Neighbor got a new TT :7(

Azjeff

Azjeff

Well-known member
While walking the dogs last evening we walked by a new travel trailer parked in front of a house around the block. It looked pretty long and I wanted to take a peek at the spec sticker on the side but the owner was coming out of his garage with an armload of stuff so we walked on. He drives a 2020 (+/-) Silverado 1500 CC 4x4 Trail Boss. On the 6am walk we came by the other way and I got a look at the sticker. GVWR on the trailer 11,034 lbs with a payload of 2,100 lbs. His truck has a published towing capacity of either 9,400 or 9,500 lbs, a payload of 1,750, and GCWR of 15,000 lbs. Empty the trailer weighs 8,900 lbs and the truck curb weight is around 5100 lbs so his combined dry weight is 14,000. :oops:

Their house is for sale so I probably won't see what kind of HD truck he ends up with or how long it takes to get it. Another RV salesman "It'll pull it no problem" job?

Hate to see it.
 
Did he have an anti-sway hitch?

We see so many 1/2 ton trucks pulling long travel trailers and even some 5th wheel trailers. Most of the trucks are sagging in the rear, even with a WD hitch. The first summer we pulled our Airstream, we saw several trailer sway accidents, all with 1/2 ton trucks. We talked to a guy in the next site that was missing his truck, a Chevy 1500, because it was in the shop getting new brakes. He said he descended the Teton Pass Hwy pulling his 5th wheel and burned the brakes up on both the truck and trailer and barely got stopped before his brakes went completely out. He was going to fix the trailer brakes when he got home, another 1,500 miles. Our thought was, are you completely kidding? Who needs trailer brakes!

The point is, I don't have any idea why people rationalize that they have enough truck to pull large trailers when they don't.

Jeff, pull the front wheel off your 3500 and look at the size of the rotors and calipers, they are massive compared to a 1500.

I wonder how many people pull up to the Eisenhauer Tunnel on I-70 in Colorado with not enough truck and realize they have brought a knife to a gunfight? When you start down the 7 miles of 6-7% grade, believe me you want enough truck. Or for fun, the 20 miles of 3-5% grade on I-15 going toward Baker, CA? Again, you want enough truck.

I agree, the whole concept befuddles me.
 
I think 2 different things happen. One is people just don't understand all of the weights and ratings and safety margin and probably get a little help from the RV salesman and when they realize trailer too big/not enough truck they either correct the situation and that takes $$ or they won't admit their mistake and try to find ways to make it work with airbags etc. and white knuckle it. The other one is some people just don't believe in the numbers and ratings and do what they want safety be damned.

This neighbor has about 1000 lbs for everything in the truck and trailer before he's over GCWR, towing capacity, and probably truck payload. In for some white knuckle times.
 
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