Elkmont Weight - too good to be true?

We are prospective Elkmont 22 buyers, and are having a hard time believing the numbers posted about the dry weight. It's obvious what the "pro's" would be to a trailer this light. But what are the "con's"?

And if the advertised dry weight (23K to 28K lb) is not accurate, how can we get a truly accurate weight?

Not that we're generally suspicious by nature but it just has us curious as to why TrailManor seems to be the only company that's discovered this manufacturing process to keep the weight down. Any insights on that?

Bottom line - we would like to tow with a Highlander Hybrid (3500 lb.) and before buying both the trailer and the vehicle want to get the feet-on-the-street scoop! Thanks to anyone who can share.

There are several Elkmont 22 owners who post here who can respond with their make and model of their TVs.

And, of course, the only way you can know the towing weight of an Elkmont 22 or any other TM is to take it to a truck scale.

We traded in our 3326 for our Elkmont 26. We estimated our fully loaded 3326 to be 5,000 lbs, the towing limit of our Suburban. We estimate the fully loaded towing weight of our 26 to be 500 lbs. less or 4,500.

If you haven't already, check the towing info on www.trailmanor.com.

Our experience suggests as well as posts here that many TM owners do not have adequate towing capacity. Your towing capacity on level ground is very different than if you're pulling up and down the mountains of California as we regularly do. Keep that in mind as you go through the decision process; how much you strain the engine and transmission pulling up and how safely you can brake to an emergency stop and control going down. Don't scrimp on your controller; purchase the best you can afford.

TM quality and customer support has improved markedly since Bob Eckhoff became CEO.

Good luck with your purchase.

[mjlaupp]

Originally Posted by cchenot

....And if the advertised dry weight (23K to 28K lb) is not accurate, how can we get a truly accurate weight?....

Your numbers are off by a factor of 10. They should be: Base dry weight = 2.3K, With options = 2.8K. Add propane and battery = 2.9K. Add another 100# for unknowns and 70# for the WDH now you are up to 3.1K.

3.5K - 3.1K = 0.4K. Can you go RVing and only pack 400#?

An additional factor to consider is this: "The maximum you can tow depends on the total weight of any cargo, occupants and available equipment." from the Highlander Hybrid spec sheet.

Subtract the TV cargo, occupants and available equipment and you are at 0# for camping gear.

If you browse the RV forums and towing recommendations pages, you will find that most of them recommend a 15% safety factor when calculating towing capacity. That works out to: 3.5K x 0.85 = 2.975K.

If you follow this guideline, then you should not tow more than 3.0K behind the Highlander Hybrid.

Should also have said there are many on the forum who have mastered the technical nuts and bolts of towing. Mike is a good example among others.

[Bill]

To add to what Mike said, it is certainly true that the numbers can be confusing. The Elkmont 22 has a "base dry weight" of 2248 pounds. Both terms - "base" and "dry weight" - mean that the 2248 pounds does not include any options. I seem to recall (but you ought to confirm) that one such item is the Value Package - it is not included in the Base Price or the Base Weight. And if I recall my email to the factory, the weight of the Value Package was well above 400 pounds. So that is your starting point.

Now as Mike said, add in all the other stuff you will take on the road in the camper with you - water, propane, food, clothes, dishes, bedding, toolbox, TV, stereo, and toys of all kinds, and - well, you see where this heading. Dry weight doesn't mean much any more.

Now you go to the tow vehicle, and work in the opposite direction. Start with the Base Tow Rating - 3500 pounds, is it? Now start subtracting the weight of all the stuff you will have in the car when you camp. Wife? Kids? You, if you weigh more than 150 pounds. Cargo in the back (boxes of stuff that everyone carries)? Your "towing stuff" box (yes, you will have one)? Camp chairs and tables for outdoor meals? A grill, and some charcoal or an extra propane tank? It is hard to think of it all, but it will be there.

So with the weight of trailer going up from Base Weight, and the capability of the car going down from Base Towing Capacity, it is real easy to get on the wrong side of the equation.

I can't comment on the advisability of towing with a hybrid. I'm not sure anybody can - "big" hybrids haven't been out long enough for anyone to accumulate any meaningful experience. But your location, while beautiful, says that you will almost certainly get into some mountains, and maybe some big mountains. From Arroyo Grande, you really can't go anywhere without doing so. And while you might - MIGHT - think that 3500 pounds will get you by in Florida or the Great Plains of the midwest, I'd be real skeptical about full-size mountains.

As someone else suggested, your first step might be to ask your dealer to find an Elkmont equipped the way you will want it, hook it up behind one of his vehicles, and take it to a CAT scale so you can see the actual weight. CAT scales are everywhere, check their web site. He should be glad to do this, and it will cost you $9 for the weighing fee. The weight you see will still be only dry weight, and will not include all the stuff you will add later. But at least your stuff is under your control. The rest is not.

A tough decision. Good luck with it. And if you go forward - be absolutely sure to get the factory towing package.

Bill

Thanks so much to everyone for the details. All of this will certainly help to inform our decision!

[ShrimpBurrito]

FYI, as a guideline, the approximate dry weight of my 2720SL is 2750 lbs, but when I am packed and ready to camp, it weighs about 4,000 lbs with "optional" equipment like A/C, awning, batteries, propane, water, food, clothes, etc. Others here have reported 3,500 to over 4,000 lbs (maybe 4200 lbs? I can't remember).

It adds up real quick.

Dave

[ThePair]

Be aware the Toyota differs from other manufacturers with regards to the way they list towing capacity. This discussion has been hashed out many times on these and other forums.

The short version is, check out all the vehicle ratings, not just towing capacity. This is because you may have cargo capacity in the TV that does not take away from the tow rating. Other manufacturers tend to take the max weight rating of the TV, subtract the curb weight, and call that the tow rating--any cargo will thus take away from that. Toyotas tend to have some extra "room" in there--but again, I've not seen the numbers for your vehicle.

[mjlaupp]

Did you see this quote I posted above?

An additional factor to consider is this: "The maximum you can tow depends on the total weight of any cargo, occupants and available equipment." from the Highlander Hybrid spec sheet.

It looks like any additional weight has to be factored in.