jobythebay
USA
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mrudolph9929 wrote:Like you, I fell in love with the Puma 30RKSS and agree it is an awesome trailer. I bought a 2012 model last fall, and have enjoyed camping tremendously in that trailer. The rear kitchen gives you so much room, and tons of cabinet space. The only issue I've had with mine so far, is the shower enclosure had to be adjusted, as water leaked between it and the cabinet. And the fold out bed had to be adjusted, as it wouldn't fold out correctly. Other than that it's been a wonderful purchase.
I will say that I don't tow mine on a regular basis, it's set up on a permanent spot. However, I did pull it once with a 2010 Dodge Ram 1500 Quad w/ 5.7 hemi. I felt I needed more truck, as the first minimal incline seemed to slow it down 10-15 MPH. I can't imagine pulling it through the mountains with my Ram. I'm not the weight police, and I probably was upping my limits, but it pulled fine. If I was pulling it all the time, I'd probably have buyers remorse due to weight, or have a new bigger truck. Good luck in your decision.
Thanks, everyone. I am looking at the Keystone now. Perhaps there weren't any or they were all BH TT, which we never look at.
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BUFFALODAN
Buffalo NY
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Joined: 06/10/2004
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Actually the Puma is listed at 34'. Lots of times the Mfr. will have a number, like 30, in the model number of a trailer but that doesnt always equate to the actual length of the trailer: so dont let some salesman tell you "its a 30 footer; see 30RKSS!" unless he shows you the spec sheet to back it up. I once had a salesman tell me the tongue weight on a 32' Jayco was "no more than 600 lbs"..I asked him to show me that in writing knowing it was around 850. He didnt end up making a sale in that instance.
MODEL 30-RKSS
Dry Hitch Weight 977 lbs. (443 kg)
Unloaded Vehicle Weight 6,954 lbs. (3,154 kg)
GVWR 11,137 lbs. (5,052 kg)
Cargo Carrying Capacity 3,733 lbs. (1,693 kg)
Exterior Length 34' 0" (10.4 m)
Glad youre doing your homework now, BEFORE you buy. Good luck in your search! That is a neat flooorplan.
2006 KZ Frontier 2505
2005 Chevy Suburban 1500 Z71 4WD
2011 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Crew Cab 4WD
1 DW
3DD's
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lanerd
Ridgecrest, CA
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The key factor with just about an 1/2 ton p/u is (as others have mentioned) the "payload" capacity of the truck.
The first thing you need to do, is get the truck weighed. Then add to that ANYTHING you put in/on the truck as it would be when pulling the trailer. After adding all that up, subtract the total amount from your GVWR (on you door jamb) and the difference will be you "ACTUAL" payload amount.
When looking at potential trailers to purchase, it is very difficult to figure out the actual tongue weight when it is ready to travel. The mfg listed "dry" tongue weight sometimes doesn't take into consideration some of the options/accessories....some don't even include the fridge, AC unit(s), microwave...and most certainly don't add in the weight of the spare tire, battery(s), propane, awning, etc. This is why it's commonly mentioned here on rv.net to take a percentage (12% to 15%) of the trailer GVWR to figure your tongue weight. Usually this will turn out to be more than the actual tongue weight, but it will get you closer to worse case conditions.
If you can, when looking at the trailers, ask the dealer to weigh the tongue as it sets. Even then you'll find it will be more than the listed weight.
Hope this helps..
Ron
Ron & Sandie
Maggie May, Rescued Wonder Dog
'08 Safari Simba SBD35
Toad: 2011 GMC Terrain SLT
Tow Bar: Sterling AT
Brakes: Unified U.S. Gear
TPMS: Pressure Pro
RETIRED!! How sweet it is....
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jobythebay
USA
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jobythebay wrote:BUFFALODAN wrote:Assuming you have a double cab 4x4 your MAX payload is between 1415lbs and 1655lbs. Your hitch weight, as others have said, will be well north of 1000 lbs. Plus you are jumping up 9 feet in length to a 34 footer. I dont know who has been telling you "no problem" about towing that with your Tundra but I really think your truck will me maxed out by the payload alone, without loading a single thing in the bed of the truck.
I would look at the some of the ultralight lines and find a similar floorplan that weighs less.
Heres one: http://www.keystone-passport.com/index.p........?page=floorplans&coast=east&model=3100RK
weights are much better suited for your truck
OK thanks, the trailer is 30feet. It is http://www.rvwholesalers.com/design/Puma/Puma.php?floorplan=30RKSS
The Puma 30 RKSS.
Do you know the footage of the keystone link you gave me? Thank you and also there is one that is a little smaller.
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prov431
NC
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I tow a 37' 8,000 TT, no rockies but western NC mountains are no sweat...the TRD supercharger, E rated tires and my WDH make it soooooooo nice it's like the trailer isn't there sometimes. 10 mpg on the interstate if I hold 65 mph. My longest tow was 1500 miles round trip NC to Disney campground.
Enjoy your new camper!
Ps -buy the supercharger!
