# Towing W/ Dodge Dakota 4.7 V8



## WVOutback

I am brand new to the site and to camping with a travel trailer. I have been looking at them since last summer and finally found the outback 28bhs. We love the layout and colors and it is a perfect fit for my family. The only concern is towing it. I cannot afford to purchase a new truck and the camper also. I have a quad cab Dodge Dakota with a 4.7 V8. It is rated for 6,600 lbs. The Outback is 5420 lbs I believe. I got tired of driving all over the place looking at campers at private residents that seemed to be either way over priced or not taken very good care of. I started going to dealerships and this is about the same size and weight most dealers seem to show me. I notice all of the pictures I see on here you guys (and girls) are towing with Tahoe's and Excursion's or Full Size trucks. You have towed this camper before. Am I biting off more than the Mid Size Truck can handle?

I am looking at a 2004 Outback 28BHS. We all love it and my kids have already claimed their bunks. Suppose to pick it up next week. Unit is in what looks to me to be very good condition. The only problem I see is some ripples in the ceiling over the bunks. I was there after a good rain and did not see any wet spots. They assured me it had been fixed before the previous owner traded it in. I am getting it for a little under $11k and feel they are being fair and honest. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated. We can't wait to get on the road. I just want to make sure the truck can handle it.


----------



## TwoElkhounds

Hello!! Welcome to Outbackers!!

I briefly towed my 25RSS with a Dodge Dakota 4.7L with the 3.92 rear end. It was rated to tow about 7000lbs. My 25RSS weighs in at around 5500 lbs empty. It towed the trailer, but it was never a good experience. Normal flat towing it would hold up pretty well. But throw in some hills, rain, or a stiff head wind and the performance dropped off pretty quickly. There were times when we had to cancel or extend trips just because it was windy out. We ultimately ditched the Dakota because we felt unsafe and overloaded. We do a lot of towing, and the Dakota was not up to the task. We ultimately bit the bullet and got a diesel.

From my first hand experience, there is no way I would consider pulling a 28BHS with the Dakota. Maybe on a very short trip with no hills, but not much more than that.

DAN


----------



## 2500Ram

When we bought our 03 26RS we were told by the dealer and Dodge dealer that we could tow the OB all day long with our 03 Durango (same chassis as your Dakota) 4.7L 3:92 gears tow package etc. Short version is we towed the trailer home, short trip 10 miles home, parked the trailer in the street for 3 weeks while we shopped for a proper TV. The Durango was not up to the task, yes we made it home but it wasn't a fun trip at all.

Sorry to say you have way too much trailer for your TV.


----------



## mmblantz

Too much camper for some full size trucks. Definetly too much for a Dakota. ---Mike


----------



## bbwb

I agree with the above...don't have enough vehicle to be safe.
I have a 1/2 ton GMC with 5.3L/4.10 gears on a 23RS. When fully loaded (camper, not me) for camping I think that I am at my limit.

bbwb


----------



## WVOutback

This is what I was expecting (but not wanting to hear). I have not picked the Trailer up yet. I am going to have to talk to them a little more and see if there is anything I can do. I really do not want a different one, but buying a truck now is not an option. Thank you very much for the info.



TwoElkhounds said:


> Hello!! Welcome to Outbackers!!
> 
> I briefly towed my 25RSS with a Dodge Dakota 4.7L with the 3.92 rear end. It was rated to tow about 7000lbs. My 25RSS weighs in at around 5500 lbs empty. It towed the trailer, but it was never a good experience. Normal flat towing it would hold up pretty well. But throw in some hills, rain, or a stiff head wind and the performance dropped off pretty quickly. There were times when we had to cancel or extend trips just because it was windy out. We ultimately ditched the Dakota because we felt unsafe and overloaded. We do a lot of towing, and the Dakota was not up to the task. We ultimately bit the bullet and got a diesel.
> 
> From my first hand experience, there is no way I would consider pulling a 28BHS with the Dakota. Maybe on a very short trip with no hills, but not much more than that.
> 
> DAN


----------



## mikenkristipa

Welcome to the site.....first of all!

Second......Don't let the dealer or anyone tell you it is safe. I know first hand. I had the same TV with my first camper (Coachman Captiva comparable to the Outback 23RS). In my opinion that is the largest possible camper you can tow with a Dakota (the 23RS that is). Even that made me nervous at times. It isn't the power of the truck, it is the wheelbase of the truck. It was unstable at times in wind and while passing other vehicles (especially 18 wheelers)even with sway bars and equalizer's. I upgraded my Truck because the lease was out on my Dakota and we wanted to upgrade our TT (wasn't supposed to be so soon, but hey, __it happens). I would not want to pull the 25RSS we have with the Dakota. So the 28BHS, IMHO, would not be a good experience AT ALL! I give my opinion solely because if I was in your shoes, I would want someone to be brutally honest with me.

Good Luck, and if you have any other questions feel free to PM me.

Mike


----------



## GO WEST

It's too much camper for that truck. If you really want to get into camping NOW, better go with a 21RS, it has bunks too. It's lighter and shorter. You could tow the 21RS, but you'd end up at some point wanting to upgrade to a full size half ton truck even for it. I fully understand your not being able to buy the TV and the camper at the same time = $$ constraints. Don't get it over your head.


