31ft MotorHome Towing 28ft Trailer

[CJ7365]

Originally Posted by Yugo

So this is my first class A it is a 31.5ft Forest River Georgetown 303 on a for chassis with the v10 triton.

I also just purchased a 24ft Aluma deck over trailer (1600lbs) to tow my 93 grand charokee rock crawler (5100lbs).

Do any of you tow at this length? Thats about 60ft Im just wondering what I should expect.

I usually tow with my quad cab chevy dually so Im used to the long turning just never towed with 60ft of mass.

So your towing 6700lbs,? Ummm your over weight, and legally cannot change it.

Go buy a diesel pusher, and quit putting peoples lives in danger

Stay away from me

[xbigblue]

My earlier 1998 Bounder 36S on a Ford chassis with the wonderful old 460 engine was only rated at towing 3500 lbs. Reading all these posts confirm that even if the coach or the hitch is rated 5000 lbs., you can't raise that number by doing what you propose doing. Give it up, it ain't safe for you or for others. And if you were to have an accident, the liability issues would be staggering.

Harry

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by DryCreek

. Those extensions may not carry the same rating at the main chassis, hence the tendency to use a 5K rated hitch.

But, like most folks have pointed out, you may not have enough towing capacity for the load you're planning on hauling around.

Good point!
What most likely will happen is that the frame behind the drive axle will start flexing up and down with the added weight on the hitch, eventually this will show up as frame deformations and you will start to see stress cracks on the inside and out walls of the coach... normally somewhere around the side windows in the rear bedroom area, as well as separations in the rear roof cap or the roof itself..
Go buy a much heaver and better built coach with the smallest amount of rear overhang behind the drive axle......

[FatChance]

It just isn't safe doing what you propose. It sounds like you already bought the coach and trailer, did you not do any research about this before buying?

[Crasher]

From what I has found, you have an 18,000# GVWR and a 23,000# GCWR. I found one listed on a Chevy chassis that had a 26,000# GCWR, but you do not have that one. You don't have a long overhang, but you will want 7-900# of tongue weight to be stable on the road. When you hit a dip in the road, that 900# will exert 2-3 times that pressure or more on the frame. As others have said, it appears you will be outside the envelope of safety. The heavier hitch won't do a thing to increase capacity. Am a little surprised any company would stick their neck into that kind of liability and say you're good to go.

[hohenwald48]

As stated, you could have a 30,000 lb rated hitch welded to the back of the motorhome. That doesn't mean you can tow a 30,000 lb trailer. The motorhome manufacturers rated tow capacity and GCVWR will not change regardless of the the hitch you install. Additionally, I suspect your tongue weight will far exceed the tongue weight rating (usually 500 lb) of your motorhome.

Your length shouldn't be any problem at all.

[l1v3fr33ord1]

Hmm... not so sure I agree with everything posted here.

Unless and until we hear back from the OP concerning the specs for his coach, we're jumping the gun a bit.

I found a 2007 Georgetown brochure online. The "303" model, which the OP says he has, is one of the Georgetown "SE" models. The spec for it are:

GVWR: 18,000 pounds
GCWR: 26,000 pounds
UVW: 14,020 pounds
CCC: 2,878 pounds
Hitch: 5,000 pounds
Wheelbase: 208 inches

It so happens that NADA lists the 2007 303 model as a Ford.

The Ford specs for the 2007 F-53 are here. According to sheet 3, Ford made an 18,000 GVWR/26,000 GCWR chassis with a 208-inch wheelbase.

So, if all of this applies to the OP's coach, the limiting factor for towing is 5,000 pounds horizontal and who knows how much vertical (tongue weight).

Turning now to the argument about whether it is wise to upgrade the hitch and frame, in the absence of approval and oversight from the manufacturer, the answer to that is "No." I have noticed, though, that not everyone has the same opinion.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by Sweetbriar

And for many gas rigs if you load to GVWR you won't have 5000 lbs available for towing.

This is the correct answer that most RVers over look.

Originally Posted by FatChance

It just isn't safe doing what you propose. It sounds like you already bought the coach and trailer, did you not do any research about this before buying?

X2, X3...If this is what you've done, don't try to make it work or run overloaded and say to yourself, "it'll be OK. I'll be fine".


It doesn't matter what the hitch is rated for. If you load your MH up to max GVWR, you subtract that weight from your GCWR and that's what you can max tow.

