Towing question Eagle HT 27.5 RLTS

davidki · 01-10-2015, 08:38 PM

We currently own a 2007 GMC Sierra Crew Cab, 6.5' bed 2500HD with the Heavy Duty Tow Package, Brake Controller and Gas 6.0L engine. We currently tow our Jayco Jay Flight 26 RKS TT and it pulls just fine, our ULVW is about 6400 lbs. It seems to tow the TT just fine, of course were using a Weight Distributed hitch.

I have toyed with the area of getting in to a FW and have looked at quite a few as of right now the Jayco Eagle HD 27.5 has our interest but although the dealer says "No Problem" my gut says ask for real life stories from this forum.

From the GMC Book, we have a 10,200 lb towing capacity, (not sure if that is FW or if it matters) This is the New Design GMC in 2007. From what I could find is the Payload is about 2100 lbs.

I know, the logical answer is Buy a Diesel... Ok, but that's another $65,000 on top of the FW and now that is getting pretty expensive...

Is the weight considerations different on a FW vs a TT? If I recall, the 27.5 is about 1500 lbs more ULVW than our TT.

Before I jump in with both feet I'd appreciate any comments from current users of this unit or units that have about the same weight and size.. the last thing I want to do is to drive an unsafe set up its' just not worth it.

We live in the Nashville Tennessee area, went to the RV show today and there are some pretty huge fw out there.... it's hard to find the smaller sizes and weights....

We love our Jayco now... and the dealer has been very supportive... but what they think is safe may stretch the idea a bit..

Thanks in advance for any comments... As for the diesel, right now that is probably out of the question..
Dave

RedHorse1 · 01-10-2015, 10:30 PM

I'm not a pro on the topic but will share what I believe is true.
If you drive up in a 1963 VW the dealer would probably tell you "it's gonna pull just fine".

I would expect the 5th weight to increase by about 1000# once loaded (this is probably generous).
So if the dry weight is 7000# the loaded weight would be around 8000#.
The pin weight should be 20-25% of the 5th weight which would be 1600-2000#.
I would suggest a trip to your CAT Scale with a full gas tank and loaded with the people your normally travel with and the gear you put in the TV. This will tell you the weight on the rear axle.
Add the projected pin weight to the rear axle weight (from the scale) and compare that number to the Rear GAWR from the TT's yellow sticker.
If your GAWR is greater then you should be good to go. If it's less, maybe you should shop for a lighter 5th.
I say this a lot: "The CAT Scale is your friend."

We love our 5th for both the space it has and how it tows. Good luck!

davidki · 01-11-2015, 06:25 AM

Redhorse1, thanks for the reply, I am going to go down and look at the yellow sticker on the FW again, it was not real visible yesterday and way to cold to fool around with it, but I think it is going to be on th heavy side. I don't have a FW hook up in my truck so, taking it to the scale although is the right thing to do I can't until commit and then, it's to late to turn back.

It is interesting that in the Trailer Life Tow Vehicles for 2007 the GMC Sierra 2500HD just shows a TBD in the numbers. There are Tow weights for others given a Pull behind and then the FW numbers but for some reason TL left the FW numbers out.. .I guess due to the redesign of the truck in 2007 from the classic to he New style.

There isn't many lighter FW's If I recall I thought the ULVW was about 7600 and the GVWR about 9950 (which if I have a 10,200 tow capacity) would be way to close for me.

When looking at the weights on the FW they all seem about 1500lbs heavier than their TT counterpart. So, it may look like we just need to stay with what we have for now and enjoy it until we decide to trade the truck up.....

I"ll check out other FW's but I don't think I"ll find much different in a 30' FW as to weight and design... If anyone has ideas on other models (that are quality built) Chime in for sure....

Thanks for the reply, I"ll just have to do more checking on the capacities .. and other manufacturers....

Dave

Sledgehammer · 01-11-2015, 06:46 AM

Hello Dave! We probably passed at the Rv show.

