upgraded this year to a new model. The number one brand we heard issues with was Keystone. Two people specifically talked to had a APEX and swapped out to a larger unit and 100% regretted it. So far so good with ours we had traveled thousands of miles with it this year and are experiencing no issues. Now there are a few thing we changed and "upgraded" to suit our needs but were not a repair or quality issues. Hope that helps, if you get a brand new travel trailer hopefully yours will come with a solid warranty to eliminate any build quality issues!!! Good luck on your search and Happy Camping!!!
@@FerreedomOutdoors That’s funny because the worst new travel trailer I looked at was a Keystone Passport! Lol it was terrible! I’m really leaning towards a Jayco! Or the Apex is awesome too but a little on the high side of our budget
@@angelabrandonsantacruz4596 we actually have a large Jayco dealer near us and we are going to do some walk throughs on them just to publish on our channel. We loved the APEX and had everything we wanted and needed. Budgeting definitely has to play in so do whatever is best for your family!!!
Hey what's up man. Great video. How do you determine how much a midsize SUV can tow? I've got a 2018 Q7 and I think the capacity is enough but not sure..
towing with our explorer is a breeze. Obviously make sure your vehicle is set up well for towing and all of your maintenance is up to date. I'd speak with your factory trained technician to make sure your particular vehicle can handle towing a travel trailer of a specific wait. I'd also say having sway control and a good brake controller is also a must. Good Luck and Happy Camping
@@FerreedomOutdoors I have a larger SUV than the explorer and believe it has a higher tow capability so it should be good then. Didn’t think of a brake controller. I’ll look into that. Thanks for the reply!
I know you are confident in it and you do mention you on the East Coast, which might make a huge difference. I have pretty much the same towing, 5,000 pounds, 500 hitch weight and I am agonizing over going over 2,700 pounds and 325 on the hitch (without items loaded up front). In a perfect world, my camper would have about 50 gal. fresh capacity, enough solar and lithium to run a 12 volt fridge and even a 12 volt a/c for a few hours, come under 3,000, honestly sleep 3 adults and be high enough off the ground to not knock off your sewer connections. I am on the West Coast and once I leave town, I have to get over the Sierras to get anywhere and that means a climb nearly 8,000 feet up. So far, no perfect trailer, but Alto Condo and Lance are light enough. I also prefer the style of European "caravans" as they say, I think they look far better than what we have in the U.S. and they are very light too.
@@christophersmith5116 My point is this, out West, if want to go camping, chances are I have to tow something over 7,000 to 10,000 feet elevation gain and while my tow vehicle says 5,000 pounds, I am not too sure about getting over mountain passes anywhere near that weight. We also have a lot of BLM land out here and a lot of folks like to boondock, so, a camper with something more that 20 gallons of water would be nice. Fact is, I see the industry changing soon, as legislators ban combustible engine vehicles. Washington State almost banned the registration of any NEW vehicle that was powered by gas or diesel this year, California bans the sale of all in 2035. Even if Californians drive across the border to buy a gas driven truck, you can rest assured a new law will be enacted to make the ownership of it so painful you wished you hadn't. We need very light campers in the very new future, electric trucks will not go far towing a 10,000 pound trailer.
I think it's a Big Negative to have the appliance outlets on the curb side of the trailer. Just imagine trying to sit out under the awning with that furnace blasting exhaust in your face!! Also why is the outside stove Not plumbed into the propane? Outside shower mounted sideways and shore water hose in the way to access the shower! A few things could have been thought out and designed better for sure on this unit!!
Seems a little nit picky, TBH. To find another RV with this sleeping capacity at this light weight and all these features, you’d be paying $10000 more for the equivalent Winnebago lightweight bunkhouse. And I’m not even sure if the Winnebago does have all of those little kinks worked out.
Lovely camper and very nice tour. Just the title of the video sounded like you’d be showing off a much smaller trailer. “BEST!!! Travel trailer for a mid-sized SUV + plus a second vehicle to carry campers’
Man the GVWR is 6k on that Camper, towing it with a 5k max vehicle isn't the safest idea at all....dry is so deciving...that doesn't account for liquids, your families weight and gear..you do you man, im not attacking at all like most people just tossing out my opinion lol
I noticed that there are no drawers in this model of trailer. Just wondering how you manage all of your items that would normally be in a drawer like cutlery and cooking utensils.
Thanks for sharing the video! Not sure why people have to comment nonstop about your towing capacity. You seem to know what you’re doing and have even taken it out without issues. I’m purchasing this one but without the outfitter package. I’m only getting the outdoor package.. shows this weighs under 4K. I have a 2017 Chevy traverse, family of 8! Tow package which tows 5200lbs, tongue is 750lbs. I don’t plan on filling up the water as this alone is over 400lbs, so I should be good towing this... right?These trailers are great! Thanks again for the video..
Does this have the apex outfitter and off grid package? Looked at and out fitter and just had the wheels toy lock and bike rack. Dealer said the rest was on the off grid package.
Very good idea! Thanks for the video. I was new. Can you give me the website of your RV? Because I am planning to buy an RV like yours! Thank you, brother
We use the equilizer e2. In my option they are the best by a long shot. I had done my homework on them and they are the easiest to use, best quality and made in America! Solid awesome product. I hope to have my set up video uploaded by this coming weekend and you'll get to see me hooking up our explorer to our camper and of course the e2 system!
We have approximately 264lbs ( depending on trip) of extra "stuff" in our camper while towing. As far as things in the explorer we take our extra gear and kids in a second vehicle. Being this is the sport and tow package we are set up well for this. We had done approximately 1000 miles of traveling so far with zero issues. It actually handles,pulls and stop excellent. I have purchased air support for the rear which we have very little sag but Im doing air as an added helper
@@FerreedomOutdoors It was just a little concerning when you mentioned "family of 6" in the video. There was NO WAY that you could load up that explorer with a family of 6 + cargo + Tongue weight and be comfortable with pulling let alone stopping that TT. To be honest its still a little "sketchy" to see that (But to each his own) Love my Titan XD, tows very well, with a payload of 2400lbs. (just wish it had a larger gas tank) Safe Travels
Hula Rock I agree. He needs to do the numbers. 2016 ford tow guide says max tongue weight for explorer with 3.5 ecoboost is 500lbs with WDH. Tongue weight of apex nano 208 bhs base model is 516 lbs with absolutely nothing in it. I know from personal experience those “manufacturer website” numbers are under the real weight. Not to mention that the max frontal area is 40 sq ft.
