Travel Trailer Questions

[sarguy1941]

Remember dry weight is no coolers full of food, fridge filled with food and drinks, cloths, shampoo, makeup, hair dryers, curling irons, toiletries, checmicals for tanks..... I could go on. Everyone always says they will have no water in tanks and its a good plan until the wife wants to use the camper on the trip when you stop and now have no water. So there is another 5 gallons of water. Now add some pots and pans for cooking, silverware...etc...

Basically just saying you'd be surprised the amount of "stuff" that gets tossed in camper. Maybe not day 1 but trip 2, then 3 then 4..then you realize your over weight. I weighed everything I took out of my last MH and was over 1500# of crap !

Oh and dont forget usb cables, tablets, dvd.....

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[danielspivey]

I would add that it helps tongue weight if you can stow heavy cargo in the trailer behind the axles (or in the cab of the truck). Easier with some campers than others. Lots of tongue weight with travel trailers, as mentioned. Propane, batts, beds, pass through storage, etc.

not necessarily true, my tt was set up to actually be a little tongue light due to the open cargo compartment under the front bed.
also a tandem axel trailer handles weight loads (front/back) WAY better than a single axel, which immediately see-saws when weight is added on either side. I have found w my tandem tt weight distribution issues are far less impactful than single axels.

To OP:

A tandem 5k trailer would be a more optimal pull vs 3k single IMO. However I really think w your 6k max you should stick to 4000-4500 dry. My tt is 6k dry, I struggle to keep additional weight at 800, and I never fill the water tanks. My max is 7650 tho... You’ll be at 1000 extra weight in no time putting you right at capacity, which is sketch just in regards to insurance and if something happens.

bottom line get:
1) Brake controller
2) WDH w build in sway control, not the bs sway add ons, stray from chain systems. Make sure it’s set up right!!!
3) be conscious adding weight after WDH is set up, which is not as big of an issue w tandem trailers. It can throw things off

also be conscious on payload. Family drives separate when we go places. With hitch weight, driver, passengers, gear, dogs, stuff in bed, WDH yes this counts to payload) it adds up fast. In your situation I’d be just as concerned w payload as max towing.