[basketcase]

All 4,631 lbs worth. Drama free thanks to the weight distribution hitch. I ran with OD off the entire time and the truck handled it fine.

 

[idlafie]

OH?? It just happen to jump atop your trailer hitch ball & attach itself to your truck??🤣🤣🤣

Looks pretty sweet!! You're gonna have to keep us updated on all your travels & towing adventures. Take plenty of pictures and post them here so you can make the rest of us jealous!!!😆😆😆

All Kidding Aside, Happy Trails & Safe Travels!!!

 

[basketcase]

Yep. That dude jumped on that trailer ball and just wouldn't turn loose! 🤣

This also gave me a chance to monitor the coolant and transmission (ScahGaugeII) on the way to the dealership (no trailer in tow) and on the way home with the trailer hooked up. The ambient temperature started out about 56 degrees Fahrenheit when we left this morning, and got up to 74 degrees in the afternoon about the time we got home.

Typical unladen readings: Coolant=188F, AT1=111F, AT2=145F.

Typical towing temps: Coolant=197F, AT1=106F, AT2=154F.

On one long pull the coolant got up to 209 degrees and AT2 up to 202 degrees. Both cooled off quickly once we topped the hill.

The travel trailer is just a bit heavier than what we were originally shopping for (~ 4,000 lbs or less), but we made a great deal on it, and it has all of the amenities necessary to make Ms. Basketcase happy, which means basketcase reaps the benefits in terms of campsite atmosphere, domestic tranquility, a wholesome diet, and other nuances...

 

[Antennahead]

Equalizing hitches were a great invention! Nice package. I'll not be showing Ms. Antennahead that picture. She's been dropping hints......

 

[Zedbra]

Looks good - that is a lot of weight, how was it up a hill?

 

[SuperDave1]

All 4,631 lbs worth. Drama free thanks to the weight distribution hitch. I ran with OD off the entire time and the truck handled it fine.

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Almost the same size and weight as my TT that I pulled with my 2013. I had no issues and my trailer weight was around 5K and about 550lbs of tongue weight. I bought a new 2022 so I should do even better. I'm also using the same Equalizer hitch. What hitch rating are you using? Mine is rated for 6K but according to Equalizer I should have the 10K set up.

 

[SuperDave1]

All 4,631 lbs worth. Drama free thanks to the weight distribution hitch. I ran with OD off the entire time and the truck handled it fine.

View attachment 347331
View attachment 347332

Just a heads up. I have the same power jack. If you turn the head of the jack 90° you can open the tailgate when the trailer is attached. You simply unscrew the two bolts under the rubber plugs, turn the power head then reinstall the bolts.

 

[basketcase]

@Zedbra it did well on the hills. Outside of the cities middle Alabama is rolling hills and farmland. While I did not do a miles long steep grade on any of the roads I travelled, the truck all the same never strained. Years ago I drove a big rig for about a year, and then for 4 years after that I drove big tour buses. So I used an old OTR trick of gathering momentum down one hill and using that to help get up the next. I never felt like the trailer was "pushing me" but I could tell it helped with the momentum. On the flats I really couldn't tell it was there.

@SuperDave1 the hitch is the 12k model set up with five (5) washers. With the idea in the back of my mind that I might later upgrade to a heftier truck, I took the dealer's advice and went with the heavier hitch.

My tailgate opens and clears the power jack head by just over an inch. So I'm good there with it set as they put it on the trailer.

Finally, I refueled the truck today and for the entire trip (167 miles, half of which was to the dealership without a tow) the fill-up yielded 14.92 mpg. On the rural 2-lanes at 60 mph I would usually see 20 to 21 mpg, so I'm thinking a full on trip towing the camper will push the mpg's down a bit more. I'll post an update when that happens over Memorial Day weekend.

 

[SuperDave1]

@Zedbra it did well on the hills. Outside of the cities middle Alabama is rolling hills and farmland. While I did not do a miles long steep grade on any of the roads I travelled, the truck all the same never strained. Years ago I drove a big rig for about a year, and then for 4 years after that I drove big tour buses. So I used an old OTR trick of gathering momentum down one hill and using that to help get up the next. I never felt like the trailer was "pushing me" but I could tell it helped with the momentum. On the flats I really couldn't tell it was there.

@SuperDave1 the hitch is the 12k model set up with five (5) washers. With the idea in the back of my mind that I might later upgrade to a heftier truck, I took the dealer's advice and went with the heavier hitch.

My tailgate opens and clears the power jack head by just over an inch. So I'm good there with it set as they put it on the trailer.

Finally, I refueled the truck today and for the entire trip (167 miles, half of which was to the dealership without a tow) the fill-up yielded 14.92 mpg. On the rural 2-lanes at 60 mph I would usually see 20 to 21 mpg, so I'm thinking a full on trip towing the camper will push the mpg's down a bit more. I'll post an update when that happens over Memorial Day weekend.

Thanks for the info. I'm thinking I might want to go with a heavier Equalizer. Nice that your tailgate misses. I could clear on mine and had to do the 90 degree turn trick to open my gate.