@@FerreedomOutdoors So you're good with towing your camper, with your family I'm assuming, & don't know if you're within the towing specs of your camper & tow vehicle because you haven't been able to get by the CAT scale. So you know how much your camper weighed after you loaded it how???Hmmm 🤔 This video showed up in my recommends & a little over a minute in I knew that you had nothing to say that I wanted to hear. Honestly I went searching for a video to see if you had gotten into a situation with your midsized SUV tow vehicle, or if things were still peachy. I didn't find one. What I did find was a bunch of new trailer walk thru videos. Are you a trailer salesman telling folks it's safe to pull a trailer with a midsized SUV? 🤔 People, do your research!! I purchased a travel trailer 6 months ago. I had never slept in or towed a trailer in my whole life. I desperately did NOT want a truck or large SUV tow vehicle, but because safety was my main concern I ended up in a truck. When you're towing, your rig capacities & ratings should be known if you're gonna give advice about such things. ✌
@@pamlove421 Pam we have hit the cat scale twice and we know our weights very very well. I have shot multiple videos that just aren't edited yet. I have a towing capacity video and a suv/ light weight towing video. These are much more technical videos and required much more prep. Spare time to launch them has been difficult this summer while traveling and running multiple businesses. Pam I assure you my expertise and vehicle knowledge is much more than a salesman...which I am not. I have said easily over 100 times on this channel do your research know your numbers and consult a factory trained technician. Also I have stated on this channel multiple times everyone's situation may be different so do what is best for your situation. When we take the whole family we take two vehicles and we are ok with that. We also had a bigger game plan with towing with the explorer. Watch this fall for what we have learned. Also Pam we try to bring alittle bit of new models, gear and tech. I wish I had more time to post videos but life sure is busy. I hope you enjoy your new truck and travel trailer! Happy Camping
Hey under the double bunk space on the floor is that the same amount of room as the beds itself could you actually put a another blowup air pad or something under there and sleep another person?
I am not a 100% sure but I think you might be over your tow capacity. To my knowledge you don't want to go right up against what your tofia goal can tell especially if your putting anything in your trailer. Consider getting the Ford expedition with the heavy duty tow package. That will give you obviously the vehicle that you need for a family as well as the additional Tokyo pasty which will bump you up to 9300 pounds towing with a weight distribution system. Hope this helps.
Great video very informative settings for putting this together in Sherry. Happy camping.
I've only begun to search, but I think you saved me a lot of time. The bunkhouse versions of various brands is what I'm looking at. This Apex has better amenities that further refine it. For people with complaints about presentation, I thought you did a great job. You touched on the finer points and didn't drone on needlessly like the sales reps who host these. You are interested and appear happy to share. Thank you for posting. For those concerned about weight...empty/minimize your tanks and shower and grillmat the campground. Use paper plates; Purell; 12 0z bottled water; guests follow in another vehicle; use one propane tank; keep needless cargo out. Don't bring heavy generators.
Unloaded weight of trailer is just over 3,900 pounds. Gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000.
I encourage you to take your rig to the scales after its been loaded for a trip and see where you are actually at for weight. Peace of mind knowing you are not exceeding any of the weight limits of your tow vehicle!
We go pretty light we have approx 264 lbs of gear and "stuff" in our camper when traveling and take a second vehicle for our family and other gear. I actually have 17yrs of collision center experience dealing with frames and uni bodies, and suspension I have two Ford dealerships in our dealerships network. One of my great friends is one of our master Ford techs. At the RV dealership we also had this discussion before purchasing. We ALL concluded that our rig is definitely safe. We are close on weight but do take a second vehicle to cut down on additional weight.
So the dealers (sales people) "helped" you make this determination. Suspect you are way over your weight limits!!
You have to add the tongue weight also. It isn't included anywhere else.
@@billwilliam1001 he's playing with fire
@@billwilliam1001 he sounds like a sales person!!!
Me too. What about GVWR, Gross Combined Vehicle Weight Rating, Tire Load Rating, and front sand rear Axle Ratings, not to mention younger weight capacity? I would get this tow vehicle and rig on a CAT scale to make sure your not doing damage to your tow vehicle or rig by possibly exceeding any of these manufacturer limits when loaded with cargo.
I’m skeptical that your safe towing a 4300 lb trailer with a 5K max tow vehicle.
Jim Kohn I agree. With all the gear and his family in the explorer, I guarantee he’s overweight.
Unfortunately there are dealers out there, both automotive and trailer, that will do and say anything for a sale.
We go pretty light we have approx 264 lbs of gear and "stuff" in our camper when traveling and take a second vehicle for our family and other gear. I actually have 17yrs of collision center experience dealing with frames and uni bodies, and suspension I have two Ford dealerships in our dealerships network. One of my great friends is one of our master Ford techs. At the RV dealership we also had this discussion before purchasing. We ALL concluded that our rig is definitely safe. We are close on weight but do take a second vehicle to cut down on additional weight.
@@ajm1268 also keep in mind we are east coast not in the rockies
I would be interested to know what the tongue weight is with the bikes on the front. The Explorer has a hitch rating of 500 pounds. My 4300 pound trailer has a tongue weight of over 600 pounds...
@@DC-qy2fs If the manaul says it can tow 5000 lbs, as long as he's under the CGVWR he's fine. However, more than likely he's WAY over the max tongue weight. Looking at the specs, if this is the 203RBK, then the dry tongue weight is 478 lbs, unloaded. Max tongue weight according to the Explorer manual is 500 lbs; I didn't see a WDH either, which may be required for the max tongue weight. Either way, with loaded propane tanks, bike rack, and bikes, and loaded passthrough storage, the suspension is definitely overloaded and under stress.