I think your truck would probably handle the weight. Im not sure how long you'd be happy with the power of the 6.0 gas burner though. Dont get me wrong, the 6.0 is a very good engine and puts down good power, but with 8000lbs behind it combined with some East TN hills....it will leave a bit to be desired in my opinion.

Im in the same boat on trucks....65k sure is a lot of money to drop on a new truck. I looked at a few on the way to and from the RV show....makes me wanna put another 100k miles on my old ford!

**Crabman** · 01-11-2015, 07:48 AM

The trucks tow ratings should be in the manual, the payload should be on the door sticker. There are different ratings for towing a 5er, they allow more weight for that. As for payload, I`m thinking your truck may have a payload greater then the 2100 lbs you posted, simply because mine is over 3400lbs...

davidki · 01-11-2015, 07:58 AM

Sledgehammer (funny I know another guy with the email Sledgehammer).. but he lives in Alabama :-)

I appreciate your input, right now with our current Jayco TT it has a ULVW of 6400lbs and we probably load it with less that 700lbs when we go out... the truck pulls it just fine, no speed award jumping on the fewweway or climbing the TN hillls but with the FW and 2000+ lbs I thiink your right. The tow haul mode in the GMC is pretty amazing and it really increases the towing comfort of the truck but again, adding 2-2.5K more that proably would just load it down enuogh to make it uncomfortable.

I can't justify a truck change right now for the number of days we get out and for the short distances we go.... we just scheduled our first trip to Elkmont in May and that is a 200 mile tow for us. One thing good is my wife loves our Jayco 26RKS so that takes the pressure off on moving up... but I guess were just going to have to keep researching our options... and Who Knows watch for a low millage diesel perhaps.... that may be our choice to change out over time!

davidki · 01-11-2015, 08:03 AM

Crabman, I"ll go out and get the manual, I have the original brochure on the truck which I used to come up with the numbers but I'll check again on the door plate and the manual an see what it says. One thing for sure Ive called several dealers and most of them don't have a clue...just say look at the brochure... That is interesting that your truck has the payload you mentioned... Thanks for the tip.
Dave

Wrascal · 01-11-2015, 08:43 AM

Possible a dumb statement/question here ... but simply adding a diesel engine won't change the various weight limitations. A 3/4 ton is still a 3/4 ton.

I suspect that a diesel, weighing more, would actually raise the TV weight which subtracts from the payload weight. Yes/no?

The only way to legally raise axle weight restrictions requires a larger class of TV?

Sledgehammer · 01-11-2015, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davidki

Sledgehammer (funny I know another guy with the email Sledgehammer).. but he lives in Alabama :-)

I appreciate your input, right now with our current Jayco TT it has a ULVW of 6400lbs and we probably load it with less that 700lbs when we go out... the truck pulls it just fine, no speed award jumping on the fewweway or climbing the TN hillls but with the FW and 2000+ lbs I thiink your right. The tow haul mode in the GMC is pretty amazing and it really increases the towing comfort of the truck but again, adding 2-2.5K more that proably would just load it down enuogh to make it uncomfortable.

I can't justify a truck change right now for the number of days we get out and for the short distances we go.... we just scheduled our first trip to Elkmont in May and that is a 200 mile tow for us. One thing good is my wife loves our Jayco 26RKS so that takes the pressure off on moving up... but I guess were just going to have to keep researching our options... and Who Knows watch for a low millage diesel perhaps.... that may be our choice to change out over time!

You may be fine with the 6.0 for awhile then. I know my old ford diesel doesnt make near the power these newer trucks do. Does it pull my camper good in East TN? Good enough. Would I want to go camp the US with it? No way. Most of our trips are under 100 miles one way. Might get out to 200-250 once a year...might. Hard for me to justify getting a $65,000.00 truck just yet.

**Crabman** · 01-11-2015, 10:50 AM

Up for consideration here are the numbers for that unit, supposedly "half ton towable" and I suppose that`s what HT stands for. I know there are some members here that do in fact tow the HT series with half ton trucks. While I`m not convinced this would be a totally desirable setup for half ton trucks, the 2500 should be up to the task, especially if you keep your loaded weights down. All this info is from the Jayco HT Eagle page.

