New to Jayco owners forum

[Darin]

Welcome and congrats on the new trailer. We have a 2015 29RKS and absolutely love this floor plan. We purchased it new and towed it with an airbagged 8800GVW 2001 Ford F-250 diesel with a Husky Centerline WDH. It towed just fine, although it definitely required some air in the airbags and warmed the transmission a bit more than I liked. After reading posts on here about the tongue weight/payload issues, I started looking into my situation. A trip to the scales told me that my truck with trailer attached was 400 pounds over my max GVWR with no passengers or cargo in the truck. The tongue weight is 1460 lbs! I am now the proud owner of a 2017 RAM 3500 SRW with a GVWR of 12,300 pounds and a payload of 4330 pounds. This truck is overkill for our trailer now...just the way I like it.

[Gbreaux3]

Darin,
thanks and congrats on that new truck! When we first saw the Jay Flight 29RKS three years ago, I had a 1998 Ford 150. It could barely pull my boat; the new trailer was out of the question. That's why we bought the 2013 3.5L turbo Ecoboost F150 with all the towing features. I know it's still a smallish truck pulling a biggish trailer... and I need to see if the equalizer 4 set up correctly will be enough. Those air bags ($$$), have been coming up in our conversations lately.. Hope I don't need them though... thank you for sharing this.

[Gbreaux3]

Thank you

[Gbreaux3]

OldmanAZ
I found on NADA where it says 2013 F150 payload is 1846 lbs. What role will the WDH play in this? How will I know if I'm good to tow, or need a stiffer spring, or air bags, or more truck? Confused about pay load..

[Darin]

Payload is easy to figure out and airbags, stiffer springs, etc. won't change it. Take the curb weight of your truck with fuel, cargo, accessories, passengers, etc. and subtract that from the GVWR which is on your door sticker. The difference is your payload. Tongue weight is payload. If the difference that you come up with in the above calculation is less than 1400, the 29RKS will be overloading your truck.

[Gbreaux3]

Ok. Thanks

[Gbreaux3]

Ok got it..thanks

[oldmanAZ]

There is, at least should be, a sticker on your driver's door frame that gives the payload for your truck. The payload varies from truck to truck depending on the options installed on each truck. I don't know how close the NADA payload number would be to what is shown on a truck's sticker.

The weight of the WDH is included as weight being carried in the truck. So, just like a trailer's tongue weight or camping gear in the bed of the truck, that weight is subtracted the truck's payload capacity on the door sticker. A WDH transfers weight off the truck's rear axle and onto the truck's front axle and trailer's axles. A WDH does not increase a truck's payload. Stiffer springs, airbags, and the WDH may reduce the truck's rear-end sag, but do not increase the payload.

[Gbreaux3]

oldmanAZ
I have some numbers:
2013 FX2 3.5L
5254 lb curb weight. 26 gallon tank
Max payload 1846 lb.
Front GAWR 3600 lb
Rear GAWR 4050 lb
GVWR 7100 lb
occupants & cargo 1385 lb
L3 3.31 transmission 9400 lb.
Truck has 2nd transmission cooler and trailer brake hook up with brake
trailer brake controller adjustment on dashboard of truck.


2018 Jay Flight RKS
unloaded weight 6770 lb
dry hitch weight 800 lb
Gross Vehicle Wt Rating 9500 lb
Cargo carrying capacity 2730 lb


Looks like I can do it...unless I'm missing something, but I need to set it up right, run on good tires; truck and trailer, I need to get those big mirrors and I'm planning on going with the Equalizer 4 WDH. (I know this is a big rig, but this is what the wife is dreaming about, so I'm going to do my best to learn as much as I can about towing it safely)... Any help from you guys experience is appreciated!!!

[need-a-vacation]

Gbreaux3,

Are the truck numbers from the yellow payload sticker in your trucks drivers door jamb? If not, go look at your truck for its rated payload as it rolled off the assembly line. Understand any acessories added (step bars, tonneau cover/truck topper, push bar, etc)will result in a lower payload.

There is one more weight rating you need to watch. The trucks factory mounted receiver hitch has a max trailer weight, AND a MAX TW (tongue weight) rating. On the bottom right of page 3 is the weight ratings for the receiver hitch. Max tw is 1130lbs when a wdh is used.

