Jay Feather X254 for cross country trip?

flintsters · 09-29-2015, 08:06 AM

Hi, all. This is my first post and hopefully the beginning of some new family adventures. My wife and I are planning to go on a cross country trip in a couple of years with our 3 daughters, now 10, 8, and 3. We have only tent camped up until now, and my wife really doesn't particularly enjoy it, especially not for 7-8 weeks. To be honest, we are pretty overwhelmed with all the options and things to consider. So, here are my questions (and I apologize for asking the same types of questions that are asked a million times).

1) Do you see a camper like the x254 being able to handle the multiple set up/take downs that we will be doing? Is there another model that you would see as a better fit? It is our hope that each of the girls would have a place of their own to sleep and to retreat to for quiet if needed (keep in mind, in a few years they will be 13, 11, and 6)

2) We know that we will be needing to purchase a new vehicle (right now a Honda Odyssey). My wife really wants a vehicle to have 3 rows of seats for the day to day life needs, but with a GVWR of 6,000 lbs, probably hilly terrain that we will encounter, and wind drag, I am not sure that is possible (not to mention safe). Does something exist (that isn't a full size van - she made it quite clear that this isn't an option)? Am I limited to a crew cab truck? Suggestions about what you would use?

3) Since this is all new to us, do you have any other advice to offer?

Jagiven · 09-29-2015, 08:59 AM

There is a lots of opinions. We have a X23B, we have been all over the place, up to 3 weeks at a time. No issues with multiple setups and tear downs. What is nice, in bad weather you are up off the ground and stay fairly dry (expect for hooking up the hitch). We have been known to pull in late and not even unhook or setup at all, just crawl in and go to sleep, and deal with setup in the morning.

One thing I would recommend doing, as I am not very familiar with the rear hard sided slide out. Find out if you can sleep in it with it retracted. Sometimes, it is nice to pull into a Walmart parking lot, rest area, or somewhere else to take a nap, or sleep for the night, without fully setting up.

I am not much of a modern vehicle guy, so my help is not the best here. Key is to look at the load capacity labels and remember, that you need capacity, not just for the people in the vehicle today, but how they will grow, all the stuff they will bring and what ever else you will put in back or hook up. So making sure you have enough capacity is critical.

I have heard the Suburban is now available as a 3/4 ton. You might have to buy it used as I have heard they are only providing new ones for fleet operations right now. Personally, I really like Crew Cab pickups, but they are not right for everyone.

Last tip, when you go to a dealership to look over your options, ditch the salesman, and kids if possible. Sit in the TT, think about how you are going to use it. Then look through every cabinet, drawer, under the bench seating, determine where are you going to put all your stuff. Some of the really small units, are challenging to place all your necessities.

Best of luck to you

flintsters · 09-29-2015, 02:56 PM

Thanks for the insights, Jagiven. If, by chance, I was able to convince my wife that a truck is our best/only option, would a 1/2 ton crew cab truck work? I'm thinking F-150 or Tundra. My wife mentioned the Toyota Sequia as a possibility. Thoughts?

BigT · 09-29-2015, 07:14 PM

I tow the X254 with a Ram 1500 crew cab with no problem if that helps.

Country_Mouse · 09-30-2015, 08:08 PM

We tow our x254 with a Ford Expedition 5.4 L heavy duty tow pckg 3.73. It works but since we have 4 kids two of which are teens I would like a larger TV in the future that had more payload and a little more umph. I would love the 3/4 ton Suburban if we came across a used one.

I don't see why it would be any different with set up and take down then any other trailer.

Country_Mouse · 09-30-2015, 08:10 PM

P.s. We also own an Odyssey and it is not enough to tow the X254.

SilverEscape · 09-30-2015, 08:35 PM

If you are going for a half ton, it's going to depend on the half ton. We own the little sister, the X213, and we are super close to our rear axle weight rating and close to our payload (1525#). Even if we had a higher payload, we'd hit the RAWR anyway. Our tongue weight on the X213 is 770#. So even if you've got a decent payload, the RAWR may be the limiting factor. We've got Max Tow on our F-150, so have a higher RAWR than some of the other models. But we also have a high trim level with heavy options (power running boards, heated/cooled seats, moonroof, etc.)

Our loaded weight of the trailer basically is the GVWR of 5500#. If we had the X254, with the extra weight of the length and more bunks, I can see that we'd still basically be at the GVWR of 6000# carrying the same cargo. And if the tongue weight was 15% of 6000, we'd be at 900, which would put us over payload I believe and for sure over RAWR. Maybe the X254 lends itself to a lighter tongue, but the X213 does not. And there isn't an easy way to load heavy in the rear due to the rear slide.