Weights & Measures
WEIGHTS
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 7,625
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 1,260
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 9,950
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 2,325
MEASUREMENTS
Exterior Travel Length (Pin box to bumper) 30'
Total Exterior Length 30' 11"
Exterior Width 96"
Exterior Height with A/C 140-3/4"
Interior Bedroom Height 74"
Queen Bed 60 x 80
Hide-A-Bed Sofa 46 x 76-1/2
Wheel Base 231-7/8"
TANK CAPACITIES
Fresh Water Capacity (gals) includes water heater 48
Gray Waste Water Capacity (gals) 65
Black Waste Water Capacity (gals) 32.5
OTHER
Sleeping Capacity 3-4

amabee · 01-11-2015, 11:26 AM

One thing the OP didn't mention was the axle ratio which makes a fairly big difference. I know on our truck with the 3.73s the max towing is 9400lbs, with 4.10s it jumps to 13,000.

nwminnesota · 01-11-2015, 01:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wrascal

Possible a dumb statement/question here ... but simply adding a diesel engine won't change the various weight limitations. A 3/4 ton is still a 3/4 ton.

I suspect that a diesel, weighing more, would actually raise the TV weight which subtracts from the payload weight. Yes/no?

The only way to legally raise axle weight restrictions requires a larger class of TV?

My 3/4 crewcab 4x4 6.5 box duramax sticker for payload says 2550ibs. So I think it does decrease payload if the gas truck is at 3000. But my tow rating I think it says 17500ibs. Would have to look in the book for exactly the right numbers. Hope that helped

Wrascal · 01-11-2015, 05:33 PM

That's understandable; a larger engine (gas or diesel, and/or better gearing) is capable of dragging a heavier trailer down the road. The offset to these larger engines is their greater weight - penalizing the cargo weight by an equal amount.

rryman · 01-24-2015, 06:52 PM

We just got our Jayco 27.5 RLTS yesterday. Pulling it with a F250, 6.2 gas. It sure seemed to do fine coming home handling the hills on the interstate. Traded in a Jayco 24ft. TT with a UVW of 4800. The fw tag states the UVW as 8000. Just towing our TT to the dealer, and towing the FW back the same route, the FW actually seemed to pull easier, or have less wind resistance than the TT. Might just be me, but it sure seemed to be better, despite the added 3k#

davidki · 01-24-2015, 07:32 PM

RRYMAN, thanks for that report, That is a big jump in weight, but it sounds like your ok with it... Do you have a long bed or a short bed? What FW hitch did you pick and install? I like the 27.5 layout and the one I'd probably go for. What year is your F250? What cab set up? What is your Rear end ratio? We have a Crew Cab Sierra 2500hd 6.5' bed with the gas 6.0 and 373 rear end.... I"m doing alot of reading, research and thinking what our best move will be.. but our Jayco Jay Flight, 26RKS is a really nice unit for us... it's proably about 6500 UVW and in most cases we don't even know it's behind us.

rryman · 01-24-2015, 08:06 PM

davidki, Like you, I've been doing a lot of research and reading. This time we hope we did it right. First time, we bought a trailer that our then Trailblazer wasn't capable of pulling, unless you're comfortable with 45mph on the interstates!
Anyway, we had out eye on the Jayco 27.5 for over a year, and our 05 Silverado 5.3 just wasn't going to cut it. So after we gave up on finding a used truck that suited us, we ordered a 2015 F250 Super Duty last September. We got the Super Cab, 6' 10" bed (short bed, but not the REAL short one). We also ordered it with the factory installed 5th wheel/gooseneck prep kit, full trailering/towing equipment, 3.73 gears and the 6 speed tranny, and one size up on wheels. We went with the Lariat package. The wife said she had to have heated leather seats!
Now for the 5th wheel. After talking, researching, looking and all that, I decided against getting an auto sliding 5th wheel, mainly due to the weight and expense.
The only hitches I could find that dropped right into the factory pucks were over $1k. After several emails to Reese, one of the guys suggested I buy an "adapter" that they make that drops into the pucks, then any Reese 5th wheel hitch would fit onto it. I ended up getting the adapter and 16k Reese hitch from Amazon. Both came with free shipping (the hitch came from Dallas and I had it in 4 days). Total for both was under $700. The hitch is light enough to handle getting on and off the truck, and the adapter weighs I think about 55#. It worked great yesterday, I had no trouble turning. However, I was trying to get the unit home and in my driveway before the snow and sleet started, so I didn't do much testing as far as short turning. IF I find that the sharp turning may be a problem, I will probably get a Sidewinder pin box, but I don't think I'll need it.
So, I'm still learning a new truck and camper, but so far I'm liking both.
Hope that helps

