# Considering 2009 210rs - Need Advice



## gauthiervl (Jun 17, 2009)

Love the look of the OB but this will be my first TT. I have a few questions that I hope someone can help with.

First TV is a 2006 Chevy 1/2 ton extended cab 4x4 unfortunately though only has 4.8 litre (not 5.3). Called car dealer and he took serial number and advised weight could be 5435 lbs. Do you believe this is sufficient or am I pushing the limit and should go with an ultra light?

Second not experienced with TT. Have had a pop up a few years ago and had no difficulties other than the pain of setting up and taking down with small children and initially with backing up. I am a female whose DH will not be travelling with us (someone has to work







Concerns relate to making right hand turns in tight town areas with that length and what the sway will feel like on the highway when large trucks pass. What have your experiences been like? We would like to do a longer 5 week road trip. Is this foolish given no experience?

Only concern related specific to the OB is the rear slide. Tried one on a 25 foot version and I could do it but it was a little bit of work. The slide on this one though is really easy. Is this just because it is new? Will it become harder with age or if I get parked on a slant?

Really excited but nervous.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Hi Walker and welcome to the site!

I'll let others with more knowledge advise on the tow vehicle but I can help with your other questions - woman to woman. It is possible that the slide out you tried which was hard to pull out was out of alignment as they really are pretty easy to deploy. Of course, IF you are parked with the nose down hill, it will be tougher to fight gravity BUT, if you are that far off level, you are likely to have issues with other things too...like keeping the refrigerator running and...um...walking through your camper (not to mention sleeping without rolling out of bed).

As for driving and turning: Our first camper was a 25rss and we now have a 28krs. Before that, I had only pulled horse trailers. The 25rss was easy but the 28krs took some getting used to. Find a Park and Ride or other empty parking lot with lines and practice backing, turning, and parking - put out empty boxes to represent obstacles like trees and picnic tables - and practice some more! You'll hit your comfort zone and feel like a pro in no time!!

Hope this helps! Good luck with your search!!

btw - a 5 week road trip sounds like a dream come true! You go girl!!


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## Eorb (Nov 5, 2008)

Other reasons that it may have been difficult to pull the slide out is if the doors were open or closed. I have found a significant difference due to air pressure, and always try and remember to have the front door and cargo door open. With the doors open, it was only difficult once, but we realized we were pulling it out an an angle, which is easy to do if you are not careful, because the end of the supports easily move side to side. I think pulling weight wise, you are close to the edge, but you maybe all right, but speaking as a guy, more power is always better! Good luck with your decision.


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## Cj45 (Jan 22, 2005)

X2 on pulling out the slide--my kids can do it, but you have to do it straight and you have to have the door open! The more things open,the better. Not opening it up creates a vacuum, and it makes it very difficult, if not impossible, to get that slide out. The same is true when pushing it in. There is a huge amount of air displacement when you push that slide in, and if the door/windows are closed, there's nowhere for it to go and it'll get 'stuck'. I'll let others talk about towing, but the 210 is a great camper. I don't think a 5 week road trip is foolish, but I do think that you'll want to take a couple of trips closer to home (and even in the driveway) so that you can get a feel for things, nail down what you need and what you don't need, and get a routine established that works for you and your kids. Jumping in with 5 weeks right off the bat might be a little difficult, which would make it less enjoyable until you get the hang of it. Towing the 210 is pretty easy--I don't normally do the driving as DH finds it "relaxing", but the times I pulled our 21RS, it was not too challenging. It's not that long, and you get used to it pretty quickly. But I'd practice a little bit in parking lots--back it up, turn, etc. so that you get a feel for it before embarking on a long journey.

Have fun!


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## bhbdvm (Mar 20, 2009)

Not an expert but at first glance I am worried your tow vehicle will not be up to snuff to comfortably pull a loaded 210rs. Especially if you live in a hilly or mountainous region. Do you have any more info on your TV? Does it have a tow package, automatic, etc.? Shipping weight on the 210rs is ~ 4,806 pounds but it will NEVER be that lite. Add batteries, propane, some water and you are well over that with out adding any gear.


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## gauthiervl (Jun 17, 2009)

bhbdvm said:


> Not an expert but at first glance I am worried your tow vehicle will not be up to snuff to comfortably pull a loaded 210rs. Especially if you live in a hilly or mountainous region. Do you have any more info on your TV? Does it have a tow package, automatic, etc.? Shipping weight on the 210rs is ~ 4,806 pounds but it will NEVER be that lite. Add batteries, propane, some water and you are well over that with out adding any gear.


Actually the OB is a 2009 21RS. (didn't realize the difference at first). The TV is 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 ext cab 4*4 short box 6.5' with 4.8 litre. When you look at owners manual it indicates towing capacity is 6700 lbs. When I called dealer he recommended 5435 lbs based on serial number, not sure what this means. There is alot more info on drivers door but tow vehicle is not with me right now. Thanks! Sorry you asked if it has a tow pkg and yes it does.


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## jasonrebecca (Oct 30, 2007)

You can see my setup listed in my signature.
I am guessing that your gearing is a little low like mine (3:55) instead of 3:73.
Once you load the trailer up with everything you will be at the limit of what your dealer said.

I only have problems on either long or steep grades.


