Last weekend I made my first big tow with both the truck and with the Jordan brake controller.

BOTH performed exactly the way everyone said they would. The mighty Cummins easily drug the trailer along at whatever speed I wanted it to and the Jordan smoothly stopped me every time. I'm a happy camper (pun intended).

The trailer was a BORROWED 1984 30' Holiday Rambler Monitor. I have no idea what it weighs (and neither does the owner), but I'll be towing this thing again so I'd really like to know. If anyone knows of any websites or anything that will help me find that information I'd appreciate it. I estimate it to be around 8,000 pounds, but I don't know.

As soon as they're uploaded and approved I'll post photos.

 

TOLD YA SO - - - TOLD YA SO.

 

GOOD JOB!

Look around on the outside and inside for a GVW tag of some sort. It's required by the Feds and should be somewhere unless it's been removed.

Borrin' today.....buyin' tomorrow.

 

Like crobtex stated, there should be a tag somewhere. Look on the inside of the cabinet doors if you can't find one on the outside.
You're probably real close on your guesstimate of the weight. You ought to be able to find a truck stop with a CAT scale. I think it's only about $7 bucks to weigh.... that way you know for sure!

 

CAT scale locator

 

i didnt even look at the CAT scale locator but there is nearly one at every pilot and TA and flying J scales are good too. $8.00 is worth it IMHO.

 

I looked around the outside of the trailer for a tag of some sort but I wasn't able to find one. There's a TA between my house and the guy I borrow it from so maybe the next time I hook up I'll run the rig over the scales to see what it weighs. I didn't notice them having a scale or I would have already done that.

As promised, here are the photos (for those that haven't already checked my gallery):

From the side in front of my house:


From the front:


From the back:


This thing pulled like a dream. On the highway you couldn't hardly tell it was back there. I opted not to use the leveling bars, even though I wanted to. The chains on them weren't long enough to use on my truck so if I hooked them up the truck was going downhill and the trailer was going uphill. I wanted everything to ride level....and with no leveling bars it all settled down right where I wanted it (truck still didn't hit the overload springs though).

 

You've got to figure out a way to get the load bars on. I'm certain the tounge weight on the trailer is over 1000 Lbs, and your hitch is only rated for 1K so.......

Also, with bad road conditions just adds to the stress on your hitch. I have heard many stories of the hitch breaking off and frames being bent.

To use the bars, just make sure the trailer is loaded with at least 60% of the weight in front of the axles, the use the load bars to distibute the weight.

 

At www.nadaguide.com the 86 holiday Rambler 31' is 6,580. My guess you would be around 6K dry.

The older trailers didn't put tags on them. I don't think it was required.

 

I plan to buy a hitch with an adjustable ball, but the one I was using had no adjustment in it and the chains just weren't long enough. The hitch is rated for 10,000/1,000 and I'd be REALLY surprised if the trailer exceeded 8,000/800. With that said, I'm still planning to buy a hitch that will let me use the bars.

EDIT: Based on the website above it's probably in the neighborhood of 6,000 pounds dry....and also based on that website I think it's probably 29' instead of 30'.

 

Hoss I'm a little late catching this thread but great to hear your travel trailer towing went well! I know I was sure glad to finally get a load behind the CTD and give it some work.

 

So, you ready to put that Aux tank in yet? Or still fiddling around wishing it would magically appear back there one night?

MagicianBob

 

Same here...and I think the truck liked it too. I get to make the same trip with the same trailer here in three weeks. I've got to find my own WD drawbar and ball before then because I'm really uncomfortable using the one he has. Not only that, if I use the one he has then I can't use the leveling bars....so I need an adjustable one.

 

Be careful about assuming trailers always have 10% tongue weight. I have a 30ft Dutchman with a front kitchen that weighs about 7800# fully loaded. The tongue weight according to Dutchman was 830#. BUT, by the time I put two 30# propane bottles a group 27 battery on the tongue, and stocked the kitchen, it weighed 1100# at the tongue on the CAT scale. Scary!

It trailered beautiful though, no sway or anything.

John

 

Good point. I hadn't really thought about that. This trailer has the kitchen in the middle, but it still has a sleeper sofa and two propane bottles and batteries in the front. What to do, what to do....