Question Hi im new to the camper world.

[Robyn79]

Hi im Robyn from North Georgia.I'm fixing to purchase my very 1st camper and truck to tow it.I have a few questions tho. Hopefully someone here could help me choose the right camper, equipment,and truck to tow it with. I'm very excited and nervous at the same time.

 

[Gizmo]

First, you want to select the camper you want then select the tow truck. Don't select the truck by using the towing capacity but use the payload capacity. Let us know which camper and which truck you want to match and we can tell you the plus or minus and give you advice.

 

[TheLooks]

And don't let a dealer salesman tell you what you can tow the camper with or vice versa. They only want to sell.

 

[Gizmo]

This is what I tell people looking for a trailer. You need to find the payload of the truck you plan to tow with and that is listed on the door jam of the truck. If the dealer says the website says it has XXXX amount tell him to show you one on the lot that the sticker on the door gives that much payload. The dealer told me that my one-ton truck would have 4200 pounds according to the website of payload and I told him to it put the contract that less 4000 pounds I could refuse the truck. He did and came in at 3722 and so he had to add a lot of market stuff to get me to accept the truck.

Take the REAL payload of the door sticker and use this website to estimate your max trailer weight. Now put that weight into the website link below. Say it says 1500 pounds max payload this is that it would be an example:

You're adding approximately 540 lbs. to the truck. You have 960 lbs. of payload capacity. Travel trailers typically have 10% - 15% tongue weight which gives you a maximum loaded camper weight of 6,400 - 9,600 lbs. Towing Calculator based on Truck's Payload/CCC - TowingPlanner

Notice it gives you a range of numbers. The 9,600 pounds is using a 10% tongue which will NOT give you good towing experience and will be subject to sway. The 6,400 pounds is what I tell people to use and compare that to the trailer GVWR (max amount the trailer can weigh) and use 6,400 the max GVWR of the trailer. This allows for some fudge factor and allows if you throw a grill and a bunch fire wood into the back of the truck and not exceed the truck's payload.

 

[Germanrazor]

What campers are you looking at? Let’s start there. BTW- welcome aboard!