As someone who has pulled 100K, 3 loads a day on highway and back road, if you inspect your equipment and maintain it properly and drive correctly, maintain proper following distance so you don't have to jack the brakes, running close to the GVWR wont be an issue, and no DOT trooper will give you a rash of shit if you go over a scale, they just say "Drive safe and have a nice day".
Absolutely correct!
Thank you for the great video. I have a 2020 Ford Explorer and I wasn’t sure if it would toll my new trailer, but after seeing yours, I’m pretty sure will be OK. Thank you.
I believe fully loaded with all gear you will exceed the towing capacity of the Ford. At best you are on the edge being able to stop the trailer or pull a hill let along dealing with windy conditions. Nice trailer though.
Surprisingly we have 1000 miles of towing it already and it's done great on all kinds of conditions. Fortunately for us we have the best set up possible as far as explorers go. Stiffest suspension, best motor and tranny set up. We have very little sag as well and have had great experiences towing so far!!
Probably at the max or over on the tongue weight. Definitely shouldn’t be towing that much with an explorer. My acaidia has 5200lb max and I won’t tow anything over 4000lb. That is an unsafe setup you have.
@@BennyBig84 what would your safety concerns be?
@@FerreedomOutdoors the safety concern is if you are in an at fault accident, you will forfeit your insurance coverage due to being overloaded.
@@billwilliam1001 thanks for the reply Bill, the myth here would be your forfeit your insurance. That certainly is not the case your travel trailer is insured for a certain dollar amount for total cost of trailer, plus additionally you can insure a certain dollar amount of belongings inside your travel trailer. As a veteran from the automotive collision industry,I have an insurance license in 23 states and am very familiar with insurance claims. The vehicle and travel trailer would be covered whether it was an "at fault" or not. Thanks again for the comment Bill and Happy Camping!
I have a 2018 F150 supercrew 4x4 with the 3.5 ecoboost and the max trailer tow package that puts me in the 13,000 lb max trailer weight. I use a Blue Ox WDH. However it's different towing a low utility trailer with say 10,000 lbs than a higher RV with lots of sidewall for the wind to push against. The RV this gentleman is talking about in this video, I feel is the perfect size for comfortable towing with my truck. Just because the manufacturer says you can, doesn't make it safe in all instances. Just my humble opinion.....
I have a coachmen ultra lite that's weights 4300 , and I tow it with a chevy colorado v6 4x4 and it pulls a little heavy.
Good informational video, we have a Tahoe and don't want anything too heavy. Not that it can't handle it at a 7600 lb towing capacity, however I don't want to put that much strain on our vehicle so I like that this trailer is much lighter than other travel trailers, but still the functionality of having that spacious feel. Thank you again for the video.
That’s what I was thinking as well. We’re looking into a vehicle with a 7,200 lb capacity and I’m not even sure where to start looking.
the stickers on both the vehicle and the trailer will give you the correct numbers. after fully loading your car and trailer take it to the scales and you will be astonished how overloaded this is legally. You will be struck as if by lightning.
Wow. I wish this was true, really do. I have a 2002 Lexus 470 (i.e. Toyota Land Cruiser) towing capacity 6,500 lbs, 4.7L V8.
When I was looking for a trailer I really really wanted a Coachman 192RBS at 4,100 lbs. But when I did the calculations for GCVW adding in weights of Fuel, 2 people, 2 dogs, camping gear, hitch weight, and tongue weight, I was a few pounds over. So, we dropped that idea and went with a more conservative 2,841 lb Rpod 180 (unloaded weight). When we traveled I40 in N.C. to Cherokee the Black Mountain grade of 6% I had to drop into 2cd gear. I was slower than cars which was to be expected but faster than those 18 wheelers. Coming back downhill back in 2cd gear again. I did fine going uphill and downhill. I use and definitely recommend a Weight Distribution Hitch with Anti-Sway.
You might have some validity though. I know folks with the same vehicle I have are towing RVs weighing 5,800 dry, and then loading in all their "stuff". Just maybe manufacturers are too conservative with their published numbers, who knows for sure. The only "data" we have are the published "numbers", and folks testimony.
I have a 2004 GX470, and we're renting an RPOD 176 that weighs 2,564 lbs dry. Going to be towing up I-75, I-40 and I-81 to NE TN. Glad to hear it'll do it. I'm a little nervous being at about half my capacity. This guy is a moron towing that big of a camper with a unibody crossover. Even if he doesn't kill someone, he's going to absolutely destroy that Exploder mechanically.
I know there are many comments already and you have extensive experience in towing, but I am NOT towing this rig with a mid-size SUV. Probably not even with a half-ton truck, at least not confidently. It is not just the weight and the length of the trailer but the height is pretty tall. Up and down the mountain and cross-wind will be a killer.
We have had zero issues with wind or trucks, we just got back from another 500 mile trip with actually tons of "hills" step grade for 11 miles im uploading the video in the next week. Im sure if people aren't "car" people maybe makes some people more nervous. I know what to expect from vehicles and their performance surprisingly the explorer does wonderfully and im not really a Ford person. Again I've had less desirable towing experiences with heavier duty vehicles. Again not touting Ford here but with 1500 miles now under our belt towing with this I can forsee future issues
Great video overview, nice steady camera person too. Makes a big difference in a nice video! Looks like a great camper with lots of storage and comfort for all!!
Thank you for such an informative video. I currently own a 2019 Highlander with the V6 and towing package. I am looking into getting a bunk house trailer for my family of 4 and you have a good contender there.
Still do not understand why some people are so upset and/or worried about your setup. You are very knowledgeable about frames, you have been traveling with this setup for MONTHS with no problem, so my question to all is why do they care? Why are people so insisting that you get a bigger truck/SUV? Keep doing what you are doing my man. If it works for you and your SUV is performing as it should then pay no attention to the truck salesmen trying to make you get a bigger truck. Again thanks for the videos. I am learning quite a bit. Happy travels.