----------



## TwoElkhounds

WVOutback said:


> This is what I was expecting (but not wanting to hear). I have not picked the Trailer up yet. I am going to have to talk to them a little more and see if there is anything I can do.


There is nothing you can do to make this combo safe. The dealer will likely tell you that all you need is a special hitch (such as a Hensley) and it will all be good. The Hensley is a good hitch, and will make an adequate tow vehicle safer. It will not make an inadequate tow vehicle adequate. Others may disagree with my assessment, but I would never relay on a hitch to give me the impression that my combo was safe. DW and kids are in the truck, precious cargo.

I like the suggestion GO WEST made on the 21RS. This will give you the opportunity to get started safely as an Outbacker, errr, I mean Camper. It may not be exactly what you want, but it is a very good option.

DAN


----------



## mmblantz

Have you considered maybe shopping for a tow vehicle that 2 or 3 years older but much more capable? You could sell Dakota and use the cash for that. Just a thought...you might be able to find a nice older 3/4 ton for what our Dakota is worth.---Mike


----------



## Collinsfam_WY

This topic has got me to thinking. I recall many times while I was towing our 23RS with my old F150 SC (5.4 2v, 3.55) that the truck was pushed to its limits in more than one way. I would often describe it as "ok...not good...just ok". But I have realized that a tendency of mine is to romanticize it a little and forget the tougher times I had with it. We could have probably gone to a 25RS and been fine, really, but we stayed on the safe side and besides, Momma liked having the two queen beds stuffed into the camper. I sure would reconsider that 28BHS. The 21RS is a much better fit for what you have. I think Outbacker MJRey tows (or did tow) with a similar Durango except I think he had a Hemi in his. I don't recall the exact Outback he had but I think it was either a 21RS or 23RS. See if you can't get those kids to pick out a bunk in a 21RS









-CC


----------



## MJRey

collinsfam_tx said:


> I think Outbacker MJRey tows (or did tow) with a similar Durango except I think he had a Hemi in his. I don't recall the exact Outback he had but I think it was either a 21RS or 23RS. See if you can't get those kids to pick out a bunk in a 21RS
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -CC


Never towed with a Durango but I agree with the earlier responses that the 28BHS is too big for a Durango/Dakota. We did alright with our 26RS and our old Ford Expedition but the current Dodge 2500 makes towing a fairly low stress experience.


----------



## Collinsfam_WY

Yeah I did not remember correctly - sorry about that. Gosh - sorry I cannot recall that guys name. Pretty sure he towed with a hemi durango with 3.92's and had a 21RS. Ugh...bugs me that I can't recall his Outbacker handle.

-CC

Edit...just found him - Mgonzo2u. Whew - OCD impulses satisfied for the moment.


----------



## NS_Bluenoser

I hope that you did not pass up on this trailer. I have a 4.7L Dodge Dakota with a tow capacity of 7,300lbs. I use a weigh distribution hitch. I purchased a 2002 Outback 28BHS that is 4,900lbs dry. You can put 1,200lbs of cargo in to maximum of 6,000lbs. Even at top capacity I am still well within my tow capacity with 1,500 to spare. I don't have any problems towing my Outback. I can sometimes feel a small sway but nothing too serious. Where I live there are no huge mountains to worry about.

My rule of thumb is just to take your time and don't expect to maintain 60MPH going up steep grades. Most guys don't realize that the Dakota is a very capable truck and best in class towing. No other 1/4 tonne can touch its towing capacity. 4.7L is not far from the 5.4 most Fords have. Some F150s have the 4.6L.

If you get this trailer, spent the $500 for a weigh distribution hitch, I wouldn't tow without it.

Cheers!


----------



## brownsr4

I'm not real familiar with S. West Virgina, but it sounds like there could be some steep grades to climb. I agree with most here that you will be over the comfortable towing capacity of your TV. I am currently towing a 312BH which puts me about 1500 lbs over my capacity with a 4.7L 07 Toyota Sequioa and the thought of getting on the freeway does not even cross my mind and it's really flat here in Florida. I obviously was sold to much TT for my TV and the DW will end up driving an F350 Dually soon. It was not in my budget but having my wife on edge while towing is not an expirence I want to endure.

If you pull the trigger on that set up just be prepared to spend alot on the hitch set up and start saving for a new TV immediatly.

Also, as others have said, the 21RS is a really nice unit, buy that for a season or two then upgrade both the TT and TV.

Lastly, Try not to let your brain explode while you crunch all this info.


----------



## rock hill

NS_Bluenoser said:


> I hope that you did not pass up on this trailer. I have a 4.7L Dodge Dakota with a tow capacity of 7,300lbs. I use a weigh distribution hitch that adds 200lbs more to give me 7,500lbs. I purchased a 2002 Outback 28BHS that is 4,800lbs dry. You can put 1,200lbs of cargo in to maximum of 6,000lbs. Even at top capacity I am still well within my tow capacity with 1,500 to spare. I don't have any problems towing my Outback. I can sometimes feel a small sway but nothing too serious. Where I live there are no huge mountains to worry about.
> 
> My rule of thumb is just to take your time and don't expect to maintain 60MPH going up steep grades. Most guys don't realize that the Dakota is a very capable truck and best in class towing. No other 1/4 tonne can touch its towing capacity. 4.7L is not far from the 5.3 most Fords have. Some F150s have the 4.6L.
> 
> If you get this trailer, spent the $500 for a weigh distribution hitch, I wouldn't tow without it.
> 
> Cheers!


