WPrettyman

We started getting serious about shopping for travel trailers recently and went to look at some yesterday. Saw an East to West Alta 2800KBH that my wife and kids loved. It's about 33ft long and 8800 GVWR. I originally thought it was at the max of our towing capability but didn't want to tow over 30ft. I originally "guestimated" more of my numbers for truck weight(passengers and cargo) but got it weighed today with what I think would be our total wet and loaded weight. Can I get some advice on if my numbers are right please? I've already upset the wife because we can't get the one she likes already so I want to make sure my numbers are completely right before I waste more of our time looking for the wrong trailers.

TLDR: Is 7000lb my max tow weight?

Truck
2019 F-150 XLT RWD Screw with tow package(36 gal tank, Integrated brake controller, 3.55 electronic locking)
GVWR: 6,800
Front GAWR: 3,225
Rear GAWR: 3,800
Payload Capacity: 1,902

Max Trailer Weight(according to hitch receiver): 11,600
Max Tongue Weight(according to hitch receiver): 1,160

Loaded Weight: 5,780
Payload available for hitch weight: 1,020
WD Hitch(I don't have this yet): Assuming 100
Payload available for tongue weight: 920
Max Trailer Weight: 7,076

Ricktwuhk

Looks perfect.

MikeD134

One thing to keep in mind and only you know if your a minimalist when traveling or a pack rat. Both the published dry weight and GVWR of the camper are worthless numbers, exception being if your a pack rat then you'll get close to the GVRW.

For myself and the bride it's just us traveling so our dry weight of the camper (published at 5400lbs) only grew to 6300lbs when loaded and ready to go for a week's trip. The GVWR of my camper is 7700 lbs and as you can see I'm far away from that number, but had I used it I'd be needlessly worried about nearing the upper limit of my truck.

just my 2 cents.

WPrettyman

Thanks Rick!

WPrettyman

Good advice and I'm aware that looking at the GVWR is being ultra conservative but it allows me to narrow down our searches more. If I see a 5000lb trailer with 2000lb cargo then I know I won't get near maxing it(and therefore the truck).

OldElectric

>For myself and the bride it's just us traveling so our dry weight of the camper (published at 5400lbs) only grew to 6300lbs
my 4700 grew to 6200..not hard to do!

clarkbre

Your mathematics is dialed in and I compliment you for assessing the numbers prior to purchasing. I wish more people asked questions like this.

Our family started with an F150 (1529 payload) at it's max and ended up with a F250. The trailer was 29'7" total and the weight came in at 6001 dry. Fully loaded it weighs 7500 with a tongue weight of about 900. After our first 2 seasons, as the 2 kids grew and 1 more was on the way, we bought the F250 that had 2,766 payload. It was just that much more buffer for us.

You are smart to think of all this stuff now. Buy a trailer within the means of your truck with a little room to grow or know that you are running at max or a little over with maybe a larger capacity truck in the future. Even if you found a perfect trailer, you can play with the tongue weight a little bit. Leave only 5 gallons of fresh water in the tank. Use only 1, 12v battery instead of 2. Things like that can make a huge impact on the nose of the trailer. Even at a 12% tongue weight, you could tow a 7500 lbs trailer with a a 900 lbs tongue weight.

Bamaman

East West is a new company, although it's owned by Forest River. I assumed they bought an existing RV facility and brought in a new brand--as if they needed another.

The hottest company in the RV's right now is Grand Design. I've got one of their second year Reflection bunk house fifth wheels with 4 slides, and it's been great.

Have you looked at Grand Design Imagine 2800BH or 2910BH models with the bunk house? They're about the same size as the Alta unit but slightly less heavy. And when you're on the edge to your vehicle's capabilities, sometimes 800 lbs. can keep from breaking the camel's back. I am impressed with the quality and the customer satisfaction of Grand Design--all things relative.

If you're going to be towing very far or if the terrain you're going to be in is very demanding, I suggest going with one of the premium weight distributing hitches like a Hensley or Blue Ox. When I had a 31' travel trailer behind a half ton with a generic WDH and friction style sway control, a tractor trailer truck passing me would blow me halfway into another lane. My 3/4 ton diesel tow vehicle is setup for such towing, however.

SpencerPJ

You are well informed . I think all trailers on the left side front, have their weights on an info sticker. Keep out of the ones that don't meet your criteria, salespeople are great at playing into wives' emotions and get you on the fence quickly. Personally, I think 25' and 28' overall length is the better max target for F150s, other dynamics come into play other than weight alone. Good luck.

Ricktwuhk

1,500 added pounds is a number others have posted before, that's why focusing on GVWR of the trailer is a safer bet. Also, it allows for kids to grow and gain weight, and maybe bring a friend on a trip. Cutting it right to the number leads to going over in the future.