How big have you towed? w/Pics no tricks!

[Bossdog421]

Nice . What model Freedom Express do you have? What do you think you had the trailer weighed down to?

I actually mistyped it's a 2021 Freedom Express 29BHDSLE... So 29ft bunk house Liberty Edition. I'm really digging the options that come with the "Liberty Edition".

Hard to say how much i had in there. 1 week worth of clothes for 2 adults and 1 9 year old, supplies for 2 dalmatians, dishes/ cookware , bedding, case of beer, case of water, enough food to get us by (we ended up eating out more than i planned) and then all the random crap you need for the camper. I'd say at least 600 - 700 pounds, definitely under 1000 pounds. We were probably heavier on the way back, while all the beer was gone we picked up a few cases of wine from the Biltmore, a few Jars of 153 moonshine from Tennessee, the wife got some random shopping stuff and i got a couple hundred dollars of the good fireworks.

I'd be interested in getting it on a scale next season, not sure how that works though.

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[devildodge]

I'd be interested in getting it on a scale next season, not sure how that works though

Go to https://weighmytruck.com/

Download the app. Put in a payment method. Do a search for the nearest CAT scale.

Drive there with your camper.

There are 3 pads. Steer at the front. Drive in the middle and trailer at the rear.

Drive onto the scale with your front tires on the 1st one. Your rear tires on the second one. And your trailer on the third.

Activate the app.

You want to do 3 weighs. First with trailer and truck WDH engaged. 2nd with WDH disconnected. And third with just the truck.

Costs about 12 bucks for the first weigh. Then 2 or 2.50 for the 2nd and third.

Then you know what you are working with

 

[Willwork4truck]

Acouple weeks ago I picked up a 10k rated enclosed vnosed trailer with front and rear loading ramps.

Highly doubt I'll ever need the full 10k, but rather have a lightly loaded 10k trailer than worrying about GVRW with a 7k trailer.

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Nice looking truck... oh the trailer is ok too!!

 

[Willwork4truck]

Just got back from a trip to the Smokey Mountains ~700 mile each way trip towing my new 2020 Coachman 29' Travel Trailer. It was my 3rd trip towing it with my 2020 Bighorn 1500 5.7 etorque 3.21 (longest trip by far though).

Trailer is ~6400 empty ~7600 loaded (probably wasnt anywhere near fully loaded). Tongue weight is ~740 . Vin on truck is rated for ~8300, payload ~1550. Nothing of note in the truck except for passengers and dogs. Biggest thing I've ever towed.

7.9 miles to to the gallon on the way there (mostly uphill), 8.5 on the way back (mostly downhill)

I was very impressed with the truck's performance. No struggles on any of the hills, great response, and a very smooth ride (outside of 1 really bumpy area).

Even though it did a great job, this is pretty much maxing out my truck. Already starting some research on a bigger truck and trailer. I'll probably wait a year before that though.

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Good owners report. Realistic gas mileage with a heavier load going through/up/over hills. You have struck a nice balance between the 1500 towers who feel like they can’t tow anything that big and the “you need a 2500” camp.

While I agree that your BH with 3.21’s is about at its “reasonably safe limits” (it’s nice to stay at appx 80% of tow capacity to give you some margin), you show that the hemi, ZF and the ET combination can allow an owner both the nice ride of the 1500 as well as the needed towing capability.

What sort of hitch (load leveling/weight distributing) did you end up with? Any suspension or tire enhancements (knowing that they don’t change payload).

 

[Willwork4truck]

View attachment 62753 View attachment 62754
29 Foot super slide 33’ tip to tail. 6000# dry loaded to close to 7500# in these photos. Maxed on cargo I both photos. Equalizer 4 point hitch made a towing very comfortable but it wasn’t set properly and I didn’t bring tools to adjust it. In the second pic I was able to reposition weight to take away some hitch weight but still plenty of sag.

Short 40 min interstate tow but the ride was solid and smooth. Some porpoising on uneven country roads with all that weight on the rear axle.

