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Aero_JT

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We just picked up our upgraded trailer a few weeks ago. Having the Overland was definitely limiting when shopping for a new RV. As many have said, with a midsize pickup it'll likely run out of payload before hitting the towing capacity. Heavy trailer tongue weight and weight distribution / sway control hitches are gonna be a challenge. How I wish we waited for a Max Tow to become available. Oh well, it is what it is.

We opted for the Andersen No-Sway WDH to save some payload. But at the end of the day, the 10-15% tongue weight for whatever trailer you're planning to get is unavoidable. Leave more wiggle room and your trailering trips will be more leisure and enjoyable.

I told my friends that if the plan is mostly doing short, flat drives (a few hrs one way) to a site and stay there for the trip, it's "ok" to go closer to cargo/tow limit. But if the intention is for prolonged roadtrips across hilly terrain, it's necessary to leave more room.

One thing I read from RV forums is "buy your second trailer first". Definitely has a lot of wisdom to it, and made me think twice about what we should get for our setup.

Sharing some pics before and after our upgrade:

20201004_141046.jpg


20210414_130052.jpg
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Thank you for your advice 😊
 

PDiddy

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Hopefully this question isn’t high jacking this thread. After reading through all this and previous towing threads I have a question regarding tongue weight.

If you count the trailer tongue weight as payload, do you subtract that weight from the tow vehicle?

Example: trailer weight is 5000lbs but 500lbs of it is tongue weight, so it would be considered payload. Then your tow vehicle would be considered 4500lbs. Otherwise the tongue weight is being counted twice towards your GCVW? 5000 trailer + 5000 JT + driver and cargo + tongue weight.
 

Blade1668

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Something that is not talked about much is how quickly extra pounds add up on a vehicle with out noticing it and self😔.
I run mine across a scale every once in a while checking the front and rear axle weight and totally weight. With out a trailer hooked up I'm about 600 lbs. from GVWR.
On trailer's there is a lot of gee whiz oversized RV trailer's out and that's what RV Dealers want to sell. More money for them, but is more better? More stuff to have problem's and expenses. I'm kinda jaded I've been full time in my 16ft Deluxe Scamp since Dec 2010 though. My reason for that size was it was within my LJ tow rating and under that by 1500 lbs. Note: I've reset to some land and shed's too now, I down sized from a house, garage and 12×24 shop... less can be more... IMHO
I can get and go more places with a smaller T.T. than a mansion on wheels.
 

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Blade1668

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Hopefully this question isn’t high jacking this thread. After reading through all this and previous towing threads I have a question regarding tongue weight.

If you count the trailer tongue weight as payload, do you subtract that weight from the tow vehicle?

Example: trailer weight is 5000lbs but 500lbs of it is tongue weight, so it would be considered payload. Then your tow vehicle would be considered 4500lbs. Otherwise the tongue weight is being counted twice towards your GCVW? 5000 trailer + 5000 JT + driver and cargo + tongue weight.
Simple answer is Yes.
I've got a Anderson WD hitch for my Scamp. "Not recommended hard on trailer hitches". As all WD hitches do it transfer weight on to tow vehicle suspension to include the front axle if set up correctly. So if T.W. is 350 or what ever lbs. that's subtracted from vehicle cargo capacity.
 
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I also have a JTR automatic and towed multiple times last year after buying it. As mentioned several times, there’s four main numbers to look at for trailer calculations.
tow capacity (JTR=7000lbs, which pretty much takes into account your gross combined weight rating number minus your vehicle weight) hitch capacity (700lbs) cargo capacity (1245 on mine/see pic below) and trailer frontal area. (Sq ft / JT is listed at 60 sq ft I believe)

Jeep Gladiator RV Towing 101_1564 (3)c


what I’m towing right now is a cargo camper conversion that’s 7x16 and 7’ tall so the frontal area is 7x7 although it is a v-nose.

as mentioned above, tongue weight and passengers and anything else you put in the truck counts toward that payload so in my case I add about 400 for me and the wife, 100 for the dogs, 50-60 for the weight distribution hitch and 600 tongue weight and end up at 1150 or so. Not much room for luggage or anything else. But.... we put all the gear and luggage in the trailer. My cargo camper w/two 3500 lb axels scaled 4200 on the axles and 600 on the tongue disconnected from the truck so when we load up to go, we load the totes of dry food, gear and luggage over the trailers axles to keep the tongue around 600 and had no problem at all.

what you’ll have to watch when buying any premade camper like the Grand Design you mentioned is they always put a huge cargo area in the nose and a lot of people load that full without thinking about how much tongue weight that adds (which counts towards your payload numbers.)

I’ve towed a single axle without WD and towed this tandem axle trailer ONCE without WD. Above 55 the slightest breeze or buffeting from other vehicles makes for a nervous drive from the trailer sway. A good WD hitch with sway control makes a ton of difference no matter what your towing! It spreads the tongue weight across the front and rear axles of the truck so you not squatting in the rear and puts some of that weight to the trailer axles as well AS LONG AS ITS SET UP RIGHT!! I have an E2 roundbar WDH and had to play with the adjustments a few times to get it set right. Once I had it set up right and the trailer brake load and sensitivity dialed in, we traveled from Missouri to Yellowstone and back at the 70mph speed limit, and the trailer never swayed, wiggled or got of line at all (even when a semi pulled out from the entrance ramp to the middle lane right in front of me causing me to have to lock the trailer brakes) Just Make sure to read the directions that come with it and set it right. I’ve seen too many people pulling campers that are not level, with trucks that are nose up swaying down the road at 65 mph and thats scary to see knowing they are a hairs breath away from losing it and possibly killing themselves or someone else.