They care because it's dangerous and you can kill someone. No way in hell it's safe to pull that trailer with an explorer. Just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should.
@@crk140 agree to disagree my man. It has been a while since he posted this and Ihave not seen him post any issues with his set up. So my prior comment applies even more; who cares? I sure don't and if he says it works for him and his family and the set up still holds I say good for him. However, you are still free to purchase a $50,000 big rig so you feel "safe" pulling sonething like that. In the meantime I will continue to enjoy his videos and learn from him. Have an outstanding day/night.
@Orestes CR it works until it doesn't. Sooner or later when you push the limits of a tow vehicle you will get into trouble... no matter what his ego tells him. I hope your indifference and his ego don't seriously injur an innocent bystander, but hey at least he doesn't have to buy a new vehicle and he hasn't hurt anyone yet so who gives a shit right?
@@crk140 he seems to be a very safe individual with no accidents, injuries or issues so yet again I ask who cares? Obviously you do yet it escapes me why you should. Maybe to make yourself happy you should come over to his house and scold him on how his set up, which has been working safely for a while now, should not be use in the chance, albeit rare, that something goes wrong. My man, with that logic no one would ever drive, fly, or play sports. Let others enjoy their life and better yet enjoy yours. Plenty out there to do and see.
@Orestes CR That's the most absurd thing I've ever heard. There's no equivalence between flying and towing unsafely... not only morally but statistically. Towing at or near tow capacity is orders of magnitude more dangerous than flying.
Very nice coach and love the review. If it works for u and your family then that’s amazing but I definitely would not tow that myself with anything less than a half ton pickup. I would never max out the listed tow capacity on my vehicle let alone going over the max tongue weight capacity. Can u safely tow it with anything in the tanks let alone bikes, tools and necessities?
Our weight is calculated with the propane fuel...but no liquids. I NEVER tow with liquids period as 99% of the places we go have water and sewer on-site. We have added 264lbs of "stuff" but that is it. Now having over 1500 miles of towing with it...we have had zero issues towing
Ferreedom Camping good to hear!!!
@@FerreedomOutdoors get real.
People travel with the fresh water tank full. Boondocking is huge.
If you personal are scared to fill the fresh water tank before leaving on vacation, you sir clearly have concerns regarding your load capacity. Huge RED FLAG!
Get a proper suited vehicle for that trailer already or a much lighter trailer and quit being so damn irresponsible and arrogant!
You are giving bad advise based on your tow fantasies and you are seriously endangering other peoples lives by preaching your irresponsible nonsense.
People are buying in to your garbage and someone could be killed.
@@darrinsteven7002 hey Darrin thanks for all on your non fictional garbage. I maybe could listen to you if you had factual information but you have NONE. Your are rants are those of a scorn child. I literally have more automotive experience than you in one year of my life than you do in your entire life guaranteed! Some people on this channel actually understand towing. Some of the people that question my situation are actually rational enough to understand when present with facts say yeah...you are right. I have been fortunate enough to have worked with all major vehicle manufacturers, top insurance companies and have been certified by ICAR the collision industry standard for certified repairs. I am also ASE certified, and consult for insurance companies on repair practices. Oh wait also I am PPG certified and have spoke at their conferences, hold multiple Dupont certificates and aided in training strategies at their Downingtown facility. So by all means Darrin your babble with no facts certainly trumps what I know. Oh Also I do own a 2021 half ton truck but tows no better than my explorer. Certainly we will use our half ton for our new travel trailer. Darrin just stop being bitter and find something better to do with your time.
@@FerreedomOutdoors your rant just proved my point.
I, like so many others in your comments are trying to save lives on the road.
What are you up to?
Stop giving bad irresponsible advice ok.
Perfect.
We are in a similar situation so we really appreciate your video! Looking forward to seeing more. 😁
This guy is such a stud! His accent! 😘
I think I just found my travel trailer.. This is fantastic 👏 👌
In 2023 I think its still the heavy hitter for smaller under 5000lbs travel trailers
This is a very nice travel trailer and nice size for 6 people or even 8. Thank you for showing it. I like it.
I have a bazillion questions, including the sticky slinky and so forth...my husband and I are planning to buy an RV, we have a Subaru Ascent. We are still researching. Thank you for inviting us to your RV.
Your subscribers should be presented with actual numbers derived by scales not brochures. We have a loaded 2021 Expedition Limited with the 536 HD Towing Package and 22" wheels pulling a 23'8" overall length Lance 1985 - 4245# dry wt, 6200# GVWR. The Lance has 781# of tongue weight (12.6% of GVWR ) when loaded. Even with the Expedition's 9200# towing capacity, it's payload of 1605# becomes the limiting factor. With an E2 WDH (transferred 13.6% of tongue weight to trailer), four adult passengers w/limited cargo, I have only 42 lbs of payload to spare. The towing capacity is usually not the issue, payload is.
I know that lots of people have already commented that they feel that this rig is too much for your Explorer to tow, and I know you have answered them by saying that you only have about 264 lbs. of equipment in the camper. But I would encourage you to take your rig to a scale and get some actual numbers. Typically, the dry weight of campers listed by the manufacturer does not include things like batteries, full propane tanks, and definitely not full fresh water/gray water/black water tanks, which can hundreds of pounds to your payload.
Perhaps most important is your GVWR. I'd be surprised if you're not at or over that, when adding up passengers, tongue weight (probably the biggest issue here, and one that you should get weighed so you know for sure what you're dealing with), luggage, etc.
My feeling is that you may not necessarily have a huge safety risk with this trailer/tow vehicle set up. It looked like you have a WDH, and presumably trailer brakes and a good brake controller. However, I'd be concerned that you're overtaxing your Explorer, especially the transmission. Does it have a transmission temp gauge? Have you noticed the engine temp getting too high? I know you are not towing over the Rocky Mountains, but you still have decent grades in the East (plus you may want to vacation in the West at some point--I'd highly recommend it).
