What are you towing with your AS Interstate?

[DDTEXVA]

Just bought a 2015 AS Interstate Grand Tour. Want to add an AS trailer for additional room/kids at the campsite. What AS model can I tow safely with appropriate hitch and stabilizers, brakes, etc.? I know the specs of the GT, but need someone with practical experience to advise; not the dealer. thnx, d.

[Protagonist]

I saw another thread just a couple of days ago that included a picture of a Roadtrek pulling an Airstream trailer. The thread was: http://www.airforums.com/forums/f483...me-135569.html. It was post #33, by Beaubill.

If a Roadtrek can do it, then an Interstate on the same chassis should be able to as well, provided the curb weight of the Roadtrek isn't much less than the curb weight of the Interstate.

[73shark]

I couldn't tell if that Roadtrek was a 2500 or 3500 chassis. Didn't appear to have duals but maybe wheel covers hide them.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by 73shark

I couldn't tell if that Roadtrek was a 2500 or 3500 chassis. Didn't appear to have duals but maybe wheel covers hide them.

Doesn't matter. DDTEXVA has a 2015 Interstate. If a 2500 Sprinter with a GCWR of 13550# can tow a given trailer, it's a good bet that a 3500 with a GCWR of 15250# can tow the same trailer.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

Doesn't matter. DDTEXVA has a 2015 Interstate. If a 2500 Sprinter with a GCWR of 13550# can tow a given trailer, it's a good bet that a 3500 with a GCWR of 15250# can tow the same trailer.

I looked at the photo of Roadtrek pulling an Airstream trailer - it's an older model Sprinter (T1N) 2500. I'm sure the towing capacity on the older Sprinter was less than the current models.


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[73shark]

Hopefully the Roadtrek isn't towing more than its rated for.

[hamiltonmj]

I tow a 17' 1965 Caravel...the Dual wheels on the 3500 make towing a breeze for stability.

[Tiato]

I use my 2013 Lounge to tow my car trailer to and from race tracks. Mostly Watkins Glen. Fully loaded with spare tires, tools, 4 full fuel jugs, full fuel load in track car, track support equipment and gear I'm pulling about 4200-4300 lbs as shown below.

Unlike my former F250 and 24' enclosed trailer which needed a weight distribution hitch, my current set up does not use any other external trailer stability measures.

I installed a Tekonsha Prodigy trailer brake controller and wired it directly into the provided Mercedes harness for a brake controller. ( you either have to find the matching harness connector to wire to the brake controller wiring into or you have to cut the Mercedes connector off and splice connections.)

Once trailer and Sprinter are connected the Mercedes ESP extends to the trailer as well.

Current set up tows much better than my old F250 with a trailer combo.

[Beaubill]

We have a Pleasure Way B Van 2500 Sprinter with a straight 5 Mercedez engine,and we pull a 1992-- 21ft Sovereign Airstream.Its the best of both worlds. We get 17mpg and if we boondocks in the heat, we stay in the van with a/c and when we boondocks in cold weather we stay in the trailer with furnace. When traveling the navigator can use the bathroom without stoping.The van has a tow weight of 5,000 lbs. The Airstream has a dry weight of 3,900 lbs and has twin axels, with the same holding tanks as a 30 ft. We looked at the Sports and the 21 came out on top .In the mountains the mpg drops to 15-16mpg and we have traveled interstate 40 without any problem, can't tell the trailer is back there. -------some people call it a "2 BR unit" and others call it a condo. Most campgrounds have a 30 & 50 amp hookup at each site and you can hook up both units if you want to.

[Beaubill]

We have a Pleasure Way B Van 2500 Sprinter with a straight 5 Mercedez engine,and we pull a 1992-- 21ft Sovereign Airstream.Its the best of both worlds. We get 17mpg and if we boondocks in the heat, we stay in the van with a/c and when we boondocks in cold weather we stay in the trailer with furnace. When traveling the navigator can use the bathroom without stoping.The van has a tow weight of 5,000 lbs. The Airstream has a dry weight of 3,900 lbs and has twin axels, with the same holding tanks as a 30 ft. We looked at the Sports and the 21 came out on top .In the mountains the mpg drops to 15-16mpg and we have traveled interstate 40 without any problem, can't tell the trailer is back there. -------some people call it a "2 BR unit" and others call it a condo. Most campgrounds have a 30 & 50 amp hookup at each site and you can hook up both units if you want to.

[Boxster1971]

Originally Posted by DDTEXVA

Just bought a 2015 AS Interstate Grand Tour. Want to add an AS trailer for additional room/kids at the campsite. What AS model can I tow safely with appropriate hitch and stabilizers, brakes, etc.? I know the specs of the GT, but need someone with practical experience to advise; not the dealer. thnx, d.

You can safely tow any AS trailer that keeps your total weight under your Sprinter's GCWR of 15,250 lbs. I recommend you get your GT weighed fully loaded so you know how much trailer weight you can handle. For example mine weighs about 10,600 ready to roll. That means I could safely tow a trailer weighing no more than 4,650 lbs. Your GT might be a bit heavier.

I looked at the current Airstream trailer weights and you would probably have to stay with a single axel model to stay under your GCWR. If you look at older Airstreams you could have more options as the vintage models were lighter. Airstream has a great document on their web site that lists the weights of all their trailers going back to 1954.

http://www.airstream.com/wp-content/...me-Weights.pdf

Enjoy,


- - Mike
2013 Lounge EXT on 2012 Sprinter

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Boxster1971

I recommend you get your GT weighed fully loaded so you know how much trailer weight you can handle.

Just to be on the safe side, get two weights for your van. One with all tanks empty (except diesel, which should be full), one with the fresh, gray, and black tanks full of water. Given the tank capacities of an Interstate, the difference between full and empty tanks can be as much as 650 pounds (my estimate, I haven't weighed mine lately, either).

The ideal of course is to always have the van's water and wastewater tanks empty while towing in order to maximize your towing capacity, but if you have no choice but to tow with one or more tanks full, it would be reassuring to know if— and if so, by how much— you might be exceeding your GCWR.