We have been looking at premade campers ourselves but there’s more to consider than which one has the nicest floor plan or amenities. Take your time and crunch all the numbers before you commit to make sure you’ll be able enjoy taking that camper on all the trips you want to take.:like:
Thank you for all of the good advice ! :)
 

kstine98

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Danielspivey and xjaddiction summed it up perfectly. They just told you everything that I learned about towing by spending HOURS on the internet.
 

FutureOdin

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https://www.hitchrv.com/product/new...erokee-wolf-pup-black-label-18tobl-1274769-29

Here’s what I have. Pulls great with the jtmt, so it would pull great with a rubi. Well under weight ratings and payload. Like others have said it bounces a bit with the single axle but nothing to worry about.

in a addition to a wdh id suggest sumo spring rear bump stops and air bags. The combination of the two makes the ride feel like there’s nothing behind the JT. It’s unbelievable the difference the two additions made.


WDH i use

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Distribution-Hitch/Fastway/FA94-00-1000.html

Sumo spring rear bump stops

https://www.supersprings.com/shop/ssr-407-40/

Air lift bags

https://www.truckspring.com/products/Air-Lift-1000-Air-Spring-Kit-For-Coil-Springs-Rear-Axle__AIL60830.aspx?pviD=2226746&msclkid=8f756285b2c3126201660209917e91a6&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=a 2021_2_3 8_33&utm_term=4583245519769940&utm_content=a&ppcsclkid=8f756285b2c3126201660209917e91a6&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=a 2021_2_3 8_33&utm_term=4583245519769940&utm_content=a&ppcstrkid=1717121153&ppcsu=xhg7f5djqkazerawe


Jeep Gladiator RV Towing 101_1564 (3)c

sits perfectly and rides like a dream with the stuff I linked above.
You run sumo springs and air bags together? Wasn't sure if that was possible.
 

Lhanz

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Just got back from a trip out to Big Bend, first tow with My JTR and new trailer Tab 320CS Tongue weight 250, weight 2500 dry. The truck towed as well as can be expected for a midsize truck at speeds between 65-68mph. Real world gas mileage is the only thing I would wish different. We got and average of 10 mpg, combined some headwinds and elevation changes in both directions. All that gave us a range of 200+/- miles. I can't imagine towing anything bigger or heavier. The truck can certainly handle it but how often do you want to stop?
Jeep Gladiator RV Towing IMG_1725
 

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letzrol

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Last year I purchased a new 2020 Gladiator Rubicon 3.6L v6, 4.10 axle ratio, with tow package. I bought the Gladiator not only for off roading in southern UT but to also to tow our 25' Airstream trailer which weighs about 6,000 lbs dry. I recently had the dealer install the Mopar electronic brake controller on the Gladiator. The Gladiator payload is 1,171 lbs and after subtracting the weight the Warn winch, of a couple adults and the Airstream hitch weight (with full LP propane tanks and two batteries) and factoring in the BlueOx weight distribution hitch, I am pretty close to the payload limit. The Gladiator towed the Airstream from northern UT to Moab just fine for the recent Easter Jeep Safari.

IMG_0650.jpeg
 

dpowell5523

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I have a 2020, Rubicon/hardtop. I also have a 2021 26 foot Shasta Oasis. Dry weight is 5610. I use the curt echo Bluetooth brake controller. May not have been the safest but I was pulling it down the highway at 70 for a short period to see if I could. I bought the EZ lift recurve R3, weight distribution hitch. Towed like a charm. I am living in it and do not plan to travel a lot with it, but it towed fine. I did hook up to it after placing it, just to move it a few feet and can tell you that the Recurve R3 makes a huge difference in how much the truck squats. Don't even look at your gas gauge when towing trailers this big, it will make you cry. A 17 footer with 1000lbs less weight will tow fine, as long as you mind your speed.
 

Austingobi

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I live in Texas, so lots of highway miles before I get to my preferred camping spots in AR, NM, CO.
Max tow on 35s pulls my 3800# (5000# when actually traveling) great till 55mph. After that the engine struggles alot. Wind makes a huge difference if coming from the front..
If I was to do it again I would buy something with less wind drag as an RV. The finish on the outside and the shape make a big difference.
Jeep Gladiator RV Towing 20200919_065329
 

Desirayray

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I towed for the first time this week. My trailer is 1900 lbs with 300 lbs of camping junk in the bed and that was too much. Truck sagged bad. For me it isnt weight but wind resistance... and making sure you dont skip a gas station. Those of you towing 6k, your nuts...
Jeep Gladiator RV Towing 20210430_172509
 

sstroesc

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We love our Gulfstream travel trailer. It is constructed of aluminum substructure with sandwich panel side walls, roof, and floors with fiberglass and Azdel face sheets. It works quite well with our Rubicon. This trailer is a 25’7” tandem axle trailer with a dry weight of 3750lbs! The trailer cargo capacity is an unbelievable 3650lbs. Not that we could ever load it with that much. It is a 22UDL model. It is worth checking out. Great couples trailer. Will sleep 4 adults though.

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