Advice on dealing with a travel trailer?

[Wild Bill]

I agree that is a long way to go with an older TV, Inexperienced Driver/New Old camper. So many factors, really need to take a couple of "shake down" trips. So many things to check. In the mid west, I would check the hitch carefully for rust thru, but not sure how much that would be a problem out there. I have seen total hitch failures from tubing rust out in 10 year old vehicles. Water is 8 pounds/gallon a 55 gallon drum is about 440 lbs. A lot of water to haul around to me. There should be a water supply closer to the destination were you can fill up your water cans. I agree with all the factors and unknowns, I would drive my own vehicle with tools Fluids, and room for some of the stuff. Problem with that is if the 1st Tv fails are you prepared to tow the trailer the remainder of the miles or just get them off the highway? I would discuss this up front so that there are no hard feelings if they do have a break down. Possible to find a passenger to share fuel costs without " stealing one from the remaining 3? So many factors to consider. Good luck with your trip planning, I have gone to large gatherings and look at vehicles that are way over loaded, old, and appear to have had zero maintenance and wonder how they made it there. Some people just fly by the seats of their pants. Bill

[jandmz]

You will definitely need a WDH setup (weight distributing hitch). ...and make sure it is properly set up.
I am currently towing a 3500 lb TT with an S10 Blazer that has a published towing capacity of 5700lb. We carry just the two of us and gear for two. The dealer set up the WDH with integral sway control for us, and the rig bucked and swayed in the slightest breeze and whenever a truck passed us.
A friend who has a lot of experience towing overweight and unsafe loads took one look at how my S10 was sitting and said we needed to raise the torsion bar perches a notch. It tows very nicely now.

Safety is not just a matter of having the right equipment. You have to know how to use it too. Definitely do the test run!!!

[wagondude]

It's you life (as well as others out there), If they are going to think ill of you for being concerned, they aren't very good friends. You should just pack a tent and fly solo if they are going to call you a wuss. No way I would be riding in that rig. Just my opinion and only worth what you paid for it.

Bill

[Jim.M]

I've been to burning man two times.

Some things to consider:

Cost: unless your car is an original AM General hummer, you'll probably end up saving money driving yourself instead of a 1/4 share of the fuel cost the v8 explorer towing an overloaded trailer. You'll save even more if you get a couple of riders to pay for your fuel.

Convenience: If you end up driving yourself, try not to drive as "support" as the second vehicle. If something non-critical happens (flat, then spare doesn't hold air) you'll spend a day running tools/supplies back and forth from the disabled rig to the nearest town that has what you need. I don't know how much money/assistance you're pitching in for the group effort for your camping; maybe this kind of support work is really "your thing"?

Heat: unless the TV is ready for lots of heat... beware. The road from I-80 to the playa is long, hot, and you'll be driving slow because of the traffic. This means less air flowing over the radiator. Hopefully all the hoses are not originals. how does the AC system work? You'll really really want it working! Have the battery checked at the auto shop for free; the heat will destroy a weak battery.

Driving: Since it's a long trip, several people will probably be helping with the driving duties. Why not get the four of you together, hook up the TV and trailer. Load up with your 500 lbs water; it will help make the experience more realistic. Take it out for spin, letting each of you drive a few miles on I-5? Bring along a camera and take a video for entertainment. Maybe the combo will be totally stable and everyone will be comfortable with the driving skills of all.

Remember you have to get home as well. I've seen very old TVs with overloaded trailers trundling into burning man, so it can be done. I guess with the amount of weight you're towing, loading for the best tongue weight will be key to the most pleasant journey. A few test runs could sort that out for you.

[edit] just noticed you probably won't be taking I-80, but it is still a hot drive to Gerlach!

[CAJUN LADY]

Hi all,

I have a friend that just purchased a travel trailer last month, I have a number of concerns about said trailer, and I wanted to get some opinions from the experts.


The trailer is a 1979 20ft dual-axle road ranger. I found a blue book weight online that listed 3450 lbs, and my friends mechanic estimated around 2500. I said they should take it to a scale to find the exact weight, but it's not a high priority for them.

