how long a trailer and how big a truck

[fl gramps]

We are a couple in our 70s w a golden doodle thinking about a TT vs smaller class A for 3 month summer escaping Florida heat. We like the idea of driving to an interesting area and stay there for 1 to 2 weeks and explore.

Leaning towards TT now....plus side is cost, no need for toad down side is hitching and unhitching and troublesome backing up. we have owned 4 large boats and camped coast to coast in a class C

Any suggestions as to how big a TT to purchase and how big a truck. I am thinking 30ish and ford 250. Thanks in advace

[jaydee325]

You have the wrong concept. Trucks or tow vehicles are not rated to tow something by length, you need to know the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) of the trailer and then pick a tow vehicle that has the capacity for that trailers GVWR.

If you don't know what GVWR, GCWR, NCCC, and tongue weight and how they interrelate, then you need to do some research.

[Cumminsfan]

Most all F250's should be able to to MOST 30' TT.s My TT is 31' but weighs 9000-9600 lbs depending on if the fresh tank is full (80 gal)
I towed it with a 2500 and now a 3500. Both did fine but I wanted a diesel so hence the 3500.
Most 30' TT's don't weigh 9000 lbs. Main thing is to look at your trucks payload capacity and work backwards from there. If you don't have an F250 then you should know that a gas F250 will carry more than a diesel F250 but won't tow as much. Both though will have more than enough towing capacity for a 30' TT.

Best thing to do is go to some RV lots and walk through some TT's and find one you like. Once you do that you can then decide which truck will work best.

Buyer beware, the RV sales person will likely lie to you and tell you some wrong information regarding what you can tow with what truck. Take it all with a grain of salt and keep researching.

[JoeJunior]

I always wondered where Floridians go on vacation? About one out of every three license plates in Northeast Georgia Mountains are from Florida.

A 30' travel trailer and a 3/4 ton truck would do you just fine. My 36' mid weight fifth wheel weighs 11K lbs. dry, and I'm max'd out with my old F250.

I would just suggest you buy a really premium weight distribution hitch if you're going to be towing it back and forth.

Have you considered leaving the trailer in storage at the other end? We see many Floridians in our member owned campground visiting more often since they leave their trailers in storage all the time.

[CharlesinGA]

Stick to a 25-26 ft trailer, they are a good couples trailer size and the odds of getting into a crowded campground increase as the trailer gets smaller.

Charles

[petrel]

It would be difficult to find a <30’ travel trailer that a properly equipped f250 could not tow with ease. However, you may not need one that big. We used a 31’ bunkhouse for a family of 6. The added benefit, as others have mentioned, is that a smaller rig really opens the door to so many more camping opportunities.

Hitching and unhitching is as difficult as you make it. A little practice and not leaving anything in a bind will help. If you are mindful of how it is loaded, a smaller TT on a 3/4 ton truck many not need sway control. Removing that step from the hitch/unhitch process would simplify things quite a bit.

[MCCOHENS]

It sounds like you are in the initial phase of this plan. Listing expectations and needs of the new home on wheels will help guide the process. How many bedrooms? How many beds? Look closely at bathroom and shower size, you don't spend a lot of time in them but different people have different needs for space in these areas. How much storage space for food, clothes? Will you sit inside at night and watch TV or hang by the fire? These will help pick a trailer size. Then you can consider truck requirements. But in general heavier duty longer wheelbase trucks tow better. Lots of very useful information on this forum and experience educated people. Happy travels!

[Dave Pelletier]

Originally Posted by fl gramps

Any suggestions as to how big a TT to purchase and how big a truck. I am thinking 30ish and ford 250. Thanks in advace

hard to say as a lot is personal preference. An F250 is a capable tow vehicle along with the other HD pickups but you'll still need to compare actual truck capacities and payload vs actual trailer weights.

I'm assuming you are talking 30' OAL (as that's how TT's are intended to be measured) and if that's the case, I agree that it'd be hard to find one a properly equipped F250 couldn't handle.....keep in mind that the F350 is usually less than $1k more and offers a larger payload buffer, especially if you plan on going diesel. That said, mechanically there is very little difference.

My Outdoors RV 25RDS is 31'2" from the ball to the back of the ladder and if I was to go any longer, I'd start looking at fifth wheels......a 26' fifth wheel (pin to bumper) is 4.5' shorter than my bumper pull.

I tow my trailer with an F350 CC DRW diesel which is far more truck than I need......which is exactly how I like it. ;-)

Dave

[4everlooking]

Like Dave said, if you don't have the tow vehicle yet, a 3500 is only about $1k difference, but the payload difference is dramatic. Also, with the bigger truck, you have more options to change to something else if you decided to. My current trailer is 28', tows like a dream and fits into many spots that my previous MH wouldn't. For just the two of us and the two dogs, we are very comfortable. My next trailer will likely be either an Outdoors 24KRS or I might go up to a fifth wheel on the Glacier Peak 27 MKS. I haven't decided which floor plan will suit us better. The point being that my truck is hefty enough to handle either option with ease, both in towing & stopping capabilities.
Just my 2cents worth.

[TB673]

With cameras located in the tailgate, and electric tongue jacks, hitching is a dream compared to years ago.
In my opinion, the most difficult part would be the connecting the weight distributing bars.
Backing up is just practice.

Tim

[bneukam]

Not a fan of bigger is always better.

Check out some mid size (less than 25’) overall length trailers. They will offer walk around beds, lots of storage, and very open floor plans with the use of slide outs.

Best part is some are towable with a 1/2 ton truck. Easier to manage, drive, and way more user friendly.

Just my .02 after owning everything from a truck camper all the way up to a Class A Diesel Pusher.

[JIMNLIN]

Any suggestions as to how big a TT to purchase and how big a truck. I am thinking 30ish and ford 250. Thanks in advace

Fords F250 comes in several gvwrs from 9900 up to 10600 lb depending on truck selections. However any of them with the 6.8 or 7.3 gas or the 6.7 diesel will handle that size TT easily.
All F250 come with a 6340 rawr good for 3000 lbs + in the bed payloads.

Some say going bigger to a F350 srw . Be careful here as some F350 srw has the same 10000 gvwr and the same 6340 rawr for a no gain in load or tow capacity.
Each trucks gvwr and gawrs are on the drivers side door post sticker. Make it easy to see what your looking at.

[Sbad0cko]

The GVWR selection is interesting. I'm looking at my order summary for the F250 I ordered last week. F250 Lariat SCSB w/ the 7.3L engine. 10400 GVWR package shows up on mine. I had assumed because I ordered the supercab it might be less, but turns out its more.

[Dave Pelletier]

Originally Posted by JIMNLIN

Fords F250 comes in several gvwrs from 9900 up to 10600 lb depending on truck selections. However any of them with the 6.8 or 7.3 gas or the 6.7 diesel will handle that size TT easily.
All F250 come with a 6340 rawr good for 3000 lbs + in the bed payloads.

Some say going bigger to a F350 srw . Be careful here as some F350 srw has the same 10000 gvwr and the same 6340 rawr for a no gain in load or tow capacity.
Each trucks gvwr and gawrs are on the drivers side door post sticker. Make it easy to see what your looking at.

absolutely correct and if buying off a lot or used, you need to pay attention to the GVWR. To be clear, the 10,000 lb GVWR F350 is a paper derate option for specific insurance reasons and it isn't that common but it is out there. Mechanically it's the same as an 11,500 GVWR F350 SRW (and almost identical to a similarly equipped F250 for that matter)

Cheers,
Dave