Elizabeth,

Based on weight numbers you have posted, both of those RV's would take you over your tow vehicles GCVW.  The difference between the GCVW and your tow vehicle's GVWR is only 5400 lbs.  In order to avoid exceeding the GCVW, any trailer you get would need to be less than that 5400 lbs.  Now, if your tow vehicle ended up not reaching the 8600 lb weight, then you'd have a bit more leeway on the trailer's weight.  You would need to figure out what you wanted to carry in the tow vehicle, and then figure what that would all weigh.  Weighing your tow vehicle with a full tank of fuel and yourself and then adding the weight of your tow vehicle cargo would give you a better idea of the actual gross weight on the truck.

Terry

Beth, unless you have LOTS of money, I'd really suggest buying a used trailer first. Figure that you can get ~25% off of MSRP on a new trailer. That's about what you will pay for a new trailer (plus sales tax and property tax, if either exist in your area). Now look at PPL for a year-old model of whatever you are looking at. Take about 25% off of their asking price to get a rough approximation of what you would get for your new trailer if you trade it in on something else in a year. Remember that most full-timers go through several coaches in fairly short order before they get what they really need. Some friends of ours bought a brand-new popular MH for a full-time coach. Less than a year later they could see that their popular brand just didn't have the quality they wanted for a full-time coach. They traded their year-old coach even-up for a 10-year-old Foretravel.

As others have pointed out, there is quite a difference between a weekend/vacation trailer and a full-time coach. As our friends found out, quality is one aspect. Heated tanks is another area. Double pane windows (aka Thermopane, a brand name) is another. Consider that, as a full-timer, you will have everything you need with you. That means clothes for all seasons. Full-time coaches are usually larger and have heavier frames just because of that.

I know that you have had your sale and are ready to hit the road, but I'd strongly suggest that you slow down a bit and study your situation some. Your truck is 12 years old and really isn't strong enough for what you need. The trailers you've found aren't really right for full-time use either. However, you HAVE found some floor plans that work for you. I'd suggest that you look for a 2- or 3-year-old Arctic Fox or Open Range with a similar floor plan. While you are looking for a trailer, start shopping for a newer truck. You will be looking at a 3500 rather than a 2500. Take the VIN to the truck's dealer and ask them to look up the build specs for it. That will give you some real numbers. Then take the truck to a scale and weigh it, getting weights for each axle. Look up some of the posts that will tell you how to figure how much weight the truck can safely handle. Don't pay any attention to the sales person, who will tell you that any truck on the lot can tow any trailer you want.

Good start. At this point, then, the maximum gross weight of any trailer you can consider is 7360. That assumes that you already have the weight distributing hitch on the truck. If not, subtract the weight of that from the GW of the trailer. Note that this is gross weight, not empty weight. Next point to look at is that the weight of the WDH goes on the rear axle, so if your hitch weighs 100 pounds, you need to figure your rear axle is already at 3360. How do your axle weights compare to the maximum axle capacities of your truck? There should be a sticker on the door with that information, or your dealer can look it up. Roughly, a WDH transfers 1/3 of the tongue weight to the front axle, 1/3 to the rear axle, and 1/3 to the trailer axles. A TT should have 10-15% of the trailer weight on the hitch. That means that your theoretical trailer with a GW of 7360 will have about 1100 pounds on the hitch, which means about 368 pounds added to each axle.

Remember that axle weights, gross combined weight, tongue weight, etc. are all related, and whichever number is reached first is the one that limits everything else. In other words, if your rear axle can only take 300 pounds of added weight, your tongue (hitch) weight is limited to 900 pounds. That's still within the 10-15% range, but it means that you have to pay more attention to how the weight is distributed in the trailer.

Thanks David.  I don’t have a hitch yet but plan to get a WDH.

 

Maximum axle rates on Yukon are GAWR FRT 4180 and GAWR RR 5500.

I'm off to an RV show this weekend in Greenville, SC and if nothing there going to the Tampa Super show the next week.

Appreciate your experience...

Beth