SUV towing 2015 28BRS, please help!

billhu · Nov 19, 2014

Hello everyone, I am new to the forum.

We have been looking for a rig to accommodate our travels in north america for sometime and would like to make the purchase with in the next a few weeks to escape the Canadian winter.

We have looked at every possibility from Class A to C, TT, and 5ver and liked the idea of the travel trailer best. We will be traveling in the TT from 2 to 4 month/20k miles a year.

We currently own a SUV that has a tow rating of 7700# and a hitch rating of 770#. This leaves us with a very limited choice of TTs.

After looking at every possibility we came upon the 28brs which has relatively low dry weight and hitch weight. However, after searching and reading the threads on this forum, I am starting to doubt if the tow vehicle would be able to handle the TT.

There will only be the three of us (2 adults 1 infant) riding in the TV, and we won't put anything in the trunk. I have already purchased a Hensley Hitch for WD and EQ and a Prodigy RF for brake controlling. We would not be able to get a different tow vehicle.

We would really appreciate any input from the current owners.

Thank you so much!

jimtoo · Nov 19, 2014

Hi billhu,

Welcome to the Heartland Owners Forum and hopefully to the family. We have a great bunch of folks here with lots of information and all willing to share their knowledge when needed.

I'm sure some of our North Trial family will be in before long with their suggestions.

Enjoy the forum and hope to see you on the road.

Jim M

marcusweeks · Nov 19, 2014

You could look into getting air bags. That'll help level your tow vehicle. And maybe a tire upgrade to e rated ones. That will take away some of the sway due to the higher pressure/ increased side wall plys.

MagnoliaTom · Nov 19, 2014

I'm not sure what advice you're looking for. If you have the trailer and can't get another tv, there isn't anything we can help you with. Yes upgraded tires and airbags would help, but you probably already know you need a different tow vehicle. JMHO.

Btw a ford excursion is a good choice for a tv and are often equipped with a diesel

danemayer · Nov 19, 2014

Hi billhu,

The Heartland website shows the North Trail 28BRS having a GVWR of 6,900, which is about 10% below your SUV's tow rating of 7,700.

If you've looked at weight calculating websites like Changing Gears, they recommend a 20% margin, but some people tow with less margin.

If you end up with a weight/balance issue, you may find the trailer is the tail wagging the proverbial dog. Higher speed will aggravate problems, as will wind. Passing tractor-trailers may make life exciting.

Hopefully there are some owners who have experience with similar configurations who can share what they learned.

billhu · Nov 19, 2014

Thanks Marcus. Great idea about the tires, I am going to look into it right now. The tv is already equipped with an active air suspension.

Bob&Patty · Nov 19, 2014

What is your TV?? A 2500/3500 GM Suburban would be the ticket. I'm not sure if Ford makes a 250/350 SUV.

billhu · Nov 19, 2014

Hello MagnoliaTom, thanks for the reply. I haven't purchased the trailer yet, but it has come down to either buy this trailer or rethink the whole idea. I agree a different TV would be idea, but unfortunately that's out of the question.

billhu · Nov 19, 2014

Thanks for the reply! The weight/balancing issue is the one I am afraid of the most. Would the Hensley Be of any help in this situation?

danemayer · Nov 19, 2014

billhu said:
Thanks for the reply! The weight/balancing issue is the one I am afraid of the most. Would the Hensley Be of any help in this situation?

Hensley claims great things with their load balancing and anti-sway equipment. Maybe someone who has it can comment.

billhu · Nov 19, 2014

Bob&Patty said:
What is your TV?? A 2500/3500 GM Suburban would be the ticket. I'm not sure if Ford makes a 250/350 SUV.

Thanks for the reply. The 2500/3500 suburbans are great suggestions for tv. However, for various reasons I am not able to let go of my current SUV. It is a Range Rover with v8 5.0 supercharged engine and a towing package.

