TT upgrades

[mistercee]

Provided you match the truck up to the trailer, a Hensley or PP hitch may be overkill. You certainly can't go wrong, but if truck and trailer are appropriate for each other, you may not notice any better towing experience than you would with a higher quality WDH like an Equalizer 4 point, or Blue Ox Sway Pro.

As for levelers, I assume you are talking about retrofitting something like the Lippert Ground Control TT system. Keystone already put them on just about all of the trailers in the Cougar 1/2 ton line as standard equipment, and I can definitely vouch that they make leveling a snap.....in most cases. You should know that they are not designed to level you up with a push of a button under any condition, you must be reasonably level to begin with. This of course will sometimes require you level one side the old fashioned way. One poster mentioned these would bend the trailer frame. I haven't heard that before, but perhaps they cannot be retrofitted in all cases.

By the way, should you consider going with a Cougar '1/2 ton' line trailer, or any other manufacturers version, because they come with the leveling system, I would not recommend towing any of them with a 1/2 ton truck. You should also pay close attention to the payload sticker on the truck you are considering as a diesel engine is much heavier than gas and will eat into your payload. I've seen forum posts where a highly optioned 1500 with the 3.0 diesel had a sticker payload of less than 1400 lbs. Your 7600 lb GVWR potential Outback trailer will have a tongue weight of almost 1000 lbs by itself.

[tuffr2]

That 260 Outback is too long and heavy IMHO and will not be fun towing with a half ton truck. You say solo, does that mean only you? If so, that is too much trailer.

There is no shame in picking a A-Liner type, Little Guy Maxx, or T@B 400. For 1 person this is what i would pick. Something easy to tow with a comfotable half ton truck. I personally like the Ford 3.5 and even the 2.7 eco boost to tow plus get better than average mpg.

No way would I want a half ton diesel. All that extra weight and complexity. Read up on every diesel engine epa polution requirements.

[bneukam]

Yes, for an enjoyable driving experience with a 1/2 ton stay under 26’ overall length, and under 6,500 GVWR.

Currently tow at close to 50% of my 1/2 ton trucks rating, and it’s completely stress free. Overall length is 23’.

Less is more when it comes to RV’s. Automatic leveling is one of those items that falls into that realm of thinking.

[Alikair]

Originally Posted by scrapperjohn

Do not use auto levers on a travel trailer !!!!
You WILL bend the frame !!!!!!
You level side to side by putting blocks under the wheels the low side.
Front to back you use the tounge jack.
The stabilizing jacks are NOT for leveling !!!!!
We have an Andersen hitch & like it.
We have a 2017 Lance 2285. 6,000 GVWR.
Tow with a 2011 F-150, 5.0, tow package.
Has been trouble free. 4 years of towing, about 20,000 miles now & no issues.

I have decided to forgo the auto levers.
Thanks everyone!!

[Alikair]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

That 260 Outback is too long and heavy IMHO and will not be fun towing with a half ton truck. You say solo, does that mean only you? If so, that is too much trailer.

There is no shame in picking a A-Liner type, Little Guy Maxx, or T@B 400. For 1 person this is what i would pick. Something easy to tow with a comfotable half ton truck. I personally like the Ford 3.5 and even the 2.7 eco boost to tow plus get better than average mpg.

No way would I want a half ton diesel. All that extra weight and complexity. Read up on every diesel engine epa polution requirements.

The outback is 6k weight and the truck is almost 10k

[bneukam]

The Outback 260uml has an overall length just under 31’. Dry weight before options, batteries, propane is at 6,200. But you’ll easily be at the GVWR of 7,600 when fully loaded.

Both the GVWR, and overall length exceed what I would be comfortable towing with any 1/2 ton truck.

Sure, it can be done, just boils down to your comfort level. Just remember towing can greatly differ on location, and weather.

[Alikair]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

That 260 Outback is too long and heavy IMHO and will not be fun towing with a half ton truck. You say solo, does that mean only you? If so, that is too much trailer.

There is no shame in picking a A-Liner type, Little Guy Maxx, or T@B 400. For 1 person this is what i would pick. Something easy to tow with a comfotable half ton truck. I personally like the Ford 3.5 and even the 2.7 eco boost to tow plus get better than average mpg.

No way would I want a half ton diesel. All that extra weight and complexity. Read up on every diesel engine epa polution requirements.

Here is the specs for the TT and truck I am looking to buy.

Outback 260 UML "shipping weight" ? = 6204 LBS
2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 3.0L Duramax towing capacity = 9,300 LBS

If I am missing info on this please let me know. Otherwise it looks like the truck can easily pull the trailer. Also, if you dont think I will need a ProPride 3P hitch because the truck towing capacity is so much greater than the TT please let me know as well!

Thanks again everyone!!!

[Jay D.]

your not looking at the numbers correctly. you need to find out what the tongue weight is loaded to camp. that towing weight is just what the truck is able to pull down the road. your problem is how much can you haul on the back of your truck weight wise. i think your going to be maxed out. i tow a 27' at about 6500 ready to camp with water with a 1500 GMC crew cab and the 5.3 engine. it tows real comfortable with no problems. BUT i sure wouldn't want it to be longer or heavier .

