Towing Jayco Eagle 314bhds Travel Trailer Safely

[bmmendez]

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5-6 family members camping at a time,and sometimes 2more added, will need to trade up. Currently have Trail-lite 2003 30'8" pulling length,about 4800lbs, now looking to trade up to Jayco Eagle 314BHS 33'11" length, double slider, Dry weight 7500 lbs.
Pull vehicle, Nissan Titan Endurance V-8, tow package, newly added 5000 lbs airbags, Titan specs state we can pull 9500 lbs.

Concerned regarding weight, length, height, and towing larger towing vehicle. This is a Second season camping for us. Had previous bad experience on our 2nd trip out last year (off road and almost tipped over-blow out. Now a bit more cautious, we went out total of 7 more times after that with broken nerves on my end (wife) but we did ok. Welcome thoughts on tt weight, vehicle, height, Jayco product advice, any advice welcome
Anyone pulling a 31 footer tt outthere with wt 7500lbs dry wt share your thoughts

[Helinut1970]

Are you having problems with sway? The Titan should have no problems with that weight. I pull that without a BT package. Just make sure you have the best towing equipment. Load distribution, sway control and proper size hitch. (class 4 in your case)
http://www.autostyles.com/hitch_guide.htm
I also never mess around with tires on a trailer. If it is getting close to needing replacement I replace them. Its not worth the damage it can cause if they blow ie: fender, sewer pipes, and posibly roll over and death. Good luck

[bmmendez]

What is everyone pulling out there?
Anyone pulling more than 30 feet or less?
How about average weight?
Comments welcomed

[TJB39]

I tow near the same thing by Sprinter (303BHS), a foot shorter and couple hundred pounds lighter, but have towed it 1000miles round trip to D.C. and back, and to Maine, Lake George, and all over New England, up and down hills. I have a weight distrib. hitch, and sway bar, and have had no problems at all. I do tow in 4th gear in tow mode, and with this, have never seen the transmission even break a sweat, or get above the halfway point of the temp dial. Just don't overload the trailer and truck.

[keane]

I pull the Jayflight 29 FBS - It is close to what you pull, but about 500 lbs lighter. It is 32.5 feet. I know others on here pull even heavier, TTs too.

[rtapia]

You will be overloaded. With a truckload of people and gear and with the added tounge weigh you WILL exceed your payload capacity, probably by several hundred pounds. Also that 7500 lb dry weight may not be accurate. Many travel trailer advertised dry weights are up to 1200 lbs off once optional equipment is added. I would recommend upgrading to a 3/4 ton truck with a long wheelbase. The airbags that you installed aren't a cure for being overweight.

Also if you are towing anywhere in the mountains, you will be miserable and everyone stuck behind you on the road will hate you.

Don't forget what happened to you last season. You almost flipped your truck/trailer with a smaller and lighter trailer.


I have a feeling that you won't follow my advice. If you insist on buying the bigger trailer and keeping the Titan then I would do the following:
- Invest in a Hensley hitch or at least an Equal-i-zer hitch
- Upgrade to towing tires
- Travel by yourself and have all gear and people follow in another vehicle

[greg w]

I'm pulling a Jayco Eagle 312fk. 32 ft fiberglass with 16 ft slide out. Weight on sticker 7359.

First tow bringing it home 300 miles the WD wasn't set up right with 40 mph winds and it scared the H--- out of me. Got that setup correct and added 2000 lb air lift because this is a front kitchen model with solid oak cabinets and a lot of tongue weight.

I have just changed the WD system to Reese's Straight-line Weight Distributing with Dual Cam sway control. I needed to bring the front of the TT down about 2 inches and needed to change the head and draw bar. After they were on back order for 4 weeks I decided, after reading about the dual cam, to just change it all. It's set up near perfectly level on the TT and the front of the truck is at non-loaded height and the back is down about one inch from unloaded.

I haven't towed with it yet, just finished install and set up yesterday, but hope to take it out this weekend.

[TitanFan59]

You'll be heavy but fine, if she starts to sway hammer down and get her right. Then pop another cold beer and roll on.

[Helinut1970]

Originally Posted by TitanFan59

You'll be heavy but fine, if she starts to sway hammer down and get her right. Then pop another cold beer and roll on.

Now there's some good advise, you should really consider that info!! Thanks TF a true asset to us all!!

[jakridge1]

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tr...5-27-0008.html
Any of you guys see this ?? I'm not saying the "big" trailer had anything to do with it cause there could have been a million other things happen to cause this.

[Helinut1970]

Originally Posted by jakridge1

http://www.tricities.com/tristate/tr...5-27-0008.html
Any of you guys see this ?? I'm not saying the "big" trailer had anything to do with it cause there could have been a million other things happen to cause this.

A tractor trailer passing him and then him losing it. I would say that is a sway problem. Or maybe that was TitanFan on vacation popping open another cold one!

[keane]

It would be interesting to know more details. Since the truck is a Titan, maybe it was somebody on one of these boards who can give us some insight as to what happened. To me it was surely a sway problem, but did he have a sway control on it? If that is a salem, they are pretty heavy trailers. I looked at them, and they were haevier than the Jay Flight I got, for the same length.

I'd say that people should view that as a lesson to be careful.

[bmmendez]

FYI......we originally had a problem on our second trip out traveling with our Ford 250 diesel and our light 30 ft trailer (4800lbs).....we had a blow out went onto a uncontrolled sway and went off the road unto a ditch....almost tipped over but avoided the tip over.....very enlightening experience and thus why now so many concerns from the family....wife and daughter in car.
Don't think it had anything to do with length or weight for that one since the truck was heavier etc.
ps....the article states they survived the crash....great job on the titan

[HudsonValleyTitan]

We haul a JayFlight 31 BHS that's 32' 6" in length and she tows fine. Just use a good WD hitch and sway control and use your head while towing. Pay extra attention while passing or being passed by trucks etc. You'll be within your weights and towing capacity. Have fun!

[TitanFan59]

Originally Posted by Helinut1970

A tractor trailer passing him and then him losing it. I would say that is a sway problem. Or maybe that was TitanFan on vacation popping open another cold one!

He didn't put the hammer down though, you must retain harmonic balance while towing and drinking.