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Old 07-12-2020, 11:34 AM   #1
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Aluminum Framed Trailers and Toy Haulers?

Can anyone steer a new guy into which companies use Aluminum Frames for construction of their trailers and toy haulers. I see a few out there like ACT and a couple of others but is there a list? Nearly bought a Winnie 28SC yesterday to find that my new Ram 1500 quad cab 4x4 will not pull it loaded. Might forgo the toy hauler for now and just buy our first travel trailer so we can get to it...but I am impressed with a metal frame vs wood and composites...any help is greatly appreciated.

I am looking in the 22-26 foot range.
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Old 07-12-2020, 01:07 PM   #2
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Fyi - just do you know your Ram 1500 could not tow that trailer empty. When you talk about towing a travel trailer you realize you will be most likely towing on the highway with other traffic going 72mph to 80mph. You will be towing a big box.

Throw your advertised towing number in the garbage can. That is where it belongs when you want to tow a travel trailer and not a flat bed trailer.

You can tow 5,000 to 6,000lbs comfortably. Evey 500 lbs. above 6,000lb will be less comfortable. Less comfortable means more steering corrections to keep on the road.

Ok, now to your question. Most manufacturers build trailers with aluminum studs in the side wall.

I think Grand Design builds a toy hauler.

If you just want to get camping trailer then stick with Winnebago. They build above average products. Also look at Rockwood/Flagstaff as they also build a good product for the most part.
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Old 07-12-2020, 02:11 PM   #3
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Forget toy haulers with a half ton. You’ll need a one ton.

I bought a Winnebago Spyder 29STT (basically the new 28SC) and it’s maxing out my F250 diesel with 2500lb payload. Airbags are on order. Towing it without my side by side in the rear makes it squat almost to the helper springs. With a full tank of water and fuel my 925lb-ft of torque are barely sufficient.

Wish I had bought an F350 just for added axle capacity...
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Old 07-13-2020, 08:37 AM   #4
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SO I found a 27 Palomino Puma with a dry weight of 6600 lbs. I am used to towing a 28' boat that ran 7k empty, add 250 gal of fuel, coolers with ice and gear and it was nearly 9K maybe more. Made plenty of trips from Virginia to Fla over the years towing it. and Nothing could be worse swaying than the class c we rented a few weeks back...

Nearly a 2K lb difference in the Puma and the Winnie 28SC

Thoughts? And I am stuck with the 1500, just bought it, got upgraded towing to 11440 lbs class IV hitch.

Hyper Lite XLR?

Wife definitely wants to haul the Golf Cart around and maybe a Jet ski with a fold-able neck trailer, also a Harley down the road too...got to be a toy hauler. Also toy hauler has the extra beds and sleeps more, patio deck and floor space for the dogs( 3 dachshunds). Got to be a TH.
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Old 07-13-2020, 09:00 AM   #5
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I towed boats before I bought a travel trailer. A travel trailer is 4x harder to control than a boat. All the boats I towed up to 5,000lbs towed straight as an arrow. I bought a 4,400lb dry travel trailer and could not tow it on the highway because of sway.

It has to be the high front end and big high sides and even big flat back that make them hard to control going down the highway at 72mph with other traffic.

A boat is narrow in the front with the heavy part in the back. A boat is also wedge shape.

I do not advise towing more than 6,000lbs. travel trailer with your truck, if you want a comfortable towing experience. Again every 500 lbs. over 6,000lbs will become less comfortable.

A 6,000lb travel trailer will put as much as 900lbs on the truck. A 8,000lb travel trailer puts as much as 1,200lbs on your truck. You need about 15% of total weight on the tongue at least.
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Old 07-13-2020, 09:10 AM   #6
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As pointed out above, toy haulers require a robust tow vehicle. The tongue weight on a toy hauler changes dramatically depending on what you put in the garage.

Tongue weight is a major consideration when choosing a tow vehicle. Start with tow vehicle cargo capacity. Get it from the sticker inside the driver's door frame. Do not use other published values. The sticker is the definitive capacity for that individual vehicle.

Next subtract the weight of everything added to the vehicle since it left the factory. Subtract weight of bed liners, undercoating, hitches and hitch receivers, tool boxes, passengers, luggage. Absolutely everything.

What remains is what is available for tongue weight. Tongue weight must be at least 10% of actual trailer weight for safe stable towing. 15% tongue weight is better.