A WD hitch does not add to your capacity, it only distributes the weight to your front axle, it does this from spring tension on the arms of the hitch. Please don't think you will be able to carry more weight. Your engine may be rated for more power, but when it comes to length of the tow vehicle and length of the TT, plus pin weight things may be set up for disaster. It is all based on physics, and the lever action associated with a fulcrum (the ball/hitch). Stay safe!


----------



## Tangooutback

I have a weight distribution hitch for my OB, but I still do not understand, by looking at the design, how weight is spread out to the front axle when the connection point on the TV is still at the same ball. The only difference is the two connectors on the hitch being about four to five inches on either sides of the hitch ball. How does that configuration transfer the weight to the front axle?


----------



## Nathan

Does this help?


----------



## NS_Bluenoser

Again, I am well within my tow limits. I forgot to mention that my truck has the heavy duty suspension package as well. It would seem that a weigh distribution hitch would give you some extra towing capacity because it takes weigh off the ball and distributes it along the entire rear axle. Probably the same reason you can tow heavier weights on a fifth wheel than on a hitch. I'm not sure how it shifts the weigh to the front axle either other than leveling the TV with the trailer. It's irrelevant for my purpose anyways because I am still well under my tow capacity. My Dakota sits level with the Outback hooked up to the weigh distribution hitch.

Tow capacities do not specific maximum lenghts of trailers so I would assume if you are within your tow capacity you are safe. I drive very conservatively when towing and leave myself plenty of room to stop and I have never had an issue with braking. You also won't find me with my engine and transmission screaming at 6000RPM to maintain 55-70MPH up step grades. For those that want the speed, a Sierra with an Allison tranny is in order. I'm not interested in racing with 6,000lbs pushing my rear end.

You'll find guys that will tell you that you need a F350 to tow a tent trailer. With that in mind you'll see lots of overloaded towing out on the roads. I saw a Ford Expedition towing a 30ft trailer at a campground last summer and the TV front tires were nearly in the air.

The 28BHS is a lot of trailer but if you are within your tow capacity and you drive appropriately there is no reason you cannot tow this trailer safely. I have no ambition to upgrade my Dakota. The Dakota is not much smaller than its Ram 1500 brother and only 1 litre shy of its Hemi counterpart.


----------



## rock hill

a WD hitch absolutly does NOT increase your capacity, please understand that.

Here is a link to how these systems work.

My link


----------



## webeopelas

Had that exact trailer (2004 28BHS) and towed it with a Tahoe. Was at the limit of comfortable for me. It is a 30ft long trailer and a Dakota should not be pulling it. The truck is just too light.

It is always up to you, but you will not be safe with this combo. No matter how slow you drive and how careful you are, you cannot control the other idiots who will cut you off and make you swerve.

In a emergency situation, you *will* be in trouble.


----------



## Up State NY Camper

Tangooutback said:


> I have a weight distribution hitch for my OB, but I still do not understand, by looking at the design, how weight is spread out to the front axle when the connection point on the TV is still at the same ball. The only difference is the two connectors on the hitch being about four to five inches on either sides of the hitch ball. How does that configuration transfer the weight to the front axle?


If you can, watch someone pull their bars up some time. You'll see the back of the vehicle lift right up. (That's if they don't use the tongue jack to lift the vehicle in stead) You can also take a measurement of your rear wheel well with the bars on and with them off. If they're set up right, the measurement will be higher with the bars on. Thus more weight will be on the front wheels.

Another way of looking at it geographically, a weight dist. set up puts a virtical rectangle between the tt and tv. The four sides being the bars, chains, tongue, and ballmount.


----------



## mikenkristipa

NS_Bluenoser said:


> Again, I am well within my tow limits. I forgot to mention that my truck has the heavy duty suspension package as well. It would seem that a weigh distribution hitch would give you some extra towing capacity because it takes weigh off the ball and distributes it along the entire rear axle. Probably the same reason you can tow heavier weights on a fifth wheel than on a hitch. I'm not sure how it shifts the weigh to the front axle either other than leveling the TV with the trailer. It's irrelevant for my purpose anyways because I am still well under my tow capacity. My Dakota sits level with the Outback hooked up to the weigh distribution hitch.
> 
> Tow capacities do not specific maximum lenghts of trailers so I would assume if you are within your tow capacity you are safe. I drive very conservatively when towing and leave myself plenty of room to stop and I have never had an issue with braking. You also won't find me with my engine and transmission screaming at 6000RPM to maintain 55-70MPH up step grades. For those that want the speed, a Sierra with an Allison tranny is in order. I'm not interested in racing with 6,000lbs pushing my rear end.
> 
> You'll find guys that will tell you that you need a F350 to tow a tent trailer. With that in mind you'll see lots of overloaded towing out on the roads. I saw a Ford Expedition towing a 30ft trailer at a campground last summer and the TV front tires were nearly in the air.
> 
> The 28BHS is a lot of trailer but if you are within your tow capacity and you drive appropriately there is no reason you cannot tow this trailer safely. I have no ambition to upgrade my Dakota. The Dakota is not much smaller than its Ram 1500 brother and only 1 litre shy of its Hemi counterpart.


