Purchased a new RV

Status
Not open for further replies.
W

WTJackalope

Joined
Sep 26, 2005
Messages
244
Location
Odessa, TX
Purchased a 2019 Grand Design Imagine XLS 21BHE. Towed it to from West Texas to East Texas this past weekend, about 550 miles, with my 17 Expedition 3.5 Ecoboost with factory HD tow package. RV is 24’ 11” in length with a 4497 empty weight with a 456 tongue weight.

Expedition performed flawlessly. 9.7 mpg. Water & oil temps stayed in normal range the entire trip. Transmission temps ranged 195 - 205 throughout the trip.

Next purchase will be a weight distribution hitch with sway control.

Any suggestions as to what WD hitch to get?
 
Originally Posted By: WTJackalope

Next purchase will be a weight distribution hitch with sway control.

Any suggestions as to what WD hitch to get?



I would not have towed that distance without one.

I have the equal-i-zer brand hitch. I won't run anything else. Excellent sway control and you don't have to unhook anything to back. The only downsides are ;

It creaks and groans when you turn a slow speed. But thats the friction that controls sway and handling.

It takes a time or two to learn how to hitch up quickly. I dont have a power jack, hand wind and i still can hook up pretty quick.

the only hitch i will run is the Equal-i-zer. Its rock steady when trucks pass or when braking.
 
I looked it up. Nice looking camper. Interesting that they call it a 21bhe but its almost 25ft.

Loaded with your stuff and accesories , it will be close to 6000lbs.
 
I owned a camper for several years and frequently used it for our vacations. We towed from Indiana to Florida/South Carolina/Alabama/Tennessee multiple times.

My setup consisted of the F250 in my sig and a 29ft TT. I had the Equal-i-zer WD hitch with 12K bars. Initial set-up was a little tedious but it worked well for years after I got her dialed in. If you walk a campground, you'll usually see the set-up I had or the Reese Dual Cam WD system. I've been out of the game for a few years so there may be something new and improved out there that I don't know about.

I'd also recommend the forums over at RV.net

Lots of knowledgeable people willing to help and answer any questions you might have.
 
Best of luck with your new rig.

It made me think of a 36' long trailer which was for sale near my sister. It had a large, motorized pop-out bay window.
Not exactly "camping".

All my friend had to say was, "Man, 36' is a LOT of trailer".
 
Yeah. My pal's father-in-law was a farmer. His encapsulation of towing was, "Don't let the tail wag the dog".

That's a good point but it's more complicated than that.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
Best of luck with your new rig.

It made me think of a 36' long trailer which was for sale near my sister. It had a large, motorized pop-out bay window.
Not exactly "camping".

All my friend had to say was, "Man, 36' is a LOT of trailer".

Depends what kind of camping you are doing, your ratio of travel/stay days, and how limited you want to be on picking sites. My parents have a 28' and if they bought again it would be smaller.
 
Originally Posted By: WTJackalope
Purchased a 2019 Grand Design Imagine XLS 21BHE. Towed it to from West Texas to East Texas this past weekend, about 550 miles, with my 17 Expedition 3.5 Ecoboost with factory HD tow package. RV is 24’ 11” in length with a 4497 empty weight with a 456 tongue weight.

Expedition performed flawlessly. 9.7 mpg. Water & oil temps stayed in normal range the entire trip. Transmission temps ranged 195 - 205 throughout the trip.

Next purchase will be a weight distribution hitch with sway control.

Any suggestions as to what WD hitch to get?


You have a (T)ravel (T)railer.
.....Not a (R)ecreational (V)ehicle
 
Definitely watching this thread!!

Just this AM I dropped my FILs 2017 Nissan Frontier crew cab 4x4 off at the RV place to have them install a hitch with WD and E-brake controller for their ~21ft Jayco travel trailer that has a dry weight of ~4700lbs.

I had to convince my FIL just today that he NEEDED a WD hitch. Still need to address he needs mirror "extensions".
 
Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en

You have a (T)ravel (T)railer.
.....Not a (R)ecreational (V)ehicle


From the RVIA:
http://www.rvia.org/?ESID=types

What is a Recreation Vehicle (RV)?
A motorized or towable vehicle that combines transportation and temporary living quarters for travel, recreation and camping. RVs do not include mobile homes, off-road vehicles, snowmobiles or conversion vehicles. RVs are sold by recreation vehicle dealers.
 
Originally Posted By: WTJackalope
Purchased a 2019 Grand Design Imagine XLS 21BHE. Towed it to from West Texas to East Texas this past weekend, about 550 miles, with my 17 Expedition 3.5 Ecoboost with factory HD tow package. RV is 24’ 11” in length with a 4497 empty weight with a 456 tongue weight.

Expedition performed flawlessly. 9.7 mpg. Water & oil temps stayed in normal range the entire trip. Transmission temps ranged 195 - 205 throughout the trip.

Next purchase will be a weight distribution hitch with sway control.

Any suggestions as to what WD hitch to get?


Congratulations. The Ecoboost 3.5 is a towing BEAST. We tow a 35' Open Range TT with a GVWR of 9900 lbs behind an F150 and it does great. We get about 7-11 MPG though depending on the terrain. Temps also stay in the good range no matter hills or flats, fall, spring, or summer. I think the highest trans temp I've seen was 225 and that was pulling slowly up a hill to the campground.

This was our first RV so the dealer hooked us up with the Equalizer hitch. It's awesome. Stable in all conditions and very easy to hook up. A bit pricey (ours was $900) but worth every penny as it helps keep us safe.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

I
  • Locked
RV Towing #'s Help
2 3
Replies
57
Views
27K
spasm3
webfors
  • Locked
new trailer... my Subaru H4 needs your help :)
2 3
Replies
50
Views
26K
bluesubie
Back
Top