The tow vehicle is a older ford explorer with a V8, that has a listed tow capacity of around 6500 lbs.

None of us have ever owned a travel trailer or RV before this, and we don't have any experience towing anything larger than a 4x6 uhaul.

My friend's plan is to haul the trailer, 4 people, and a large amount of camping gear (I'm estimating 1500-1800 lbs) to the Nevada desert (burningman) next month from the Seattle area. As I might be one of the people in this vehicle, I have a vested interest in this trip happening without mishap. My calculations put the trailer + gear + people weight at over 6000 lbs, which would be near the vehicle tow capacity.

Assuming that everything is in a good state of repair (hopefully this will be verified before leaving), does this seem like a reasonable plan?

What are some major concerns that I should bring up?
What type of gear would be good have in case something did go wrong?


Thanks in advance for any advice you have. I'm just trying to make this trip as safe as possible for me and my friends.


TL,DR: My friend with basically no towing experience wants to haul a trailer that will be approx 90-100% of the vehicle tow capacity over mountain passes. How good/bad of a plan is this?

Those two statements right there should give you your own answer - DON'T RIDE WITH AN INEXPERIENCED PERSON WHO IS PULLING A TRAILER!

I pull an 18' 1977 Scotty that has brakes and I had a blowout on the trailer in February going 63 mph on an interstate. I am an experienced driver and was able to get it under control without freaking out, which an inexperienced person 'might' do. But when I tow, I am always thinking about what's behind my vehicle and worse case scenerios. It's serious business when you hook up that trailer and get on the road. I know your friend has to learn eventually but pulling a 21' trailer for such a long trip with no pulling experience is not smart at all.

Save your money and drive your own vehicle. Lots of good advice from experienced people on here....Good Luck.

[urban5]

First off what is burning man? Seen people talk about it, but never really say what it is.

Second someone posted that Uhaul doesn't rent to explorers. That is true, but they do rent to Mazda Navajo's which is the same exact vehicle.

Third- It is a big trailer, but doable for an explorer with the right equip (as mentioned trailer brakes and load dist hitch)

Fourth- an additional thing to keep in mind is the speed limit in CA for TV towing trailers is 55mph (it takes for evvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeerrr to get anywhere)

Fifth- Seems to me like a Kooky adventure. Hoping in an old explorer pulling an old trailer will make it through mountains, desert, with no idea if you will make it there or back. I say quit being a worry wart and do it! (do it as safely as possible though) I mean Jeez you only live once, and would you rather be telling stories behind a pitcher of beer at your local pub with a bunch of friends who haven't done anything like that, or be that guy listening to your buddy tell the stories, that you aren't apart off.

( and trust me there will be stories just from the drive, not to mention the "burning man" thing. )

[8ball_99]

Six hour drive is really not that far. I don't see any reason why you would need to take turns driving. We take 5-6 hour trips almost monthly. I drive there for the weekend and drive back. Most all my friends do the same. I pull about 7500# trailer thats 24'+ long with my half ton. I have NP at all, but my truck has a 5.7L V8 and is rated for much more then my load. That TV isn't very good considering the load.. I would load everything up and give it a test run before the trip.. It will give the driver some experence also. Best bet is to load everything up and take a trip to your local truck stop and weigh the loaded rig. Then you will know for a fact where you stand on the tow ratings and real world weight.. I would stick to the 80% rule.. If your over 80% of tow rating for that vehicle then loose some weight..
I'd probably just follow them help carry some of the gear in your own vehicle. Or if its a huge concern just rent a truck with a hitch and split the cost.

[Jim.M]

First off what is burning man? Seen people talk about it, but never really say what it is.

Here's my take:

It is a big arts festival. People arrive weeks before the opening day, constructing big art that might have taken them (at a minimum) of a year to bring to fruition. the best from last year in my opinion was Bliss Dance, a huge wireframe sculpture of a woman dancing.

Everyone is supposed to "contribute", for example music, art exhibit, lectures, giving out food or drinks.

As the event has gotten bigger, the number of "givers" has grown, but the number of "consumers" (looky-loos, audience members, tourists, etc) has increased much faster.