Next time I’ll dial in the hitch and may add helper bags thereafter. I’ll always be at max cargo when I go camping. Might consider moving the yaks over the cab and the bikes further forward if needed.

That’s getting up there on both length and weight. A little high for my comfort level but sounds like you know your equipment and what you are doing. Main thing is to not be oversold on trailer at the rv sales place if you don’t have a good base of tow experience and good equipment. Too many newbies start off over their capability levels in both areas.

 

[Willwork4truck]

The 6 lugs allowed for the bigger brakes and the 200 lb increase in GVWR.

I do not think there is a big difference in them really. At least in the older trucks.

But more is always better.

I always thought dodge kept the 5 lug because of the pentastar of Chrysler lol.

The went from the 5 x 4.5 to the 5 x 5.5 in 1981

Definately agree that rim/axle capacity is something which is commonly overlooked. While the poster is hauling heavier than most 1500 owners would feel very good about and it’s arguable that a 1500 shouldn’t be hauling a fiver period, at least he is aware of what “pin weight” is and is trying to accommodate it.

I used to be much more of a “weight police” adherent however these 5th gens are quite a bit of truck compared with the old iron I was using. You simply can’t compare a truck from the 80’s or 90’s to these new ones in any measurement. I’m pretty sure that my last tower (a 94’ GMC 2500 gasser) had both less hp, tq and tow capacity than these 2020’s 1500 models have.

In fact, I just looked the specs up and the 5.7 4x2 extended cab had 210 hp @ 4,000 rpm and 300 ft pounds of torque @ 2800 rpm. Max payload was 2084 and max tow was rated at 7500 lbs! (I think it had either 3.73 or 4.10 gears).

My 19’ RAM has 395 hp and 410 ft lbs of tq and is rated to tow even more, and I only have 3.21’s... We have definately progressed in frame strength, braking, power and safety since 1994!

 

[Bossdog421]

Good owners report. Realistic gas mileage with a heavier load going through/up/over hills. You have struck a nice balance between the 1500 towers who feel like they can’t tow anything that big and the “you need a 2500” camp.

While I agree that your BH with 3.21’s is about at its “reasonably safe limits” (it’s nice to stay at appx 80% of tow capacity to give you some margin), you show that the hemi, ZF and the ET combination can allow an owner both the nice ride of the 1500 as well as the needed towing capability.

What sort of hitch (load leveling/weight distributing) did you end up with? Any suspension or tire enhancements (knowing that they don’t change payload).

I'm using the Blue Ox 1000 Swaypro. It seems to do a pretty good job but I'll be honest i have nothing to compare it to. I want to add some airbags before season starts back up again. Not interested in upgrading the tires until I need to.

I was originally looking for a much smaller TT before I bought my truck. While looking around I found 2 that were bigger i liked much better. After speaking to the dealer and a few friends with more experience than me one of the trailers was just too far over the limit. The dealer assured me this one was not but that it is towards the limits of what the truck could handle. A couple friends told me it was still too big, most of others said I'd be fine and that i still had a decent amount of wiggle room as long as i didnt want to load up my truck with a ton of stuff. I am not one that usually needs a ton of extra crap anyways.

I will say i was extremely intimidated when i picked up the trailer. I white knuckled it home from the dealer but after a couple trips I am much more confident and comfortable. Backing that trailer into the tight space on the side of the garage is another story. I'm getting quicker but need help from my neighbors to guide me (don't trust the wife with this yet lol)

 

[Willwork4truck]

I'm using the Blue Ox 1000 Swaypro. It seems to do a pretty good job but I'll be honest i have nothing to compare it to. I want to add some airbags before season starts back up again. Not interested in upgrading the tires until I need to.

I was originally looking for a much smaller TT before I bought my truck. While looking around I found 2 that were bigger i liked much better. After speaking to the dealer and a few friends with more experience than me one of the trailers was just too far over the limit. The dealer assured me this one was not but that it is towards the limits of what the truck could handle. A couple friends told me it was still too big, most of others said I'd be fine and that i still had a decent amount of wiggle room as long as i didnt want to load up my truck with a ton of stuff. I am not one that usually needs a ton of extra crap anyways.

