[rick75]

I've just done a ton of research on this since I just upgraded from my Jayco pop-up to a travel trailer. I have a Durango with the 4.7 so the towing capacity for the Dakota should be at least what I can pull if not more. We wound up buying a Terry Dakota (ironic, no?) Ultra-Lite. We don't pick it up until next week so I'll let you know how it tows. Here's what I found for trailers in this range:

Trail-Lite by Rvision www.rvision.com ($17k-$25k)
Terry/Prowler/Wilderness (Ultra-Lites) www.fleetwoodrv.com ($15k-$22k)
Cherokee by Forest River www.forestriverinc.com ($12k-$18k)
LT Series/Captiva by Coachman www.coachmanrv.com

These are the ones I looked at and the prices that I found for new units. The models are going to vary by what region of the country you're in. I'm in CT so you might see some differences.

One thing you want to watch is the weight of the camper. Don't necessarily go by the GVWR on the side of the camper. I found out that this rating essentially tells you what the axles of the camper are capable of carrying, not the actual weight of the unit. Each manufacturer is differnt and you should see a sticker on the inside (usually one of the cabinet doors) that lists the actual weight of the unit. To get an accurate figure you want to take the dry weight of the unit and add between 800-1200 lbs for gear. That's going to give you a realistic towing weight. For example, I looked at a 26' unit by Sportsman and it was rated to carry 2880lbs! The GVWR was listed at 6900lbs, but the weight of the camper was just over 4000lbs. I've found that these number vary wildly so just keep an eye on it when you're looking.

Sorry for writing a book, but this is my take on what I just went through. Hopefully it'll save you some time.

 

[rick75]

Here's the link. Lood under travel trailers. The maker is Terry and the model is Dakota Ultralite. This should take you right to it: http://www.fleetwoodrv.com/terry/

 

[rick75]

No problem. We're geting the 829S. We wanted something with a separate bed for us and bunks for when kiddie gets older. The dry weight on it is 4500lbs and I believe the Durango is rated for around 5800lbs. We'll be close on the weight, but where we camp around here there aren't too many hills and we can just watch what we pack. I figure worst case scenario maybe I can talk the wifey into letting me get an '04 Hemi....or this could happen ---> :nono:

 

[rick75]

That looks like a nice layout. How much does it weigh? I couldn't find specs on it. We stayed away from the slide out because it seemed to add a ton of weight.

 

[rick75]

Wow, August?!?!!??! That's gotta kill you to wait that long. We are picking ours up this Satuday. We were pretty fortunate to find one that we liked on the lot.

You should be fine with 4200lbs. This is the perfect example of what I was talking about in my original post. The dry weight on my camper is 4505, but the GVWR is 6900lbs. What are you going to pack for 2400 lbs? More specifically, what do you NEED to pack that's 2400lbs? A yard of top soil?

I'll post some picks once I pick it up. Still a little nervous about towing that length. I'm sure I'll get over it in a hurry.

 

[rick75]

Sorry I haven't posted back, been busy with work which I'm sure everyone knows how that is. We actually had it out for the maiden voyage this weekend and what a difference from the pop-up! I was surprised how well it towed, I was a little concerned with the length, but the sway bar kept it steady, even with trucks passing the other direction. It was all back road towing 40-50 mph, but pretty hilly. It seemed to pull fine, no overheating, slipping, or anything like that. Overall I was pretty happy with how it pulled and had an excellent time with the new toy. Good luck with yours! You'll have to post when you get it. Here's a pic from the night I got it, I'll have to post one with the Durango hooked up.

 

[rick75]

The new camper is excellent. Just had it out for the 3rd time, had a long weekend outside of Rome, NY. The ride was just over 4 hours and the Durango pulled pretty decent, with the exception of a few hills on the Mass Pike. Dogged down to about 50, but was still able to hang with the trailer trucks. I'm trying to soften the wife up to getting a new D with the Hemi, but we'll see. :nono:

Post back after your trip.

 

[rick75]

Tony C, how was the maiden voyage?