Pulling the trigger...HT 27.5BHS!

[Flygirl]

Hi! We are almost new to Jayco! We currently have a little 25 foot keystone passport no slides. We have two small kiddos (6 & 3) who love camping! Problem is the size. Too small for active kiddos when we are in on a rainy day. That being said we love the HT 27.5BHS floor plan and underbelly heat and insulation. I'm looking for campers who have this or any HT models and opinions on the camper and towing with a 2009 F150 Lariat 6.5' bed 11.3k max tow weight. Also we live in Colorado and will be camping in the winter for a few days at a time for skiing. Anyone winter camped in this thing? Experiences?

Thanks for the feedback! I cannot wait for our new home away from home!

[weekender]

Flygirl,

I do not have this trailer, but can offer my opinion on the trailer. Also be advised that you may receive many opinions on towing so in the end you will need to do what is right for you and your family.

In order to determine if you can tow this trailer you will need to look at the payload capacity of your F-150 since this is where you will run out of capacity first. On your driver side door jam there should be a sticker that will show payload capacity. Once you have this number take the pin weight of the trailer (usually 15% - 20% of the loaded weight), the weight of a 5th wheel hitch system, weight of your family, and any gear you will be carrying in the truck while towing. If this # exceeds your payload capacity then your truck is not "rated" to tow this 5th wheel.

I had a 2011 F-150 in the past and what I found when considering 5th wheel trailers is that I would run out of payload capacity before I ran out a towing capacity. Now does this mean that you could not tow the trailer. No as I have seen many people on the road towing trailers that far exceed the capacity of their tow vehicles, but is it safe and what will happen to your tow vehicle over time? For me I would not tow the trailer if I did not have the correct vehicle tow it with. Have you also considered travel trailers and not 5th wheels?

As for winter camping if you have heated undbelly the camper part should be fine, but what will you do for water? Will you have a heated water hose or is your fresh water tank heated? If the temps are below freezing for periods of time then the hose or tank will freeze if not heated. Something to consider.

Good luck in your search for a larger trailer.

[RedHorse1]

What "week" says is 110%. I'd add that a trip to the CAT Scale is in order. Gas up the truck, load the tribe and get your weights. Your available payload will be the difference between the axle weights and the combined GAWR from the yellow sticker. Of particular interest will be the Rear weight and GAWR. This will tell you how much payload is left on the rear axle. Your 5th hitch will use up some of that (75-100#). What remains will help you understand how much trailer you can tow.

For Example- Rear GAWR: 4200# (from the yellow sticker)
Rear Axle weight: 2800# (from the CAT Scale)

Avail Rear Axle Payload: 1400# (4200-2800)
Hitch: 100# (just my guess)
This leaves you 1300# for gear in the truck bed and the 5th pin before you max out the rear axle.

So - "Gear in truck bed" 100# (chairs, compressor, pet fencing...)
We now have 1200# left over for the 5th.

Pin Weight: 1200# (worst case - we max out the rear axle)
I assume the pin weight should be 20-25% of the 5th weight (Week says 15-20%)
Using my assumption suggests the Max 5th weight should be in the 4800-6000# range.
Keep in mind the 4800-6000# is the 5th and loaded with your gear plus battery, propane and water (fresh, grey and/or black). In our case this is roughly 700#.

With our first TT (X23B) I was surprised to discover I was about 200# shy of my Rear GAWR with just the bride, myself and the wiener dog aboard. Throw another couple in the back seat and we were probably a little overloaded.

Since you have the short bed I'd also suggest you think "hitch with a slider". I didn't and have a new rear window to show for it.

Sorry to be so long winded. I'll cut to the chase and say, "the CAT Scale is your friend".

Good luck with your upgrade! We love our 5th and the space it brings.

[UPCamper]

We have an HT 29.5BHDS and love it. I also had a Ford with the 5.4L with a smaller 5er. It'll pull it but you won't go much faster than about 45 where you live unless you are going downhill.

[carey965]

I have that trailer. Towed it all last summer with my 5.4 2006 f150 with a 5.5ft bed towed it fine with 35's and 355 gears. Now I would be lying if I told you she didnt strugle going up hills. The pin weight is around 1200-1300 lbs

Now your truck will have an easier time but I would recommend having a contingency plan if yu don't feel like its up to the challange. I recently bought a 1 ton dodge and I dont even notice it back there. But I also bought it to tow a 3000 lbs boat as well

[Sledgehammer]

We have the HT 29.5 bhds too and love it. Granted theys been a couple things i wasn't happy about and fixed myself, but id buy another one tomorrow if i had to replace our current one.

Not had any of the newer gas burners, but I don't think I could ever be happy with towing my camper with anything but a diesel.

Not saying half tons cant do it....I've just drove 3/4 and 1 ton diesels the last 10 years and prefer to tow with a diesel.

[DJsFolly]

Pulling with 2011 F150 XLT EcoBoost 8,200 GVWR Package, Max Tow (11,200), Heavy Duty Payload (2,390), 3.73 and long bed. Pulls very well.
The trailer 2014 (2013 Oct) is another story. Don't leave the dealer's lot without running everything and pulling off covers. Cabinets had saw dust and screws. The furnace didn't work. The window in bunk house leaked (back wall replaced). Refrigerator lower grate missing sealant. Stairs sloped down enough to make us hold on the hand rail.
We cannot complement our dealer, Camping World enough, they went the extra mile to fix, repair and replace problems as they arise.

[Flygirl]

Thanks y'all! We take delivery in a few weeks. It's still in the factory in Indiana. We will definitely weigh it. My husband is having airbags installed to help with towing. As for the winter camping we opted for the Extreme Weather Package. All pipes are wrapped with heat tape and the takes are covered with a heated blanket. All 12 volt or 120 volt. And of course the heated and insulated underbelly. We should be fine winter camping now!

Thanks for your help!

[nwminnesota]

Congrats on the new trailer. I do for see a new truck in your near future.

[fielro]

Flygirl, congrats on the new purchase and welcome to the forum. Happy camping