The trailer “brochure” dry weights don’t include options. Even the dry hitch/tw does not include the weight of the propane tanks or a battery on the tongue. Those alone add ~160lbs for 2-30lb propane tanks and a battery. So you’re at ~960lbs before anything else in the trailer or any fresh water in the tank.

I would probably suggest going with the 1400lb rated wd bars for the wdh. It’s hard to say if the 1200lb wd bars would be enough or not until you have the rig loaded for a trip, and can hit the scales.

Congrats on your upcoming “being paroled from work” as I call it!!!

[Gbreaux3]

The numbers I listed came from the door jamb sticker.. FRONT GAWR, REAR GAWR, GVWR and occupant & cargo #s. The others came frim the owner's manual and Jayco website. I know I don't have a duelly or a 350... so I'm going to have to be real conscious about un-needed extra weight and make sure I understand how to check my setup from trailer through the hitch to the truck resr and front axels and keep all those tires in good shape... I'm going to be as careful as I can and hopefully we can pull this thing on up the road safely!!!

[Gbreaux3]

Hmmmm.... I did some more calculations based on Darin's tongue weight of 1400 lbs. and those are coming up very close... If I take the curb weight 5254# and add fuel and passengers, me and the wife... that brings the weight up to 5800#. subtract that from the GVWR on the door sticker.. 7100#.. that puts me at 1300#. So, if Jayco says the dry hitch weight is 800#, is Darin saying I will add another 600# with battery, LP tanks and the cargo loaded up in that front box? .. looks like I need to be at 1300 tongue weight or less?? I knew I was going to be close, but this is taking up all the slack!!!

[Darin]

My 2015 29RKS "listed" tongue weight was 760. I have the standard 2-30lb propane bottles and 2-6 volt batteries. My Husky Centerline is pretty heavy also. We only keep minimal required camp gear (chairs, camp table, sewer dump box) in the front pass-through and under the bed (front of the trailer).

If I am being generous with my figures, lets say that all adds up to 500lbs. My tongue weight (on the truck) should only be 1260 at this point. I did some research and read somewhere that Jayco's advertised "dry" tongue weight is based on a minimally equipped trailer. Mine has the "Elite" package. So, if I am correct, there is more insulation and an extra fresh water tank that now plays into this tongue weight.

Honestly, I'm not really sure how my tongue weight ended up so heavy. I was truly shocked at how much over the advertised weight it was. I knew it would be higher but wasn't expecting 1400lbs. I can tell you this though, my 3500 pulls this trailer a 1000% better than my F-250 did. To me, the scale and real world experience don't lie.

I hope this all makes sense and helps you out. I'm not trying to scare you, but just help you avoid all the headaches and stress that I went through

[namusmc65]

Welcome to the Forum. You will learn much on here and in your practical experience. Also, YouTube has many great videos online to show you how to do a lot of stuff. Enjoy your new rig.

[Gbreaux3]

Very much appreciated Darin. I guess I can "bend and stretch" the numbers in my favor to avoid the added expense of trading in my beloved FX2, but the smart move is to get a bigger TV. .. because you're right, numbers on a paper ain't towing that TT on the road, my F150 is... Ouch!!

[Gbreaux3]

Thanks. Yes we've been watching many you tube videos for sure!!

[CA-Texas]

Welcome!!!!!!

[bamabouie]

I moved up to a 2018 Jayco 29RKS from a Lance 825 truck camper, its a completely different experience, I tow with a Ford F250 with a Equalizer 4 pt hitch. I really like the 29RKS but I personally wouldn't want to pull it with a 1/2 ton truck, the F250 does alright but you know its back there for sure. I have been browsing the ads for 1 ton trucks already but the price is shocking!

[Gbreaux3]

Barnabouie.. thanks for the reply.. I feel as though I will need at least a F250, but I need to at least get the 29RKS home under cover and go short distances on flat land... and then deal out the F150 for a better TV.. Hope it works out.... thanx.

[bamabouie]

Its just the wife and me but we really like the Jayco 29RKS !