I agree with you that the Dakota is a powerful truck, loved mine! However, I now have the 1500 with the Hemi and it isn't the power of the truck, it is the wheelbase of the Dakota that made me nervous. The truck can handle towing the trailer, I just think that is a little too much trailer for that truck. I now tow my 25 RSS and don't even know the trailer is back there. When I had the 23ft Coachman/Dakota set up, I knew the trailer was back there and my tow package is the same. I felt safe, but there is a big difference between the Dakota and the RAM 1500. It's not an opinion, it's a fact.

Be safe to all and happy camping,

Mike


----------



## Nathan

I would not recommend a F350 for a pop up. However, just because a manufacturer doesn't specify a max trailer length doesn't mean any length is safe. Furthermore, a 30' flat bed trailer will behave much differently than a 30' TT that has a side surface area of 240 sq ft. I'm happy to hear you are pleased with the combo, but please be careful in gusty winds or at higher speeds.


----------



## marker

NS_Bluenoser said:


> I hope that you did not pass up on this trailer. I have a 4.7L Dodge Dakota with a tow capacity of 7,300lbs. I use a weigh distribution hitch that adds 200lbs more to give me 7,500lbs. I purchased a 2002 Outback 28BHS that is 4,800lbs dry. You can put 1,200lbs of cargo in to maximum of 6,000lbs. Even at top capacity I am still well within my tow capacity with 1,500 to spare. I don't have any problems towing my Outback. I can sometimes feel a small sway but nothing too serious. Where I live there are no huge mountains to worry about.
> 
> My rule of thumb is just to take your time and don't expect to maintain 60MPH going up steep grades. Most guys don't realize that the Dakota is a very capable truck and best in class towing. No other 1/4 tonne can touch its towing capacity. 4.7L is not far from the 5.3 most Fords have. Some F150s have the 4.6L.
> 
> If you get this trailer, spent the $500 for a weigh distribution hitch, I wouldn't tow without it.
> 
> Cheers!


A weight distribution hitch does not add TV capacity, it just evens out the load to the front wheels and makes a capable TV more stable.


----------



## marker

I had a '03 Dakota with the 4.7. I towed a 23' light weight, low profile trailer, with a 650 lb motorcycle in the truck bed. I was over limits but with Timbrens and a good weight ditribution hitch and reinforced TV hitch, I was stable without any sway concerns. On large hills, while I got up them at speed OK, I was reving at 4000-5000 rpm. Did not like the experience. Moved to a Dodge 1500 with the 5.7 Hemi and all was OK. Now I have the current setup and again OK on all accounts, but I don't think I would tow the 28' unit with it, at least the toy hauler version if there is one.

With my motorcycle in my 23KRS toyhauler, I am right at my weight limits and would not want to tow anything heavier or longer.

Best of luck.

Gary


----------



## NS_Bluenoser

I appreciate the feedback. This last weekend I towed my Outback 28BHS to a campground about 40kms away (25 miles). It was a day with gusty winds. I felt the trailer sway slightly at times. Nothing I could notice in my mirrors but just enough that I could feel it in the back of my truck. Nothing that made me white knuckled or nervous. I was always told that if you are within your tow limits you are ok. With this configuration, I am at 82% of my tow capacity under full load. I agree a 1/2 tonne would be a better option and perhaps safer but my Dakota gets the job done and does not mean its not safe.

My Dad is a 40 year truck driver. He instructed me that if my trailer ever gets away on me to spike the trailer brake and give the TV lots of fuel at the same time. In most situations this should be enough to bring the trailer back under control. Then you should pull over and try to determine what caused the trailer to get away on you. Did you blow a tire, lose a tire, hit the shoulder or are the wind gusts too high and perhaps you should wait it out. Probably a good time to change your shorts as well.

The primary reason manufacturers made these larger, lighter trailers was so that it would open the market up to consumers with smaller TVs. If wheel base was a concerned don't you think that the manufacturers and transportation safety board would chime in?

My rules of thumb:

- never exceed 90KPH (55MPH) even though most highways here allow 110KPH (70MPH);
- leave 2-3 car lenghts from the vehicle ahead of you;
- gear down and use 1/4 brake all the way down a step grade, and;
- take your time! You are on vacation or a weekend getaway (What's the hurry????). Drive to arrive alive.


----------



## Nathan

NS_Bluenoser said:


> I appreciate the feedback. This last weekend I towed my Outback 28BHS to a campground about 40kms away (25 miles). It was a day with gusty winds. I felt the trailer sway slightly at times. Nothing I could notice in my mirrors but just enough that I could feel it in the back of my truck. Nothing that made me white knuckled or nervous. I was always told that if you are within your tow limits you are ok. With this configuration, I am at 82% of my tow capacity. I agree a 1/2 tonne would be a better option and perhaps safer but my Dakota gets the job done and does not mean its not safe.
> 
> My Dad is a 40 year truck driver. He instructed me that if my trailer ever gets away on my to spike the trailer brake and give the TV lots of fuel at the same time. In most situations this should be enough to bring the trailer back under control. Then you should pull over and try to determine what cause the trailer to get away on you. Did you blow a tire, lose a tire, hit the shoulder or are the wind gusts too high and perhaps you should wait it out. Probably a good time to change your shorts as well.
> 
> The primary reason manufacturers made these larger, lighter trailers was so that it would open the market up to consumers with smaller TVs. If wheel base was a concerned don't you think that the manufacturers and transportation safety board would chim in?
> 
> My rules of thumb:
> 
> - never exceed 90KPH (55MPH) even though most highways here allow 110KPH (70MPH);
> - leave 2-3 car lenghts from the vehicle ahead of you;
> - gear down and use 1/4 brake all the way down a step grade, and;
> - take your time! You are on vacation or a weekend getaway (What's the hurry????). Drive to arrive alive.


