Safe to Tow? 267BHS

[jgaryclark]

Apologize in advance for this long post but I wanted to be thorough...


My wife and I are new the RV'ing. We've been looking around for several weeks for the right RV for our family. We found the model we love and think our truck can safely pull it. Safety is my number one priority...if we have to get a smaller trailer we will, but this is the one we really like and checks all the boxes. I've been struggling with all the different weight - length information I've found online and would just like some advice from the experts on here. Thanks very much for helping us out and we look forward to meeting y'all out at the campground!


Here's the information I've pulled for our truck and the travel trailer we like:


Truck Info – 2020 Ford F150 XLT Super Crew Short Bed 2.7L EcoBoost V6
Wheel Base 145.0
Truck Weight (per weight card from scale) 5020 lbs (includes full tank of gas and me)
Yellow Sticker on Truck:
“The combined weight of occupants and cargo should never exceed 1603 lbs”
White Sticker on Truck:
GVWR: 6360 lbs
Front GAWR: 3150 lbs
Rear GAWR: 3350 lbs
Truck Tires: Hankook Dynapro HT 65/60R18 110T E4
Sticker on Hitch:
Max Gross Trailer Weight: Weight Dist: 11,600 lbs / Weight Carrying: 5,000 lbs
Max Tongue Weight: Weight Dist: 1,160 lbs / Weight Carrying: 500 lbs
Maximum Conventional Towing Capabilities (Ford Spec Sheets):
Axle Ratio: 3.55
GVWR: 12700 lbs
Max Towing: 7700 lbs

Trailer Info – 2021 Jayco SLX 8 267BHS
Info per brochure
Exterior Length: 30’4” Width: 8’0” Height: 11’0”
Unloaded Vehicle Weight: 5840 lbs
Dry Hitch Weight: 695 lbs
GVWR: 7000

Weight Distribution Hitch – Blue Ox Sway Pro

[Murff]

Well, the 267BHS has a max weight of 7500 pounds. So, if you had 15% tongue weight of that, you would have 1125 used up of your 1603 combined weight leaving you with 478 pounds of you, wife, kids and whatever you fill the truck bed with. If you have a tongue weight at 13%, that makes it 975 pounds leaving you just 628 pounds in the truck.

You will be really at the limits of your F150, depending on how you load everything.

Murff

[jgaryclark]

Originally Posted by Murff

Well, the 267BHS has a max weight of 7500 pounds. So, if you had 15% tongue weight of that, you would have 1125 used up of your 1603 combined weight leaving you with 478 pounds of you, wife, kids and whatever you fill the truck bed with. If you have a tongue weight at 13%, that makes it 975 pounds leaving you just 628 pounds in the truck.

You will be really at the limits of your F150, depending on how you load everything.

Murff

How do you calculate the 7500 lb max weight?

[Murff]

Originally Posted by jgaryclark

How do you calculate the 7500 lb max weight?

Jayco website under specifications:

https://www.jayco.com/products/trave...-west/267bhsw/

Murff

[TxLoser]

I’m seeing 1340lbs available for trailer, pax, and misc stuff per your ticket from the scales and the gvwr. If the trailer ends up around 900-1000 on the hitch, you’ve got 3-400lbs left over. I’d imagine you’ll hover right around max when all said and done. Could go either side of max. Even if you do go over which you may not, I’d bet it’ll be a negligible amount. It’s close enough, that I’d personally go for it if I liked the trailer. Just make sure your hitch is properly adjusted. Be prepared to readjust yourself after the dealer.

[2021JayFlight28BHS]

Originally Posted by Murff

Well, the 267BHS has a max weight of 7500 pounds. So, if you had 15% tongue weight of that, you would have 1125 used up of your 1603 combined weight leaving you with 478 pounds of you, wife, kids and whatever you fill the truck bed with. If you have a tongue weight at 13%, that makes it 975 pounds leaving you just 628 pounds in the truck.

