Trailer Towing

Downtown · 10-19-2015, 06:32 PM

We are picking up our new Precept 29UR this Wednesday. This is our first RV after looking for around 6 months. Our need for the RV is very specific as we travel with our son for him to race his car (9 years old). We have a 22' enclosed cargo trailer and I have taken for granted we will be able to tow this with the RV. We are using a 1/2 ton pickup now.

Looking closer at the Precept spec's, it shows a "5,000 -pound rear hitch receiver". We will be right at that weight of the trailer with his car in it.

Anyone pulling something similar with their Precept? Most towing threads I see refer to pulling a car.

Thanks,

Kenny Brown

D&MAKAFUN · 10-19-2015, 08:04 PM

Hi Kenny, Congratulations on your Precept and Welcome to the forums.
I can not answer your question. My Jeep adds about 4200# to my combined vehicle weight. You really need to weigh your loaded trailer on a CAT scale so you know exactly how much weight you have.
A trailer that size, I am sure has brakes........right? Your Precept is built to stop itself, not an extra 5000# and in most states, brakes are required.
Join us on the Precept Owners Group.........from the header above, click "community", then click "Social Groups", locate Precept Owners Group on the right and come join us.
I know of one of our members who pulls a trailer with motorcycles on that his son races. I have no idea of the weight.
Good luck, see you on the Precept Owners Group.
Darrell

Downtown · 10-19-2015, 08:39 PM

Thanks Darrell, glad to find this forum and the Precept Owners forum as we have a lot to learn.

It is a tandem axle trailer and does have electric brakes. I've talked to a friend with a similar trailer and an older Class A RV and they have no problems towing.

gmapatime · 10-20-2015, 04:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downtown

Thanks Darrell, glad to find this forum and the Precept Owners forum as we have a lot to learn.

It is a tandem axle trailer and does have electric brakes. I've talked to a friend with a similar trailer and an older Class A RV and they have no problems towing.

Welcome to the forum

You may or may not be able to tow your trailer but the only way to know for sure is to go to the scale. I'd also suggest you look into the hitch weight as there is not to much room to max out GVW of the Precept @18k after loading stuff into it. Remember the hitch weight adds to the MH GVW and the trailer weight adds to the CGVW of both MH and trailer.

With campers, either TT, FW or MH's, each is unique in the weight limits, so don't just go by what someone else does.

Steve

Downtown · 10-20-2015, 08:55 PM

I'm getting more concerned now. I'll be at the scales tomorrow with the trailer to see where we are.

The dealer is installing a brake controller before we pick it up tomorrow. I choked at $800 to install it, but have to have it. They made it sound like they would have to wire it from scratch.

Also, looking at the Thor A.C.E. website, they use the same Ford F53 chassis, but have a 8000 lb. hitch rating. Could this be just the difference in the class of hitch installed and using a different hitch on the Precept raise the towing capacity?

I do understand I would need to keep under the CGVW.

gmapatime · 10-21-2015, 04:41 AM

The Thor A.C.E. with the F-53 chassis has the same exact weight ratings as the Precept in that GVW is 18k and CGVW is 23k, so the towing capacity is still 5k. Hitch ratings are only the capacity of the hitch, not what the MH can tow.

While at the scale, be sure to get the actual tongue weight alone because that is the number you need to add to the actual Precept weight.

Steve

Downtown · 10-21-2015, 08:07 AM

Trailer weight (empty) is 5700lbs.

Looking for a plan B.

D&MAKAFUN · 10-21-2015, 08:51 AM

Downtown, X2 on Steve's info.
Good that you have a plan B. I would be very uncomfortable pulling that trailer. Your weight # is empty which is already 700# over the rating. You could easily top 8000# loaded.
Good luck with it,
Darrell

mowdoc · 10-21-2015, 02:53 PM

800 bucks is hiway robbery!! The brake controller is plug and play as the Precept is prewired and you only have to drill two small holes in dash to hold controller (like we used to mount our CB radios) and then plug the wires into a plug that is under the dash now. This is a simple job once you have the parts, takes maybe 10 minutes.

