Ordered our first ever TT!!

[rusty01]

Well we bit the bullet and ordered up a brand new from the factory 2013 Coachmen 292 bunk house! It is 33ft. and just over 5600lbs dry. I know it will probably max out my truck's GVWR but we will have to make due, pack light, take it easy, etc. Not enough money in the piggy bank for a new truck! lol So, does anyone have any pointers? This will be our first ever TT. I have only towed 16ft. car haulers, snowmobile trailer and pop up (towed with my old 96 S-10 Blazer). The new trailer is coming with a complete WD hitch/sway set up. Can't wait to go camping and this snow we are getting today is not helping the mood! Attached is the trailer we are getting! Totally excited!!

 

[ChevyTech77]

Congrats! I almost pulled the trigger on a brand new TT as well this spring but with my gf being such a light sleeper, and her never camping before, we decided to rent one this summer and give it a trial run before taking on a note of that size.

 

Tips? Make sure you get a QUALITY WD hitch setup and make sure it is set up CORRECTLY. Most trailer places sell you the cheapest thing they can and then don't even set it up correctly for you. Next thing you know, you're practically wiping the interstate of other vehicles with your brand new camper, not good.

 

Get a set of Firestone air bags installed on your truck. You're going to need them anyway.

 

Go through the truck and make sure everything is tip top before towing for the year. Make sure your truck and camper tire pressures are correct COLD before EVERY time out. I can't tell you how many unavoidable issues that I see every summer, on the highway, because of a tire failure. That stuff should be second nature to EVERY person pulling a camper and most NEVER check any of it until something like that happens.

 

Other than that, enjoy!

[redjewel2ss]

i'm with ChevyTech.

 

firestone airbags will help a ton with towing.

[KMGZ400]

i also have a 2001 silverado... sags pretty bad even with the Z71 shocks when towing about 3000lbs... airbags a must.

 

also i hope to god you have a 5.3 and not a 4.8. if you have a 5.3 and 3.73's you should pull it pretty good.

[69camarorag]

Also get a QUALITY brake controller and get it set up correctly! You will need all the braking help you can gain by a good quality setup.

[grampadirt]

Congrats,I'm sure you'll enjoy it

[JohnnyBro1976]

I have 2009 Bullet 294 BHS and I hauled with a Chevy Avalanche for the past couple of years and they are great trailers. Keystone is one of the best hauling trailer because of the spand between the axles on the trailer.

 

I just traded my Avalanche for a Silverado 5.3L/6 speed/ gear ratio 3.42 and hoping I will get the same results or better while hauling with the Silverado.

 

Enjoy your trailer...

[pwall]

Congrats!

[SouthCo]

looks really nice.

[rusty01]

Thanks! Can't wait to try er out! Booked our first camping trip for Memorial weekend! Not too far from home just in case

[rusty01]

i also have a 2001 silverado... sags pretty bad even with the Z71 shocks when towing about 3000lbs... airbags a must.

 

also i hope to god you have a 5.3 and not a 4.8. if you have a 5.3 and 3.73's you should pull it pretty good.

 

 

Was that with or without WD hitch setup? I thought WD setups were supposed to elavate the sag issue (obviously it will still sag a bit with 700# hitch weight).

[00Silverado4x4]

Yes WD setup redistribute the weight from your rear end to across the rest of your truck's frame, reducing sag. No insult to anyone's intelligence. Mine trailer doesn't have but maybe 400lbs of tongue weight and I still use WD hitch, truck is much happier that way.

[rusty01]

Well it arrived! Delivered this past Saturday. Decided to give er a test run and hooked er up behind the 1500 and gave her a tug. Didn't even throw on any bars or sway since it was going to be a short test run. Truck did surpisingly well! Trailer did start to sway just a bit when I pushed er to 60. Even hit a few hills and the truck didn't even care! Can't wait to throw the whole set up on and tow er to the campground this weekend! I know I won't win no races with my current rig but it'll have to do for now.

[music]

If it sways without the sway control, you should see what you can do to get more weight on the tongue (load the front of the camper w/ heavier stuff rather than the rear, if you have the option). The sway control features of a good hitch are intended to make a good setup better. I have pulled mine with almost no tension on the WD bars, and there is zero sway... even going faster than you should w/ a trailer this size (over 65). The key is that ours has a very heavy tongue from the factory (over 15% tongue weight). I've been in a vehicle w/ a camper that had too light of a tongue (a 2500 actually), and it was *very bad*. The difference between that camper towing steady and swaying was literally just two bicycles hung onto the rear ladder rack. The tongue on ours is so heavy, that I could put a rick of firewood on the back without overdoing it , but many of the "ultra light" campers purposely keep the tongue light so that it looks good to customers w/ lighter payload and hitch ratings. On these trucks, I'll happily go over the GVWR of the truck a little, if it means a steady tow experience... so long as I stay well within the axle ratings.

 

Edit: big congrats on the new fun-mobile.

[ChevyTech77]

Well I ended up picking up a small pop-up for cheap due to the fact that it was going to cost me half of what I paid to buy the one I now own, just to rent. It's certainly nothing special but should at least get the job done. Plus, this way, if the gf DOESN'T like camping, I can sell this thing off and put the money back in the bank, all the same.

 

It makes it's maden voyage this weekend. Can't wait to be set up at my site and relaxing with a frosty cold mault beverage.