Pontoon Boat & Deck Boat Forum

So my wife and I have talked about getting a travel trailer for camping trips and long road trips... We are looking at a 2006 Springdale 179 which is the smallest one that we think we could realistically see ourselfs being happy with...


Anyone have any suggestions or comments on this choice? Here are some pictures...

Mike,

What kind of towing vehicle you have.. With a truck you can tow a fith wheeler and the toon..

As far as a travel trailer is concerned..Tandem axle/electrical brakes of course..If the $$ allow you to buy a RV with a aluminum frame instead of the wooden frame..go for the Alu frame. The rest is a matter of choice..Be sure you have fridge, ac, heating, remote ignition hot water unit, microwave, fold down TV antenna with amplifier build in, cd/radio deck with 4 speakers all wired in, (pain in the neck to do it afterwards) good sturdy trailer jacks, quality awning (be sure the heater and hot water outlets are on the street side) and a heavy duty ruberized roof.

Stay with known brands, quality pays..
Keep in mind a RV is subjected to a lot of tweaking and twisting whilst being towed..

Good Luck

That's nicer than my first apartment.

Lol, I have the truck you see at the top of the page...

96 gmc 1/2 ton...

There is no way I would pull a 5th wheel and a toon behind that! Scary stuff!

Mike, We tow a 27' Prowler bunkhouse with any of the three 1/2 ton vehicles we own the shortest being a GMC Yukon SUV which I would guess be the same wheelbase as your single cab truck. You should not have any trouble with it. I would suggest getting the weight distributing hitch and a anti-sway bar for the rig, they are definitely worth the money.

Nagataki made an excellent point about the remote ignition hot water unit listen to him cause I ain't got one also get the scizzor type jacks that mount to the frame and be specific if the dealer says I'll throw in the jacks for free because you will be under the trailer screwing up those little screw type stands that are a pain! If you can get the jacks that have a hex head on the drive end, then you get a cordless drill pop on the right socket and set up will be easier and much much quicker.

With the longer wheelbase pickups I have pulled the trailer and a 17.5' bass boat togeather but I have yet to pull the Toon I need to compaire the weights of both boats and see which is heavier I'll bet the bass boat is.

Hope you have a blast with yours we sure have in ours and in seven years of ownership not one problem that wasn't my fault.

Well, the model we are looking at does have remote ignition for the water heater, four jacks built in for stabilizing, external shower (should be cool), heated freshwater cavity (so it doesnt freeze if we go out winter camping) and I am trying to get them to throw in a Kipor 3500ti generator for free...

I have read about the weight distribution and anti sway hitch and will probably see how she pulls without it before I get one! Its only 20'9" total length and 3520lb dry so it should be pretty easy to pull

mike wrote:.....

I have read about the weight distribution and anti sway hitch and will probably see how she pulls without it before I get one! Its only 20'9" total length and 3520lb dry so it should be pretty easy to pull

Do take the weight distribution hitch, one can make a big discussion about anti sway devices.. I think you will do OK without one for this length..

An 18 wheeler passing you at 75/80 mph will push a lot of air in front of the truck hence give you the beginning cycle of a sway motion. Without having a good equal load on the four truck wheels you will be in for some hair raising experiences..The swaybar friction will compensate for that.

I always had equalizer hitches (weight distribution) and sway controls.. However I always corrected the friction on the sway bar in line with the road surface condition.. Wet pavements and tight sway bars don't go together..

I was hauling my travel trailers (30ft) with sway bars tight on express ways and almost loose during rain.. Was never exceeding 60 mph and in rain 55 mph.. I have seen it all..

p.s Reese is pretty good..

Just better safe then sorry..

Great info... Thanks frank!

How do you feel it will tow compared to my toon?

Providing load distribution ( hitch ball height, tongue height, equilizer tension etc..) is set up correctly, you should not feel that much of a difference..Of course on windy days you might notice the difference..
The trailer for sure will have electrical brakes and I don't know what your toon has.. Electrical brakes takes some time to get used to.. Also you need to "play" with the delay and power settings on the brake controller to compensate for the load you carry in the RV.. Rest assured that you will load some additional stuff in that travel trailer..

To make a long story short, each trailer will have its own set-up requirements to become a "happy camper" whilst towing.. Good luck

Makes sense... My toon has no brakes and tows like a breeze so I hope the same will be said for the trailer once I get the controller setup right! Looks like we settled on a price and will be getting it this weekend!

Good luck Mike and enjoy camping..

Don't forget the stargazing. If you need some help here let me know, I have build 2 telescopes and love stargazing a lot whilst camping. (dark and clear skies)

I still pull a Coleman Sea Pine pop-up during the fall months (no crowded State Parks... )

the eagle has landed!!

What do you guys think?

Mike,

This is a very nice rig..I do like the layout .. This is a very well tought out approach the builders took.. Indeed I have to get used to see a closed trailer front but I tell you.. You will like this a lot.. Indeed your view will be in the back away from the park road and the gazers ..Keeping the awning shorter is good.. you for sure will have a lot of light in the dinette..

Just enjoy..and again my congratulations..

p.s I also noticed you got the right kind of jacks..

Mike, I also forgot to mention a few other items.
Have a set of good RV wheel chucks.. Have a tongue mounted level which gives you fore / aft and side to side amount off level conditions and how thick the leveling boards need to be..All my rigs had the Hopkins hitch type.. The level plus with memory is new.. Go Here to see what I was talking about..

Enjoy

I like the layout, the galley is well layed out, and I like the dinette in the back at the window. Have the better halve check out campers world for galley organiztion stuff, and the bars to hold stuff in.
They have a good selection of stuff for trailers and boats. I was in shopping heaven, and I don't like to shop.

Mrs. Rivercamp