I will say i was extremely intimidated when i picked up the trailer. I white knuckled it home from the dealer but after a couple trips I am much more confident and comfortable. Backing that trailer into the tight space on the side of the garage is another story. I'm getting quicker but need help from my neighbors to guide me (don't trust the wife with this yet lol)

I think you went about this whole process just right. You asked others and considered their opinions, didn’t get swayed by the “eye candy” trailers and you even found an honest rv salesperson who actually admitted that it was a lot of trailer. Most wouldn’t even have commented on that, just would have steered the conversation back to “features“.

As far as the Blue ox hitch goes, your choice of the 1000# vs the 1500# was probably fine. A review on Amazon from a guy who is towing a bit bigger said: “I think the blue ox system itself is pretty well made. One mistake I made was guessing to little tongue weight so I had to buy heavier 1500lb bars at a later time. I've always in the past when using weight distribution put my chains on top of the bars so when I make sharp turns they aren't catching/dragging. With the new design of the head the small pins that you pull to release the bars caught onto the chain ripping the pin off. Customer service replaced them with no problem, even next day air when requested since I was going out of that town the following day. As far as trailer sway, I haven't pulled my trailer without this for comparison, however my tongue is 1250-1300 lbs and the weight distribution works excellent.

This system is also a bit easier to hookup than the reese style I used to have. As long as you connect the ball to your hitch and jack your tongue way up, the bars will lock into place a lot easier than trying to muscle it down. I do wish it came with a handle that was a little lengthier to make hooking up the bars/weight distribution easier.

Overall for the price and functionality, I would recommend and buy again for my next trailer. FYI - my truck is a 2004 cummins 2500 long bed quad cab and my trailer is a 2016 keystone passport 3290bh 37' overall and 6440 on the scales when hooked to the WD.”

Based on what this guy is using, you chose correctly. I’d just caution on the truck tires not to wait too long to upgrade, its your family and an expensive trailer so reshoeing your truck with LT’s makes sense. I get that its expensive and you did mention you may not keep this rig a long time so that has to be taken into consideration as well.

 

[Gun23]

If set up correctly it seems to tow well. The Andersen hitch is a little different than other WDHs. The chain tension seems to make a world of difference. Last time I pulled out of the campground I don’t think I had the tension right and the front of the truck felt a little light. After I stopped and tightened the chain on one side it improved a lot. I haven’t really towed before this setup so I don’t have a solid frame of reference. But I did drive a 24’ Class C motorhome a few months prior to this and found that to be more affected by cross winds than my 30’ trailer. So maybe the sway control of the Andersen is making a difference.

Also the air suspension really seems to level things out. When I got to the campsite and put my level app on the trailer it was exactly 0 degrees all around while still hooked up to the truck.

Hey, have a similar set up 2020 eco diesel and I just purchased a lance 2445. Any updates on how it tows? Thanks

 

[Gitter]

I've been pulling a 2021 Freedom Express 257BHS the past couple of months. It's a 25' trailer that is just under 29' tip to tip. It's dry weight is 5,822 lbs with a GVWR of 7,500 lbs and a hitch weight of 671 lbs (mfr ratings).



It tows great and I have been nothing but impressed once I put on some better tires. It helps that I went out of my way to find a Limited with a decent payload (1,455 lbs).

I'm using a Husky Centerline WDH which works for my needs without breaking the bank, but I still need to dial it in more with a trip to the scales. I was going to do it prior to the last trip, but time somehow became scarce thanks to the kids. When it was initially setup, we didn't account for the stock airbags and I was on stock tires.

 

[saylor]

its not real super heavy, but it was just exactly like you would imagine pulling 3 bigass water tanks - it had the aerodynamics of a loaf of bread.

 

[Willwork4truck]

I've been pulling a 2021 Freedom Express 257BHS the past couple of months. It's a 25' trailer that is just under 29' tip to tip. It's dry weight is 5,822 lbs with a GVWR of 7,500 lbs and a hitch weight of 671 lbs (mfr ratings).

