# Newbie



## skinpuppi (May 28, 2008)

My husband and I are purchasing our first travel trailer and are a bit nervous. We bought a 2005 Outback 25 RSS. Our children on the other hand are in all there glory! We pick it up tomorrow. We are towing with a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer SS and we have a equalizer anti-sway hitch and brake controls. Does anyone out there have any might-be-needed advice for this newbie TT owner?


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

Hi skinpuppi
















 .......AND Congratulations on your 25rss! 

Advice? Just take it easy and enjoy!
Everything will fall into place...If you ever have problems or questions, we're always here to help









Whereabouts are you from??


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## Cindy B (Aug 18, 2005)

Just enjoy it...we have had our 25 RSS for about 3 years, and have enjoyed every bit of the time that we have spent in it!

Any questions - just shout! This was our first TT and will probably be our last!









Cindy B


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

Welcome to the world of OUTBACKING!!!

Relax and enjo,y knowing you have a GREAT model with the BEST brand!!!


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

Gald to have you with us.

I'm sure you checked out the tow weights and capacities for your truck, right?

Mark


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

TO OUTBACKERS.COM!


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

Welcome to Outbackers









With the risk of sounding like the bad guy, I'll be the first to advise you that your Trailblazer is about at the end of it's capability with this camper. Please load the camper lightly and expecially keep any un-necessary weight off the Trailblazer. Also the short 113" wheel base is not ideal for towing longer campers either.

The SS Trailblazer has a listed payload capacity of 1505#. That number is usually optimistic and doesn't include many of the options installed on your vehicle that further erode your payload capacity. So by the time you add the tongue weight of the trailer, your family & gear you'll likely be out of capacity "on" the Trailblazer.

Please be aware and careful.


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## advancedtel (May 7, 2008)

skinpuppi said:


> My husband and I are purchasing our first travel trailer and are a bit nervous. We bought a 2005 Outback 25 RSS. Our children on the other hand are in all there glory! We pick it up tomorrow. We are towing with a 2008 Chevy Trailblazer SS and we have a equalizer anti-sway hitch and brake controls. Does anyone out there have any might-be-needed advice for this newbie TT owner?


Welcome aboard!







You are going to love camping with your new TT! You will figure out things you need as you go but make sure you have a water hose and sewer hose if you will be camping with hookups available. I'm sure there are many other things others will mention but those two come to mind first.


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## daves700 (Jun 12, 2006)

welcome .... and of course congrats on the purchase ....

Now as far as the Blazer goes, you may want to take it easy, it is alot of camper .... going to be hard on your TV take it easy and try to get a feel for it and keep your eyes posted for a great deal on a little bigger TV.


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## skinpuppi (May 28, 2008)

We are currently living in South Eastern Virginia. However I am from Chicago and my hubby is from Connecticut. We are military!


skippershe said:


> Hi skinpuppi
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## skinpuppi (May 28, 2008)

When you say BIGGER what did you have in mind?


daves700 said:


> welcome .... and of course congrats on the purchase ....
> 
> Now as far as the Blazer goes, you may want to take it easy, it is alot of camper .... going to be hard on your TV take it easy and try to get a feel for it and keep your eyes posted for a great deal on a little bigger TV.


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## skinpuppi (May 28, 2008)

We did 6800 lbs


mswalt said:


> Gald to have you with us.
> 
> I'm sure you checked out the tow weights and capacities for your truck, right?
> 
> Mark


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## skinpuppi (May 28, 2008)

Is funny all the dealer asked us was the max tow amount. My hubby told him 6,000lb and he said we should be fine with the 25. Now you have me wondering


mswalt said:


> Gald to have you with us.
> 
> I'm sure you checked out the tow weights and capacities for your truck, right?
> 
> Mark


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

skinpuppi said:


> Is funny all the dealer asked us was the max tow amount. My hubby told him 6,000lb and he said we should be fine with the 25.


Unfortunately we hear of this all too often here. Sadly dealers only want to sell an RV and will typically turn a blind eye to make that sale.

The "Towing Capacity" of the vehicle is only one number amongst several that must be considered. In addition to the tow capacity, your vehicle has a limit to how much weight it can carry on it's two axles. That number for most 1/2 ton trucks & SUV's is the most limiting factor.

1/2 ton trucks will usually run out of weight "carrying" capacity long before they reach their towing or "pulling" capacity. Understand the difference? Here's a quick example to help you:

Say you have a truck that has a super powerfull engine, super strong transmission, and outstanding brakes. All of these combined are capable of "pulling" a 20,000 pound trailer. Man have you got the power! But your manufacturer decided that it would look really cool to install glass axels and suspension. So where does this leave you? You would have a huge towing capacity, but limited ability to carry much weight ON the vehicle. This is the truth about towing that the dealers usually won't tell you. Also the vehicle manufacturers don't help either as they boast only about "Towing Capacity" in an effort to out-do each other.

This scenario when exposed to a tow vehicle that is relatively small in comparison to the trailer being towed can be at least very hard on the vehicle, and at worst dangerous.

Again, I'm sorry if I sound like a big party pooper to an otherwise happy event for your family. But you do need to be well informed about a topic that is important to your familiy's safety.