I haven't seen any evidence of manufacturers or transportation safety boards putting any restrictions on things. I agree that the lightening is a problem that needs to be solved (No, not adding the weight back in, but figuring out how to tow it with stability







). Heck, look at my choice of setups.

I guess I'm also not suprised that you are doing ok when I see that you tow at 55 max. When I've had hitches not setup right, the difference between 65mph and 55mph was night and day. We do long hauls so I choose to tow closer to the 65mph (never over it with trailer tires though since they are rated at 65mph max). There are members out here towing at 70mph and greater however and I would not want to get passed by a Dakota doing 75mph with a 30' trailer behind it.


----------



## WVOutback

A little history on the reason for not buying a new TV. The Dakota belonged to my father that has kept it in a garage since it was purchased new in 2003. It only has 26,000 miles on it. I bought it for next to nothing, because he wanted to buy a car. He has no need for a truck. I have wanted a TT for a long time and the purchase of the truck made that possible. I looked at the weights close and the truck is rated for 6700lbs. This is what is in the documents and I verified it with the Dodge Dealership that my dad took the truck to. I had seen so many different weights on the Internet I went to them to try and get the correct ones. The 28BHS is rated at 5260lbs. I also talked to the guys at the dealership about towing. They seemed to think it would be fine. I looked at a few more trailers and did not find anything the family liked as much as the 28BHS. I went ahead and purchased the TT. I pulled it home about 60 miles and it was fine. I bought the WD bars and dual sway brakes. I really did not notice anything until going uphill. I kept the truck around 60mph. This was my first time pulling a trailer this big. The only other towing I have done was an open motorcycle trailer behind a Ranger. I live in an area that has some pretty good size hills and I didn't think it was problem. My friend has a full size Dodge with the same engine as mine and I believe the Dakota is rated for more weight. We took the TT out this past weekend and we had a great time. We stayed close to home and just went to Chief Logan Campground to test the 28 out. Had a problem with the Black tank not being emptied and would not empty and the CD player door would not stay closed. Dealer is going to take care of that for me. Other than that everything was great. We had plenty of room and I was so happy I did not go with a smaller TT. I did notice some of the guys looking at the combo of Truck and TT when driving through the campground. I'll be towing it back 60 miles to the dealer to get it fixed this weekend. Thanks for all of the advice.


----------



## NS_Bluenoser

The Dodge Dakota has towing capacities reaching that of 1/2 tonne trucks. Too bad its being retired in 2011 - bad move by Dodge IMO. I could not be happier with mine. I too called the dealer and gave them my VIN to look up my towing capacity. Since mine came with the factory tow package and heavy duty suspension my tow capacity is 7,300lbs. The 4.7L puts out 235 HP and 295 FT LBS of torque. The 5.2L/318 puts out out 230HP and 300 FT LBS of torque, hence the reason the 4.7L replaced the old faithful 318 in 2000. My 28BHS UVW is 4,900lbs and has a CCC of 1,100lbs.

After reading some on wheelbase, it is a concern pulling this trailer with a Dakota, but the differences are not extreme and from what I saw the allowances seem very conservative (e.g. the maximum trailer lenght for a F350 is 31'). If the wheelbase/TT lenght on my combination was a real problem I would experience quite a bit of sway in regular conditions going down the road, which I don't.

I am glad your experience thus far is good. We very much enjoy our 28BHS.

You'll continue to raise eyebrows at the Campgrounds - just smile and wave







Unless the raised eyebrows ever owned a Dakota, they don't know how capable this truck is. And unless they ever owned a Outback by Liteway then don't realize that 30' trailer is only 5,000lbs.

PS - make sure your Dakota has a transmission cooler and make sure you turn the overdrive off when towing.

Happy Camping.


----------



## Carey

A Weight Dist hitch does not add weight to the front axle. It only gives back what was taken away.

Since the weight is being held partially by the WD hitch less actual weight is on the rear axle.

There is a tetter totter effect if you add weight to the rear axle of a vehicle. The more the rear sags the more the front rises. The WD hitch takes weight off of the rear axle so the tetter totter effect is lowered. This causes the front axle to settle back closer to factory specs.

Carey


----------



## The Stephensons

My husband has a '97 5.2L V8 4WD Dodge Dakota with tow package and all the works - that thing can practically do wheelies! It's still running like a dream. When we were first looking at Outbacks, I wanted a bunkhouse like the 26 or 28 rs, or at least a side slide like the 25rs, but we determined that although our Dakota had the power, those trailers were all too long to pull safely with our Dakota. The most we felt we could safely tow was an Outback 21rs (that had front bunks, no side slide). That was not the travel trailer I wanted, so we waited and continued camping in our tent trailer.

We now have a 2005 Ford Expedition (Eddie Bower, tow package, also loaded to the gills) and started looking again at Outbacks. I still wanted that 28rs or 26rs bunkhouse, but we felt the largest (longest/heaviest) trailer we could safely tow was the 25rs - I'm so glad we waited. I love our 25rs! I would not have been happy with the 21rs.

