Mulestang

Looking for some advice here. My wife wants to experiment with 'not so roughing it' camping. We looked at some travel trailers at the local fair, and she's actually quite excited about trying it. Here's the potential problem. Our truck is an 08 Limited (5.4L, 2WD, 3.73 LS rear gear). The towing capacity is listed at 5300lbs. I ditched the 22" wheels and currently run 20" OEMs from a 2011 Lariat with the stock Pirelli Scorpions. From what I've read, the big limitation on the Limited comes from the soft rear suspension and the 22" wheels. Did I get any payload "buyback" when I went to a taller tire profile? Am I limited to a pop-up only, with such a limited tow capacity? If not, what length/weight TT am I looking at with an appropriate WDH? I really want to take advantage of my wife's willingness to get out of her hotel comfort zone, but not at the expense of safety. Any inputs appreciated. Thanks!

77Ranger460

Changing wheels and tires doesn't alter your weight rating.

You can find some Ultralight campers under 25 ft that weigh under 5k pounds. Many hybrids weight under 5k. I would definitely shop used. With any used camper carefully inspect for leaks. Leaks can happen in any brand. Soft floors are common in used campers.

Mulestang

Thanks, Ranger. I was under the impression that the height of your tire's sidewall affected loading. My goal from the outset was to shoot for around 5K/25, so you're response is reassuring.

77Ranger460

You can get a sub-25 ft Airstream that weighs under 5k. They aren't cheap, though.

Mulestang

Yeah, I noticed. We're looking to rent a TT first, just to make sure this isn't a passing whim. That's proving a bit more difficult than we thought, but at least we have a better target to identify now. Thanks.

77Ranger460

I owned my first camper for 8 years and didn't use it but about 15 short trips. It was fairly old, but still nice. I paid cash for it. I didn't insure it and taxes was about 10 bucks a year. I ended up selling it for more a few dollars more than I paid for it....The experience was good...I would hate to pay payments, insurance, ect on a high dollar camper and not use it much, plus have it depreciate out from under me.

Bowhuntin4ever

I agree with 77ranger. I would think a hybrid would be a nice trailer to start. I had a Jayco 23B for a few years and really enjoyed it. I know there are Forest Rivers around in the 23' version as well. I think there model is a Roo 23B. The only think I did not like about the Hybrids is the fact that it is Canvas on the ends. So, like a popup camper, it is similar to sleeping in a tent when it comes to noise coming from outside. I can remember laying in bed listening to people walk by, shuffling on gravel etc.. I much prefer my hardside trailer now.
If it is just you and the wife, You can find many options that are just hardsided as well. Look for something with a slideout! It really opens open the space inside.
Good Luck!

Sock Puppet

This is a great idea if you can find a few to rent. Short of that, follow the other advice and buy a used one. Go to a few dealerships and look at what is out there, and surf Craigslist and online dealers to get an idea of what you like/don't like. Make a list of what's important to you and keep it realistic. I strongly recommend not buying new on your first one. In fact, I've never owned a new one and doubt I ever will. The value drops like a rock and there are a great many on the used market with very little use.

As an example, my current 27' ultra-light with single slide-out is 8 years old. The previous owners bought it new and used it less than 12 times. Seriously, 12 times in 7 years of ownership. I bought it for less than 25% of what a new one would cost.

Mulestang

All great advice. Thanks guys. We visited General RV and had a salesman show us what they had. Of course, he said his guidebook stated that my truck had a 9800lb towing capacity, so he started showing us 30+' trailers. We eventually got him to understand that we were not buying today, and we certainly weren't buying new. It was over 100 degrees outside, and he was sweating for nothing. Finally, he took us to the used side, and that's where the reality of depreciation sunk in. We looked at a (don't quote me on this...we looked at TTs for 2 hours) Forest River Wildwood that originally sold for $52K. They were asking $22K. Salesman's numbers, so take that with a grain of salt. It was like pulling teeth to get him to show us something under 30 FT. Finally showed us a 25', but he had dismissed us by then. Originally, he said he understood that this was our first time looking at TTs, and were not buying that day. Eventually, he started ignoring my desire to look at smaller ones because he said I didn't know my own trucks towing ability, and that anything under 30' was too small for a family of 4 (with 2 occasional visitors). Lesson of the day was buy used, and know what you're looking for. Sadly, it's hard to nail down a decent family-sized TT that my truck can safely tow. This is proving harder than we thought. I got a good deal on my Limited, but I'm really seeing the cost now.

AndrewM

What is the payload capacity on your yellow sticker? Even though the 2009-2014 Limiteds / Harley Davidsons have a higher tow rating (~7500 lbs) than yours, the small payload (~1200 lbs) would limit me to a travel trailer much closer to 5000 lbs anyways. In fact, I would bet most highly optioned F150s without the max tow would have a very similar limitation. Payload is the real killer, not tow rating.