First Time Towing

[tjbrk]

Originally Posted by runtime

We're about ready to buy our first trailer (28'), and neither of us has any experience with towing. The trip from the seller to home will be about 1,000 miles. Debating whether to have it delivered or drive it back ourselves. We've done our research and know the mechanics of towing on paper, will have a sway bar and towing mirrors of course. Appreciate any feedback.

About two years ago I rented a 25’ AS in took it for a long ride to Yellowstone, Jackson Hole and over the Grand Titons. I had a 15 min. crash course in a parking lot and was ready to go. I had a blast and returned the AS without a scratch! Call it beginners luck! Haha.
I did go on YouTube and watched some basic towing skills videos. That worked for me! Just have some confidence and take it slow.

[RichHog]

That first trip will stay in your memory for a long time and we all remember it. So as seen take your time, don’t be in a hurry and stop often and enjoy it. Stay away from the interstates especially I 10 where 18 wheelers want to blow you off the road and cars speed around you. As said make sure you have your sway control set properly and you will soon forget the trailer is back there, which actually you don’t want to do. My first trip was bringing my 72 Safari from Orlando to Houston. There was no sway control on it and I thought , “well it never has had sway control in it so I guess it doesn’t need it.” wrong on that. I bought it the day after getting it home and it makes things nice.

[Rollinstone]

If you're traveling backroads or through towns and cities, if you think that street looks like it might be too tight it most likely is!

[Mik]

Originally Posted by runtime

We're about ready to buy our first trailer (28'), and neither of us has any experience with towing. The trip from the seller to home will be about 1,000 miles. Debating whether to have it delivered or drive it back ourselves. We've done our research and know the mechanics of towing on paper, will have a sway bar and towing mirrors of course. Appreciate any feedback.

If you are a good, confident driver, and it is set up right, you may tow the rig you've described, even as a rookie.

If you have uncertainty, do not. I took to it well, my wife is good on the interstates, could probably drive anywhere, but doesn't need the stress of small roads and uncertain turns/situations.

Others may disagree, but for me there is a higher focus, concentration, and demand on the driver to herd the rig as compared to handling a truck or car alone. Mostly planning ahead and going a bit slower. The trailer tires are rated accordingly, so take a look if you haven't already.

We tow a 2017 Flying Cloud 27 FB (bought new 2 years ago, and we have no towing experience). Also bought a certified used 2014 F-150 Lariat with the 3.5L eco-boost engine - vehicle rated just shy of 10,000 pounds tow capacity, with a recommended tow package including braking system and backup camera came with the trailer. First time truck owner, but have driven them occasionally over the years. Bought them 1 month apart and took off for the summer with 4 trips!

My first time towing only had trouble backing up. Have standard mirrors. Did a 2 night, then a four night, then 11 including the Outer Banks and then on to see the total eclipse in SC! Then a long weekend to end the season in Montreal. During the summer of 2018 did more extensive travels cross country for almost 2 months.

The truck is more comfortable than our Acura! The queen bed is more comfortable than the one at our primary residence. Love the rig!

Must admit we had finicky problems with both the certified truck and the new Airstream, but both were addressed fairly well. Reading the manual seems sufficient to winterize and address routine matters for the trailer. Make sure you are up on battery management.

Also, had some tight fits going through toll plaza's and construction, so use whatever web support you can to know what is ahead.

Happy trails!

Cheers, Mike

[The Flamingo]

First off, Welcome to the AS world. This site is the most valuable resource I have found for any type of information. The day we bought our 22FB Sport I was terrified to hit the road. We bought new at Colonial in NJ and they did a great job setting up the hitch and walked us through everything. We pulled out of Colonial into "town" traffic then onto the Garden State Parkway to the PA Turnpike!! Talk about jumping in with both feet!! My only towing experience before this was a pop-up. Our trip was only 2 hours and I think it was about an hour into the trip before my hands left the steering wheel LOL... My words of wisdom for what it's worth watch your speed stay 65MPH and under and you will do great. If you didn't purchase the backup camera I would suggest doing so. I don't use it to back in I use it to see what is behind me and it's a great help if you pass to be able to judge when you can get back over. Best of luck to you and we all look forward to hearing of your adventures!!

[Dave-Nancy]

Originally Posted by Hyo Slvr

Don't forget good mirrors and don't be in a hurry. It'll take some practice and time to get used to the handling and braking. At least double your following distance too.

Since you are buying from a dealership, negotiate and have a full-time rear-view camera installed (i.e. Voyager) before you tow anywhere. Without one, even with decent mirrors, you are blind from approaching vehicles. I promise that you will never regret it. Dave

[gypsydad]

Sorry to hear the deal fell thru; but, there are lots of AS's out there...since you have some time, make sure your payload on your F150 can handle a 28' tongue weight...ours is over 1100lbs...our F150 had only a 1039lb payload rating on the door sticker...not enough for even our 25' AS at the time when you include passengers and camp gear in the bed... I sent you a PM which may help.