View attachment 82058

It tows great and I have been nothing but impressed once I put on some better tires. It helps that I went out of my way to find a Limited with a decent payload (1,455 lbs).

I'm using a Husky Centerline WDH which works for my needs without breaking the bank, but I still need to dial it in more with a trip to the scales. I was going to do it prior to the last trip, but time somehow became scarce thanks to the kids. When it was initially setup, we didn't account for the stock airbags and I was on stock tires.

Thats a sharp looking combo you’ve got there. Imagine it spends a bit of time at gas stations though!

 

[Willwork4truck]

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its not real super heavy, but it was just exactly like you would imagine pulling 3 bigass water tanks - it had the aerodynamics of a loaf of bread.

Ha with my vision I thought you had a 1 ton round bale of hay stuffed in there! Thats goooood payload!

 

[Gitter]

Thats a sharp looking combo you’ve got there. Imagine it spends a bit of time at gas stations though!

Thanks!

Unfortunately, we do make frequent stops like this thanks to the 23 gal tank. It was my only comprise. I couldn't find one with a 33 gal tank and without the extras like the pano roof or the 22's anywhere reasonably close to me.

For now, it's not a big deal because I have 2 kids and 2 dogs that that travel with us...so we stop every 2-3 hours anyways. However, I am tracking the 33 gal retrofit thread and I may swap my tank system in a couple years when parts are more available again...or if I can grab one out of a wrecked 1500.

 

[saylor]

Ha with my vision I thought you had a 1 ton round bale of hay stuffed in there! Thats goooood payload!

this one may do it! it may kill it but it may do it!

 

[Willwork4truck]

Thanks!

Unfortunately, we do make frequent stops like this thanks to the 23 gal tank. It was my only comprise. I couldn't find one with a 33 gal tank and without the extras like the pano roof or the 22's anywhere reasonably close to me.

For now, it's not a big deal because I have 2 kids and 2 dogs that that travel with us...so we stop every 2-3 hours anyways. However, I am tracking the 33 gal retrofit thread and I may swap my tank system in a couple years when parts are more available again...or if I can grab one out of a wrecked 1500.

That or the old tech 5 gallon can in the bed...
I can’t last more than about 200 miles anyways... good to take a break and stretch and with kids and dogs... yep, you’ll be stopping!

 

[Gun23]

I've been pulling a 2021 Freedom Express 257BHS the past couple of months. It's a 25' trailer that is just under 29' tip to tip. It's dry weight is 5,822 lbs with a GVWR of 7,500 lbs and a hitch weight of 671 lbs (mfr ratings).

View attachment 82058

It tows great and I have been nothing but impressed once I put on some better tires. It helps that I went out of my way to find a Limited with a decent payload (1,455 lbs).

I'm using a Husky Centerline WDH which works for my needs without breaking the bank, but I still need to dial it in more with a trip to the scales. I was going to do it prior to the last trip, but time somehow became scarce thanks to the kids. When it was initially setup, we didn't account for the stock airbags and I was on stock tires.

What tires did you switch too? Thanks for the info

 

[Gitter]

What tires did you switch too? Thanks for the info

I went with Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT.

I wanted E rated tires with better traction while still quiet as OEM. These tires met all of those in spades (and they look great too). It firmed up the ride, especially when towing, and made the truck feel more sure-footed. Since I wanted new tires, I also wanted to fill in the wheel wells with 34" tires (295/60r20)...and a 1.5 MPG hit as well.

 

[Gun23]

I went with Cooper Discoverer AT3 XLT.

I wanted E rated tires with better traction while still quiet as OEM. These tires met all of those in spades (and they look great too). It firmed up the ride, especially when towing, and made the truck feel more sure-footed. Since I wanted new tires, I also wanted to fill in the wheel wells with 34" tires (295/60r20)...and a 1.5 MPG hit as well.

View attachment 82107

Perfect! Sounds like what I need to do. Leave wed to pick up the lance

 

[Gitter]

Perfect! Sounds like what I need to do. Leave wed to pick up the lance

Lance's are nice! Make sure you get some pics and report back!