If you are considering a half ton, I'd get the sticker weights off the door and also load up your family and camping gear in the back and take it out and weigh it at the CAT scales before purchasing. Nothing worse than having a vehicle that is super close to not being able to tow a trailer. Having had the experience of that TWICE, I say get more than you need if you can.

Gone campin · 10-01-2015, 04:37 AM

Our 26BH is a similar size and weight to what you are looking at - we tow it with a 1/2 ton crew cab Silverado and it does great. We towed it with a Tahoe last year and it did ok, but not as well as the truck. The shorter wheelbase and 4 speed trans in the Tahoe were not as nice as the longer wheelbase and 6 speed in the Silverado. If I were going to tow with an SUV again, I would get the longer wheelbase (Suburban or equivalent) with a 6 speed.

We are planning a long trip out west in a couple of years when our kids get a bit older (3 & 5 now) and I am confident in the truck doing well. We have towed from MD to OH, PA, VA and WV and it did great.

flintsters · 10-02-2015, 06:44 AM

Being new to this I don't want to put myself or family in an unsafe situation by having a tow vehicle undersized (not to mention me not feeling overly confident). The likelihood of finding a 3/4 ton suburban between now and when we would need one is pretty low, especially in the Vermont area. Looks like we are headed the truck route.

That is great advice, SilverEscape. Thanks.

gncw · 10-22-2015, 05:02 PM

We bought a 2015 X254 earlier this year and have used it for a multi-campsite this year and it worked well for us. Set-ups and tear downs are very quick and easy with the rear slide. Although if your planned stops are at plazas or parking lots, a trailer without the rear slide would be more convenient for you. We have 4 girls of a similar age range as you and we chose this trailer because of the 4 single bunks. We felt that it would work out best in the long run as the girls get older.

As far as tow vehicles, we towed this year with a first gen Sequoia and I would definitely advise against that as a TV for this trailer. While the numbers and the scales say we're within capacity of the vehicle, driving it lets you know it's beyond its practical capabilities...especially in the terrain where I live. As other threads have noted, this trailer is tongue heavy and that seems to make it tow like a larger trailer than what it is. We'll be shopping for a 5.7l Sequoia or an Expedition in the spring.

DocBrown · 10-23-2015, 07:38 AM

In a couple of years, yes, don't do the long trips right away. Get a season or two of getting to know the trailer inside and out, and creating your own routine of setup/take down before you take a big trip. We've done several "road tips" ranging from 1400 miles total to nearly 6000 miles. Lots of fun, lots of planning needed. I know I go against the grain when I say this, but long trips with the trailer can be stressful, especially with kids, especially if your time is limited. It's not like throwing a few suitcases in the car. You mentioned 7-8 weeks at a time. That's ideal. You can take your time and it dramatically reduces the stress level. Personally we're done with long trips with the trailer until I retire.

As much as I would recommend a crew cab PU, with 3 girls of such a wide age range, I can't see it. A full size SUV with 3 row seating is what you need, however, finding one that has both the towing capacity and payload for your growing family is going to be tough.

I might suggest you get your wife to be open minded and consider a hybrid. Trust me, a hybrid, while have "cavans" bunk ends, is nothing like tenting. We tented for many years, and had pop-ups over an 11 year period. A 3 bunk model like the 17XFD may give you as much if not more room than the trailer you are looking at. Moreover, hybrids are generally a lot lighter and would give you more options in choice of tow vehicle.

One thing I will say, no matter what you do, many RVing choices you make will involve some sort of compromise.

flintsters · 10-26-2015, 11:55 AM

I have been tossing around the idea of a hybrid and, based on your suggestion, I am starting to lean in that direction. I am completely new to this, so as you know the learning curve is vertical right now, and the many options and things to consider doesn't make things any easier. I am assuming that a hybrid will force us to stay in a campground each night (no sleeping the night in Walmart). It's not a deal breaker, but certainly a consideration.

What are your thoughts about using a Toyota Sequoia as a tow vehicle (GCWR = 13,500 lbs, GVWR = 1250 lbs, Towing capacity = 7100 lbs) with one of these? The slide will give us a lot more interior room and Jayco doesn't offer a 3 bunk hybrid with a slide (at least I didn't see one).

flintsters · 12-01-2015, 11:05 AM

Okay....I continue to make myself a little crazy but here goes nothing. In looking around it looks like the biggest bang for the buck in terms of 3rd row seating and capacity is the new Expedition. It will have a max towing of 9200 lbs, GCWR 15,200 lbs, GVWR 7400 lbs. What are your thoughts about pairing it with this White Hawk 24MBH? It looks like I might be pushing it a bit if I knock 20% off the capacities, but I'm wondering if I can make up for that by not traveling with full tanks????

