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Old 07-28-2019, 05:16 AM   #3
Bill
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: The mountains of Scottsdale, AZ, and the beaches of Maine
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To continue Larry's comment, be aware that the published weight for a TM (on the order of 2800 pounds) is the "dry weight". "Dry" means that no factory options have been added (air conditioner, awning,etc), there are no fluids (water, propane, battery), and you haven't put any of your own stuff in it (food, clothes, bedding, small appliances, tools, camping gear, etc). In ready-to-camp configuration (which is what you will be towing, of course), a TM will weigh 3800-4000 pounds. Some of our members use tow vehicles rated for 3500 pounds and find it to be OK. The general consensus of the Forum is that a 5000-poiund rating is the minimum you should consider. And many of us, like Larry and myself, go with 6000 pounds or more. Part of it depends on where you will be towing. A 5000-pound rating may be OK if you stay in the flat parts of the country - along the east coast, gulf coast, or in the midwest. But if you want to get into the Rockies or the Sierras, you will find that you want more.

Assuming you get a capable vehicle, you will not need sway control - Trail Manors are designed not to sway - but unless you get a long pickup truck, you will want a WDH.

Let me suggest that you spend some time reading through the Trailmanor Technical Reference Library on this Forum (a.k.a. TM Information You Won't Find Anywhere Else). It is full of good solid information and how-to-do-it articles written by our Forum members over the years. There are a number of articles on tow-vehicles and towing, so you might start there before spending a lot of money on a vehicle.

And finally, Larry is right. After 30 days of Trial Membership, most of the forum will become inaccessible to you. If you anticipate a lot of questions, discussion, and answers, it is worth $12 a year to join us.

Bill
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