Dan
N. Carolina
2012 Forest River V-Cross Platinum 32VBHS 36' UL 7,500#
Husky Centerline WDH
Tekonsha Primus IQ Brake Control
Rear View Wired Camera
TRD Supercharged 2008 Toyota Tundra Crewmax (505 hp,550 torque  )
2wd 5.7, 4.30 gear (10,400 tow cap.)
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epusher
Michigan
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The Tundra is a great truck. I've got one and tow heavy with it. No matter how well it does, there is no getting around the fact that I'm at or in many cases over my truck's payload ratings.
I've been looking at new trucks but can't get the DW to sign off. Her comments on a new 3/4 or 1 ton diesel always involve the line "we're not heading to the rockies any time soon." We tow primarily in Michigan.
If I were you, I would start first with a bigger truck and then look at the bigger trailers. We went to the show this past week with the thought of loosing some length and weight. We found three we liked that are all similar in length and weight to the one we have now. Its hard to change "likes" once you get locked into them.
2010 Sabre 30BHDS: 10 gal elct/gas dsi, 15k a/c, 1.5 bath, high fidelity package
2010 GMC Sierra 2500HD 4x4, 1 dog, 1 wife, 2 kids, 2 cats
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BUFFALODAN
Buffalo NY
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Joined: 06/10/2004
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Keystone Passport- Length 33' 9
With a good hitch you can tow that, lots of folks here tow long trailers
Not sure if there is one that is shorter with an identical floorplan. Most floorplans are duplicated by different manufacturers. You're just going to have to do some searching online.
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KenandPamfromMI
Michigan
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Joined: 01/29/2012
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Oh, a kindred spirit! We also fell in love with the 2012 Puma 30RKSS....so much so that we bought one today!
TV is a 2007 F-150 4x4 w/Triton 5.4. Factory tow pkg which includes HD radiator, trans cooler.
We bought a WD hitch and will let you know how it tows Saturday when we pick it up!
Side question to weight gurus:
Even with a 1k tongue weight, isn't some of that shiftable with the WD hitch?
Also, it is just me and the Mrs, and we don't load up the TV bed (have a hard tonneau)nor the trailer (just regular stuff).
So, I guess my question is to the "need a 3/4 ton" answers, are you taking into account that modern "1/2 ton" trucks ARE virtually older 3/4 tons? Payload is much more than a half a ton (which is 1000 lbs)
My payload cap is over 1600, thus 100 lbs more than an actual old school 3/4 ton from back in the day.
Maybe that is why the manufacturers are all shouting 1/2 ton towable?
Not being a jerk here, just asking.....and happy new RV OWNER!
Thanks to all for your help prior to this purchase, it is MUCH appreciated!
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spoon059
Just north of D.C.
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Real quick reply to KenandPam, your tow rating on your hitch is probably something like 500 lbs w/o a WDH and 1000 lbs with a WDH. (I realize the numbers are probably more, just using it as reference) Therefore the WDH doesn't "shift" the tongue weight, it spreads that weight amongst the front and rear axle. No matter what, you don't want to exceed your maximum tongue weight.
There are a lot of people here who like to over-engineer their rigs. There is nothing wrong with having a setup that is much stronger than you need, but there also isn't neccessarily anything wrong with having exactly as much truck as you need. A common problem is people pay attention to max trailer weight and don't account for tongue weight. My Tundra is rated for over 10K trailer weight. If you figure its a good idea to have about 13% of your weight on the tongue, that only leaves me 300lbs +/- for me, my wife, dogs and any supplies in the truck. This is where you start getting into the argument for a 3/4 ton or 1 ton... increased payload.
If your F-150 has sufficient payload for your trailer, you, wifey and your accessories within the truck then more power to you! I am well within my weights on my Tundra (only 5K lbs trailer), so it is the perfect truck for me right now. Their are a lot of trucks and a lot of configurations. What works for you or I may not work for the next guy.
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CakeHenn
Temple, TX
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prov431 wrote:I tow a 37' 8,000 TT, no rockies but western NC mountains are no sweat...the TRD supercharger, E rated tires and my WDH make it soooooooo nice it's like the trailer isn't there sometimes. 10 mpg on the interstate if I hold 65 mph. My longest tow was 1500 miles round trip NC to Disney campground.
Enjoy your new camper!
Ps -buy the supercharger!
Oh man....the Eco Boost Toyota, lol. Seriously I heard those things are a beast. I have a 2010 5.7 4x4 myself but they said you can't put those in 4x4s for some reason. WHen I bought my truck I inquired...they said it would be like 7k to add it but then were like oh wait you have a 4x4 so you can't. I would not have done it then but now that I have my TT it would love the extra power...but really I don't need it for what I have. At the same time I'd rather have more than I need of just about anything.
It's amazing how that adds like 130HP to an already pretty beefy 1/2 ton.
I really love my Tundra but on my very limited towing since I've got my TT I'm not getting anywhere close to the MPG you are getting. I'm getting like 8 I bet. I went like 85 miles on almost a half tank. I need to reset the computer to track the MPG when I tow to really see.
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