Your Jayco Precept is factory wired for electric brakes by Ford when chassis was built. The plug is just under dash forward of your right knee. Camping World sells the wire connecter that plugs into the Ford plug and your done.

Camper_bob · 10-21-2015, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mowdoc

800 bucks is hiway robbery!! The brake controller is plug and play as the Precept is prewired and you only have to drill two small holes in dash to hold controller (like we used to mount our CB radios) and then plug the wires into a plug that is under the dash now. This is a simple job once you have the parts, takes maybe 10 minutes.

Your Jayco Precept is factory wired for electric brakes by Ford when chassis was built. The plug is just under dash forward of your right knee. Camping World sells the wire connecter that plugs into the Ford plug and your done.

I completely agree that $800 seemed way high for a brake controller install. I don't have any experience with the Ford F53 chassis though, so I hesitated to say anything. But even if it's NOT plug and play, the wiring should be there to tap into, and even that is not an $800 job. I could see that money (maybe) if they had to run all new wires and start from scratch ... but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

If I were you, I would get a second opinion from a Ford shop that routinely works on the F53 chassis.

mowdoc · 10-21-2015, 04:16 PM

All F53s with a 7 pin plug at hitch are wired for electric brakes and have been for a few years now. Finding the plug under dash will take longer than installing a controller will. On my 22k chassis the plug was under dash in front of right knee tied up with a bundle of wiring.

The plug has 4 wires, two larger than the other two and the plug is square shaped about an inch on a side although it is not perfectly square but slightly rectangle.

Camping world sells an adapter wire that is plug and play with the brake controllers they sell. This wire plugs into the controller and the other end plugs into the truck harness plug under dash. It takes all of 30 seconds to make the electrical connection. Mounting the controller and finding the truck plug is the toughest part of the job.

Downtown · 10-22-2015, 08:44 AM

Thanks for the help with this subject and I'm certain you'll see me pop up on here again. Plan B is getting a lighter trailer. Lots of the trailer weight ends up being items we don't need due to the RV (A/C, cabinets, shelves, etc.). It won't be as pretty inside, but more functional.

Still working through the cost of the brake controller. We picked up the Precept last night and I'm going to see how they wired it up.

Again, thanks I look forward to learning more from this group.

Kenny Brown

D&MAKAFUN · 10-22-2015, 07:18 PM

Kenny, CONGRATULATIONS ON THE PRECEPT. Now you have her home, you can get "acquainted".
I see you have joined us on the JPOG. We look forward to you sharing your experiences.
Welcome
Darrell

Downtown · 10-22-2015, 08:13 PM

I didn't search enough the first time, but have found a post that references a Tekonsha P2 90885 and harness 3035P to be a plug and play installation for around $200. I haven't looked at how mine is wired, but the box they left shows to be a Tekonsha 90160.

After looking at RV's for over 6 months, we decided you are buying a dealer as much as you are buying an RV and we might be off on the wrong foot. We go back Monday to get some little things fixed and hopefully get a clarification on what/why they installed what they did.

mowdoc · 10-24-2015, 06:41 AM

The controller they gave you is this one Primus IQ Brake Control - Cequent 90160 - Brake Controls - Camping World which sells for about $95.

The plug and play wire they used is this one Ford Brake Control Harness - Cequent 3035-P - Brake Control Wiring Harness - Camping World another $19 bucks.

Both of these parts will do the job simply. I just hope they had a heart and did not charge you $800 for $114 in parts and less than 30 minutes work. On Monday you should confront them about the charges as $250 would be a high figure for what you got.

Downtown · 11-21-2015, 09:32 PM

We have had a couple of trips with the new (lighter) trailer and going from pulling a trailer with a pickup to pulling with the RV is a big step. I did not scale it, but had the weight ticket on the trailer at 3650 lbs., 700 lb. car and a few tools and parts. I figure we were maybe 4500 lbs.

The trailer is 24' and the Precept is 31', so it was a handful to me. I don't have a reference point to know if it pulled good or bad, but would like to do whatever I can to stabilize the combination of RV and trailer as well as see if I could increase the towing capacity.

Anyone know if air bags would increase towing capacity or a suspension kit that would help with drivability?

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