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First TT and first tow home

jdefoe0424

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Well, bought our first trailer...a 32' Coachmen 7700 GVW and somewhere around 5900 unloaded. Appears that it was used on a seasonal basis, like they drug it to a campground where it sat all summer and then drug it home for the winter. We plan to put a lot of miles on her traveling around.
First issue was the Husky hitch I ordered got lost by UPS...luckily I had a hitch to use and was still able to bring her home in hopes the replacement hitch will arrive this week so we can take her out this weekend.
Second issue was about 10 miles from home the trailer brakes decided to stop working, got the error message on the dash too. Thought they felt a little soft when I first left the dealership but figured they had a little rust and needed adjustment.

I have had some reverse lights and bed lights plugged into the 7 pin connector for about 8 months and there was a little tarnish and some dirt in there but no nasty green corrosion. Has anyone had issues with the truck side receptacle with having a plug installed for long periods of time/many miles? Or any issues with the connections on the truck side of the receptacle?

I'm going to fix one future issue and jump straight to re-wiring the brakes on the trailer with 10awg wire, solder the connections and not run the wire through the axles. I'll be checking the brake magnets during the process to make sure those aren't an issue either. I have already adjusted the brake shoes while I was under it yesterday.

Bottom line, I was pretty surprised how well that 32' sail pulled without the weight distributing and sway control though I will definitely be happy when it arrives and I get it installed. Plenty of power with the 3.92's, she feels super stout in 1st gear. Felt good even though I was taking my time and not pushing the truck to accelerate, I'm sure I will do a full throttle run when I do get the hitch installed.
 

jdefoe0424

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Only pic I have of it currently, totally should have taken a pic at the dealer though on the flat ground.
4e428cc4cbefaddaf9d26c1f8e3eb0a7.jpg


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Boston

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Sounds like dielectric grease is going to come in handy.
The truck/trailer connection is definitely a horrid weak spot on Fords.
 

jdefoe0424

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Sounds like dielectric grease is going to come in handy.
The truck/trailer connection is definitely a horrid weak spot on Fords.
Yup...had some that I was supposed to put in there because I knew it could cause problem...now I'm kicking myself in the *** for not doing it

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2020ramwv

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I still haven’t pulled the plug on a TT yet. Nervous and 26-30 footer be to much for my ram.
 

jdefoe0424

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I was really surprised with how well the 32 footer pulled, granted the weather was pretty good and I didn't exceed 67mph. I'm anxious to get my weight distribution hitch installed to see how much that helps with the sway and bounce over big bumps.

If you want to feel most comfortable, I would step up to some load range E tires to reduce some of the sway of the truck. I plan on doing it when I have some free $$$ and the stockers are worn.

You can always see if the dealer will let you hook it up and take it for a drive to see how the truck handles it. The reason we went as big as we did is because: 1. We want it to last us the next 5-10 years and 2. We want to be able to have other family stay if we travel somewhere together. The plan is in 5-10 years to upgrade to a 3500 and then get a 5th wheel sometime thereafter.
 

My1stHemi

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I still haven’t pulled the plug on a TT yet. Nervous and 26-30 footer be to much for my ram.
I towed a 29ft TT this weekend that had a load distribution hitch. I have 3.92’s and the trailer tow package. These trucks can handle ”larger” TT’s just fine. I had a mix of interstate, 2 lane highway and costal range mountain roads with hard slow corners. No problems, in fact i was often passing traffic without a struggle on the interstate.

If I were to tow on a more frequent basis I might consider a 3/4tn + rig but the 1500 is a much better cabin to burn the miles in.
 

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