Can I tow a 315 RLTS??

[JerryS]

New member here, and I am looking for some advice and real world experience. My wife and I looked at a 315RLTS at the show this past weekend, and really think I might be the next model for us.

I currently am towing a 2017 Heritage Glen 300BH. It is 37' and weighs in just shy of 11,000lbs. Using my Sherline scale, I have a tongue weight of 1250lbs, loaded and ready to go.

I am pulling it with a 2006 Chevrolet 2500HD. Stock engine and transmission. 2WD, Crew Cab, short bed.

I have a Curt Class V hitch on my truck, with a WD rating of 2400lbs.

We camp a lot in the winter, and usually take along a fair amount of firewood, smoker, etc.

The last trip I made to the CAT Scales had me weighed in at just shy of 18,000lbs combined truck and trailer.

Last night I read a lot of posts about the weight of the 315, and it has me worried a fair bit about the weight. Does anybody here pull with a 2500HD?

Is a 3500 dually required?

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated. We could possibly be purchasing in the upcoming year.

Thanks,

Jerry

[howson]

Is a 3500 dually required?

Absolutely not.

I currently am towing a 2017 Heritage Glen 300BH. It is 37' and weighs in just shy of 11,000lbs. Using my Sherline scale, I have a tongue weight of 1250lbs, loaded and ready to go. Last night I read a lot of posts about the weight of the 315, and it has me worried a fair bit about the weight. Does anybody here pull with a 2500HD?

Keep in mind my 315RLTS has a second a/c, a washer and a dryer. All of these add to the trailer's weight and tongue weight.

I had my rig SmartWeigh'd by the Escapee Club at a campground in Florida. Street side tires (front axle, then rear): 2K; 2.25K. Curb side: 2.7K; 2.6K

Total weight (on the axles) was 9550. Sounds good since the GVWR is 10995 with the axles rated for 5.4K each, but unfortunately my pin weight was a (calculated) 1.7K(!) for a total of 11,250. I am currently in the process of figuring out how to remove/shuffle items in the trailer to reduce the weight. Side note/rant: probably my biggest gripe is the limited payload in the 315RLTS. Tons of room but relatively little payload.

The large disparity in side-to-side weight is because of the trailer's configuration. Lots of weight on the street side (kitchen, bedroom slide, water heater, etc.)

My wife and I looked at a 315RLTS at the show this past weekend, and really think I might be the next model for us.

Fran and I really like our 315RLTS. The layout is practically perfect. Just go in with "eyes wide open" as there are mods and changes you'll probably do. (The list is long! Do a search using my username and you'll find a lot of posts of what I've done to my 315RLTS. There are many other owners here, too.)

If I can answer any other questions, fire away. And welcome to the forum.

Edit: The reason I have a dually? I put a Honda Goldwing in the bed of the truck.

[Bob/OlallaWA]

You should be fine with a 2500HD. I pulled a 313RLTS(pre315RLTS) with a 2500 short bed from the west coast to east coast and back with no problems. Your hitch is rated high enough to handle some firewood and other camp stuff in the bed of the truck also.

[Drolaw]

tl:dr You will be fine. Just make sure you have the right WDH to support your tongue weight.

Long version:

I pull our 315RLTS with a Ford F250 and have zero issues. The only advice I would give you is to make sure that you know your tongue weight. We had an equalizer rated for a 14K pull but only rated up to 1.4K tongue weight. I upgraded our WDH since our tongue weight was over 1.4K.

[JerryS]

tl:dr You will be fine. Just make sure you have the right WDH to support your tongue weight.

Long version:

I pull our 315RLTS with a Ford F250 and have zero issues. The only advice I would give you is to make sure that you know your tongue weight. We had an equalizer rated for a 14K pull but only rated up to 1.4K tongue weight. I upgraded our WDH since our tongue weight was over 1.4K.

What WD hitch did you finally go with that provided a larger tongue weight capability?

Thanks,

Jerry

[Drolaw]

What WD hitch did you finally go with that provided a larger tongue weight capability?

Thanks,

Jerry

Hey Jerry.

I got the Reese Strait line WDH:

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...e/RP66075.html

and the this shank:

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...e/RP54977.html

[JerryS]

Hey Jerry.

I got the Reese Strait line WDH:

https://www.etrailer.com/Weight-Dist...e/RP66075.html

and the this shank:

https://www.etrailer.com/Accessories...e/RP54977.html

Thanks for the info. It looks like my truck and plans are doable, but I'm going to have to factor in changing out my hitch also.

I only have a 2" receiver, and it looks like I would need to upgrade a bit.

We are going to go ahead with our looking, and see what we can find out there. I found today that there are quite a few used units, only 1-2 years old, within 400 or so of us.

Maybe we can grab a nice used one, and be able to make the move sooner than we thought.

Thanks for the info,

Jerry

[Harrisoncreek]

Jerry, you bring up some of the same questions that I am pondering. The tongue weights for the 315 that I am seeing in posts on the forum seem to range from 1100 from the factory (no Propane or battery) to upwards of 1700 lbs. loaded. I have been looking at the Reflection 315 and the 297. We currently have an Imagine 2600RB (around 850# tongue weight loaded) but are considering these larger units. I use the Reese Strait Line system with sway control with 1200# bars and have no issues. My tow vehicle is a 2018 Chevy Silverado 2500HD 4x4 LTZ Duramax diesel. I checked the hitch rating for it and the label says 1500 lbs max tongue weight. It is a Class V with 2.5" receiver tube. I am not sure if weight distribution raises this but think if we choose either the 315 or 297 we could be on the upper safe limit of the GM hitch and I don't like living on the edge of safety. Do those of you that have factory hitches replace them with Reese or Curt Class V hitches that have higher tongue weight ratings? Also, doing some calculations with the payload capacity listed on my door panel label (2184 lbs), I think I would have to keep the tongue weight no more than 1500 lbs to give me the margin I need for passengers and cargo. You did not mention payload but that seems to be another issue to consider with your (and my) tow vehicle and the 315.

[howson]

The tongue weights for the 315 that I am seeing in posts on the forum seem to range from 1100 from the factory (no Propane or battery) to upwards of 1700 lbs. loaded.

That 1700lbs reference you read was probably mine. Keep in mind I have a washer and dryer in the front closet. Due to the location, I'm guessing nearly 100% of their weight is transferred to the hitch.

I am not knowledgeable on Chevy trucks by any means, but a quick search turned up https://www.gmfleet.com/content/dam/...wing-guide.pdf
and on page 12 it has a note that says The maximum rating for a weight-carrying hitch is listed in the General Trailering Notes below.

That note is, TRAILER TONGUE WEIGHT NOTES Trailer tongue weight should be 10% to 15% of total loaded trailer weight up to 2,000 lbs. The addition of trailer tongue weight must not cause vehicle to exceed Rear Gross Axle Weight Rating (RGAWR) or Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR).

What I *think* that means is with a weight-distribution hitch (popular choices are the Blue Ox with 2,000 bars or the Pro Pride) you can easily hook up a 315RLTS. Even mine.

[Harrisoncreek]

Thanks for that info. You are probably correct. I think I will check with the Chevy dealer to be certain. I see where a lot of 315 owners using a 3/4 ton as a tow vehicle. I just don't want to get into a situation where I have to purchase a new hitch, a new weight weight distribution system and/or a 1 ton truck.