BUT...we're now looking at replacing his Dakota (and our Expedition) with a Dodge Ram or a Ford 250 diesel. We live in Western WA and have lots of hills/mountains and we sure can "feel" the towing even with all that power on our Expy. No sway, but it sure slows us down and the gas mileage is awful.

It was the LENGTH of the travel trailer in addition to the weight, that we considered before buying a travel trailer - and with our Dodge Dakota, the 21rs was the largest (longest, heaviest) we felt we could safely tow here in our neck of the woods.

If you only have two kids, and the Dakota is your tow vehicle, the 21rs is a GREAT little trailer - and if you have no other trailer or pop-up, it's a great place to start and get out there and enjoy camping (better than a tent or popup, IMO)!


----------



## fshr4life

Congrats on your new OB! I'm originally from WV. I grew up in Buckhannon and also lived near Summersville for a while, so I know the kind of hills and mountains around there. I towed my 270BH with a 5.3L Chevy Silverado 1500 when we first got it. It did just fine towing it in most conditions, but when I took it home to WV in July a year ago to go camping at Summersville Lake, the transmission started to overheat climbing the bigger mountains. I was driving less than 55mph up those mountains, and I had the towing package with an additional transmission cooler and everything, but even that wasn't enough.

Luckily, I had a transmission gauge and I could watch the tranny temps. We had to pull over for a while at the top of a few mountains to let it cool down. That Silverado was more truck than your Dakota, so you need to be really careful with that if you have an automatic transmission. You don't want to destroy your TV! If you don't have a tranny temperature guage, you won't know how hot it's getting until it's too late, so I recommend you put one on if you're going to keep your Dakota. Also, you definitely should consider an additional transmission cooler if you don't have one. They're pretty cheap insurance compared to the cost of a transmission.

In addition, here are a few important things for you to seriously consider: Your towing capacity is only one small part of knowing if you're 'safe' to tow. My trailer is also under 6000lbs empty which was well below my towing capacity of 7800lbs, but the weight really quickly adds up when you start adding food, clothes, water, a battery, propane, etc, etc. You also need to realize that the towing capacity on your truck is rated without ANYTHING inside your truck except a 160lb driver or something similar. As soon as you start putting your family, fuel, supplies, etc inside your TV, your towing capacity starts dropping. If you put 1000lbs of stuff in your truck, your towing capacity is 1000lbs less than what the rating says.

You also need to really look at the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) for your truck. That's the maximum allowable weight of your whole rig (truck and trailer together). They use that to find your towing capacity (GCWR - Weight of your truck = Towing capacity). That's the one that got me. It was 13,000lbs for my Silverado. Even though I was well within my towing capacity, my whole rig was slightly over my GCWR with the bare minimums loaded in the truck and TT (empty tanks on the TT, etc), and that made me really uncomfortable (I weighed my rig at a truck stop on certified scales - I suggest you do the same so you know exactly what your rig really weighs).

It sucked to not be able to bring everything we wanted on a camping trip, but I really didn't want to be overloaded. We wouldn't fill the water tank before we left on trips, etc. We always stopped near where we were going to camp to buy food and fill up with water if we needed it. I'm willing to bet that you're over your GCWR when you're hooked up to your trailer with your family and supplies inside (I imagine your GCWR is about 10,000lbs or so for a Dakota). Just realize that if you are over your GCWR and you get into an accident, you could be blamed for being over the limits of your vehicle, even if the accident wasn't your fault. You could also get sued or your insurance might not pay, etc. Hopefully that will never happen, but you should just be aware.

The other thing is the length of your wheelbase vs the length of your TV. A travel trailer is like a huge sail. When a big gust of wind hits it, it puts an enormous side load on the trailer. The bigger the trailer, the more force it creates in the wind (if you put just 1/4 psi on the side of an 8'x28' trailer, that's over 8,000lbs of force!). The shorter your wheelbase and the lighter your TV, the harder it will be to overcome that side load and you will start to sway. That part is just simple physics. That's why you should be very careful with hooking a long TT to a short, light TV. You don't want the tail to be able to wag the dog so to speak. 99% of the time, you'll be good, but if a big gust hits you, you're set up for failure from the get go. There are calculations online that tell you what your max trailer length should be given your wheelbase. Some of the really good hitches can also help alleviate this problem somewhat.

My Silverado was within or only slightly over all of the necessary limits for my trailer, but, like I said, I didn't feel comfortable being slightly over my GCWR for potential liability issues, and I didn't like severely limiting what we took with us. After taking this all into consideration and saving up some money, I finally went and bought a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel and now we don't have any issues whatsoever. Having the piece of mind is the most important thing to me. It's night and day towing with a big diesel -- a 3/4 ton is built to tow. I can hardly feel the trailer behind me and we can bring pretty much whatever we want, within reason. I also feel that my family is much safer and that's the most important thing to me.

This is just my 2 cents. Take it however you want. I was in a similar situation to you, and I learned all this stuff after I bought my trailer and started doing my homework. I also know the deal with buying another TV, but there's a reason why most of the old-timers on here have 3/4 and 1-ton trucks. If I were you, I'd just be aware of your situation and plan accordingly. I would start saving up for a better TV and plan to stay close to home until you get one. No matter what you decide though, good luck and congrats! We love our OB and I'm sure you guys will feel the same way.