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## wharfrat (May 26, 2009)

walker said:


> Not an expert but at first glance I am worried your tow vehicle will not be up to snuff to comfortably pull a loaded 210rs. Especially if you live in a hilly or mountainous region. Do you have any more info on your TV? Does it have a tow package, automatic, etc.? Shipping weight on the 210rs is ~ 4,806 pounds but it will NEVER be that lite. Add batteries, propane, some water and you are well over that with out adding any gear.


Actually the OB is a 2009 21RS. (didn't realize the difference at first). The TV is 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 ext cab 4*4 short box 6.5' with 4.8 litre. When you look at owners manual it indicates towing capacity is 6700 lbs. When I called dealer he recommended 5435 lbs based on serial number, not sure what this means. There is alot more info on drivers door but tow vehicle is not with me right now. Thanks! Sorry you asked if it has a tow pkg and yes it does.
[/quote]

You're pushing your tow capacity. Also, something to consider is whether your tow package includes a heavy duty radiator, battery, etc. Also the age of your Chevy. Even though its only a 2006, tow capacity can very over time due to wear and tear on your vehicle. If you do decide to take the plunge, I highly recommend a weight-distributing hitch with sway control. Chevy's aren't the best in the trailer sway department, especially on wet pavement. Your 4.8 liter should be sufficient but you'll want to know your axel differential. 3.73 is ideal but the higher the better. Other things that can affect & limit your towing capacity is your wheelbase and 4x4. Typically, an 18 or 20-inch wheelbase will decrease your tow capacity by 500 pounds. Hopefully this hasn't discouraged you because the 210RS is a great product but the tow vehicle is the most important camping tool when it comes to safety and capability and I've seen my share of campers that towed things they had no business towing based on the size of their TV and wrecked their transmission. Good luck!


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## gauthiervl (Jun 17, 2009)

Wharf Rat said:


> Not an expert but at first glance I am worried your tow vehicle will not be up to snuff to comfortably pull a loaded 210rs. Especially if you live in a hilly or mountainous region. Do you have any more info on your TV? Does it have a tow package, automatic, etc.? Shipping weight on the 210rs is ~ 4,806 pounds but it will NEVER be that lite. Add batteries, propane, some water and you are well over that with out adding any gear.


Actually the OB is a 2009 21RS. (didn't realize the difference at first). The TV is 2006 Chevy Silverado 1500 ext cab 4*4 short box 6.5' with 4.8 litre. When you look at owners manual it indicates towing capacity is 6700 lbs. When I called dealer he recommended 5435 lbs based on serial number, not sure what this means. There is alot more info on drivers door but tow vehicle is not with me right now. Thanks! Sorry you asked if it has a tow pkg and yes it does.
[/quote]

You're pushing your tow capacity. Also, something to consider is whether your tow package includes a heavy duty radiator, battery, etc. Also the age of your Chevy. Even though its only a 2006, tow capacity can very over time due to wear and tear on your vehicle. If you do decide to take the plunge, I highly recommend a weight-distributing hitch with sway control. Chevy's aren't the best in the trailer sway department, especially on wet pavement. Your 4.8 liter should be sufficient but you'll want to know your axel differential. 3.73 is ideal but the higher the better. Other things that can affect & limit your towing capacity is your wheelbase and 4x4. Typically, an 18 or 20-inch wheelbase will decrease your tow capacity by 500 pounds. Hopefully this hasn't discouraged you because the 210RS is a great product but the tow vehicle is the most important camping tool when it comes to safety and capability and I've seen my share of campers that towed things they had no business towing based on the size of their TV and wrecked their transmission. Good luck!
[/quote]


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## gauthiervl (Jun 17, 2009)

OK at the risk of sounding stupid, how do I figure out my axel differential? Wheelbase?

I really appreciate everyone being so helpful. Thank you.


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## wharfrat (May 26, 2009)

walker said:


> OK at the risk of sounding stupid, how do I figure out my axel differential? Wheelbase?
> 
> I really appreciate everyone being so helpful. Thank you.


Your wheelbase is simply what diameter wheels you have...16", 17", 18", etc.

Basically, your rear axle gear ratio will affect your vehicles strength during launch and stability (higher the better). The tradeoff is that the higher your rear axle ratio is the lower your fuel economy
If the truck was new and you still have the original window sticker, it would be in the Options section. This is the easiest way to find out. 
Otherwise, there are a couple of ways to determine the ratio of the rear axle.
The rear end usually has a small metal ID tag on the differential with a code number or a RPO code in the glovebox.
If we have the year/make/model of your vehicle and the ID tag, you might be able to look up the code to find the axle ratio (See below).

The other way is to block the front wheels, put the transmission in neutral and raise BOTH rear wheels off the ground. Make sure the vehicle is adequately supported with at least TWO jack stands, then crawl under the vehicle and use a piece of chalk to put a mark on the driveshaft, and a mark on BOTH tires.

Then SLOWLY rotate the driveshaft by hand while counting the number of times the driveshaft goes around to make one full revolution of both wheels.

NOTE: As long as the brakes are not dragging, both wheels should rotate at the same speed, so when you see both chalk marks coming back to the same place you should have your axle ratio.

You can also determine by finding your regular production option (RPO) code. This is usually on a label in the glove box. Then reference your code against this chart found here... http://www.drivetrain.com/parts_catalog/ri..._chevrolet.html

Finally, a good reference tool for towing terms and tips is found here. This guide is put out by Ford every year, but can be applied to any vehicle. http://www.fordvehicles.com/assets/pdf/tow...railerGuide.pdf

Also, there are several classes of tow hitches that can carry varying weights. This is also explained in the Ford guide.


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