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Post by iantrev75 on May 15, 2016 18:12:25 GMT -5
My family and I just became campers. We bought a 2015 Connect Spree 283BHS. We have a 2014 Ford Expedition to pull it. The Expy has an HD package for towing. The RV dealer installed a Husky WDH and one husky sway control. I have bought and installed another husky sway control. I've ran across the scale and I've calculated my GCWR to be right at 12,000lb. I have 3,000lb more to hit my recommended Ford GCWR. Is this too much trailer for my half ton frame? I've done lots of research and I think I'm within my limits but I need to hear from fellow campers.
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Post by larryz4 on May 15, 2016 20:28:53 GMT -5
If you are under the GCWR of the vehicle, you should be just fine. I don't know what the tow rating is for the Ford, but my 2003 Chevy Tahoe 1/2 ton has a towing capacity of 7600 pounds, and my loaded weight on the trailer is about 6800 pounds, and it performs just fine. If you are still under the GCWR by 3000# you are fine in my not so humble opinion.
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Post by iantrev75 on May 15, 2016 21:13:00 GMT -5
The tow rating is 9200# with a GCWR of 15000#.
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Post by poppachris on May 17, 2016 6:42:25 GMT -5
Remember. You aren't actually loading more than a 1/2 ton onto your truck, just the tongue weight of your trailer (between 600 & 800 lbs., roughly 10% to 15% of the loaded trailer weight).
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aron
Newbie RV’er
Posts: 17 
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Post by aron on May 24, 2016 21:19:10 GMT -5
I have a 2015 Expedition, and I'm in a similar situation. I've spent a LOT of time learning the ins-and-outs of weight limits.
You're most likely going to be limited by the payload of the Expedition. Look for the yellow sticker on the driver's door frame that says "your total weight (cargo and passengers) should never exceed XXX lbs." Subtract all of your passenger weights, vehicle cargo, trailer tongue weight, and the weight distributing hitch weight from this amount. If it's a positive number, you should be able to tow that trailer, since you've already determined that you're under your GCVWR and the maximum tow rating. (It's a bit more complex than that, since technically you should be measuring your front and rear axle weights as well to compare to the axle weight ratings--and verify that the tongue weight is less than the maximum hitch weight rating--but vehicle payload almost always will be your limiting factor for an SUV.) Assuming your 2014 Expy is similar to mine, the payload rating includes full fluid/fuel levels, but does not include any allowance for a driver, so you'll have to subtract your own body weight from this rating as well--but you'll want to verify in the "towing" section of your owners manual.
Looking at the 2017 Connect C283BHS specs posted on the KZ website (which may or may not be similar to the 2015 model), I can tell you that that trailer is probably a bit too heavy for my vehicle once I've added all of my family and gear on board. But my payload rating is apparently on the low side (1400lb) for a half-ton, so your situation may be better. I personally can't have a tongue weight higher than about 800 lbs (to leave 600lbs for passengers and cargo). Tongue weights are supposed to be 10-15% of the total trailer weight (at least 12-13% is generally recommended), so that would put me at about a 6500lb trailer maximum. If you have a higher payload rating or less need for passenger/cargo weights than I do, you could probably tow the C283BHS (with a maximum weight of 6800lb) just fine. |
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