[sbowman]

Originally Posted by runtime

Thanks for replying. We're buying from an AS dealership. The trailer is in great shape, road ready. Have a 2018 Ford F-150 with Max tow package we bought in anticipation of buying this size trailer. Brake controller is already installed. Thinking we'd purchase the hitch from the dealership and have them help with initial setup. We're wondering how many others out there learned with a trial by fire approach while towing home their first trailer.

Being a country boy and in the senior discount group, yes to "Trail by fire" 50 years ago. Stopping and the other drivers in today's tow world, IMHO is challenging at best. IMHO, go slow, be aware, stop every once in awhile to double check everything, have fun and be safe. We all were 1st timers at one time.



Best regards and safe travels.

[gypsydad]

Originally Posted by sbowman

Being a country boy and in the senior discount group, yes to "Trail by fire" 50 years ago. Stopping and the other drivers in today's tow world, IMHO is challenging at best. IMHO, go slow, be aware, stop every once in awhile to double check everything, have fun and be safe. We all were 1st timers at one time.



Best regards and safe travels.

Was that Trail by Fire or Trial by Fire??

[tjbrk]

Hi
I have the same F150
How does yours handle going up and over hill and steep grades? Any difficulty towing?
Thanks

Originally Posted by Mik

If you are a good, confident driver, and it is set up right, you may tow the rig you've described, even as a rookie.

If you have uncertainty, do not. I took to it well, my wife is good on the interstates, could probably drive anywhere, but doesn't need the stress of small roads and uncertain turns/situations.

Others may disagree, but for me there is a higher focus, concentration, and demand on the driver to herd the rig as compared to handling a truck or car alone. Mostly planning ahead and going a bit slower. The trailer tires are rated accordingly, so take a look if you haven't already.

We tow a 2017 Flying Cloud 27 FB (bought new 2 years ago, and we have no towing experience). Also bought a certified used 2014 F-150 Lariat with the 3.5L eco-boost engine - vehicle rated just shy of 10,000 pounds tow capacity, with a recommended tow package including braking system and backup camera came with the trailer. First time truck owner, but have driven them occasionally over the years. Bought them 1 month apart and took off for the summer with 4 trips!

My first time towing only had trouble backing up. Have standard mirrors. Did a 2 night, then a four night, then 11 including the Outer Banks and then on to see the total eclipse in SC! Then a long weekend to end the season in Montreal. During the summer of 2018 did more extensive travels cross country for almost 2 months.

The truck is more comfortable than our Acura! The queen bed is more comfortable than the one at our primary residence. Love the rig!

Must admit we had finicky problems with both the certified truck and the new Airstream, but both were addressed fairly well. Reading the manual seems sufficient to winterize and address routine matters for the trailer. Make sure you are up on battery management.

Also, had some tight fits going through toll plaza's and construction, so use whatever web support you can to know what is ahead.

Happy trails!

Cheers, Mike

[tymcknobel]

I know this was posted awhile ago, but I am very grateful for all the excellent advice people have offered to the OP. We are towing home our very first Airstream next weekend and many of my concerns and thoughts have been addressed here, as we aren't sure what to expect. We will be driving over two days, from southern California to northern California and think we will avoid I-5 due to speed, grades, and possibility of snow/ice. Thinking about 101, coast side to inland, or maybe we take 99? Not sure. Allstays app is helpful for finding truck stop fueling stations.
We hope to get professional training after we get home, but this is for us trial by fire! I did appreciate Loloho's backing up video; Wandering Wagners also did a good parking video. Need some good instructional hitches/hitching up videos -- any who see this have suggestion, much appreciated! Thank you!

[djb75]

tymcknobel - welcome to the AS life! One suggestion - the more information you give, the better the advice you receive.

What size/variant trailer are you getting and what are you towing it with?
What are your actual start/stop points?

[AnnaBelle33]

There are some really good videos out there. I’ve been camping & pulling pop-ups to 5th wheels for most of my life. You can never watch/read enough or stop learning - to me, that’s one of the things I love about our lifestyle.

Luv Subbin put out a couple of good checklists - it’s definitely worth printing and using.

Good luck & have fun!!!!

I also recommend RV Trip Wizard. You can map out every stop from fuel to restaurants to campgrounds. Mile by mile - it’s an awesome tool.

https://youtu.be/ye9AmSdXhiw

[tymcknobel]

Originally Posted by djb75

tymcknobel - welcome to the AS life! One suggestion - the more information you give, the better the advice you receive.

What size/variant trailer are you getting and what are you towing it with?
What are your actual start/stop points?