JD

P.S.

To help answer another question that was on here earlier about weight distribution hitches -- think about them like a wheelbarrow. You lift up the handles and it shifts weight to the front tire(s). None of that weight is magically going away or being created, it's just shifting to different axles. Again, a properly-adjusted weight distribution hitch can make you safer by making sure that your tires are all in contact with the ground, your vehicle is level, and some models will also help reduce sway, but they don't do anything to change your GCWR (in fact, some of the really heavy-duty ones will add quite a bit more weight to your rig).


----------



## NS_Bluenoser

fshr4life said:


> but there's a reason why most of the old-timers on here have 3/4 and 1-ton trucks.


Yeah, they can finally afford one


----------



## rames90

One more thing to check out would be the GVWR of your truck. That was the problem I encountered, and it took me quite a while to figure everything out and ended up costing me more than I care to think about trading in a 2 month old trailer because it was simply too heavy for my tow vehicle.

Next time you pull your trailer pull into one of the scales on the side of the highway and weigh your truck with the trailer hooked up. Better safe than sorry.


----------



## garywies

I have to agree with the "Nays" on this one. I'm really bull headed about what I want and when I ask here I get the unvarnished truth.
The dealer's job is to sell the TT-not to tow it with your family and mine on the road. Be careful!

Also, the "deal" your getting on the Outback may bare a closer look. I have only my personal experience with a smaller Outback but paid $12,500 for a brand new 2007 18RS at Holman's 3 years ago. You might find a better deal online or even right here on Outbacker's on a used one.

Good luck and take your time, it will work out.
Gary


----------



## Chief Joseph

NS_Bluenoser said:


> I hope that you did not pass up on this trailer. I have a 4.7L Dodge Dakota with a tow capacity of 7,300lbs. I use a weigh distribution hitch. I purchased a 2002 Outback 28BHS that is 4,900lbs dry. You can put 1,200lbs of cargo in to maximum of 6,000lbs. Even at top capacity I am still well within my tow capacity with 1,500 to spare. I don't have any problems towing my Outback. I can sometimes feel a small sway but nothing too serious. Where I live there are no huge mountains to worry about.
> 
> My rule of thumb is just to take your time and don't expect to maintain 60MPH going up steep grades. Most guys don't realize that the Dakota is a very capable truck and best in class towing. No other 1/4 tonne can touch its towing capacity. 4.7L is not far from the 5.4 most Fords have. Some F150s have the 4.6L.
> 
> If you get this trailer, spent the $500 for a weigh distribution hitch, I wouldn't tow without it.
> 
> Cheers!


My first TV was an '02 Ram 1500 with the 4.7L. I swapped my 3.55 gears with 4.10's, the engine just wasn't up to my trailer. My engine was only rated at 295 ft lbs torque. My '05 Expedition with the 5.4L has 365 ft lbs of torque, which puts it closer to the hemi than the 4.7L. I also put HO Cams on my 4.7L as well. Once that was all done, it did a great job of towing my trailer.


----------



## WVOutback

Thanks for all of the info. I really love the Outback. It is great for the family, but I see where the truck could be a bit small for long trips. I don't think I will be trying to tow it to the beach or anything like that. I do plan on hitting the more local campgrounds like Foxfire KOA, Summersville, East Lynn and maybe Carter Caves in Kentucky. Already having the truck I decided to go with the bigger camper because I knew I might not be able to buy it if I waited. The budget allowed me to make a purchase so I jumped on the deal with my Outback. So far going up a big hill is the only time I have really had a problem with slowing down. I also got into some wind when towing it home in a very bad rain storm. I kept it slow and just rode right along with no problems. I think as long as I keep in mind what I am driving and what I am towing I will be ok for now. Being new to camping we are doing like you said. Pick up supplies after we arrive and never drive with tanks loaded. I hope to buy a new TV in about 2 yrs. Until then I will have to pick my trips carefully. I like the fact that I can get on here and have more experienced campers hand out advice. You guys are great.



fshr4life said:


