Is my tow vehicle compatible with 27FB?

[sierrafun]

Hello Airstreamers,

First, I just want to say how happy I am that I found all of you. I am new to this forum and have spent the last week reading many different entries and learning quite a bit about Airstreaming and I am very grateful for all of the knowledge and wisdom on this forum.

I don't currently own an Airstream but will be buying one in the near future
In the meantime, I have a question regarding tow vehicle and travel trailer compatibility.

Do you think my tow vehicle can safely tow the 27FB? Following are the specs on both units:

Airstream 27FB International Signature Series
Unite Base Weight (UBW): 5764 lbs
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 7600 lbs
Hitch Weight: 770 lbs

Toyota Land Cruiser
5.7L V8, 6-speed ECT auto with Sequential Shift Mode, 381hp@5600rpm, 401lb-ft @3600rpm
Curb Weight: 5730 lbs
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR): 7385 lbs
Payload: 1295 lbs
Towing Capacity: 8500 lbs
Tongue Weight: 850 lbs
Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR): 15,775 lbs
Fuel Capacity: 24.6 gal
(24.6 x 8.39 = 206.4 lbs of gasoline)
Passenger Weight: 500 lbs


Airstream GVWR = 7600 lbs
Land Cruiser GVWR = 7385 lbs
Combined Weight = 14,985 lbs


In your opinion, do you think this is a safe towing vehicle?

Thank you in advance for your time and answers!

Kindly,
Wendy

[dznf0g]

I think you'll be fine. You may wind up a bit over on GCWR, but I don't think it'll be unsafe in any respect.

Edit: OOPS, I thought you were using the AS curb weight, not the GVW, in your last GCW figure. You'll be fine.

[robert claus]

The numbers look good.

[nilesrob]

I'd just make sure you include a good weight distribution system - Hensley or one of the others, which would be good counsel regardless of TV.

[Tater]

I think you'll be fine. I have an 05 Silverado 1500 with 5.3L and it pulls our 25' with no problem. I did get 3.73 rear when I ordered the truck so I can normally cruise the interstates in overdrive. You should be fine with the LC.

[dkottum]

It's as safe as any truck or truck-based vehicle. That means it needs a properly adjusted weight distribution/sway control hitch and brake controller.

Adjusting speed to wind, weather, road conditions, and traffic is the most important safety measure.

So yes, your tow vehicle is fine.

doug k

[sierrafun]

Thanks so much for all the feedback! I very much appreciate everyone's time and advice. Now I can't wait to get my Airstream...it can't come fast enough :-)

[Peanut]

Greetings. My first post; I'm still I the dreaming stage. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out the whole tow capacity thing and have just about come to the conclusion that you practically need a semi to tow a Bambi.

I have a ford expedition with a 5.4 V8 and 8900 tow rating. Surely I can tow a 20 footer with a 5000 GVWR with no problem or so I thought. An issue arises with the payload capacity, 1680 pounds. *Take away 200 for gas and I'm down to 1480. *The family of 4 and the dog take away another 750 leaving 730. *The unladen hitch weight of the Bambi is 630. Add to that 60 pounds for propane and an easy 40 more for water and stuff gives a more realistic hitch weight of 730. *So that allows zero pounds for my cooler, grill and all the other stuff I jam into the back of the expedition. I think Wendy faces a similar issue. *

[AirHeadsRus]

Sierrafun & Lifer2,
Welcome to the forums! IMO, you should load your TV's up with stuff you want to bring camping and have a field trip to the scales. Pack up as much as you can possibly take. Get the weights for the front and back axle. That way, when you get the trailers hooked up, you will have a good idea of what you have to work with. Once hooked up, head to the scales again.
Lots of fun things to when you have Alumititus!
Joe

[dkottum]

lilfer, 5000# is a fully loaded 20'er. Put some of that stuff in the trailer rather than the back of the Expedition. And use discretion, what do you really need. The weight distribution hitch will also put some of the Bambi hitch weight on the trailer axles.

You may be better off looking at a 25' as a starting point, with much more load capacity.

Airstreaming is about traveling light. Not everyone can do it. An alternative is big truck and big trailer (fifth wheel).

doug k

[Gene]

The Land Cruiser has the same engine, transmission, etc., as our Tundra and will have no problems. A little light on payload as the LC body is heavy, but it can be done. There are some special considerations with the suspension they use on the LC and you can find info on that by using the search function.

We have an Equalizer hitch and have no problems with it with a 25'. The 27' is not that different.

In figuring payload issues, about 2/3 of tongue weight goes to the truck (and is subtracted from payload along with passengers and other cargo) and 1/3 to the trailer. I seem to recall Toyota gives payload numbers with a full gas tank, so you shouldn't have to worry about that.