You don't need a Superduty F350 Powerstroke to tow that camper, but I think you may want to consider upgrading the Explorer to an Expedition (if you're a Ford guy), or else a Durango or Tahoe/Surburban with trailer towing packages. Not only will that be a MUCH more suitable tow vehicle for your camper, but your growing family will have a ton more room.
Thank you I have a GMC Sierra 6 cylinder truck I didn’t know I could pull a trailer of that weight I’m looking I new to this I’m a 1st time buyer this helps me alot
No you can't tow that. He shouldn't either. He knows nothing about towing or he wouldn't do it with that suv
Commenting for algorithm. Thanks for the video & tour. Good camera work by your significant other. I clicked because of title & because of your tow vehicle. This particular rv has just made it on our list.
Awesome, thank you!
We have a 3400 lb TT. Tongue weight is around 450. We started with a midsized SUV but quickly learned it wouldn’t work. We upgraded to a half ton and have no regrets. If you are only camping a short distance from home this setup might work, but to me it isn’t worth it. Nice video though and it’s a nice looking camper.
Yea this guy went way to big
Is that 4300 dry? That’s awfully heavy for 5k tow capacity. Have you done the math on payload and towing capacities? I would be su[raised if you wrent over. I do like the setup. Nice camper.
He should 100% not be towing that thing with that explorer... one bad wind gust and it's game over. Scary stuff
@@mikewatson1675 He'll tell you like he told me your wrong!!!! He's an over glorified ✏ pusher!!!!!!! The village idiot!!!! Who would rather put others including his own family at risk to say he's right and you are wrong!!!! I have my own rule minus your vehicle payload from your towing capacity that way you won't go over!!!! I walked away from a trailer that was 600lbs under my tow rating because I have consideration for others on the road and I don't want to strain my vehicle and I refuse to upgrade my tow vehicle...
@@Timeforchangenow Lol yup. He should have saved $10-15,000 on the trailer and put it toward getting a 1/2 ton truck to tow it properly.
@@mikewatson1675 or a lighter trailer!!!! I drive a highlander same tow capacity 5000lbs I will only tow a travel trailer with a grwr of 3800lbs that leaves 1200lbs for payload and passengers......
@@Timeforchangenow which highlander? I have a highlander but it’s just the LE. Hoping to be able to get a full towing package installed.
Please be careful, that trailer is too heavy to pull with a 5k towing capacity...
17 years experience in automotive and towing vehicles this actually tows great just shot a video the other day 6% grade for 11miles and didn't even have to down shift trans temp was great, also stops and turns absolutely fine...id honestly say towing back in the day with less sophisticated equipment was much more unsafe than this my personal opinion I've towed lighter trailers with half ton trucks that were no where near as smooth and effortless as this. Yes is it "close" to tow limit yes but well within safety range. Ideally having a 3/4 ton truck would be great but doesn't mean you can't tow with something less again my opinion if you've done your research on your vehicle and set up
Van Renegades normally it’s payload that causes the problem. It might be able to tow 5000 pounds but after family and gear it seems like it would be a lot for the vehicle. But nice trailer inside and out
Thanks for the tour. Very nice trailer. Very complete package. Could you tell me about what would be the cost for this trailer?
@@FerreedomOutdoors I towed an Apex nano 15x, and I white knuckled it with my 2017 Explorer Sport. Plenty of power with the 3.5 Litre, but the suspension was maxed out in my opinion. I had frequent sway issues, even with sway control attach to my weight distribution hitch. I would not want to tow that camper with my Explorer! I simply dont agree.
@@trincinf wow not our experience at all nor others we had talked to. We tow this very easily
Lol, the bird is helping you!!
Very nice video and you are a superb public speaker. I was wondering if you found any issues that you needed to resolve (i.e. fixes in construction)?
Yes actually! We are doing that video this weekend along with a few others. I won't do a spoiler on the fixes from construction but I will say it was minor. Also we are adding a video about "upgrades" and changes we have made and will be making! Stay tuned
Perfect rc trailer for suv towing. Good review
Thanks for watching!
I love your RV, thank u for showing your tt, and the helpful advice,
Towing has to do more with the weight of the vehicle stopping the trailer. Explorer can pull it easy. It's about stopping power. If anything just throw extra weight in the vehicle.
Yep always make sure your trailer brakes and vehicle brakes and well maintained and have a good brake controller. I feel our explorer stops with this travel trailer very seamless
Great job.. only thing is u need to account for fuel in the car.. every gallon of gas is a extra 8 pounds and your storage ... Also if u fill the fresh water to tank your easily over your safe towing compacity..then your families weight too... but she'll put it lol.. good luck sir
I think you need a longer fresh water hose :-) . Not sure what its called but you would make a great "presenter" as in showing cars, campers, houses...etc
Lol thanks 😊
Great Job on explaining about the Trailer .. Love the Size & Weight
This setup with a Explorer will surely put you over your tongue weight limit. Camper tongue weight is 514 lbs, plus propane / battery, bike carrier and WDH you’re actually 650 to 700 lbs. Better to go with a smaller travel trailer or pop up with 350-400 camper tongue weight.
I'm willing to be that loaded for camping, he is over the 5000lb limit as well?
Great video! Thanks for the information!
I know you mentioned the rest of your family and gear travels in a second vehicle, which seems sensible. But even still, unless you’re cranking down pretty hard on a WDH (and I don’t see one), I’d bet that you’re exceeding the tow vehicle’s max tongue weight, and moreover it’s rear-axle rating.
I know this, because I tow an Apex Nano 208BHS, and its tongue weight runs heavy even without bikes and rack, and with only a single 20 lb propane tank. My tow vehicle is a Dodge Durango R/T with a significantly beefier hitch weight rating of 720lbs and a good WDH. But even still when I weigh in at the CAT scales, it is dangerously close to the rear-axle weight limit.
If you haven’t yet, I strongly recommend visiting the CAT scales and verifying the loaded rear axle weight.