> Congrats on your new OB! I'm originally from WV. I grew up in Buckhannon and also lived near Summersville for a while, so I know the kind of hills and mountains around there. I towed my 270BH with a 5.3L Chevy Silverado 1500 when we first got it. It did just fine towing it in most conditions, but when I took it home to WV in July a year ago to go camping at Summersville Lake, the transmission started to overheat climbing the bigger mountains. I was driving less than 55mph up those mountains, and I had the towing package with an additional transmission cooler and everything, but even that wasn't enough.
> 
> Luckily, I had a transmission gauge and I could watch the tranny temps. We had to pull over for a while at the top of a few mountains to let it cool down. That Silverado was more truck than your Dakota, so you need to be really careful with that if you have an automatic transmission. You don't want to destroy your TV! If you don't have a tranny temperature guage, you won't know how hot it's getting until it's too late, so I recommend you put one on if you're going to keep your Dakota. Also, you definitely should consider an additional transmission cooler if you don't have one. They're pretty cheap insurance compared to the cost of a transmission.
> 
> In addition, here are a few important things for you to seriously consider: Your towing capacity is only one small part of knowing if you're 'safe' to tow. My trailer is also under 6000lbs empty which was well below my towing capacity of 7800lbs, but the weight really quickly adds up when you start adding food, clothes, water, a battery, propane, etc, etc. You also need to realize that the towing capacity on your truck is rated without ANYTHING inside your truck except a 160lb driver or something similar. As soon as you start putting your family, fuel, supplies, etc inside your TV, your towing capacity starts dropping. If you put 1000lbs of stuff in your truck, your towing capacity is 1000lbs less than what the rating says.
> 
> You also need to really look at the Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR) for your truck. That's the maximum allowable weight of your whole rig (truck and trailer together). They use that to find your towing capacity (GCWR - Weight of your truck = Towing capacity). That's the one that got me. It was 13,000lbs for my Silverado. Even though I was well within my towing capacity, my whole rig was slightly over my GCWR with the bare minimums loaded in the truck and TT (empty tanks on the TT, etc), and that made me really uncomfortable (I weighed my rig at a truck stop on certified scales - I suggest you do the same so you know exactly what your rig really weighs).
> 
> It sucked to not be able to bring everything we wanted on a camping trip, but I really didn't want to be overloaded. We wouldn't fill the water tank before we left on trips, etc. We always stopped near where we were going to camp to buy food and fill up with water if we needed it. I'm willing to bet that you're over your GCWR when you're hooked up to your trailer with your family and supplies inside (I imagine your GCWR is about 10,000lbs or so for a Dakota). Just realize that if you are over your GCWR and you get into an accident, you could be blamed for being over the limits of your vehicle, even if the accident wasn't your fault. You could also get sued or your insurance might not pay, etc. Hopefully that will never happen, but you should just be aware.
> 
> The other thing is the length of your wheelbase vs the length of your TV. A travel trailer is like a huge sail. When a big gust of wind hits it, it puts an enormous side load on the trailer. The bigger the trailer, the more force it creates in the wind (if you put just 1/4 psi on the side of an 8'x28' trailer, that's over 8,000lbs of force!). The shorter your wheelbase and the lighter your TV, the harder it will be to overcome that side load and you will start to sway. That part is just simple physics. That's why you should be very careful with hooking a long TT to a short, light TV. You don't want the tail to be able to wag the dog so to speak. 99% of the time, you'll be good, but if a big gust hits you, you're set up for failure from the get go. There are calculations online that tell you what your max trailer length should be given your wheelbase. Some of the really good hitches can also help alleviate this problem somewhat.
> 
> My Silverado was within or only slightly over all of the necessary limits for my trailer, but, like I said, I didn't feel comfortable being slightly over my GCWR for potential liability issues, and I didn't like severely limiting what we took with us. After taking this all into consideration and saving up some money, I finally went and bought a 3/4 ton Dodge diesel and now we don't have any issues whatsoever. Having the piece of mind is the most important thing to me. It's night and day towing with a big diesel -- a 3/4 ton is built to tow. I can hardly feel the trailer behind me and we can bring pretty much whatever we want, within reason. I also feel that my family is much safer and that's the most important thing to me.
> 
> This is just my 2 cents. Take it however you want. I was in a similar situation to you, and I learned all this stuff after I bought my trailer and started doing my homework. I also know the deal with buying another TV, but there's a reason why most of the old-timers on here have 3/4 and 1-ton trucks. If I were you, I'd just be aware of your situation and plan accordingly. I would start saving up for a better TV and plan to stay close to home until you get one. No matter what you decide though, good luck and congrats! We love our OB and I'm sure you guys will feel the same way.
> 
> JD
> 
> P.S.
> 
> To help answer another question that was on here earlier about weight distribution hitches -- think about them like a wheelbarrow. You lift up the handles and it shifts weight to the front tire(s). None of that weight is magically going away or being created, it's just shifting to different axles. Again, a properly-adjusted weight distribution hitch can make you safer by making sure that your tires are all in contact with the ground, your vehicle is level, and some models will also help reduce sway, but they don't do anything to change your GCWR (in fact, some of the really heavy-duty ones will add quite a bit more weight to your rig).


----------



## Bear

I had a '94 Dakota and towed an '05 21RS with an Equalizer hitch. It worked and I don't recall any sway issues. However, despite the fact that the trailer was within the stated limits of the TV, I did have trouble getting over the Rocky Mountains. Let's just say it was a good thing I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere. I think crawling is a good way to describe the climb. My biggest problem was that I only had an extended vice a crew cab and the kids started to complain about the lack of space in the back. Thus my wife suggested we get a bigger truck. The bonus of all of this, is that I now have an '05 Ram 1500 because my wife told to!







On a final note, it tows the 21 RS really well.


----------



## Mgonzo2u

collinsfam_tx said:


> Yeah I did not remember correctly - sorry about that. Gosh - sorry I cannot recall that guys name. Pretty sure he towed with a hemi durango with 3.92's and had a 21RS. Ugh...bugs me that I can't recall his Outbacker handle.
> 
> -CC
> 
> Edit...just found him - Mgonzo2u. Whew - OCD impulses satisfied for the moment.


Hah!

That's me and we still have the same set-up.

The thing with towing is not only your towing capacity, the equally important concern is the vehicle wheel base. Our Durango at 119" is the PERFECT match for a 21RS (22' hitch to bumper).

When you stretch out to a 28'+ OB, you are seriously endangering your crew and all those around you.

Wheelbase

Wheelbase

Wheelbase


----------