Please be careful.

Jim


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## skinpuppi (May 28, 2008)

I am not at all upset. I actually appreciate your concern and your help...we have not signed on the dotted line yet. this is something my hubby does not want to hear but I care about the safety of my family and that is why I am a not truster of salesmen, no offense if you are one. So, how do I know if the 25 is too much weight for my TV axles to carry? We wanted to get the equalizer hitch and from what I understand that is supposed to disburse the weight evenly. Will that help?


California Jim said:


> Is funny all the dealer asked us was the max tow amount. My hubby told him 6,000lb and he said we should be fine with the 25.


Unfortunately we hear of this all too often here. Sadly dealers only want to sell an RV and will typically turn a blind eye to make that sale.

The "Towing Capacity" of the vehicle is only one number amongst several that must be considered. In addition to the tow capacity, your vehicle has a limit to how much weight it can carry on it's two axles. That number for most 1/2 ton trucks & SUV's is the most limiting factor.

1/2 ton trucks will usually run out of weight "carrying" capacity long before they reach their towing or "pulling" capacity. Understand the difference? Here's a quick example to help you:

Say you have a truck that has a super powerfull engine, super strong transmission, and outstanding brakes. All of these combined are capable of "pulling" a 20,000 pound trailer. Man have you got the power! But your manufacturer decided that it would look really cool to install glass axels and suspension. So where does this leave you? You would have a huge towing capacity, but limited ability to carry much weight ON the vehicle. This is the truth about towing that the dealers usually won't tell you. Also the vehicle manufacturers don't help either as they boast only about "Towing Capacity" in an effort to out-do each other.

This scenario when exposed to a tow vehicle that is relatively small in comparison to the trailer being towed can be at least very hard on the vehicle, and at worst dangerous.

Again, I'm sorry if I sound like a big party pooper to an otherwise happy event for your family. But you do need to be well informed about a topic that is important to your familiy's safety.

Please be careful.

Jim
[/quote]


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## California Jim (Dec 11, 2003)

OK then, lets go to school on this.

Sorry but this can't be done without looking at a bunch of numbers. But take it slow and you'll see that it's all pretty simple. You'll also be better informed than many RV salespersons









Lets look at what we have.

*2008 Trailblazer SS
*
*Curb Weight:* Advertised weight of your truck. hint: it weighs more! I'll leave these numbers alone.

2WD - 4496#
4WD - 4663#

*Payload*: 1505# for a 2 wheel drive, 1338# for a 4 wheel drive. This is the GM claim of how much weight you can carry ON the vehicle. Without actually getting the truck on a scale to see what it really weighs we can only guess what the true payload actually is for this truck. The true payload capacity is almost always lower than advertised because it is calculated on a bone stock truck with limited or no accessories. For our purposes here let's "assume" that the number is 10% optimistic. So take away about 150# for the 2WD and 135# for the 4WD. The result would be:

2 wheel drive net payload capacity = approx. 1355#
4 wheel drive net payload capacity = approx. 1203#

*Towing Capacity:*

Again, the maximum amount of weight you can PULL.

2 wheel drive = 6800#
4 wheel drive = 6600#

*Gross Combined Weight Rating (GCWR):

*This is the maximum amount of weight that your COMBINED trailer and truck can weigh. Your SS blazer is fortunate to have 4:10 rear gears which are good for towing and will improve the total weight you can PULL.

2 or 4 wheel drive = 11,500#

*2008 Outback 25RSS Trailer*

*Dry Weight:* 5370# This is what Outback claims the camper will weigh when you get it. Again, usually an optimistic number. It also does not include batteries, and many if not all of the accerories that were installed at the factory. You would have to weigh the camper to know for sure, so I will again need to use an arbitrary number. From experience here I can safely say that all the goodies will tack on a few hundred extra pounds. Let's be optimistic and say 250# more.

Actual camper weight = 5620#

*Let's Go Camping! Weight* = You are going to load at least 500# of gear inside that camper, likely much more. But we're keeping it on the happy side so lets keep it at 500#. This would also mean that you are not carrying ANY fresh water in the tank which weighs about 8.25# per gallon.

Ready to go camping weight = 6120#

*Tongue Weight:* 370# I laughed out loud when I read this on the Outback website. This is what Outback says the front trailer tongue will weigh when it connects to your truck, adding to the weight your truck must carry. This is again not what it will really weigh when you're all loaded up to go. From others weigh-in info here on the site I would guesstimate the real tongue weight to be in the vicinity of at about 650#.

Actual tongue weight = 650#


*So now that we have assembled an estimate of the numbers we can compare and evaluate them.*

*Total weight of your truck and trailer:
*2WD = 10,616# OK and within limit of 11,500#
4WD = 10,783# same

*Towing Capacity/Trailer Weight:
*2WD: 6800-6120= 680# left over (capacity - trailer weight)
4WD: 6600-6120= 480# left over
This could easliy be erased to "at full capacity" with additional cargo loaded in camper.

