Quote:
Originally Posted by ohioerrn
My husband and I have considered a Trailmanor for several years. The thing that is holding us back is whether or not our tow vehicle is adaquate. We are looking at several different models--3023, 3124KS and 3326King. We visited the factory and saw the owner pull out with the largest Trailmanor being pulled by a Honda Odyssey. We currently have an Odyssey but are considering buying a 2007 or newer Honda Pilot because of our concerns about weight. We don't want to be right at the maximum weight allowed. Does anyone have either of these vehicles and pull one of the campers we are considering and can give us any recommendations? Thanks so much! We hope to be happy owners of a Trailmanor soon!  |
I am sure that you will be able to find people that tow TMs or similar weight trailers with just about anything and they don't see a thing wrong with it.
Please use caution.....just because someone is doing it and hasn't had a problem doesn't mean that limits your risk or liability.
Please do a "Search" for "tow vehicle". There have been several informative threads on the subject lately. I would advise doing your own research. Don't get yourself into a position where you are saying, "But other people do it", after you've had a problem. I suggest getting the hard
facts (in writing) about the 1 single vehicle that you are considering then move on from there (ratings vary wildly between vehicles of the same year and model sometimes). My '99 S-10 has a tow rating of 6500# but there are '99 S10s with a tow rating of 2000#.
BTW......trailer tow ratings mean very little. (In most cases) All they tell you is the maximum weight that the vehicle can tow with no passengers and no cargo. For every 100# that you add to the TV, you must subtract 100# from the trailer. At some point, you may be going camping in a trailer with no roofs, bumper, spare tire or anything else. In some cases, just the cargo and passengers in the TV may eliminate your towing capacity all together. That's how TM gets away with their advertising. They tell you what a base trailer weighs and give you a chart listing the
maximum towing capacity of several vehicles Max tow rating is always given with the TV being empty or near empty....that's how they achieve a maximimum weight figure). Yes.......you may be able to tow the TM home empty (if you are the only one in the vehicle) but what do you do when you want to load the trailer and TV with passengers, fuel and cargo?????
-------2007 Honda Pilot, 4dr Front-wheel Drive LX - figures from Cars.com....actual figures may vary-------
Curb weight 4,264 lbs.
GVWR 5,952 lbs.
Front GAWR 2,865 lbs.
Rear GAWR 3,155 lbs.
Payload 1,322 lbs.
Towing capacity 3,500 lbs.
GCWR 9,700 lbs
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GCWR (Gross COMBINED Weight Rating) max your TV plus trailer passengers and cargo can handle.
GCWR 9700# - TV Curb weight 4264# = Extra GCW 5436# for the fully loaded trailer plus cargo fuel & passengers
(not to exceed the Max tow capacity).
That's actually a lot higher than I would have thought. Although, you are still bound by the max towing capacity of 3500#. I also notice that vehicle has a payload rating of 1322# (weird). The tongue weight on the TM is over 400# and would be part of your "Payload". That would leave around 900# for passengers, fuel, cargo & luggage.
If the Tow rating of 3500# is correct, that would tell
ME that this vehicle has a specific towing deficiency. Manufacturers know that lower tow ratings mean lower market share. They don't take those figures lightly and a lower # indicates that there may be towing issues. With a GCWR of 9,700 lbs, this vehicle is rated to handle a lot of weight....just not towing....HMMMMMM and the payload is only 1322#.
That GVWR of 5,952 lbs bothers me a bit..........something doesn't ad up. that's why it is best to operate from
ACTUAL figures.
My TM2720 tips the scales at just over 4000# (4103 if I remember correctly). That could be an issue.
HOWEVER.....check the actual figures on the actual vehicle that you are thinking of purchasing. It may have a lot higher tow rating........you don't know until you check.
You're looking at the larger TMs (which also means a lot more "Stuff") and I would think that you would want a minimum tow capacity of about 5000# with
at least this same amount of extra GCW.
Remember.....the weights that TM lists their trailer at are "Empty" and GVWR......you should be looking at the GVWR figure. The empty trailer means nothing. No one goes camping with an empty trailer.