Anyone towing a jayco 287bhsw Rocky Mountain Edition with a tundra

That travel trailer is bigger than my lake house. I wish I was kidding

 

Fwiw, many claim Jayco builds some real crap, something to also consider.

 

I have a Hummingbird and I am not impressed with the quality.

 

no financial loss whatsoever. I bought it for 20k and dealers are selling them for 34k so I know I can make money off it and get something smaller and just might have to do that

 

Really because everything else I’ve owned sucked ass like Forest river

 

I’m hoping to get response from someone who actually has my setup and see how much they’ve towed with it and if they have had any issues. Obviously a lot of tow police have concerns and I respect that but I know many do tow this setup in the tundra and towing group of Facebook

 

What about getting pulled over at the scales? Overweight? Fines?

 

It’s also possible that nobody has your actual setup because extremely few people with a half ton tundra tows something that big, and more specifically that exact model

 

and that’s why I posted on here to see who does so we can chat about it smh

 

No scales in area where’re I’ll traveling

 

You're the only person I've ever heard complain about Forest River.

 

Many tow huge trailers, but a large percentage of those also become toothpicks.

 

I would try to go on the jayco owners forum (it’s a great resource like this one) and ask over there. However, you will likely get more answers you don’t want to hear.

 

I've had 3 of them and never again

 

great idea! Thanks

 

Which models and what issues did you have?

 

@Dansly56 I tow a Travel Trailer (TT) similar in size to the Jayco 287BHSW. Mine is a 2021 Prime Time Tracer 31BHD (34.5 ft 6980lbs dry). The manufacturer list the hitch weight at 635lbs, but I feel that number is probably closer to 750lbs. My previous TT was a 2010 Jayco 28BHS (30.5ft, 5315lbs dry). It's hitch weight was listed at 780lbs. My Tundra is a 2016 CrewMax 4wd, with Sumo Springs. I recently installed RAS, but haven't towed with it yet. I only tow around 5k miles during the summer months, so approximately 10k miles with Jayco and 5k miles with Tracer. Also, I have used an Equal-i-zer 10k lb WDH with both of these setups an highly recommend it.

Here's my experience towing both of these TT's with my 16' CrewMax 4wd. BTW, I live in South/Central Texas and only tow within the state, mostly to State Parks in the Texas Hill Country and to the Gulf Coast.

Towing the Jayco 28BHS was never a problem. The only times I felt uneasy towing with this setup was during a crosswind. The truck never felt underpowered, hardly ever hunted for gears or experienced lots of sway.

Towing the Tracer 31BHD...this is a much different experience. I have experienced porpoising, much more sway, and even more squat (with supposedly less hitch weight?). Also, I am revving much higher even on flat ground and dropping a gear on the smallest hills. I definitely feel like I am pulling/tugging this trailer around compared to my 2010 Jayco 28BHS.

So, either the extra weight, the extra length, but more likely the combination of both, has left me with regretting the purchase of this large of a TT. As soon as I pickup the Tracer from the local dealer (in for repairs for over 3months, and that's a whole different rant) I will be selling it. Still undecided if I will purchase a smaller TT afterwards or buy the wife a new SUV/Van, but for sure not going another summer towing this large TT. As far as keeping the TT and "upgrading" the Tundra...I really enjoy my Tundra, and refuse to "upgrade" to a big 3 gasser/diesel. I had a 2003 RAM 2500 with Cummins Turbo Diesel, 6sp Manual and did pull the 2010 Jayco with it. I could tow the steepest grade hills the Texas Hill Country threw at me IN OVERDRIVE! That was not enough of a reason to keep the RAM/CTD. The rest of the truck was falling apart at just over 100k miles.

Good Luck with whatever you decide OP.

 

Here's a pic of Tracer 31BHD

 

Thank you for your reply and that jayco you had is basically what I have now. When I bought mine and towed it home I came up a 7° Uphill grade that was 5 miles and never once did I feel like the tundra couldn’t handle it, I was on tow ans s4 all the way up and my rams temp reached 224 at it’s highest and quickly came back down to 212 when I got to the top and leveled back out to 198 the rest of the way home. My WDH wasn’t set right ne I can see and feel it on the way home because I experienced a bit of sway from time to time in 15mph winds that day. Other than that it felt easily pulling it with the tundra. I believe the tundra is capable with proper towing after market parts just need to stay under limits and keep my distance from others. Worst case scenario I will sell it since I bought with a lot of equity

 

here is a picture of mine without the proper WDH setup. You can see how my trailer is not leveled and need to bring up the hitch another 1.5”

 

Ask yourself "Am I towing an asset or a liability?"

 

Wildwood and evo

 

OP, I believe your right in the middle of the weight between my Jayco and Tracer, but very close to the length of the Tracer. Here are the specs for both. IMO Jayco is more accurate with their listed weights compared to Prime Time. The Actual Weight of my 28BHS (going by yellow sticker inside door) was very close to what Jayco listed on their website. My Tracer (yellow sticker on door) shows 600lbs more than the website/brochure...6298 vs 6890. I really do feel that you will have an experience very similar to me towing my Tracer than my Jayco. I honestly would not tow anything heavier or longer than my previous Jayco 28BHS (5315lbs dry, 30.5ft).

 

This is mine

 

You won't, not here

Yes, this place is heavy with safety nanny's that have never done whatever it is you want to do, but have lots to say about it.

Outside of that, this is a pretty nice forum.

 

Love it.....this will be the last I have to say as it is devolving into unproductivity and a "mine is bigger than yours" thread.....

"safety nanny's"?!?!?! Why, because there are people who choose to utilize the truck within the advertised safe parameters that this HALF TON pick up was engineered, designed and credentialed for. Maybe nobody's ever done it because it simply isn't safe to do so. This is a great forum and more so because we can agree to disagree. The fact is you CAN tow whatever you want to tow. The follow up is should you......and according to all of the advertised specs of the truck (and legally if you were ever to have an accident) the answer is NO.