You will be really at the limits of your F150, depending on how you load everything.

Murff

Agree 100%

[Rustic Eagle]

jgaryclark,

Welcome to JOF

Good-move taking your TV to the CAT scale for a weigh-in....., working with "actual" TV weights when looking at new TT's pays dividends.

Based on your data .........: (TV GVWR 6,360lbs) - (CAT 5,020lbs) = 1,340lbs of "available" TV cargo capacity for the cumulative weights of passengers, TV cargo, WDH, and loaded TT tongue weight.

The 267BHS (East Region version) has a GVWR of 7,000lbs and a 'published' UVW of 5,840lb. NOTE: The actual (TT yellow sticker) "as-shipped" UVW will be closer to 6,100lbs UVW (based on yellow sticker sampling).

Possible loaded TT tongue weight ranges:

* Worst case loaded scenario: GVWR 7,000lbs = 910lbs - 1,050lbs (13% to 15%) recommended loaded tongue weight range.

* Moderately loaded scenario: (6,100lb UVW) + (600lbs cargo) + (no fluids) = (6,700lbs) = 871lbs to 1,005lbs (13% to 15%).

Originally Posted by jgaryclark

snip...... Safety is my number one priority...if we have to get a smaller trailer we will,.....snip

I tend to agree that you may be pushing (or exceed) one or more of the weight limits (GVWR and/or Rear GAWR) of your F-150 depending on your typical ready-to-camp loading habits.

Once you have made your TT choice, take your new TV/TT combination under loaded conditions to a CAT scale for a 3-pass weigh-in. The CAT will confirm all your weights, WDH adjustment, tongue weight, etc..

CAT Scale how-to: https://www.jaycoowners.com/forums/f...v-tt-3871.html

Bob

[Camper_bob]

I think Bob (Rustic Eagle) nailed it again!

Here's my own experience: I towed at the margin (maybe slightly above at times), and while the weights all technically worked (most of the time), it was not pleasurable.

Constantly worrying about weights, loading, adjustments, wear on the truck, wear on the driver (me) all added up to anxiety for me.

I did it for a few years before our son came, then I changed the game. Traded in my 1/2T truck for a 3/4T and NEVER worried about weights again. Some would call it "overkill", but having plenty of "wiggle" room helped me sleep at night KNOWING my rig was within its stated and engineered capacities. No guessing, no adjusting, no foregoing items I wanted to bring to save weight.

A lot of people discount the "softer" side of towing capacities, found in the operators comfort level. They'll say "if the weights are within capacity, or even slightly over, it's fine". And for many, it is. But don't make the mistake (the same mistake I made) of discounting your feelings and comfort if you're going to be operating on the margins. For me, just because it "works" on paper, doesn't mean it's going to work for ME out in the real world.

[2021JayFlight28BHS]

Originally Posted by Camper_bob

I think Bob (Rustic Eagle) nailed it again!

Here's my own experience: I towed at the margin (maybe slightly above at times), and while the weights all technically worked (most of the time), it was not pleasurable.

Constantly worrying about weights, loading, adjustments, wear on the truck, wear on the driver (me) all added up to anxiety for me.

I did it for a few years before our son came, then I changed the game. Traded in my 1/2T truck for a 3/4T and NEVER worried about weights again. Some would call it "overkill", but having plenty of "wiggle" room helped me sleep at night KNOWING my rig was within its stated and engineered capacities. No guessing, no adjusting, no foregoing items I wanted to bring to save weight.

A lot of people discount the "softer" side of towing capacities, found in the operators comfort level. They'll say "if the weights are within capacity, or even slightly over, it's fine". And for many, it is. But don't make the mistake (the same mistake I made) of discounting your feelings and comfort if you're going to be operating on the margins. For me, just because it "works" on paper, doesn't mean it's going to work for ME out in the real world.

Exactly…. I did the same for same reason. Well said.