There is only one way to know the tongue weight of a toy hauler. Weigh it while loaded and unloaded. Different loads will have different tongue weights.

General rules of thumb are unlikely to be accurate enough to insure safe hauling. Published tongue weights are a fictitious value often calculated from the dry weight of the trailer.

Dealers often push the limits when advising on what tow vehicle will tow a trailer they wish to sell to you. They don't worry about you having to buy a bigger tow vehicle after you buy their trailer. There is no effective truth in advertising in the TT industry.

I wish you good luck and happy trails ahead!
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Old 07-13-2020, 12:35 PM   #7
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Got to be a TH.
Got to be a BEEFY 3/4 or a one ton then. You might be able to find a small toyhauler with no slide that you can tow dry... but water tanks , onboard genny, EVER towing it empty? You’ll be putting other families health at risk driving down the road. Please don’t.

Just bite the bullet and sell your truck. The used market is pretty hot right now from what I hear. Trade it in for a one ton and you and your family will be safe and sound in the setup you really want.
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Old 07-13-2020, 12:40 PM   #8
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I’ll also add that I had to spring for the $3k Propride hitch to make towing with my super duty tolerable. Those hitches are not without their own drawbacks for a boondocker like me.

If I were in your shoes right now (sounds like we have identical requirements) I would get a one ton with a 5th wheel toyhauler. I’m committed to making it work with my F250 but it’s a compromise on safety versus practicality.
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Old 07-13-2020, 01:52 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt Beach View Post
SO I found a 27 Palomino Puma with a dry weight of 6600 lbs. I am used to towing a 28' boat that ran 7k empty, add 250 gal of fuel, coolers with ice and gear and it was nearly 9K maybe more. Made plenty of trips from Virginia to Fla over the years towing it. and Nothing could be worse swaying than the class c we rented a few weeks back...

Nearly a 2K lb difference in the Puma and the Winnie 28SC

Thoughts? And I am stuck with the 1500, just bought it, got upgraded towing to 11440 lbs class IV hitch.

Hyper Lite XLR?

Wife definitely wants to haul the Golf Cart around and maybe a Jet ski with a fold-able neck trailer, also a Harley down the road too...got to be a toy hauler. Also toy hauler has the extra beds and sleeps more, patio deck and floor space for the dogs( 3 dachshunds). Got to be a TH.
Popcorn is on the stove..............

Golf carts. ATV's. Jet skis, Harley, Think you need a semi truck with living quarters.

That is way too much stuff and way too heavy, the be towing and hauling with a 1500. Fact of life.

Lots of good advise.

I see lots of used toy haulers on the market. There is a reason. People buy them thinking they need to haul all of their toys around, only to discover it isn't practical to do that.

Charles
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Old 07-13-2020, 02:11 PM   #10
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Try the Winnebago spyder 23fb or 23fs. They are aluminum framed and pretty light. Use a weight distribution hitch and adjust it for the different loads you decide to carry in the back. It is a smaller trailer but you will keep the benefits of a comfortable ride when not towing.
Good luck
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Old 07-13-2020, 02:26 PM   #11
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Those 23' Winnebago Spyders seem to have an extra foot of sidewall. That will only catch more wind and make it harder to control.

I am thinking the OP should have bought that big nice looking Winnebago Spyder, towed it home with the 1500, unhook it and immediately go to the Ram dealer to trade the 1500 on a Ram 3500.
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Old 07-13-2020, 02:43 PM   #12
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Outdoors RV uses an aluminum frame. They have toy haulers that look nice too.
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Old 07-13-2020, 02:52 PM   #13
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A bit snug, but with your truck limitations and your requirements, this might do it. All aluminum by LivinLite.
https://showroom.auction123.com/como...830714432.html

I realize this is not news you want to hear, but a Quad Cab, Hemi, 4x4, even with the fantastic 3.92 rear gear, still has to deal with a payload capacity under ~ 1,900 lbs on base trim levels. You will likely be over that limit with a larger toy hauler long before you exceed max tow capacity or Ram GCWR.
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Old 07-18-2020, 08:09 PM   #14
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Thanks guys...we ended up getting a pristine 2017 Winnie 2500FL from a couple in Fla for an exceptionally good deal. It was used only a handful of times, stored indoors and never pooped in, not once...LOL.

I convinced her we really didnt want to take a golf cart all the time and we could take bikes. Maybe a 3/4 ton and a larger rig in a couple of years.
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