Thank you, Annabelle33 and Djb75! I plan to download the RV trip wizard today -- hoping it too can help with our first towing experience. That's also great idea about using Google Earth to scope the layout of fueling stations. We are getting 20mpg on our new GMC Sierra 2500HD diesel vehicle, but expect to see that drop when we tow!
We are picking up our Airstream Classic 33 from Airstream Los Angeles and towing it to South San Jose. We are thinking we may want to avoid the "Grapevine" and opt for 101. Its been a long time since we have driven 101 so not sure about the conditions. Also considering Hwy 99; although two lanes, there are alot of semis that use it.
We have question about hitches and really not sure which to choose. Originally we liked idea of Hensley hitch, but our AT4 sits kind of high and I expect we are going to need a shank to lower the "stinger" part of the hitch? Also heard great things about Blue Ox, Pro Pride, and Equalizer hitches and/ or weight distribution/anti sway systems. Not sure which to get? Any recommendations? Someone mentioned that dealer equipment is not ideal; we would like something reliable and has quality. GMC has a shank with adjustable heights, but not sure how much weight it handles. Thank you so much for your valuable help!

[dvgofaz]

Hey there and congratulations on your purchase.

In town etc you are going to be watching your mirrors and focusing on other traffic and curbs etc...but once out on the highway you won't have all that to grab your attention, the tendency for me was to then focus on managing the trailer on the freeway. I watched my mirrors a lot and tried to keep the AS perfectly between the lines, wrong. Relax, drive your truck between the lines and your lovely trailer will follow faithfully wherever you go. Make gentle corrections in steering and be sure to leave ample room to slow down or stop, pay attention to the fools and the road conditions, and you'll have a relaxing driving/towing experience.

dvg

[petermday]

We had the exact situation when we bought our 28' FC in 2017. Just take it slow and avoid major city traffic if possible. Always, Always make sure your steps are up when you leave the rest stops. We purchased a new set of steps when we got home due to some highway construction barrels $100. not a bad lesson. Also the rear vision camera is very helpful if you can get one installed before the trip home. Otherwise make it a priority on your todo list. Good luck. Pete

[DeltaRon]

I have a Classic 33 with the Equalizer, 14000 lb bars because of high tongue weight. TV is Chevy 2500 HD, duramax. Have owned ProPride on previous Airstream and loved it. Unfortunately if you own a Classic 33, ProPride will not work because the WD towers will block your front storage compartment. If you have the front queen like mine, losing that storage is bad. I’ve had to settle with a traditional wd hitch and have never felt really safe since giving up my ProPride.

[AnnaBelle33]

Originally Posted by DeltaRon

I have a Classic 33 with the Equalizer, 14000 lb bars because of high tongue weight. TV is Chevy 2500 HD, duramax. Have owned ProPride on previous Airstream and loved it. Unfortunately if you own a Classic 33, ProPride will not work because the WD towers will block your front storage compartment. If you have the front queen like mine, losing that storage is bad. I’ve had to settle with a traditional wd hitch and have never felt really safe since giving up my ProPride.

DR- I’m picking up a 33 and AS of Tampa is putting on the EQ 14k as well. What issues have you seen that makes you feel unsafe? If not that, what else would you have put on if not the ProPride? Thanks.

[BayouBiker]

Your truck will easily handle the Grapevine the exhaust brake and transmission programming will do 90% of the work (I spent 12 years in Bakersfield). Just watch the weather as you do want to avoid ice and snow. If your luck runs short and you get caught by surprise, just go slow enough that you don't ever have to use your brakes and delay stopping till you are out of it. If you are new to towing a large trailer, I would avoid 101, at least up by Carmel, the curves are much more difficult to drive than I-5 and the grapevine. Towing speeds in California are 55 mph so other drivers are expecting you to be puttering along in the right lane so even more reason to stay on the interstate. The Tule Fog in the valley can also be a big problem for you, watch for it also this time of year.

Hensley and Propride are in a class by themselves as far as effectiveness. But if you can't make them fit that would be an issue. Reese Dual Cam and straight Line are very effective but can be loud when the cam actuates. Equalizer is also but stiff and noisy. Blue Ox is a competent hitch but tensioning it up can hard if not done right. EAZ Lift Elite with supplemental sway friction bars is quite effective and easy to fine tune.

[Ky76Argosy]

Good for you. Fun travels. I agree some practice with a tandem axle 16’ trailer or boat on trailer for couple hours would aid confidence. Practice hook up and detachment routine. Repeat.
Maybe find a friend with experience to ride with you? Stay in slow lane, there will be semis on interstate if I remember my trip thru TX. Keep safe stopping distance, no hurry, max 65mph. Practice some more at dealer lot before leaving.
My best rules to remember:
1. When turning and backing so cutting sharp be extremely careful to not contact TV bumper corner to trailer. Closer than it looks.
2. Swing wide in turns as trailer wheels track inside radius for TV.
3. Watch mirrors but stop and get out to look so be safe in gas stations, or close areas.
Be Safe.