plumber1
evensville,tn.
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I'll throw in my .02 cents worth. Our Jayco Jayfeather 29N 2007 model has the Dexter torque flex and rides like a dream. Very smooth. Our TT is about at its GVW of 6500# when in camp mode and although I've had some other issues, the ride is great.
Steve
2007 Jay Jayfeather 29N
2000 F350 XLT SD SC V10
Prodigy
Barker 3500VIP
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Todd Barney
Atlanta area, GA, USA
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Joined: 07/17/2004
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What's the payload capacity of your Dodge? Will allowing 6,000 lbs for the truck leave you enough payload capacity to handle the tongue weight of an 8,000 lb. trailer?
On topic, my Maxlite has the leaf-spring suspension. I'm finding that it's bottoming out. I see evidence where the U-bolt is bumping the bottom of the frame. I need to lift mine, apparently. I would prefer something with more wheel travel, and a smoother ride is always better for the "house in a hurricane" that is a TT going down the road.
2006 Maxlite 30BHS
Maxlite Photos
Large: 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 Quadcab 4x4 V-10 5spd manual 3.73
Equal-i-zer, Prodigy
Medium: '03 MPV ES
Small: '91 Miata
Pad the walls, we got 8-yr-old twins in here!
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Fortkentdad
Alberta Canada
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Todd Barney wrote:What's the payload capacity of your Dodge? Will allowing 6,000 lbs for the truck leave you enough payload capacity to handle the tongue weight of an 8,000 lb. trailer?
On topic, my Maxlite has the leaf-spring suspension. I'm finding that it's bottoming out. I see evidence where the U-bolt is bumping the bottom of the frame. I need to lift mine, apparently. I would prefer something with more wheel travel, and a smoother ride is always better for the "house in a hurricane" that is a TT going down the road.
From the Dodge site:
With 3.92 Axle Ratio Axle Ratio You Can Tow 8350 lbs
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) = 6700 lbs
Payload = 1214 lbs
Curb Weight = 5486 lbs
Curb Weight Front/Rear = 3198 lbs/3198 lbs
GAWR Front/Rear = 3900 lbs/3900 lbs
Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) = 14000 lbs
I am not sure how this hitch weight works.
My wife and I have a combined weight of 450 pounds. Allowing for 100 pounds of dogs, cameras, in truck luggage and coffee, and we'll have two 31 pound cycles in the back, so I'm saying about 600 pounds of "payload" to the truck.
So, am I to subtract this 600 from the payload leaving a payload of 614#. I see that the "dry hitch weight" of one of the trailers I'm looking at is 905**. This trailer, an Okanogan ECL25RKS has a dry weight 5,370, GVWR 7,905, I expect to add 1,500# and be pulling under 7,000 total trailer weight.
Am I figuring this right?
** curiously I checked the website, and it lists hitch weight at 540, maybe the brochure is a misprint?
AND - can you not adjust your hitch weight with an equalizer bar?
But the hitch weight is to be at least 10% of trailer weight, at 7,000 pounds I should have a 700# hitch weight. I guess the dogs have to travel in the trailer instead of the truck cab
* This post was
edited 08/13/08 10:43pm by Fortkentdad *
Fort Kent Dad aka FKD
Fort Kent, Alberta Canada
09 Rockwell 8319SS
08 Dodge Laramie 1500 QC 4x4, 3.92 gears with the Hemi.
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Fortkentdad
Alberta Canada
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plumber1 wrote:I'll throw in my .02 cents worth. Our Jayco Jayfeather 29N 2007 model has the Dexter torque flex and rides like a dream. Very smooth. Our TT is about at its GVW of 6500# when in camp mode and although I've had some other issues, the ride is great.
Steve
We have looked at the Jayco's - lots of dealers carry them in these parts and we see lots on the road, must have something going for them. But when I look at their hitch weights, they are all over the 640# of payload I have left after passengers and gear are loaded into the truck.
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dodge guy
Chicago, western subs.
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We had an Award TT that had the rubber torsion axle suspension. I didn`t like the way it rode. when you hit a bump in the road the TT hit hard. when I jacked up this TT to change the wheel bearings the suspension only moved at most 3 inches! not much travel at all to absorb road shock. on my last and current TT they have leafsprings. and when you hit a bump in the road the TT doesn`t hit hard. you can actually see the TT bounce over the bumps. next season I think the next mod is the Equa-flex shackles and shock kit.
Wife kim
Son brandon 7yrs
Daughter marissa 6yrs
Dog shadow
07 Cherokee 32B
02 Excursion 4X4 V-10 4.30 gear
Reese HP dualcam,Prodigy brake controller,
Air lift air bags.
Better to have a bad day of
camping than a good day at work!
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plumber1
evensville,tn.
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Fortkentdad wrote:plumber1 wrote:I'll throw in my .02 cents worth. Our Jayco Jayfeather 29N 2007 model has the Dexter torque flex and rides like a dream. Very smooth. Our TT is about at its GVW of 6500# when in camp mode and although I've had some other issues, the ride is great.
Steve
We have looked at the Jayco's - lots of dealers carry them in these parts and we see lots on the road, must have something going for them. But when I look at their hitch weights, they are all over the 640# of payload I have left after passengers and gear are loaded into the truck.
Your right, our tongue weight loaded is just less than 1200#'s. This killed the idea of pulling TT with my '96 F150. And this is an Ultra Lite.
Good luck,
Steve
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Exocet
Central NY, USA
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Our old PU had a torsion axle on it. Our current TT does as well. I wouldn't consider either to be "high-end". They were/are very smooth riding.
2008 Nissan Titan SE, Crew Cab, 4x4
Long Bed, Big Tow
2006 Rockwood 2501
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TommyOC
Phoenix, Arizona
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Interesting stuff, indeed. We have a six month old Holiday Rambler Savoy LX 28rbs travel trailer. It has leaf spring suspension with shocks. In about 6,000 miles the outside half of the right front tire wore to the belts, while the other three tires are fine, showing very little wear. I just got it back from Spectrac Suspension Center in Mesa, Arizona. Camber and toe were both out of alignment and have been corrected. I have replaced the tire, a Goodyear Marathon. The purpose of this post is to share with you folks how important axle alignment is, even on a new unit. I will be submitting my bills for reimbursement. Let's see if Holiday Rambler lives up to their reputation.
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Dixonmatco
Santa Rosa, California
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IMHO, whether or not the trailer has shocks is more of a consideration than the design of the springs. Any trailer with qualtiy shocks will out perform any without.
2000 Chevy Silverado 1500
2005 Komfort Trailblazer T23S
Honda EU2000I
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TeryT
Scottsdale AZ
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Exocet wrote:Our old PU had a torsion axle on it. Our current TT does as well. I wouldn't consider either to be "high-end". They were/are very smooth riding. Yes, our Rockwood 2502 ultralight has the rubber torsion too, and I certainly wouldn't call it a "high-end" trailer.
I currently have a thread about rear trailer bike racks going, and wonder - how much difference the bounce dampening a rubber torsion axle would provide?
Mighty 4Runner Sport V8 4x4
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Jordan 2020 Brake Controller
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Rockwood 2502 (3600 lb. dry)!
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