Gene

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by lilfer2

Greetings. My first post; I'm still I the dreaming stage. I've spent a lot of time trying to figure out the whole tow capacity thing and have just about come to the conclusion that you practically need a semi to tow a Bambi.

I have a ford expedition with a 5.4 V8 and 8900 tow rating.

It is ironic. In Europe they tow non aerodynamic Bambi sized trailers with 4cyl compact cars, no WDH and life is golden.



On this side of the pond everything gets heavy very quickly.

Doug has the plan as we do. Our Airstream is large enough to load in the supplies which keeps the TV on the light side, within payload specs.

[outbackbob]

Hello:

I have concerns about towing with my LC too. Yesterday we purchased a used 1999 Safari 27' and towed it for 3 hours back home in a wind driven rain storm from Paradise CA.

My LC is a 2003 with a towing capacity listed as 6,500#. It began as a white knockle ride as I have never towed an RV before. Wow, by the time I got home I was very comfortable with the combination. If I was towing anything besides an Airstream my results I'm sure would not have been the same. The purchase included a Reese hitch system that worked great.

Our plans are travel in the Sacramento valley and CA coast, avoiding the Sierra Nevada's and the like for now.

As we gain more experience in RVing, another TV will be considered to extend our trips to higher grounds.

Bob

[Road Ruler]

Great bob, any pics of your new rig yet?

[outbackbob]

[crisen]

Originally Posted by AirHeadsRus

Sierrafun & Lifer2,
Welcome to the forums! IMO, you should load your TV's up with stuff you want to bring camping and have a field trip to the scales. Pack up as much as you can possibly take. Get the weights for the front and back axle. That way, when you get the trailers hooked up, you will have a good idea of what you have to work with. Once hooked up, head to the scales again.
Lots of fun things to when you have Alumititus!
Joe

Second vote for weighing the tow vehicle first, then check your axle ratings, that is the one thing I did not see in your list of numbers of that should be considered. You can then make some estimates on what the axles will be at when you hook up to see where you are. Depending on the hitch you buy some are very heavy and add a considerable amount to the hitch.

Safe? That is a decision only you can make taking into consideration your towing experience.

[A W Warn]

The advice to go to the scale is the best advice you will get!

Yes you can tow with that vehicle. But you will have to be very careful how you load the tow vehicle and the trailer. The manufacturer's listed tongue weight of the trailer is not a fixed number, it will actually vary as you load the trailer. The tongue weight generally will be between 10% and 15% of the weight of the trailer. With a 1295 lb payload, at 770 lbs tongue weight, that only leaves 525 lbs. Two passengers will be close to 300 lbs. You will also need to deduct the actual weight of your hitch. (mine weighs about 75 lbs), so using these numbers you can carry only 175 lbs of stuff in the tow vehicle. And less if the tounge weight increases.

[Scott J-24]

Lots of great info and recommendations. Stay within the numbers and relax, have fun, and remember this isn't rocket science. Enjoy the hunt, it's part of the adventure.

Merry Christmas,

[outbackbob]

Great advice all around! Awareness and good common sense outweighs the rest.

Happy New Airstream Owners, Bob & Deb

[switz]

Starting with the 2013 model year, the factory actually weighs the trailer as it comes off the line without propane in the tanks. Thus the weight of the factory installed options is included and your beginning empty weight is nicely presented on the Trailer Data plate. An interesting tidbit of information in the sales literature, is that the tongue weights of the longer trailers do not increase as much as the gross weight increase would lead you to believe. There are folks towing the longest trailers with modest sized vehicles.

The dealer added factory awnings rear and street side, a 150 watt solar panel, a full load of propane, some electronics and some "starter" supplies to my 25FB. I added about 140 pounds of Hensley hitch on the trailer tow bar. The factory does not provide actual tongue weight. The static tongue weight on my trailer increased to about 1,150 pounds from the literature number of 833 pounds with no factory options.

Crossing the scales the first time relatively empty and without my wife in the car, I found the trailer axles were supporting about 5,300 pounds. With "stuff" loaded, my wife in the car and a full tank of fresh water, the trailer axles weight increased to 5,860 pounds. Static tongue weight increased to about 1,175pounds. I have a lot of stuff over the axles and the tools are in a rear location counter balancing the Hensley hitch weight. We have added about 1.040 pounds the car's empty weight and still have several pounds for vehicle cargo.

Our TV now has about 1,000 pounds of added weight which included my wife, a 40 pound air compressor in lieu of baggage, a 20 pound combo bottle jack and jack stand and some small stuff.

We still have several hundred pounds of weight in the Mercedes ML320 CDI and lots of allowance in the trailer. The Hensley will help apportion additional weight.