New Truck Needs New Trailer

[cactusjuice]

Hello all! I’ve been trolling for a while and decided to join the discussion and ask some questions. Please excuse the long post but safety is a priority for me.

I’ve sold the old pop up trailer, kids are growing and need more room, and traded in my beloved Tundra for a GMC - fingers crossed she will be trouble free and as reliable as the Tundra. Looking for some advice and any suggestions you all have to offer.

We’ve decided on a Jay Feather 27BHB, meets our needs and is a great fit for the family. Just under 33 feet long, UVW 6550 lbs., GVW 7600 lbs., dry hitch 735 lbs.

New truck: 2019 GMC Sierra 1500, CC short bed, Max Tow, GVWR 7300 lbs., GCWR 17800 lbs., Max payload 1796 lbs., max tongue weight 1210 lbs.

I’m confident in my towing ability but is 33’ too long for this setup?

Can anyone chime in on actual tongue weight with this or similar TT?

Been bouncing around on WDH, I think Blue Ox is the one I’ve decided on. Is the 15K/1.5K the one I should go with or is the 10K/1K sufficient? Fresh water will be empty and we keep loading to a minimum, we take two vehicles with kids and dogs, but may occasionally load to full TT GVW. We boondock a lot and fill up fresh water just before we hit the dirt roads and don’t want to run into ground clearance issues.

I would appreciate any input or suggestions from all you seasoned wonderers. Going from a pop up to a full on TT has me a little concerned and I want to make sure I am doing it right. Thank you in advance and I am looking forward to becoming part of the Jayco Owners Forum and family.

[Big1]

Welcome to the forum. Looking at you payload it look like that you are good there, but what is your towing?

[Big1]

Also, others will chime in but a 33' TT for a 1/2 ton truck seems like it's too long, it might be doable but there might be times that it will move you around some.

[curver900]

Max payload 1796 lbs.


that is your limit.. so if you put 800lbs tongue of trailer to on it and you and all your gear weigh less than 900lbs you are good to go...



do you have the 6.2 motor? what gears? I towed a 26 foot octane with a 6.2 and 3.73's and it had not trouble tugging it around... but I had to load really carefully and i had a payload of 2078...



It was a lemon from the day I bought it but I truely loved that truck it was part race car part truck... but after the AK vacation my wife decided it was time for it to go... long story... but I gots me a new 2019 3500!!!

[cactusjuice]

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the feedback.

It is a 6.2, 3.42 gears with the new 10 speed transmission (silky smooth shifts) and yes - part race car and par truck. I love the truck and I’m hopeful she will be good for a long time.

I’m feeling good about the weight but this will be the longest trailer I’ve pulled, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

[ETCrockett]

It seems you are ok on weight. I agree with what has been said about a 33’ TT will probably move you around a bit. You will have to be aware of semi trucks passing you and move away from the semi and be prepared for the wake created by the bigger truck. When you feel the TT swaying, lift off the gas and tap the break controller a couple of times to settle down the TT. I pulled a 35’ TT with a Ford Excursion which has a longer wheelbase than you do and I still had to pay attention to a passing semi and trailer sway. This is common with pulling a TT. You will get used to how your rig tows and how it feels as you get more experience in the seat. You may want to find an empty parking lot and practice backing up to get use to the length and turning response. It will be a big change from a pop-up.

Happy travels and adventures!

[cactusjuice]

Thank you ETCrockett. I plan on practicing, big church parking lot around the corner and here in the Phoenix area, taking a couple of easy/short trips to the local lake. 45 minute drive, only a couple of hills and nice this time of year.

The pop up was about the biggest you can get, Fleetwood Niagara, but I’m adding an additional 14 feet or so and a lot of height/weight. I’m so looking forward to a TT with actual sides, the pop up was great but the set up and take down was a lot of work and cooling it/heating it was difficult to say the least.

Been sitting here for a couple hours reading over the forums and can’t be more appreciative of all the knowledge and experience everyone shares. Even got a few laughs when things went wrong and hope to avoid those situations.

Thanks again!

[Redwing]

My tt is 35 ft end to end and I tow with a f150 using the equalizer 4 pt sway/wd. As long as your set correctly the length is not a issue nor is sway I generally set cruise control at 68 mph. I don’t have a issue with semi trucks passing me or high winds. I have towed as far as Glacier National Park and To Gettysburg. Safe travels

[bill777x]

Juice, buy a Hensley or Propride hitch and be done with it. Yes, they are expensive but you'll never hear an owner of either tell you they aren't worth every penny. With a 1500 series truck 33 feet of trailer will push you around some so it'll come down to what you're comfortable with. Its your money but with what you've already spent on the truck and will likely spend on the trailer its a small percentage of the total investment. Good luck with whatever you decide.