cloudteaser · 04-07-2016, 12:33 PM

I have a 2014 Chevy Silverado half ton with 6.5 bed 4x4 double cab. it has the 3.42 gearing,trailer package with trailer brake controller, I live in Minnesota and am looking for this unit to use mainly here in minnesota and maybe take down south in the winter for a few months it has the 5.3 engine. Can I pull this Jayco eagle ht 27.5 Rls with this truck. The truck specs show it can handle 9600 lbs.The Jayco yellow sticker says 8350lbs it has the Reese Revolution pin box on it. Thanks

davidki · 04-07-2016, 01:39 PM

CloudTeaser there are folks on here that say it will be fine and others say they won't.. If it were me, NO! I would not pull the 27.5 with that truck. In my opinion that trailer is way to heavy on a 1/2 ton truck with the 5.3 engine.

When we were looking we decided not to chance it even with our GMC 2500HD with the 6.0l high output engine, Ours is a 2007 with a 3.73 engine and tow package, it just didn't feel comfortable in my mind.. I know lots of folks will pull a FW at max, not me. 8400 lbs with a 9600 capacity... just not enough of a spread for me..

We decided to keep our TT which is a 2013 26RKS, we just felt the TT fit our needs just fine and with the truck we have I just sleep better at night!

I'm sure, lots of folks say they will... and it's plenty of truck... I'ts just a personal opinion in my mind. ( I'd like to have a 2500 lb buffer to work with).

SMS1115 · 04-07-2016, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cloudteaser

I have a 2014 Chevy Silverado half ton with 6.5 bed 4x4 double cab. it has the 3.42 gearing,trailer package with trailer brake controller, I live in Minnesota and am looking for this unit to use mainly here in minnesota and maybe take down south in the winter for a few months it has the 5.3 engine. Can I pull this Jayco eagle ht 27.5 Rls with this truck. The truck specs show it can handle 9600 lbs.The Jayco yellow sticker says 8350lbs it has the Reese Revolution pin box on it. Thanks

I looked at that trailer at a show recently. The problem is the pin weight takes up all the payload and there is no room left (payload wide) for anyone or gear in the truck. They say the "HT" means Half Ton, but it must be a properly setup half ton truck. Chevy doesn't make the "Heavy Half" anymore. If you can fin the F150 with Max Payload and Max Towing, you might be ok. But, with all that said, we passed on that trailer and ended up staying with our TT.

Force · 04-07-2016, 03:44 PM

Dave - I am in a similar situation with my truck & camper combo. Here are my numbers on paper:

2013 GMC 2500 SLT Crew Cab, 6.0L Gas, 3.73 gears
Max tow is 9400# per the manual (as well as the GMC Trailer Guide; check Google)
Available Payload per door sticker is 2,800#

2016 Jayco 29.5BHDS
Dry weight: 8300#
Max weight: 9950#
Kin Pin weight (empty): #1515

Now, after I factor in the weight of my family, the hitch, misc gear in the truck itself, I estimate I have about 800# of payload left over in the truck, so I'm in OK shape there.

My last camper had about 800# of gear in it fully loaded, so if I go with that my camper weight will come in right around 9100#, 300# shy of my max trailer weight #

So I'm pretty close to maxed out here, which is crazy considering this trailer is "Half Ton Towable" !!

(incidentally I will confirm real world #'s at a scale shortly after I pick up the camper in May)

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