Gladehound

Nah, my shorts are fairly skid proof. What Bota do you have?

adammjarvis

Well I have to take everyones advice with a grain of salt. Those members out there that own this trailer that tow theirs with a new F150 say it's great or those who had an F150 and bumped to an F250 and said they didn't see much towing difference.. I'll take their REAL WORLD experience over someone who lacks experience and is going based on numbers and assumptions.

Plus again.. the point that EVERYONE seems to forget is that I'm NOT stuck with the F150. It's far easier to flip that than the trailer. Everyone seems to miss that point. They also seem to think that I'll be towing this trailer with me from here to the grocery store every few days.

And you won't be passing me on the interstate. You must have not read my post where majority of our camping will be located at

adammjarvis

Nice! That's an ideal setup right there.

The HOA tried to tell me I couldn't park my NEW Ford Explorer Limited in my driveway and that it had to be parked in my garage (the vacation vehicle - it sat for weeks at a time). They'd really shat themselves if I brought home a tractor

Gladehound

I think everyone is well meaning. Unfortunately, it is human nature to impose too much of our own situations on someone else when trying to give well meaning advice. I also think we can all agree that towing a large trailer across the farm, is completely different than towing a large trailer at 80 mph across the mid-west in high cross winds - your situation is somewhere in-between these to extremes. People quickly take a moral high ground when it comes to towing and weights. Ironically, we all have a different level of skill (and sensibility) when it comes to balancing a trailer and driving with one - and there are no specs to go by for the later two just as important factors. I've had 1 tons with 5th wheelers blow buy me on the highway doing about 90 mph and eyeball me as they go buy as if I were doing something wrong by towing a TT with a Jeep. I don't care how big the brakes are on that 1 ton. They are not stopping from 90 mph as fast as I can from 60 with the jeep and TT. The reality is that due to their harder compound tires and greater mass to frontal area, they can't stop as fast from 60 mph with the 1 ton and the 5th wheeler as I can with the TT and Jeep. The point is, if you can do it and stay legal, and you are comfortable driving the combo where you need to drive it, than nobody has any business telling you otherwise.

Gladehound

Until the first snow. Then they'd all be your best buddy!

adammjarvis

I completely agree.

I think ultimately the scary thing is people not even researching or knowing how to pull a travel trailer and going to the dealership where the sales folks say "oh your truck can haul that no problem. It's a FERD!".

acdii

B2410, with a Woods Backhoe. Works very well for my needs, including moving my trailers around, though moving the big one is a PITA due to it's width. It is too heavy to move with the bucket unless I have the backhoe on, which limits my maneuverability, so I use the 3 point attachment, just cant see around the trailer.

SailorSam20500

My 2 cents.

Leave the batteries outside unless you consider going with Lithium batteries. The batteries will be happy enough until the temp gets way too cold for camping. You are right to think 3 seasons - I don't think you would stay warm if temps get much below zero. That and rerouting the wiring would get interesting.

The folks I've talked to about weights have been pretty much unanimous, ignore any "dry" weight numbers published. They are a guess about what a stripped down (no options or upgrades) trailer will weigh empty. My actual dry weight is several hundred pounds more than the brochure number.

The general recommendation was to base everything on the brochure GVW. If you can handle that with a 15% tongue you will be good to go. Seems it is usually hard to go over 15% tongue and few load their trailer over the GVW - not enough room unless you do something unusual.

With the size trailer you are looking at, I recommend you seriously consider either a ProPride or Hensley hitch.

Gladehound

I found moving the batteries inside to be rather simple. I guess it depends on where you choose to put them and how the trailer is laid out. I already had a vented interior battery box at the front of the trailer from the factory. And I had consecutive storage spaces between that box and where I built my new box. Then I just ran a 2" PCV pipe through the two storage areas to connect to the original vented interior box and ran the wires through that PCV pipe to the original battery wires. My new interior battery box is sealed except for the 2" PCV pipe to vent it to the original box. Now it's closer to the axles than it is to the hitch ball. This helps not only with tongue weight but with reducing swing inertia and keeps the batteries nice and toasty on those cold days!

I guess it's one of those things where you can just look at your trailer and see if it's easy enough based on your layout to make it worth while.

acdii

I would be more concerned about the water lines freezing long before the battery gives it up. Even with the insulated underbelly on mine, there are the two drains that extend a few inches out which would be where the damage would happen from freezing. Well that and the outdoor shower. Mine has the Arctic package, but no clue what the hell that is other then insulated underbelly.