Country_Mouse · 12-02-2015, 01:01 AM

We have a 2004 Expedition. Max towing with a wdh is 8950#. GVWR is 7100#. GCWR is 14,500#. We have 4 kids plus 2 dogs. When shopping for our X254 (GTWR of 5995#) it all fell within the specs of what we could get away with. How much payload do you need? I am new to this myself but our performance out of the Expedition was not ideal. Slow up grades, slow starts and lots of rear sagging. We were over our RAWR by several hundred pounds. Our wdh probably needed some adjustments but I don't believe we could of gotten it within an acceptable range. Our trailer is lighter than that Whitehawk too. I just don't know how happy you'd be being Soooo close. Let's just say we just purchased an Excursion after only 2 trips with our new trailer. Taking it out this weekend with the new TV. Can't wait to see the difference! It was a lot cheaper too than a new Expy!

P.s. We traveled with empty tanks too.

flintsters · 12-02-2015, 07:08 AM

That is super helpful, Country Mouse. While I muck my way through this process it's so helpful to hear others' experience and opinions. It's one thing to see things on paper, but it's another to actually live it.

We will definitely be traveling on grades during our trip! In terms of payload, we have myself and 3 daughters (now 10, 8, 3). In an ideal world we would be able to travel with almost everything in the trailer but I am sure it won't be without daily cargo checks. I am not very mechanical (that's a bit of an understatement) so the thought of purchasing an older TV is a little uncomfortable. That would assume that we could find one that wasn't all rusted out by the Vermont road salt. We do know that we will be needing a new vehicle since our minivan is getting up there in miles, so this is an opportunity to find a 3rd row vehicle that can double as our TV for the trip.

Country_Mouse · 12-02-2015, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flintsters

That is super helpful, Country Mouse. While I muck my way through this process it's so helpful to hear others' experience and opinions. It's one thing to see things on paper, but it's another to actually live it.

We will definitely be traveling on grades during our trip! In terms of payload, we have myself and 3 daughters (now 10, 8, 3). In an ideal world we would be able to travel with almost everything in the trailer but I am sure it won't be without daily cargo checks. I am not very mechanical (that's a bit of an understatement) so the thought of purchasing an older TV is a little uncomfortable. That would assume that we could find one that wasn't all rusted out by the Vermont road salt. We do know that we will be needing a new vehicle since our minivan is getting up there in miles, so this is an opportunity to find a 3rd row vehicle that can double as our TV for the trip.

I just had to laugh when you said you were not mechanical. We aren't either. You may get a kick out of or even find helpful my recent thread on the Ford Trucks Excursion forum.

It goes on for 27 pages of my shopping experience.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/14...pecs-info.html

If you are still thinking about an Expedition that would be a great forum to ask. I would bet there is,an Expedition sub forum too.

Country_Mouse · 12-02-2015, 11:43 AM

Another thought would be a 3/4 ton truck like the F250. 3 kiddos in the back no problem. We looked at the super crew cabs just to see if it was a possibility. With 6 of us it "could" of worked but not ideal and one would be in the middle front seat between us. With 4 or 5 passengers you'd be fine even with car seats it looked like if they can get along sitting next to each other that is.

djtho1 · 12-02-2015, 01:48 PM

Another option is a full size van. We towed several trailers with a 2002 E-350 with the 7.3 Powerstroke. Ours had a 4x4 conversion so it was a little different, but it pulled great and we could fit everyone in it (we have four kids). We still have the van, but it is now a tenting vehicle and I pull the "house" (we are now fulltimers) with the truck. If we come off the road I will likely buy a travel trailer (26BH maybe) and go back to pulling with the van. It can't be beat for room or packing.

Ford has stopped making them, but you can still probably find a V-10 van on a lot, which would work great. Finding a 4x4 one is a little trickier. Quigley does the conversions for Ford, and I think they still have a used van section on their website. You might pick up something great there. I towed up to a 32bhds with ours and it had plenty of power, but I do not recommend something that long for any vehicle with a long overhang (Excursions have this issue also) as it has a tendency to sway. We had some moments on our Ohio to Washinton State trip. With a 26BH or a 31 BHS though it was rock solid with a Reese Dual Cam setup.

Good luck in your search!

bedrck46 · 12-02-2015, 02:44 PM

Ford expedition forum

Ford Expedition Forum

flintsters · 12-03-2015, 07:34 AM

A crew cab truck would be my first choice, but that wouldn't pass the wife test who needs a vehicle with a third row for our everyday living when we are not traveling. I'll keep my eye open for a 4x4 full size van with low miles. In the meantime, it looks like the White Hawk will have to take a back seat.

You may also like: