Wife and I are looking at this camper....

We have been towing a large pop up for years and have decided to upgrade to a hybrid trailer. We are possibly purchasing a 2008 Jayco Jayfeather EXP 23B tomorrow morning. It needs a little work but I have been restoring and flipping pop ups for years. Seems like basic repairs and the usual stuff but getting a great deal on this one. I KNOW the Tundra will tow this, but looking for real world feedback from anyone towing similar size and weight trailers to see if there is anything I should know. Thanks in advance for your feedback. The specs are listed below:

• Year: 2008
• Make: Jayco
• Model: Jay Feather EXP
• Trim: 23 B
• Condition: Used
• Type: Expandable Trailer
• Sleeping Capacity: 7
• Length (Feet): 24
• Construction Body Material: Aluminum
• Sidewall Construction: Fiberglass
• Dry Weight (kg): 1841.6
• Dry Weight (lbs): 4060
• GVWR (kgs): 2245.3
• GWR (lbs): 4950
• Height (in): 114
• Height (mm): 2895.6
• Hitch Weight (kgs): 181.4
• Hitch Weight (lbs): 400
• Interior Height (in): 78
• Interior Height (mm): 1981.2
• Length (ft/ft): 24
• Length (in): 288
• Length (m): 7.3
• Length (mm): 7300
• Number Of Doors: 1
• Payload Capacity (kgs): 403.7

 

I tow a similar sized trailer and the Tundra is great. Nothing to worry about there.

In the event it's useful, we camp with good friends who had an expandable trailer with queen beds on either end for the kids. Great in that it had lots of space, but lousy in the wind and bad weather. It was also noisy at night and in the morning if people were close or loud. And the wife started to worry about bears and the ease of cutting through the sides. They traded it in this year for a solid side trailer with bunk beds.

 

Yep, we have thought all of that through. We have taken 2 week trips to Maine and New Hampshire, NY and Pennsylvania and Maryland / Virginia as well as week long trips to places in Maryland (Rocky Gap, Chincoteague and Eastern Shore) in our pop up. So we are well aware of the noise and wind, etc having had the canvas in a pop up.

The hybrid is a compromise between the Mrs. and I. The kids and her love tent camping so the hybrid still "feels like tent camping" to her and I get a place to sleep and have some creature comforts. I have had three back surgeries and just cannot do tent camping anymore. And when it rains I want a place I can hang out, drink a couple beers and wait for it to pass. Fridge, TV, bathroom, seating area......just some things that are nice to have in the event they are needed and won't ever use them if I don't have to. LOL

 

Nice. I bet it works out great then.

 

I have a 2011 Starcraft 187tb which is a 3 bunk hybrid.

We run the a/c or use it on fan mode only so it creates white noise that is good to sleep with. We hardly notice outside noise anymore. We really don't camp in areas were Bears are prolific (they're around, but not bad). Our camper is about the same specs. We also used to own a pup. Honestly, you will notice the difference going from a pup to a hybrid. But that is also due to the increased surface area of the hybrid. You're basically pulling a big brick down the highway. So the wind resistance is just as impactful as the added weight. But it is well within the Tundra's ability. One difference is that I use the Tow/Haul button with the hybrid. I never bothered with it with the pup.

 

Tow/haul makes a huge difference.

 

Get the correct weight distribution hitch set up for that camper. Other than that, you should have no issues.

 

I've had a large pop-up for years and love it. I'm considering a hybrid for two reasons: 1) bathroom with a shower 2) fridge/freezer

I could never go with a full hard-sided camper. We only camp in the summer, and we only camp off-grid by the lake (no electric or water hookup). On a warm night, while we're sleeping in complete comfort enjoying the slight breeze blowing over our beds, our friends in hard-sides are roasting because they can't run their generators after 10pm -- so can't run their AC.

 

So the trailer can sleep 7 but only if they add up to less than 400 pounds, not including whatever gear you might have. I hope you're going on a diet or those numbers are wrong because that is no room to work with.

Edit: just noticed that is kilos not pounds but still less than I'd want for a family.

 

I think those numbers are really a limit for when the trailer is rolling down the road. The mass while bouncing along the highway creates forces that the suspension and axle must be able to safely handle. I think when the trailer is set up and the supports are lowered, then those weight limits are not as crucial.

 

We have nearly the exact same specs camper. 3 bunk expandable. Its a Passport by keystone though.

Tundra crewmax has absolutely no issues and I have a distributing hitch and sway bars that I do use and love. I only wish we used it more, probably selling it this year if we don't change the frequency.

 

We aren't even close to that number.....between the four of us we weigh about 520 lbs. That leaves quite a bit of leeway for camping chairs, storage, etc. While I agree that it leaves something to be desired in terms of flexibility, I can't imagine we will get to that limit.

 

+1
Those ratings are for towing. They’re completely irrelevant to static load when parked.