[Desert Flyer]

If you end up with a lighter, single axis trailer, then I highly recommend the BAL tire leveler: https://balrvproducts.com/products/c...eleveler.shtml

Very inexpensive and easy to use. Acts as both a leveler and chock block at same time. Slip the BAL under the low side tire and jack up until just snug to chock the wheel. Unhook the ball. Continue jacking up until level side-to-side. Use the tongue jack to level front-to-back. Finally, put down the four corner stabilizer jacks. Done. Easy, peasy.

[Alikair]

Originally Posted by Jay D.

your not looking at the numbers correctly. you need to find out what the tongue weight is loaded to camp. that towing weight is just what the truck is able to pull down the road. your problem is how much can you haul on the back of your truck weight wise. i think your going to be maxed out. i tow a 27' at about 6500 ready to camp with water with a 1500 GMC crew cab and the 5.3 engine. it tows real comfortable with no problems. BUT i sure wouldn't want it to be longer or heavier .

Hitch weight on the TT is 600,
the max payload of the truck is 1,870 pounds.

2020 chevy silverado 1500 3.0-liter duramax diesel

Does that work?

[tuffr2]

No, that does not work.

Maybe to get closer to actually numbers take the GVWR of the trailer and multiply by .75 just as an educated guess of the wet (camping weight) of the trailer. Trailers are shipped without a battery or full propane. That will add 125lbs to the tongue weight for example. The front pass through storage will add even more tongue weight.

I know the gas powered GM 1500 series trucks will have a 1,875lb. or more payload. But I doubt the 3.0 litre diesel truck would have that much payload. The diesel engine and all the heavy emissions stuff in the exhaust takes away from payload.

Again - towing a 7,000lb - 7,500lb travel trailer with any normal half ton truck is not going to be relaxing.

To make it more relaxing pick a smaller trailer or a bigger truck.

The only two half ton trucks I would consider are the Nissan Titan XD or the F-150 with the HDPP (Heavy Duty Payload Package) option. Both these trucks have a longer wheelbase, thicker frame, heavier rear axle, LT tires and even more towing related goodies like tow mirrors etc.

[mistercee]

Originally Posted by Alikair

Hitch weight on the TT is 600,
the max payload of the truck is 1,870 pounds.

2020 chevy silverado 1500 3.0-liter duramax diesel

Does that work?

That 1870 is largely a fantasy number based on a stripped down base model vehicle. You would have to special order the most basic vehicle in order to get that high a figure. It does not mean every 3.0 Duramax comes with 1870 lbs of available payload.

Every individual truck has a UNIQUE payload figure that can be found on the truck's driver side door pillar. If I had a 2020 Silverado 3.0 and you had one, we would both very likely have different payload capacities. Payload is simply the truck's weight with a full tank of gas subtracted from it's GVWR. How the truck is optioned out, it's cab configuration and it's trim level, will all of course impact how much it weighs and will therefore impact payload capacity.

Let's say the GVWR of the 3.0 is 7100 lbs. If my modestly optioned 3.0 weighs 5500 lbs, my payload on the door sticker will read 1600 (7100-5500). If you, on the other hand choose a high trim level 3.0, with all the bells and whistles, and your truck weighs in at 5750, your sticker payload will read 1350 (7100-5750).

Now take that payload figure - the real one, not the fantasy one of 1870, and subtract the trailer tongue weight plus the weight of a weight distribution hitch (WDH) right off the top. A good rule of thumb for trailer tongue weight estimation is 13% of the trailer's GVWR and 100 lbs for the hitch:

13% of 7600 = 988
WDH = 100

So right there you need to deduct 1088 lbs from the payload capacity of your specific truck. Next subtract the weight of all the other 'payload' you will be placing in the truck from what's left. That includes all people, pets, coolers, firewood, tools and other miscellaneous items in the bed or cab of the vehicle. You will see it adds up fast and won't leave you much, if any, safety margin.

Finally, that 9300 lb towing capacity really can't be applied to a travel trailer. They are almost 12' tall with big slab sides. It is like pulling a large sail behind you. 9300 lbs on a low trailer loaded with cinder blocks will feel a lot different than a 7500 lb travel trailer.

[Cumminsfan]

That 260 will be a load for your 1/2 ton. I'm guessing you'll get the front to back jerking motion more than anything else. Something that the Pro Pride won't cure.
The 260 comes from the factory with a tongue weight under 10%. Thats a bad way to start. Also it only has a brochure CC 1396 lbs. You'll be maxed out on the suspension when loaded for trips. Especially cross country trips.
the 14" tires on that TT are a joke. Way less stability than 15".
Your truck can pull it power wise but IMO the TT it's self is poorly designed from the start.

[bneukam]

All great advice above, and I will reiterate less is more when it comes to RV’ing. Never push the limits of any TV especially for the purpose of camping. Like you said you want this to be enjoyable.

Traveling solo across the country I would want a TT that is much smaller, and higher quality. Haven’t heard much about the new 3.0 liter diesel in the Ram 1/2 tons. But I’ll be honest that setup your considering sounds like a maintenance nightmare.