IMO, even though a MH is capable and rated to max out at XYZ lbs. doesn't mean you should. I'm of the firm belief to stay at least 10% below max. When you consider all the different driving conditions you'll be under, weather conditions, braking abilities, climbing mountains, tire capabilities, wear and tear on all the drive train components etc., etc., being maxed out, I just don't want my rig to be huffing & puffing and being pushed to the limit everywhere I take it.
Easy boy....eeeasy.

To the OP:
Please do not do what 57% of RVers on the road are doing today. And that's run over loaded. It's the #1 cause of tire failure, accidents and insurance related claims. This data is compiled from 51K surveyed cases over a several year period. And...it's just plain unsafe for you and everyone around you. If you're ever in accident with an overloaded rig, be prepared for your insurance company to say, "Sorry Charlie" this one is one you. They know more than 1/2 of RVers are over loaded and that's one of the first things they look for in a serious claim. Numbers don't lie.

[Kurtsara]

Originally Posted by marjoa

To the OP:
Please do not do what 57% of RVers on the road are doing today. And that's run over loaded. It's the #1 cause of tire failure, accidents and insurance related claims. This data is compiled from 51K surveyed cases over a several year period. And...it's just plain unsafe for you and everyone around you. If you're ever in accident with an overloaded rig, be prepared for your insurance company to say, "Sorry Charlie" this one is one you. They know more than 1/2 of RVers are over loaded and that's one of the first things they look for in a serious claim. Numbers don't lie.

57%?

I have read that 87.54% of stats are made up.

[ThePowells]

For some reason the phrases starting with "hold my beer" and "are you getting this" are coming to mind.

[DWRichard]

Originally Posted by Yugo

I forgot to mention, the original hitch is 5k yes BUT I'm having a class 5 custom hitch installed by Bear Trailers in Chatsworth. so I'm fine on the weight.

No. Nonononononononononono!

You. May. Not. Do. That.

You need a more powerful coach or a much lighter toad and trailer.

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by Kurtsara

57%?

I have read that 87.54% of stats are made up.

And folks always say something like "your insurance won't pay if you're overloaded". That's just not true. Your insurance will pay if you're overloaded and driving drunk. They will likely cancel after they pay but they'll pay. That's why it's called "liability" insurance. Believe me, if insurance could pick and choose what they would pay, they'd never pay for anything.

Turn on the video, hold my beer and pull my finger.

[marjoa]

Originally Posted by Kurtsara

57%?
I have read that 87.54% of stats are made up.

Hummm…I wonder where you read that or that probably is just made up too? However I do stand corrected. The sampling was only from 30K RV’s over several years not 51K. These are verified facts. I don’t make up statistics. (see attached charts from Escapees) How do like them apples?

Originally Posted by hohenwald48

And folks always say something like "your insurance won't pay if you're overloaded". That's just not true. Your insurance will pay if you're overloaded and driving drunk. They will likely cancel after they pay but they'll pay. That's why it's called "liability" insurance. Believe me, if insurance could pick and choose what they would pay, they'd never pay for anything.
Turn on the video, hold my beer and pull my finger.

Well I AM one of those folks, and if I was you then, I certainly wouldn’t worry one bit if I was breaking the law, driving drunk, going over state and federal load limits and just sail away down the highway with no worries in the world if something happens. It’s not that insurance companies “pick and choose” who they pay, it’s whether or not you have a valid claim or not. If you’re found in fault or the cause of the accident because of XYZ circumstances, they have every right and cause to treat that claim in any number of ways. Never mind that civil law suits are close behind.

And I guarantee you, the folks you hit and injured or killed—their lawyer, Oh ya, their lawyer—also knows that 57% of RVers run overloaded and that will be one of the 1st things he checks into. And if you're found to be over weight in that accident—my friend—YOUR TOAST and you'll be pulling his finger. Cute post, but shallow thinking.

[Yugo]

look I'm not over loaded the rv GVWR is 18k the trailer is 1600 the jeep (I'm going to reweight tomorrow) is 5k

I will not be filling up the RV to full (tanks) I don't have it packed to the brim with sh*t, its just me and my gf and we will not be going up any mountains. So I'm under 26k and not over weight.

So unless you can show me that I'm actually over weight all this backlash is pointless.