Need advice on a new TT and TV

[alerra]

My wife Alex and I have been camping for years in a Coleman Santa Fe. This summer we rented a motor home and took a tour Gainesville, Florida up to Boston and back. The comfort and ease of travel in the motor home convinced us that, in order to enjoy several two to four week camping trips each year to far reaching destinations in the US and Canada, we need to upgrade from our 2000 Nissan Xterra/ Coleman Santa Fe combination. Although we have settled on some important issues (for example: we decided a TT would be the best choice for us) we are still up in the air on several issues. The following is a short list of questions that we hope to resolve soon so that we can get on with the business of locating the TT and TV that best serves our needs and budget.

TT questions:

1) Since my wife and I will be mostly traveling alone, should we consider additional sleeping area just in case? In this regard, the Jay Feather 221 has all the sleeping space we need and weighs in at only 4950# GVW. The only thing I see lacking in this unit that we would enjoy is a sofa. The Jay Flight 22FB has a sofa and weighs 6500# GVW. Floor plans that we like that include extra sleeping area are the Jay Flight 26BH, at 7500# GVW and the Jay Flight Swift 264BH at 6500# GVW. Any feedback on these units?

2) Is the weight difference of the structurally lighter ultralight models a worthwhile trade-off?

3) Is the additional space of a slide a worthy compensation for its extra weight and potential for problems? Slide models we are considering are Jay Flight 24FBS (7500# GVW) and Jay Feather 24T. Any feedback on these units?

4) What optional equipment is important to include in a TT?

TV questions:

1) I hate pickup trucks, so a SUV will have to do. I want to spend around $40,000. The only two vehicles in that price range that were rated for towing 7500# were the Dodge Durango and the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Can anyone give me feedback on these vehicles? It would seem that neither would be adequate in towing a 7500# GVW TT, at least according to the 10% more guideline. Another other suggestions for a TV?

2) What optional towing equipment is important to include?

Thanks for your time reviewing my post. Your input will be much appreciated.

Andrew

[villain2000]

I like the idea of the Durango. Great TV. Plenty of Hemi power for pulling and a decent length wheel base for stability while towing. As far as the tt, get a model with a slide. If you dont, you will wish you had. That extra few square feet of room is so worth the extra money/weight. You and your wife will be so much more comfortable. I have a 19bh ( which I love) but on those occassions where we both are in the tt doing something, we are constantly banging into each other. Then the kids come in and its all over! You're in a very enviable position. You get to buy a tt and a tv at the same time and match them up perfectly. As far ad the weight, I would try to get something on the ultralight slide. No need lugging around 1500 extra lbs if you dont have to.

[Boubou]

We purchased a smaller TT last year with a big slide (non-Jayco model) but it measured 26 feet in lenght total. There is just two of us and sister in law came out with us once and used the table space for a bed. We didn't like it much then. We went just the two of us and again, felt cramped when going for more than 2 nights. Sitting around the fire is very nice but when going on a longer trip, it gets old fast and nice to go inside once in a while or when it rains. This model did not have a couch. We used this camper 4 times and traded up to the small Jayco Eagle HT 23.5. This one is the same total length but uses the space smarter and has more room inside. We came back from a 2 weeks trip and it worked great for us. there is a love-seat facing the dinette booth and it works great. Long story short, be careful when you say, just 2 of us, think about how and when you'll be using the camper and will you be comfortable when it rains days on end. Get the slide, it's worth every ounce.
Weight side, I don't know how the ultra light weights hold up but the other TT we had was conventionally built and the Eagle HT is a mid-weight product. It didn't take me long to see the difference in building and I cannot imagine a lightweight unit. The couch pulled out of the wall the first trip; apparently I shouldn't put too much weight in the bathroom wardrobe as it's pushed the shelf down. Not complaining, I'll get all this stuff fixed under warranty but like I said, you've got to give up something to gain something...

TV: The Durango with the Hemi has got lots of power ( and will pull more than ultra light weight)

[29BHS ECO]

Alerra You might want to check on the non towing gas mileage of the durango. I have a friend that can only get 13-14 around town. It gets better on the highway non towing due to the 8/4 cylinder electrinics. What ever you pick you should get the "max tow package" and be sure to get the " max cooling package if isn't with the max towing package. Larry. ps the jeep also has bad city mileage-- same motor as the durango. To bad your anti pickups, a1/2 ton crew cab silverado/ sierra ,F150 ecowith caps would be perfect and you can carry firewood lol Larry

[29BHS ECO]

alerra-- Check into a backup camara if it is not included in the tow packages ( might save a divorce). Larry

[usmc616]

I recommend a TT with a slide, extra space for thoose rainy days. I had a 27BH, no slide, it was a well built unitand we towed it with a 1500 Suburban.