[curver900]

Originally Posted by cactusjuice

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate the feedback.

It is a 6.2, 3.42 gears with the new 10 speed transmission (silky smooth shifts) and yes - part race car and par truck. I love the truck and I’m hopeful she will be good for a long time.

I’m feeling good about the weight but this will be the longest trailer I’ve pulled, I’m sure I’ll get used to it.

I wish you more luck than I had with said truck... I have 3 pages of items that were fixed all but 2 under warranty... from dropped valves to coils to rearend to headliner and on and on and on and oil leaks it was a mess... i guess I got everyone's lemon on that one


I had the 6.2 with 3.73 and the six speed i really truly miss it .. it was a hoot to drive and could have been a great work horse unfortunately mine wasn't...

[scuba0331]

Propride hitch will take the worries away with a 33 ft camper! Its an investment in safety.

[bstannard]

X2 on the ProPride hitch. It was awesome on our Whitehawk/Excursion combination!

[FLascent]

You should also consider adding a rearview camera if you dont already have one. I have mine pointed down so I can just see the edges of my bumper.

[cactusjuice]

I already have the rear view and hitch cameras on the truck and I’ll be adding the Furrion rear/observation camera to the trailer. Been reading how folks keep it on while driving and that sounds like a really good idea.

I’m leaning toward the 7 inch screen but not sure if that is a bit overkill. I sure don’t want to obstruct the view out the windshield. Anyone have experience with the Furrion and feedback?

[bstannard]

We have the Furion and it has performed well. Once in a while the screen goes blank go a couple of seconds but never had been a problem (think local rf interference). We have the smaller screen and while vehicles 100’ back can’t be picked out (see them in the mirrors no problem) I don’t think I’d want a bigger screen blocking my view. Just FWIW.

[mattchew]

The new 7" screen will accept up to 4 separate cameras. I recently upgraded from a 38' Keystone to a 42.5' talon 393 toyhauler. I opted for the rear camera and two side cameras on the front markers of the trailer. Basically I can see everything around me with ease. The screen does take up some space but I have it mounted in the pocket above my center stack in my Ram. It was the only place I could make holes that would never be seen if I took the camera/screen out at a later date. The truck has a small pocket with a plastic liner that is removable above the nav screen. I previously had the smaller single camera unit and it also worked very well, (had the first one fail and it was replaced under a CW extended warranty). Picture is excellent day and night for a complete picture of your surroundings.

[kayakterp]

I think "it will work" but I am nervous about your payload. I think you're stretching it and the brakes on a 3/4 ton will be remarkably better. I'm in the camp that you'll be pushed around and handling will be a white knuckle experience. Just sayin

[AmericanBiker]

Originally Posted by cactusjuice

I already have the rear view and hitch cameras on the truck and I’ll be adding the Furrion rear/observation camera to the trailer. Been reading how folks keep it on while driving and that sounds like a really good idea.

I’m leaning toward the 7 inch screen but not sure if that is a bit overkill. I sure don’t want to obstruct the view out the windshield. Anyone have experience with the Furrion and feedback?

I have this camera setup with the smaller 4" or 5" screen. If I could do it over, I would have went with the bigger screen.

[owenssailor]

I tow a Jayco 28U which is about 32 feet overall. The truck is a 2017 Silverado withe the 5.3 3:42 and 8 speed. Payload for the truck is 1950lb. The trailer weighs 6700 loaded for winter travel. Previously we towed with a 2012 Silverado 5.3 3:42 6spd. We use an Equal-i-zer 1400/1400 WD hitch.

We travel around 10 000 miles each winter. We live in Ontario Canada and have been coast to coast to coast.

This combination does not get pushed around by passing transports.

The truck pulls fine up long 7% grades.

We have not had any problems with towing that trailer for the last 8 4-5 month winter tours.

Your 2019 with the 6.2 should be a capable truck for the trailer you are looking at.

[DGW]

I think you'll be OK, but definitely go with a blue ox hitch set up. It is worth every penny and it's only a few hundred dollars more than other brands. Added plus is that it does not require an anti-sway bar.