We run the equilizer E2 WDH
We also have air ride rear suspension helper bags we literally had very little sag even before the bags.
@@FerreedomOutdoors The WDH will definitely help, but you’d need to crank it down a lot. If there was still enough sag to compensate with air bags, that tells me your WDH isn’t doing enough.
The sag that is “corrected” with Air bags, is only superficial. It won’t redistribute any weight from the rear axles, and it won’t assist with front axle steering or braking. In fact it may actually add more weight to the rear axles, as demonstrated in this very helpful video where they do a live experiment showing the diff between air bags and WDH: ruclips.net/video/XBZu39pQ8Gg/видео.html
I don’t know - you might be fine, and I hope you are! But axle weight is a VERY important measurement, maybe more so than sag or “feel”, and getting it weighed is the only way to determine that for certain.
Your sewer hose needs to be off the ground and at an angle to drain it and keep it from backing up. We were full time for over a year, you can get a hose holder from Amazon
Hose holders can be a help. Especially if your campsite has a high sewer drain location
videos coming next week, Hooking up your travel trailer, setting up at the campsite, and towing with our Ford Explorer Sport
That a sharp looking trailer with all of the amenities for its class ,being that it’s tandem is a plus with a pop out is even better…..but with all the extra weight how is the Explorer doing it ?
Thank you for sharing! I just put a deposit down on one and picking up later this week. Any recommendations/quality of life improvements you have made since this video? How is it handling the colder weather? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
That is awesome to hear you put a deposit!!!everything has been going very very well with this since we have purchased it. We do live in the north east and did camp in it until December and I was very good in the cold temperatures...the coldest night we experienced was 22 degrees!!! However that being said we DID come up with some improvements for the cold...just to help out even more a few of the improvements we already make were doing some extra sealing around the front window and we added a electric thermostat heater. We are actually doing a video on all of the things we are upgrading so stayed tuned. It will be in a couple weeks when we get back to our other house where we keep our travel trailer.
@@FerreedomOutdoors I look forward towards your next video. We just picked up our trailer and are looking forward to many adventures!
Excellent salesman!!
Just noticed also No vent hood for cooking inside the trailer. That will have the smoke and corbon monoxide sensors driving you insane.
There is a vent in the roof works great!
Great camper indeed. I am thinking of doing an upgrade as well. One idea forya. Connect your water filter to your camper then your hose then to your water source. I found that when you do this you will filter out the taste of the hose in the water. The way you have it you’re filtering the water but then it goes through the hose and it will pick up what ever is in the hose. Taster and or contaminants. I am looking up this camper today after work. Great video mate.
Awwsome! Thanks for the filter idea! Happy camping
Ferreedom Camping I don’t like telling people what too do but our complaint was the hose taste in our camper. One of our friends pointed this filter placing out to use and it worked.
@@Bunkysworkshop hey learning new and better tips help everyone!!!
We are shopping for campers and have decided to purchase the 208bhs. I have not seen the Outfitter package in person but like a lot of the features, steps and tank heaters mostly. That being said. It looks like it sits up a lot higher than the off grid and regular ones. Does it sit much higher than your Explorer? I am worried it would lean down in the front while pulling.
It definitely does in fact sit higher. Sitting with the explorer and our equalizer E2 weight distribution hitch it sits pretty level. What I would tell you that is more of the "problem" if there would be a problem is the fact that the factory tongue jack is manual and the length or the throw of the tongue jack is short. We have to bring a fairly tall amount of wooden blocks when leveling our camper so the tongue jack isn't maxed out! Especially if your in a not too level campsite. We are actually working on and editing our set up video and im going to show this because it will play into what you actually need to bring with you for set up! Hope this helps anything else you can think of feel free to let me know!!!
Ferreedom Camping great Thank you!
Nice travel trailer ....I want one just like that
I love all of the armchair experts saying this is unsafe and overweight without any real knowledge of the situation. If they say it can tow 5k, it can probably tow 6k for safety (obviously i'm not saying you should exceed the capacity). Why would vehicle manufacturers ever open themselves up to the liability of someone towing 5k safely if they couldn't. Secondly, I have the same trailer and it's dry weight is 3900, loaded comes out to around 4600 with a tongue weight of 415 lbs (with WD hitch). All these "experts" probably think you have to have an F350 duelly to pull a utility trailer...
Thank you for the videos and your time, keep it going!
Your 100% correct! Manufacturers definitely are not going to open themselves up for lawsuit after lawsuit. Being in the collision industry for 17 years I understand this for sure. I also agree don't go just overload just to do it, but again the Explorer tows this perfectly fine. Thanks again and Happy Camping!!
Thanks for this. Looking at this same trailer and running a 2020 explorer which has a tow cap of 5600lbs. Isn't your tongue weight a bit higher than published??
@@billwilliam1001 it would be higher without the WD hitch, I think without it it was something like 530 lbs of tongue weight.
@@jeffreyquaintance8348 just looked it up. Max tongue weight rating on his explorer, per Ford is 500lbs. Just the trailer alone is over at 518. Add 35lbs for a single filled propane tank and about 75lbs for the WDH and hes breaking the tongue weight limit by over 100lbs. That's not counting ANY gear in the trailer
@@billwilliam1001 that’s why it has the WD hitch, I took it over to our dealer to rate the tongue weight after it was loaded and they weighed it at 430 lbs.
Nice camper. Thanks for showing us around.
🤔 for those experts travel trailer towers! That think this is 2 big for a mid size SUV.......Thoughts in regards of towing this with a 1/2 ton trucks? If upgrading to a 2500 is not convinent at this point of time.
Your trailer is exactly what I need for my family. Can you tell me more details on the make and model?
It’s in his description.
Good stuff and well presented. Just what I’ve been looking for and something that I can tell with my Lincoln navigator.
How much would this go for with no options, just base model?
Love it, can you cover maintenance? Any issues or concerns? This one is an option for me
I am actually going to be talking alittle about maintenance this weekend...whether permitting, we are shooting some new videos and we have much more to come!!!!
