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Buying a travel trailer

Dawnmarie72
Explorer
Explorer

time getting a small travel trailer need small and light to tow behind a Chevy equinox but have to have self contained wet bath to live at ynp for work! Looking at the 07 funfinder x139  but someone said the rpod would tow better due to aerodynamic shape ?? Found a 2018 rp 178 but it's longer 20ft ?? Any suggestions 

9 REPLIES 9

TravelingDream
Explorer II
Explorer II

Isn't the tow rating for a Chevy Equinox only 1500lbs?  If so,  My opinion is to stay under 900lbs dry weight.  After the 300lbs or so of personal gear in it totaling 1200lbs, your Chevy won't last long and you'll feel like your in a horror movie on mountain roads. 

The Feds throw the book at vehicles over the weight limit.  If in a wreck and not even your fault, the lawyers love roasting overloaded drivers and usually win.  Best to keep it legal.  Hope this helps.


@TravelingDream wrote:

The Feds throw the book at vehicles over the weight limit.  If in a wreck and not even your fault, the lawyers love roasting overloaded drivers and usually win.  Best to keep it legal.  Hope this helps.

 This is patently false. There is no law in the US or Ca. for recreational towing over the weight limit except in BC Canada. Further, no one, ever, has been able to provide proof of a successful lawsuit for same. And why would they bother, all they need to do is prove the obvious, “failed to stop in time”, instead. 

nickthehunter, Grit_dog -  Its illegal in every state.  Only exception are a few jurisdictions such as private property..  I'm surprised you guys don't know this.  Fine is only $100 in most states, but most cops won't let you proceed since overloaded conditions are unsafe.  Camper is towed to an impound lot until you get the weight down or get a bigger rig to tow it properly.  These laws aren't only for big rigs, its for all vehicles.  Be safe guys.

Screenshot 2024-02-05 at 22-29-20 overload fines for towing - Google Search.jpgScreenshot 2024-02-05 at 22-15-41 7 Things You Need to Know About Towing Capacity.jpg

 

 


@TravelingDream wrote:

nickthehunter, Grit_dog -  Its illegal in every state.  Only exception are a few jurisdictions such as private property..  I'm surprised you guys don't know this.  Fine is only $100 in most states, but most cops won't let you proceed since overloaded conditions are unsafe.  Camper is towed to an impound lot until you get the weight down or get a bigger rig to tow it properly.  These laws aren't only for big rigs, its for all vehicles.  Be safe guys.

Screenshot 2024-02-05 at 22-29-20 overload fines for towing - Google Search.jpg


There are a few things wrong with your post. And I only persist in pointing these out because you are leading people astray. And I am not advocating for exceeding your vehicles tow limits, I am simply stating it is not illegal to do so (except as noted below).

The "overweight" fines in Ohio you are referencing are commonly called the "bridge law", look it up. "In general", what the bridge law says is the weight on an axle can not exceed 17,000 lbs. per axle. What your table refers to, is the fine for exceeding that 17,000 lbs by 0 - 2000 lbs., 2,001 - 5,000 lbs., etc. Now if you are towing an RV with 17,000+ lbs. on any one axle you got one hell of an RV.

The second part of your statement "Here's what can happen if you exceed tow capacity" is pretty sound advice. But the statement you circled is flat out wrong with the exception of British Columbia, CA. One basic problem is the wording "towing capacity" without defining just what that means. Does it mean GVWR, GAWR, Gross weight, max tongue weight, max payload, etc. In any event maybe the article was written by someone in BC; or maybe he was referring to trucking, we don't know cause you provided no links.

So here is your challenge, if you persist in insisting I am wrong provide a section and code number for a "state" law (or better yet a link) that says its illegal to exceed your "towing capacity" for recreational towing (and I am not referring to "bridge law", which is virtually impossible to exceed by recreational towing). And I'd like to point out, there is a difference between "recreational" towing and "commercial" towing.

Reisender
Nomad
Nomad

Hi Dawnmarie.  I don’t know enough about the RPOD but if you are considering that style then maybe check out the T@B400 as well.  18 foot 4” from tip to tip and a little wider than the RPOD. (7’6”). Around 3400 pounds fully loaded and towable by many mid sized SUV’s. There are lots of interior pics online so I won’t post them here but here is a shot of the outside for context.  Ours has been trouble free after two seasons and 20,000 plus kilometres. 

Happy hunting. 

IMG_5730.png

IMG_7064.jpeg

Hi Reisender.  Correct me if I'm wrong but I think you're illegal.   Isn't that a model 3 which has a tow capacity of just 2200lbs?  Those poor little electric motors are straining under the 3400 lb load.   Amazing the Tesla hasn't pooped out or a knowledgable state trooper hasn't confiscated the Tab.  (Police won't allow to tow any further if over weight)

Yeah, you’re gettin a little out over your skis here. 
Bottom line, there is nothing “illegal” about it here in the US of A. 
Doesn’t mean it’s a great decision and especially in a compact car designed to not tow much of anything at all, in the mountains, and high altitude, piloted by a driver who lacks experience or understanding about vehicles and towing. 
The OP, I agree, should strongly reconsider her plan. But that’s what forums like this are for. To ask for advice to help make decisions. 

2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III

But working in Yellowstone sounds awesome!

2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold

Grit_dog
Nomad III
Nomad III

Sorry, Just buy something local and have it delivered. And then figure out if you’re getting something that can tow or not. 
But save your little car, and yourself and everyone else if you don’t know how to tow and don’t pull anything 2+ times the meager tow rating of your car. 
Both them trailers are way more than that car wants, even in Kansas, Nevermind the Rockies and Tetons. 

2016 Ram 2500, MotorOps.ca EFIlive tuned, 5” turbo back, 6" lift on 37s
2017 Heartland Torque T29 - Sold.
Couple of Arctic Fox TCs - Sold