So now you have a large number of people coming for "the party"; they're looking for (and finding) drugs of all sorts, casual sex and lots of risky behavior they would never do "back home".

A lot of people who don't have ability to live their dreams wait all year for a week in the dusty hot desert so they can cut loose and "be themselves".

I go for the art and the personal challenge of living comfortably in a hot, dusty windy environment where everything is pack-in/pack-out (including the water one uses). It's supposed to be a no-impact gathering.

Fifth- Seems to me like a Kooky adventure. Hoping in an old explorer pulling an old trailer will make it through mountains, desert, with no idea if you will make it there or back. I say quit being a worry wart and do it! (do it as safely as possible though) I mean Jeez you only live once, and would you rather be telling stories behind a pitcher of beer at your local pub with a bunch of friends who haven't done anything like that, or be that guy listening to your buddy tell the stories, that you aren't apart off.

This is true. One can definitely fly to Reno, rent a big RV for even bigger $$$. The RV company will deliver the rig to burning man, all you need to do is take your rental car from the airport and drive to your already-set -up RV on the dry lake bed.

Or, you can hop in an old Ford Explorer, towing a 30-year-old travel trailer with 3 other people you don't really know that well... and find out more about them you you expected. And yourself.

[NathanL]

Unless you have it weighed I guarante the estimate of weight is off. Old RV's attract weight like a sponge does water. Every little item you throw in there adds up. Also it's not uncommong for an RV maker to put a lower than actual weight on it because that was the "base" model before A/C was added etc...

[the other side]

This might sound REALLY obvious, but when you pull in to get gas (or anything that hangs over like a tree branch etc...) make sure there is enough clearance/room for the roof of the travel trailer to go under it! And make sure the toilet paper is the RV type that dissolves fast! Oh, and get some of the mirror extenders for the tow vehicle so you can see better.


The first time I pulled my 25 ft travel trailer it was from northern Indiana to Maryland. Nothing bad happened, but it was a horrible trip not being familiar with towing things (for me). The DC beltway was the worst part of the whole trip (never again)! I would never tow something that big without sway bars, a break away brake cable on the travel trailer, and a brake control (inside the tow vehicle).

I ALWAYS trust my gut feeling. If I felt like driving in another vehicle I would. The weight they would be pulling would be minus whatever you will carry PLUS your weight in the tow vehicle.

Just tell them you need some time to yourself (to think about things) so you will drive yourself. Or tell them you are concerned about the weight on the tow vehicle so you are willing to drive alone or with another person to lighten the load on HIS vehicle. Also, you might not want to follow them unless you want to drive slowly behind them and want to deal with any problems they might have.

[Wild Bill]

Guess I will have to google burning man, Artwork, music, drugs, booze, casual sex, and no water unless you bring it all in a dry hot desert setting, Guess one out of 5 is not bad! Road Trip!! Ok fess up now, who else is going?

[MrBlue]

Or, you can hop in an old Ford Explorer, towing a 30-year-old travel trailer with 3 other people you don't really know that well... and find out more about them you you expected. And yourself.

Well, it's actually a group of people I've already been to burningman with before. The only differences this year are the new travel trailer and a different vehicle. Good people, just unfamiliar with towing a big trailer long distances and not the most mechanically minded. They took it to a local (about 75 miles) campground a week or so ago and said it worked out fine for them, so I thinking at least some of the issues are getting worked out.


But at this point, it's looking like I'll be driving my truck separately, and I might even have a passenger to split the gas cost with.

[Wild Bill]

After spending an hour reading about the B man event and not wanting to Hijack this thread, I am going to start a post in the off topic area. Bill

[jandmz]

500lbs of water is a lot of weight to have sloshing around in a tank. I hope you put it into smaller containers, and maybe freeze most of it?...

[MrBlue]

500lbs of water is a lot of weight to have sloshing around in a tank. I hope you put it into smaller containers, and maybe freeze most of it?...

The 7 gal reliance containers work really well. They're easy to stack and carry, have a built in faucet, and you can get filters for them.