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Conference ssdevo::rv

Title:RV notesfile
Notice:Welcome to RV's new home!roductions * Note 8 4-Sale/Wanted
Moderator:ALEPPO::BOWKER
Created:Fri Feb 27 1987
Last Modified:Wed Jun 04 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1134
Total number of notes:11505

1126.0. "Thoughts/experiences on 30' Travel Trailer?" by KOOLIT::GREENLEAF () Tue Mar 04 1997 16:10

    We are seriously considering trading our 23-1/2' Motorhome for
    a 30' travel trailer. We thought we wanted a 24' but happened
    to find a 30' foot with the exact floor plan that we wanted
    at the same price as the 24' from another dealer, so have a
    deposit on it. 
    
    I'm a little intimidated by the length. Anyone have thoughts,
    experiences to share? We are not fond of field sites and are
    afraid at this length that we'll be put in field sites at
    most campgrounds... true? How's the towing on this size?
    We'll be using a GMC Jimmy 4 wheel drive.
    
    Thanks for any info.
    
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1126.1CSC32::J_KALINOWSKIForget NAM?....NEVER!Tue Mar 04 1997 20:2411
    
        Are you talking about the old style full-size jimmy prior to 1991
    or the new smaller one on the S-10 chasis with the V6?
       If its the newer one, you will be sorry you bought a trailer that
    big the first time you take it on the road. Sales droids will sell
    anything and claim they can be towed with a powered matchbox car.
    The tow rating of a vehicle means very little when a 40 mph crosswind
    grabs something 30' long and makes it change lanes when you can do
    nothing about it.
    
    -john
1126.2Its the new smaller oneKOOLIT::GREENLEAFThu Mar 06 1997 09:292
    Its the new smaller one on the S-10 chassis with the V6.
    Thanks for the input.
1126.3Not unless you have a death wish for you and your truck!HSOSS1::HARDMANIt's a girl! Now what?Fri Mar 28 1997 16:4618
    I'm a bit late on this one, but.... You do NOT want to try pulling a
    30 foot travel trailer behind an S-10 Jimmy unless you have absolutely
    no regard for your own life of the lives of those poor souls around you
    on the highway. Totally forget ever going anywhere more than perhaps
    4,000 feet above sea level and mountain grades will leave you with a
    smoking pile of useless iron under the hood in just a short while.
    
    The 4.3L is pretty stout for its size, but isn't up to the task of
    pulling that monster around for very long. There just isn't enough
    torque on tap, so you have to stay in a lower gear and rev the engine
    to the top of its powerband to stay rolling up grades. As John stated
    earlier, I don't even want to think about what would happen if a good
    side-gust caught the trailer. At that point, the little Jimmy would
    just be along for the ride. The trailer would take you where IT wanted
    to go.
    
    Harry (4.3L S-10 Jimmy Owner)
    
1126.4Scrapped the 30' ideaVAXUUM::GREENLEAFWed Apr 02 1997 09:555
    Thanks for the input. After doing more research and reading on
    travel trailers on the Web and in here, I learned not to
    believe everything the sales folks tell you ;-). We purchased a 26'
    Sunline and are putting the hitch on our GMC conversion van which has
    a 350, 8 cylinder engine.