[dpwelsher]

I suggest taking a look at a Chevy Suburban or GMC Yukon.

[Westerncanuck]

I have the Jayco X213, king slide out with 2 bunks, bottom bunk tips up for extra storage. It is fully loaded with AC, stove/oven, BBQ, electric awning....weighs in at 4200 lbs empty and 5500 lb loaded. Easy to tow......but it really boils down to how much you want to tow nd the limitation of the TV. I use a pickup because I also bring a small genny. Fumes and cargo stay out of the passenger space, my truck is equipped with a canopy as well so cargo Amy's dry and secure

[alerra]

Thanks for your input. The Jeep GC has the same hemi engine as the Durango and both rated to handle #7500 towing. I happen to like the appearance of the Jeep better, and I'll order the best towing package. Thanks to your comments, I'm leaning more heavily toward a slide unit. It seems the extra space is worth it. That narrows things quite a bit.

I had been considering buying a new unit, but I have recently found a 2006 Jay Feather 29Y, advertised elsewhere on this website as in excellent condition. The price appears quite reasonable and the owner is willing to negotiate. I would opt for saving money if it were financially sound over the long term. Any suggestions about buying a used unit? What are the things I should be looking for that are prone to deterioration and damage over time? What questions should I be asking the seller to determine the condition of the TT? If I were to take this offer seriously it would require a trip from my home in Florida to Ohio. Any feedback about buying a used TT would be appreciated.

I tend to be spartan about the features I think I need. But I don't want to make the mistake of not including optional equipment that is really important to have. Any suggestions?

Thanks again for your input. Hope to hear from you again.

Andrew

[Chakara]

Not liking trucks narrows it down for a 7500# trailer. I agree with above - look at the Suburban 2500's

-Chak

[Nighthawk 96]

We have a 26BH, which seems to be a fairly popular model on this site. Grandkids and their mom can stay in the bunks, but for the most part we travel as a couple. The bunks provide a lot of storage space if you travel for an extended period. We considered a TT with a slide, however that generally adds another 800 lbs to the weight. We were pulling with a 4.7 liter Toyota Tundra (7000 tow rating) which was OK but would be tough in the mountains. Our trailer weighs 5500 lbs loaded, 4800 unloaded. Cannot imagine loading it out to 7500 lbs.
Durango with 5.7 Hemi is rated at 7500 lb tow rating according to Trailer Life 2012 Guide. I would't want to pull more than 6000 lbs
with it. You shouldn't have your total of TT and TV weigh much more than 80 to 85% of the Combined Vehicle Weight Rating.

[Kevin21]

Don't know what king of truck you have driven in the past but you should give the new ones a try. Like nighthawk96, I have a new Toyota Tundra 4dr., 5.7 liter, with the ultimate tow package. It is as comfortable as it gets and tows my Jayco 26RLS like it wasn't even back there. You can buy this truck for well under the $40,000. you mentioned.

My 26RLS weighs 6300lb. dry so with everything in it I am well into the 7500lb. actual towing range.

[jeeperx2]

given the tv of choice i would select a trailer 5-5500gvw fiberglass w/aluminum structure (jay feather/select) strictly my own personal opinion...

[Jagiven]

One critical thing, IF there is a slide, when the slide is pulled in will it block access to anything important, for example does it block the refrigerator door from opening, or access to a pantry cabinet. There is nothing worse than being stopped for lunch and you cannot get to your food.

For us, the X23B (hybrid) fit our needs. There was lots of storage, room for the three of use to sleep on the bunk ends when at our destination, which makes the trailer feel much bigger especially with the slideout, but we have enough optional sleeping (dinette & sofa) for a quick overnight, when we are power driving cross country.

I don’t want to scary you form a used TT, just make sure you look it over closely. I would go through the entire unit with a flashlight, and try everything. I would bring an ice pick (awl) and poke at the under belly if it is plywood. I have seen and replaced a few sheets of rotten flooring around the bathroom, water heater locations, and hatches. As 6 yr old rig should be showing some signs of use/wear. I don’t want to scary you form a used TT, just make sure you look it over closely.

[jtcrash]

Originally Posted by Nighthawk 96

We have a 26BH, which seems to be a fairly popular model on this site. Grandkids and their mom can stay in the bunks, but for the most part we travel as a couple. The bunks provide a lot of storage space if you travel for an extended period. We considered a TT with a slide, however that generally adds another 800 lbs to the weight. We were pulling with a 4.7 liter Toyota Tundra (7000 tow rating) which was OK but would be tough in the mountains. Our trailer weighs 5500 lbs loaded, 4800 unloaded. Cannot imagine loading it out to 7500 lbs.
Durango with 5.7 Hemi is rated at 7500 lb tow rating according to Trailer Life 2012 Guide. I would't want to pull more than 6000 lbs
with it. You shouldn't have your total of TT and TV weigh much more than 80 to 85% of the Combined Vehicle Weight Rating.

