17z or 19h

Flash828 · 08-08-2013, 08:24 PM

Hi.
We looked at a 17z this past weekend, loved it. Also saw a roo 19 since there were no jayco 19h in stock. Love the dual axle and larger awning of the 19's. There is used one that we might look at this weekend. It's a 2004.
Anyway, we are a family of four with two girls ages 8 and 10. Towing with a Kia borrego that is a truck frame, rear wheel drive suv (the biggest one they made) and has a tow rating of 5000lbs. The V8 tows 7500, wish I had that.
How is the 19 in towing? I see it's about 3600lbs before we add our stuff. We pack our 2700lbs pop up pretty light.
Is the 17 too small for four? Am worried about that small Ccc. Is the 10' awning sufficient?
We usually take trips within 2 hours and one long trip a year (about 600 miles) so the larger 19 makes me worried with the extra weight.
What should a look for in the 2004 model?
Any other comments, suggestions...am open.
Thanks

Boss Wagon · 08-08-2013, 08:30 PM

We have a 17z we use with 4, (old, old, 19 and 15) and find it works well. We downsized 3 years ago from a Class A motorhome, and have only one regret. Not doing it sooner.

Denise · 08-08-2013, 08:54 PM

Welcome to the JOF flash828! As long as you can tow the rv with the tv safely, it comes down to floor plan preference as well as model design preferred. Members posting here can offer things to consider including storage available unit (in and outside); sleeping accommodations without having to break down a couch etc etc. If both models work for the tv that you have, which one allows for the considerations of both persons (kids etc) that may use the tt in the years you will have the unit? Happy shopping

chillywilly · 08-08-2013, 09:46 PM

We have a 19h and love it. We looked at the 17, but thought it was to small, and I wanted the double axle. I am townig with a chev colorado, It has a 5500lb tow rating, It does all right on flat and no head or cross wind, but put hills or wind in the picture and it works it. It will pull it, but it screams at 3000 rpm in 3rd and drinks heavily. Might have something to do with a small truck pulling that big wall behind it. I am looking for a cap for the truck to see if it will streamline it a bit. If you can, see if they will let you take it for a hour long road trip to try it on the road and see how your Kia does. Let us know.

Heady · 08-08-2013, 09:55 PM

Difference between pulling a popup and a travel trailer is major. It not just the weight difference, it's the big wall of wind resistance behind your TV. I had a Tacoma pulling my x20e, and like others had said, it was fine on flat land but was screaming up any incline, ended trading for a Tundra. The Tundra pulls the TT like a dream.

Alex19H · 08-09-2013, 07:46 AM

Have to agree with Chillywilly and HeadHunter for sure on this one, we tow a 19H with a V8 Explorer and it is a great combination. We towed a 17 before that with the same Explorer and the difference is substantial in weight. Even though the TV has a better than 7000 lb tow capacity, I don't think I would want to tow anything larger than the 19H without upgrading to a full size pickup.Hope that helps in your decision making......Happy shopping.

Flash828 · 08-09-2013, 09:15 AM

Thanks for all the info.....

We are in Northern KY which does have a few rolling hills. Not worried about those, worried about the times going to PA, NY or FL (TN/KY border is a killer). I've seen some Borrego towing Visa's with around 3600 Dry and they say it does great. They slope a little more in the front though, don't know how much that really helps...still a barn door. Even with the autostick and being able to drop it down to 3rd I don't want to burn it up. Might have to stick with 17. Wish it had a bigger awning!!! The starcraft sister has the bigger awning but the Grey/Black tanks are so small. It's also more narrow.

...Was going to look at a used 19 but he said it had a damp spot near the door, sounds like the rear bed leaked....Pass.

I'll have to ask if the local RV place will let me test tow there 19. How likely are places to do this???

Knickerbocker · 08-09-2013, 08:59 PM

Remember that your 5000 pound tow rating is based on a 150 pound driver and a full tank of gas. Add in the weight of cargo in vehicle, your passengers, and stuff on the 19h and at best your are right at 5000 pounds. Always best to not put your vehicle at the maxr tow capacity (90% is a good rule of thumb).

Allamuchy Joe · 08-09-2013, 09:26 PM

My wife and I have the 17Z. Our TV is rated for 4500 pounds, so we stuck with the smaller camper (3500 pounds max capacity). If we had a larger TV, we would have purchased the 19H just for the extra axle and larger cargo carrying capacity (The 17Z can only carry 400 pounds, as its as-delivered weight is 3100 pounds).

That said, we love the 17Z and are very happy with our purchase.

MrKong · 08-10-2013, 06:24 AM

I have a 19H because my dad had one. I liked it that much. How long until you think you might buy another tow vehicle? I think you can tow it, but you are going to be right at your limits. My yellow weight sticker with everything installed on my 2011 model is 3750 pounds, and that year was a little heavier than other years.

Threebutchers · 08-10-2013, 06:56 AM

Welcome Flash828

IMHO - considering your present TV limitations - and the distance / terrain you hope to travel...the 17z will provide a much better towing experience.

Good luck with your decision!

clossan1 · 08-10-2013, 10:28 AM

With that tow vehicle, I would purchase the 17z. We have a 19h and love the extra counter space, double sink, double axle, and the fact we can load pretty much everything in the trailer without having to worry.