Thanks! This will be very helpful as a newbie. Im looking to full time this exact model. Just getting acquainted with the do’s/dont’s and full operation process
Great video! How your travel trailer holding up?! We are in the market but hear horror stories of quality issues on all name brands!
Its is ironic you bring that up. On the road this summer we did hear of and experience other campers have some regrets. We had talked to a few other people that upgraded this year to a new model. The number one brand we heard issues with was Keystone. Two people specifically talked to had a APEX and swapped out to a larger unit and 100% regretted it. So far so good with ours we had traveled thousands of miles with it this year and are experiencing no issues. Now there are a few thing we changed and "upgraded" to suit our needs but were not a repair or quality issues. Hope that helps, if you get a brand new travel trailer hopefully yours will come with a solid warranty to eliminate any build quality issues!!! Good luck on your search and Happy Camping!!!
@@FerreedomOutdoors
That’s funny because the worst new travel trailer I looked at was a Keystone Passport! Lol it was terrible! I’m really leaning towards a Jayco! Or the Apex is awesome too but a little on the high side of our budget
@@angelabrandonsantacruz4596 we actually have a large Jayco dealer near us and we are going to do some walk throughs on them just to publish on our channel. We loved the APEX and had everything we wanted and needed. Budgeting definitely has to play in so do whatever is best for your family!!!
@@FerreedomOutdoors
Awesome, we subscribed to your channel!
Beautiful travel trailer! Great video!
Very nice unit for the size and weight! Great review
Love the camper and great video. I have an MB ML320, that would make a great camper for us.
Hey what's up man. Great video. How do you determine how much a midsize SUV can tow? I've got a 2018 Q7 and I think the capacity is enough but not sure..
Awesome! Exactly what I’ll be looking for in the future. How is it with the suv?
towing with our explorer is a breeze. Obviously make sure your vehicle is set up well for towing and all of your maintenance is up to date. I'd speak with your factory trained technician to make sure your particular vehicle can handle towing a travel trailer of a specific wait. I'd also say having sway control and a good brake controller is also a must. Good Luck and Happy Camping
@@FerreedomOutdoors I have a larger SUV than the explorer and believe it has a higher tow capability so it should be good then. Didn’t think of a brake controller. I’ll look into that. Thanks for the reply!
@@Cbv1914 absolutely! Check out our towing video I talk about the brake controller in that video
@@FerreedomOutdoors the nitogen in the tire is the key to safe hauling.
Oh my God.
Stop!
hi, very nice set up. how much this one goes for ?
I know you are confident in it and you do mention you on the East Coast, which might make a huge difference.
I have pretty much the same towing, 5,000 pounds, 500 hitch weight and I am agonizing over going over 2,700 pounds and 325 on the hitch (without items loaded up front). In a perfect world, my camper would have about 50 gal. fresh capacity, enough solar and lithium to run a 12 volt fridge and even a 12 volt a/c for a few hours, come under 3,000, honestly sleep 3 adults and be high enough off the ground to not knock off your sewer connections.
I am on the West Coast and once I leave town, I have to get over the Sierras to get anywhere and that means a climb nearly 8,000 feet up. So far, no perfect trailer, but Alto Condo and Lance are light enough.
I also prefer the style of European "caravans" as they say, I think they look far better than what we have in the U.S. and they are very light too.
I think I'm missing the point of this Comment...
@@christophersmith5116 My point is this, out West, if want to go camping, chances are I have to tow something over 7,000 to 10,000 feet elevation gain and while my tow vehicle says 5,000 pounds, I am not too sure about getting over mountain passes anywhere near that weight. We also have a lot of BLM land out here and a lot of folks like to boondock, so, a camper with something more that 20 gallons of water would be nice. Fact is, I see the industry changing soon, as legislators ban combustible engine vehicles. Washington State almost banned the registration of any NEW vehicle that was powered by gas or diesel this year, California bans the sale of all in 2035. Even if Californians drive across the border to buy a gas driven truck, you can rest assured a new law will be enacted to make the ownership of it so painful you wished you hadn't. We need very light campers in the very new future, electric trucks will not go far towing a 10,000 pound trailer.
Very nice trailer !!! Can I pull it with a minivan? I have Toyota Sienna, AWD, 2019, 3.5 engine ????
i would say probably not. not enough towing capacity
I have a 2016 Explorer Limited package looking at different trailer options. Apex nanos are on the list. Keep the videos coming
NO way that Explorer has the ability to safely tow that trailer. You need a 1/2 ton pickup period! Really like that trailer though.
Awesome tour! You did a great job
I think it's a Big Negative to have the appliance outlets on the curb side of the trailer. Just imagine trying to sit out under the awning with that furnace blasting exhaust in your face!!
Also why is the outside stove Not plumbed into the propane?
Outside shower mounted sideways and shore water hose in the way to access the shower! A few things could have been thought out and designed better for sure on this unit!!
Seems a little nit picky, TBH. To find another RV with this sleeping capacity at this light weight and all these features, you’d be paying $10000 more for the equivalent Winnebago lightweight bunkhouse. And I’m not even sure if the Winnebago does have all of those little kinks worked out.
Very nice and I haven't seen the inside yet!
lmao at the bathroom optical illusion. I thought the shower was 24 inches away from the toilet!
Awesome camper. And great vid!!
Totally agree will never buy a big these mid size are awesome
Lovely camper and very nice tour. Just the title of the video sounded like you’d be showing off a much smaller trailer. “BEST!!! Travel trailer for a mid-sized SUV + plus a second vehicle to carry campers’
Best part was explaining the steps and next to it was a cooler with a Trump2020 sticker---love it.
Very informative. Good review. Thank you for sharing
Hello, can you please tell me what the inside hight is..
id like a video from inside the ford while driving ; with the rpm's and trans and oil temps and all the jazz . thanks
I'm doing a trip this weekend...ill see if I can shoot some video from in the explorer
It would also be interesting to hear how often you have to stop for fuel...