I have been pulling my Whitehawk which weighs 5,900 dry with my 4.7 liter tundra with no problem. With the family and all I'm sure I'm over the 6,900 I'm rated for.

[Boubou]

The TT we had before had a deep slide and this slide contained only the U shaped dinette (hated it!). When slide was closed, you had to climb over the dinette to access the rest of the camper. Not good. The Eagle HT has a slide but even closed, we can access the whole camper normally except for bathroom where we have to open slide about 6 inches, easily done and quick.
We too thought about slide vs no slide for weight but since there are just the 2 of us, we decided to put the extra weight in the slide rather than bunks in the back we would not use and wanted a short heavier trailer with a slide rather than a longer same weight trailer for same square footage.

[Type-A]

If you are looking at a 26BH, look at the 25BHS. That 13 feet long X 3 feet slide makes all the difference in the world when inside the camper! In 2011 we had rented another brand's 26bh and thought it was perfect for a family of 4 (as long as we didn't bring the dog or one of our kids's friends along). After renting that one, we went to the Jayco dealer and walked thru Jayco's 26BH. Almost pulled the trigger on the Jayco 26BH until we walked thru the 25BHS. We pulled it 1,300 miles with my '11 (1/2 ton) Suburban this pas summer without an issue.

Also, if you are looking at the $40k range for a TV, you can always buy one that is a year or two old and let someone else take the hit on depreciation.

[alerra]

Thanks again for your input. As far as how much credence to give to a manufacturer's stated towing capacity, in addition to external factors, climbing steep hills or mountains for example, there is also the matter of what one feels comfortable with. I think I would go by the traditional guideline of staying within 90% of my TV's towing capacity. If I go with the Jeep GC, that would be 6750#.

Right now there is a new development in the process. At the risk of being labeled a heretic, I would like to get your opinion on the Rockwood Ultra Lite series of TT. I was at a local dealer yesterday and I was impressed with what I saw: they were quite attractive and appeared to be well designed, though I have no reference to their quality yet. One model I liked (2604) had two captain's chairs in lieu of the bunk beds we had previously considered. My logic on this is as follows: I can see myself putting these captain's chairs to much better use than I would the bunk beds. Except for day visitors, my wife and I almost always camp alone, so it seems to me that on the rare occasion that we had guests, we could always open the sofa bed for their use. Any takes on this? I would especially like to hear from those of you who have captain's chairs.

[gcloss]

My wife and I camp alone, but after 5 years with a Jayflight 20BH (no slide, no queen bed), we were climbing over each other, in the kitchen, in the bed, in & out of the bathroom. We couldn't take it anymore.

While on our 5th night in Lake George this past July, I started looking on Craigslist for the fun of it, I came across a Jayco Eagle Super Lite 256RKS for sale. So from Lake George I called the seller and we had a long convesation about his trailer. We left the CG a day early just to look at this trailer. Well we now own the Eagle and sold the 20BH all in less than 15 days. This weekend will be the 4th weekend using our Eagle and couldn't be happier. Believe me a slide and a walk-around queen bed can save a marriage and keep you camping.

As far as Jayco vs Rockwood, I've owned both and both were great trailers. We owned our Rockwood for 21 years without a single issue, only replaced the tires.

[Crabman]

The Rockwood series seems to get good reviews over at RVnet. I also agree with the logic of a rear living room floorplan or similar designed more for a couple to be comfortable if it will just be the two of you, instead of a bunkhouse. Jayco also makes a few floorplans with the rear lounger setup. Of course as with any trailer the TV must be capable of handling the hitch weight and the CGVWR.

Whitehawk



FLOORPLAN 27DSRL
Weights
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 5,400
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 610
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 7,500
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 2,100
Measurements
Exterior Length 30' 11"
Exterior Width 96"
Exterior Height w/ A/C 128"
Interior Height 78"
Tank Capacities
Fresh Water Capacity (gals) includes water heater 46.2
Gray Waste Water Capacity (gals) 30.5
Black Waste Water Capacity (gals) 30.5
Other
Sleeping Capacity 3-

Jayflight




FLOORPLAN 26RLS
Weights
Unloaded Vehicle Weight (lbs) 6,005
Dry Hitch Weight (lbs) 820
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (lbs) 8,500
Cargo Carrying Capacity (lbs) 2,495
Measurements
Exterior Length 30'
Exterior Width 96"
Exterior Height w/ A/C 134"
Interior Height 81"
Tank Capacities
Fresh Water Capacity (gals) includes water heater 86
Gray Waste Water Capacity (gals) 32.5
Black Waste Water Capacity (gals) 32.5
Other
Sleeping Capacity