*Available Payload of Trailblazer:
*This is how much weight you can load on the truck before hitting your weight limit. This includes all occupants and cargo in the Trailblazer.
2WD = 705# (net payload capacity - trailer tongue weight)
4WD = 553#

Conclusion:
As suspected you will be right at your capacity "on" the Trailblazer, and also very close to your "Towing Capacity" numbers as well. And we have used fairly optimistic numbers to check this. Real world numbers would more than likely be heavier.

Can you do it? Yes. Will you be technically overweight? Possibly not if you pack very lightly, but real numbers may still take you over your weight limit.

I personally think that when you combine this with the short 113" wheel base of the Trailblazer that this combination is a mis-match. A little too much trailer for your truck. I and many others here have already done exactly what you're getting ready to do: Tow right at or just over your limit with a 1/2 ton truck. Almost unanimously all later felt the need for a more stable vehicle.

We've been there too so if you decide to go for it there are many here that can help with additional advice on how to keep rolling as safely as possible working with what you have. I understand that it's hard to switch the needs for your family in a camper you already love. And even tougher to change out a truck that is brand new.

We will help you with whatever direction you decide to go









Jim


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## advancedtel (May 7, 2008)

Wow - now that is an awesome post. i have never truly understood all this terminology but this makes it more understandable. Thank you for posting this. I printed this and put it in my camper file for future reference! I had a DMV worker that couldn't even explain it to me when I got tags for my truck a few years back. Good job!


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## RizFam (Feb 25, 2006)

Tami


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## GarethsDad (Apr 4, 2007)

We also have a 25rss and towed it with a 1995 diesel tahoe 4x4 with 112" wheelbase. It was a strugle going up the mountans of PA, we have since upgtaded the TV (tow vehicle) with a f350 diesel. James


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

California Jim said:


> Can you do it? Yes. Will you be technically overweight? Possibly not if you pack very lightly, but real numbers may still take you over your weight limit.
> 
> I personally think that when you combine this with the short 113" wheel base of the Trailblazer that this combination is a mis-match. A little too much trailer for your truck. I and many others here have already done exactly what you're getting ready to do: Tow right at or just over your limit with a 1/2 ton truck. Almost unanimously all later felt the need for a more stable vehicle.
> 
> ...


Such great advice! I couldn't have said it any better!!

I'm one of the people that was in your situation as well. We bought a 25RS-S (great choice!) and were towing it with a Land Rover LR3. All the specs were just about the same as yours including the wheelbase. We were just barely within our limits and felt like it both times we towed with this combo.

Honestly, the Land Rover has an automatic air suspension that 'tricked' us into feeling stable because it kept our vehicle level. What the Rover couldn't make up for was the 114" wheelbase. Imagine this: If you are standing up with both feet close together (short wheelbase) it would be fairly easy for someone to push you over. Now widen your stance (longer wheelbase) and it's harder to knock you down. The same thing happens when your trailer starts to sway - your trailer is pushing on the back of your truck and it's wheelbase is too short to maintain control.

I wish you all the best whatever you decide to do! Welcome to Outbackers!!!


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## OregonCampin (Mar 9, 2007)

Welcome to the site and good luck with your decision.

When we bought our Roo we were pulling with a half ton pickup that the dealer said would be fine - it did pull it just fine, on flat straight roads with no side wind - unfortunately, here in Oregon that is a rare occurance, so we did upgrade. It made the whole camping experience much more enjoyable - no more white knuckles. I can even pull the trailer now and feel fairly comfortable!


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## Airboss (Jul 14, 2007)

No matter what you decide, we would like to know what happens and if we can help in any way. We're all glad your here and happy to help.


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## jitch388 (Apr 19, 2008)

California Jim said:


> OK then, lets go to school on this.
> 
> Sorry but this can't be done without looking at a bunch of numbers. But take it slow and you'll see that it's all pretty simple. You'll also be better informed than many RV salespersons
> 
> ...


Does a weight distribution hitch change tounge weight or just assist?


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## skippershe (May 22, 2006)

jitch388 said:


> Does a weight distribution hitch change tounge weight or just assist?


It doesn't change tongue weight, it just helps to even the weight between the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle.


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## jitch388 (Apr 19, 2008)

skippershe said:


> Does a weight distribution hitch change tounge weight or just assist?


It doesn't change tongue weight, it just helps to even the weight between the front and rear axles of the tow vehicle.
[/quote]

TY


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## navycranes (May 29, 2008)

Congratulations on your new outback!!!

Just be careful and get the rig weighed (before you sign the bottom line if possible). Weighing your rig is the only way to truly know what you are working with. Numbers on manufactures websites are just hypothetical's based on the original design. Putting it on a scale is the only way to really know.

My outback 28RSS weighs close to 400 pounds less empty than the manufacture specs says it does.


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## Colorado Campers (Apr 20, 2004)

Congrats on your new trailer, most importantly have "fun", and anything you need to know is here at OUTBACKERS.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

I'll 2nd or 3rd Jim's post.








We went through the whole issue , just up 1 size







. 
At max weights, it didn't feel great.... Panic manuvers were scary.








The Resolution, like many other's is that the new truck smell is nice....


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## hpapa4 (Apr 11, 2007)

Welcome to Outbackers.


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