Marteau · 08-10-2013, 11:15 AM

We have a 19H and love it. Plenty of room even when the 2 grandsons are along. As for towing I use a GMC Envoy, 6 cylinder. It's a pretty good load for it. Will be looking to going to a full size truck next year. We haven't gone far with it, ususally within an hours drive, but would like a little more stability for long hauls. The 19H has all we need for comfort. Good Luck.

pm1stnau · 08-10-2013, 02:38 PM

I can't speak for the TV you are using, but we have an X19H and we tow it with a 2013 Explorer with the V-6. Our trailer dry is 3660, pounds, and with a full tank of gas, bikes, kayaks, and luggage for 4 people, I venture to say we are at the maximum weight. Our Explorer does a fantastic job; we've never had any worries or issues. We do have some hills in Michigan, we do have strong winds, and anything else that may cause issues while towing. Knock on wood, we haven't had any problems whatsoever. Yes, I wish we had a bigger TV, but I can't justify having poor gas milage all year long just so I can pull a bigger trailer a couple of weeks a year. So, the Explorer it is!! Besides the towing questions you are concerned about, you also have to consider the size of holding tanks, the functionality of the kitchen/ bath, sleeping capacity, awning size, etc etc etc. Buy a TT that fits your family needs, that allows for maximum enjoyment, and that fits your budget; changing tow vehicles is easy. Good luck and, of course, Happy Camping.

MonkeyClaw · 08-12-2013, 06:39 PM

We pull an X20E with an FJ cruiser (5K limit), including hills, mountain passes, etc. One of the keys is knowing where your engine puts out the most power. Don't expect to cruise along at a leisurely 1.5-2K RPM. Our engine puts out the most around 4.5K, and we've sometimes run it that high. It sounds like you're pushing the engine a lot, but it's easier on the engine running at a higher RPM than trying to lug along at low power/low RPM.

We just finished a 3-week, 2900 mile trip with my wife driving for most of the time. The combo worked great. It certainly takes more effort than a larger vehicle, but it's not unreasonable. Just stay realistic with your expectations.

29BHS ECO · 08-13-2013, 08:10 AM

The 19H will tow better=(if you stay within the weight limits of the tt & tv) than the 17 due to the dual axel and it has the same" barn door" as the 17. if the 19 is within your budget the added 2 feet is huge when it rains. It looks like 30% off msrp seams to be the price level for new units as posted many times on this forum. As far as storage goes with 19 you can check the mods section for ideas. Just my .02$ Larry

Flash828 · 08-13-2013, 10:36 AM

Uggg... Thanks everyone. Was really leaning back to the 17. Then along comes pm1st, monkey and 19H F250 and ruin everything.

(sarcasm). We probably will stick with the 17 but I hope I don't kick myself for the 19. The Borrego pulls the pop up around 2000 rpm, but again, no barn door. Red line is 6500. The 19 looks to be about 550lbs more than the 17 before we add our stuff. I one time weighed all the stuff we put in the pup, just have to find that list.

elc7593 · 08-21-2013, 07:55 PM

We just up sized last Saturday from a popup to the 17Z
This was our second popup.
First was an 8x8 box with 2 full size beds. No couch etc.
Second was a 12 x 8 box with King and Queen, toilet shower combo, dining, and couch made beds also, this popup weight 2400 pounds empty compared to 1700 in the 8x8.
Our TV is an Nissan Pathfinder with a 4.0 V6.
Just towing the 17Z home I could tell a big difference, because of the Barn Door effect.
I would have loved to have a 19 also, but normally it is just my wife and I, but we will be camping at times with our married children and their kids also.
17Z has a queen, and a full, that sleeps 4, = the dinette and jack knife couch make beds for the younger folks.
I will probably never go over the 17Z, as far as size, without buying a larger motor TV.
My Rockwood M2280 (12x8) had more floor space than the 17Z does, but the setup was horrible. Especially after the wrecks I was in. Never again with a popup.
Looking forward to my first trip, in 2-3 weeks, family obligation prevent me from going sooner.
I can hardly wait.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flash828

Hi.
We looked at a 17z this past weekend, loved it. Also saw a roo 19 since there were no jayco 19h in stock. Love the dual axle and larger awning of the 19's. There is used one that we might look at this weekend. It's a 2004.
Anyway, we are a family of four with two girls ages 8 and 10. Towing with a Kia borrego that is a truck frame, rear wheel drive suv (the biggest one they made) and has a tow rating of 5000lbs. The V8 tows 7500, wish I had that.
How is the 19 in towing? I see it's about 3600lbs before we add our stuff. We pack our 2700lbs pop up pretty light.
Is the 17 too small for four? Am worried about that small Ccc. Is the 10' awning sufficient?
We usually take trips within 2 hours and one long trip a year (about 600 miles) so the larger 19 makes me worried with the extra weight.
What should a look for in the 2004 model?
Any other comments, suggestions...am open.
Thanks

Tan&Tone · 09-04-2013, 11:18 AM

We just up sized from a Jayco 1206 Popup to the 17Z. We've been on 3 trips since we got it about 6 weeks ago. So much easier than a popup. 17Z pulled by 2011, Ford F150, V8.

Flash828 · 09-04-2013, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elc7593

We just up sized last Saturday from a popup to the 17Z

My Rockwood M2280 (12x8) had more floor space than the 17Z does.

That is also my fear. The coleman is pretty large. Since there is no cabinets hanging from the walls it's very open inside. I wouldn't miss the take down though, king beds, yes. Seemed like every trip last year it rained while packing up.

Getting closer to deciding on the Starcraft 176rb (almost the sister)

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