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Westwind · Nov 19, 2014

I towed a Sunnybrook 26FK ( 6900 lbs) for 9 years with a Hensley Hitch (Also check out ProPride both are similar) and a 2000 Toyota Tundra XtraCab pickup, it definitely was a shorter wheelbase. We made out just fine and I highly recommend the Hensley. It was a quality device and definitely lived up to it's recommendations. With your current tow vehicle I would definitely look at the Hensley or ProPride you won't be sorry and I feel you will be more comfortable towing.

billhu · Nov 19, 2014

Westwind said:
I towed a Sunnybrook 26FK ( 6900 lbs) for 9 years with a Hensley Hitch (Also check out ProPride both are similar) and a 2000 Toyota Tundra XtraCab pickup, it definitely was a shorter wheelbase. We made out just fine and I highly recommend the Hensley. It was a quality device and definitely lived up to it's recommendations. With your current tow vehicle I would definitely look at the Hensley or ProPride you won't be sorry and I feel you will be more comfortable towing.

Westwind, thank you so much for the reply, your personal experience is very valuable to me.

I have looked up on the Internet and it appears my SUV has similar specs to your tundra in terms of towing capacity and wheelbase (I have attached both). How many miles have you traveled with the rig, any mountain roads? If so, how did it handle?

Btw, I have already purchased the Hensley arrow, it's siting in my garage waiting for a trailer.

Any other owners who had experience with similar tow vehicles? I would really appreciate if you could share your personal experiences. What's to lookout for and any accessories to help. Thanks!

TravelTiger · Nov 20, 2014

Check out www.fifthwheelst.com with great info on what you can safely tow. (They have conventional towing calculators as well.) No one can tell you you will feel safe, until you try it. You might make the deal contingent upon a test tow. Although empty vs loaded will vary the experience, at least if you hook it up and get in the highway and it doesn't feel safe, you haven't bought a trailer you can't enjoy.

My experience was that we bought a 21FBS NorthTrail trailer and v8 Toyota 4Runner to pull it. By the numbers, we could. But the wheelbase of the 4Runner was too short, and the tail wagged the dog, especially when semis passed us. We could not exceed 55mph for fear of wagging off the road. We had a weight distribution hitch and sway bar. But switching to a Toyota Tundra pickup to tow made 200% difference in the towing experience. I actually enjoyed driving!

I hope you find a suitable solution and join the HL family!!

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TravelTiger · Nov 20, 2014

I have seen this published on the Internet in the past, but cannot verify the source.

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JohnD · Nov 20, 2014

I think you are pushing the limit a little close with your truck/trailer combo.

With the tow vehicle you have, I'd pick a trailer that is a little shorter (maybe in the 23-25 foot range) and lighter.

We had our wake up call this past summer . . . and my old truck was much bigger than yours (a full size Dodge Ram 4x4)!

The tow rating is not all about how much weight can you tow . . .

One thing most don't think about is this:

Will my tow vehicle STOP this trailer?

This is the most important question to answer truthfully . . .

marcusweeks · Nov 20, 2014

Mine would actually stop my truck. If adjusted right and the brake controller is set up properly, that shouldn't be a problem. Plus, a lot of companies make upgraded brake parts.

Westwind · Nov 20, 2014

Getting back to the Hensley - We traveled Hwy's I-95, I-75, I-81 and I-84 up and down the East Coast, very heavily traveling by trailer trucks. I religiously stayed at 60 MPH towing with the Tundra, Hensley, and Sunnybrook and seldom had a truck combo pass me that I felt. In fact the Hensley was so good there were times I felt it made me too over confident.
Twice over the 9 years I had to do accident avoidance and I ( I said I) felt after that if I hadn't had that lash-up I would have been in trouble. The wheel base on the Land Rover is
short and the vehicle gives the impression of being high so look into truck tires with a higher payload for it. That will also make a big difference. I would be conservative on the length of trailer and very flexible on the brand. Keep looking and don't be in a hurry, do your own homework and don't take anyone else's word, do the research on your own. You
will realize you know more then the ones who are selling you the trailer or whatever it is you are buying. As I said I can only tell you my experience.

billhu · Nov 21, 2014

Thanks for all the replies! A lot of great info here.

I do think my vehicle has more stopping power than most full size SUVs, so I am not too worried about stopping. However I do worry about the long trailer vs my short wheelbase.

To Westwind: I will definitely start looking for some load bearing tires.

billhu · Nov 23, 2014

Just one last question, what would be a fair price for a new fully loaded 2015 28brs caliber edition? I am heading to the dealership tomorrow to negotiate. Thanks a lot!

SUV towing 2015 28BRS, please help!

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