Thank you so much it's good video you helped me so much
Amazing review. Thank you!!
Man the GVWR is 6k on that Camper, towing it with a 5k max vehicle isn't the safest idea at all....dry is so deciving...that doesn't account for liquids, your families weight and gear..you do you man, im not attacking at all like most people just tossing out my opinion lol
Great trailer, how much do they go for?
I noticed that there are no drawers in this model of trailer. Just wondering how you manage all of your items that would normally be in a drawer like cutlery and cooking utensils.
Thanks for sharing the video! Not sure why people have to comment nonstop about your towing capacity. You seem to know what you’re doing and have even taken it out without issues. I’m purchasing this one but without the outfitter package. I’m only getting the outdoor package.. shows this weighs under 4K. I have a 2017 Chevy traverse, family of 8! Tow package which tows 5200lbs, tongue is 750lbs. I don’t plan on filling up the water as this alone is over 400lbs, so I should be good towing this... right?These trailers are great! Thanks again for the video..
Does this have the apex outfitter and off grid package? Looked at and out fitter and just had the wheels toy lock and bike rack. Dealer said the rest was on the off grid package.
Yes this is loaded we have all the options you can get on a 208bhs platform
awesome! We are getting ready to order ours. Thank u so much for the amazing video.
I like that it has 4 wheels, that is rare yet seems really logical for balance during the tow
Nice video! But that bird tho 🥴
Very good idea! Thanks for the video. I was new. Can you give me the website of your RV? Because I am planning to buy an RV like yours! Thank you, brother
Www.keystonervcenter.com
thanks
We are looking at the same camper. I will be pulling with my Dodge Ram 1500. What brand weight distribution hitch do you use?
We use the equilizer e2. In my option they are the best by a long shot. I had done my homework on them and they are the easiest to use, best quality and made in America! Solid awesome product. I hope to have my set up video uploaded by this coming weekend and you'll get to see me hooking up our explorer to our camper and of course the e2 system!
Also look at Hensley or Propride wdh, which are two best and don't use friction anti-sway. They are heavier so it adds to the hitch weight.
Are you pulling this with that Explorer? (is that a V8? - how large/HP/torque?)
Price please? And great video!
Its amazing how badly a space 4 foot longer then a GD 2150RB can be laid out.
Thats too much Trailer for your Explorer. What are your numbers on Payload. I pull the that same trailer with a Titan XD
We have approximately 264lbs ( depending on trip) of extra "stuff" in our camper while towing. As far as things in the explorer we take our extra gear and kids in a second vehicle. Being this is the sport and tow package we are set up well for this. We had done approximately 1000 miles of traveling so far with zero issues. It actually handles,pulls and stop excellent. I have purchased air support for the rear which we have very little sag but Im doing air as an added helper
How do you like your titan we are also looking at those. We need a truck for some other things besides towing
@@FerreedomOutdoors It was just a little concerning when you mentioned "family of 6" in the video. There was NO WAY that you could load up that explorer with a family of 6 + cargo + Tongue weight and be comfortable with pulling let alone stopping that TT. To be honest its still a little "sketchy" to see that (But to each his own) Love my Titan XD, tows very well, with a payload of 2400lbs. (just wish it had a larger gas tank) Safe Travels
Hula Rock I agree. He needs to do the numbers. 2016 ford tow guide says max tongue weight for explorer with 3.5 ecoboost is 500lbs with WDH. Tongue weight of apex nano 208 bhs base model is 516 lbs with absolutely nothing in it. I know from personal experience those “manufacturer website” numbers are under the real weight. Not to mention that the max frontal area is 40 sq ft.
Thanks, great review! Subscribed... just in case the Outfitter appears in other videos 👍. Have you done the CAT scale to get your weight numbers?
We have not the cat scale that is closest to us was way out of our way on the last trip.. we hope to do it soon though
@@FerreedomOutdoors So you're good with towing your camper, with your family I'm assuming, & don't know if you're within the towing specs of your camper & tow vehicle because you haven't been able to get by the CAT scale. So you know how much your camper weighed after you loaded it how???Hmmm 🤔
This video showed up in my recommends & a little over a minute in I knew that you had nothing to say that I wanted to hear. Honestly I went searching for a video to see if you had gotten into a situation with your midsized SUV tow vehicle, or if things were still peachy. I didn't find one.
What I did find was a bunch of new trailer walk thru videos. Are you a trailer salesman telling folks it's safe to pull a trailer with a midsized SUV? 🤔
People, do your research!! I purchased a travel trailer 6 months ago. I had never slept in or towed a trailer in my whole life. I desperately did NOT want a truck or large SUV tow vehicle, but because safety was my main concern I ended up in a truck. When you're towing, your rig capacities & ratings should be known if you're gonna give advice about such things. ✌
@@pamlove421 Pam we have hit the cat scale twice and we know our weights very very well. I have shot multiple videos that just aren't edited yet. I have a towing capacity video and a suv/ light weight towing video. These are much more technical videos and required much more prep. Spare time to launch them has been difficult this summer while traveling and running multiple businesses. Pam I assure you my expertise and vehicle knowledge is much more than a salesman...which I am not. I have said easily over 100 times on this channel do your research know your numbers and consult a factory trained technician. Also I have stated on this channel multiple times everyone's situation may be different so do what is best for your situation. When we take the whole family we take two vehicles and we are ok with that. We also had a bigger game plan with towing with the explorer. Watch this fall for what we have learned. Also Pam we try to bring alittle bit of new models, gear and tech. I wish I had more time to post videos but life sure is busy. I hope you enjoy your new truck and travel trailer! Happy Camping
Presentation well done !
Thanks for the over-view!
Did you ever get a TV set up in there? We've ordered this exact model and are trying to pick out a good sized TV. What did you go with?
What are the looks like metal things between your tandems?
Nice keep up the videos !
Hey under the double bunk space on the floor is that the same amount of room as the beds itself could you actually put a another blowup air pad or something under there and sleep another person?
Its half the size of the bunks... you could do a toddler cot though