Towing a Coleman Popup with 2013 Grand Caravan

[jpjordan357]

Good Afternoon,
I'm posting this question because I'm having trouble sorting out a decision to buy. In my area, someone is selling a gorgeous 2000 Coleman Fairview with just about every option for a very good price. The spec sheet they showed my lists the GVWR of the unit to be 3250Lb. NADA lists the 'Weight' of the trailer at 2172Lb. So my questions are as follows.
1) If I understand the ratings, the NADA listed weight is just the camer, and the GVWR of 3250 is the maximum the trailer can safely weigh including itself (2172LB) and any cargo. Is this correct?
2) Our Tow Vehicle is a 2013 Grand Caravan (Max Tow Capacity is 3600LB). With this trailer, would I need stabilizer bars or sway bars, or would a static hitch suffice?

Thank you all for educating me on this, i've only ever towed small cargo trailers up until now, and I'm excited to get into pulling this to campgrounds around the state!

[afidel]

So 2013 was a transition year for the GC, at the beginning of the year you had to have the factory tow package to get the HD brakes, part way through the model year they became standard. If you have the non-HD brakes then I'd seriously reconsider towing in anything resembling mountains as there are plenty of people with them reporting serious brake fade issues. Here is a good post about how to tell if you have the HD brakes.

[BenK]

Good input and add to make sure those 13" dia tires are in good order and AIRED up to the max listed sidewall spec

Plus PUP's, IMHO, are more sensitive to nose high sway and must be kept nose level or down slightly...after fully loaded and dialed in

[bikendan]

The OP should at least get an anti-sway, if not a complete WDH system.

[OutdoorPhotogra]

I'm in the double check on WDH as well and it will add tongue weight.

Also know that you can't load your van down to the gills too when towing. I love stow and go and fold flat seats but you need to watch weight, especially in the back.

I wouldn't tow with full water tanks but I dont' think that's a problem with a PUP. You don't have a bathroom anyway. We camped in a PUP for 8 years and never filled water and I had a truck that could handle the weight.

Head over the PUP forum! Not that active but lots of good info.

[kmbelt]

mkirsch wrote:
If you have the factory receiver on your caravan, refer to the owner's manual and make sure it is even approved for use with a WD hitch.

The WD hitch puts forces on the receiver that, if it is not designed for them, can damage your caravan. In other words, more harm than good.

Also refer to the owner's manual of the Coleman trailer. Some of these are not designed for use with a WD hitch either. The tongue is not built to withstand the forces of a WD hitch, and can bend.

Considering the light weight of the trailer and the excellent cargo capacity of your caravan, a WD hitch probably is not necessary. Sway control is a good insurance policy, though.

X2. Double check.

[Camper_G]

Good luck with the pop up! I would just suggest that you look into whether your caravan can use a wdh or not. I believe several uni-body vehicles cannot. Good on the electric brake controller, hopefully you got a prodigy or some other similar proportional controller. If you got a timer based one, I'd return it and buy a prodigy p3. I had a timer based unit once and didn't like it at all

[Campfire_Time]

I don't think you need a WD hitch. Balance the load in the trailer and put a set of air bags on the van. That's what we did when towed a 2850# GVWR pup with a mini-van. The combination was excellent. You will have no trouble.

[mkirsch]

If you have the factory receiver on your caravan, refer to the owner's manual and make sure it is even approved for use with a WD hitch.

The WD hitch puts forces on the receiver that, if it is not designed for them, can damage your caravan. In other words, more harm than good.

Also refer to the owner's manual of the Coleman trailer. Some of these are not designed for use with a WD hitch either. The tongue is not built to withstand the forces of a WD hitch, and can bend.

Considering the light weight of the trailer and the excellent cargo capacity of your caravan, a WD hitch probably is not necessary. Sway control is a good insurance policy, though.

[bikendan]

Reese makes a lightweight WDH for popups and A-frames.

http://www.reeseprod.com/products/weight-distribution/light-duty-wd/xDqAUvNOHeKF9elVt1Js3r0m2XWmdIti

[rexlion]

You want to make sure you have at least 10% of the trailer's weight on the hitch, but no more than your receiver's rated capacity (probably 350 or 360 lbs). So you're shooting for the 275 to 350 lb range.

The trailer weight on the hitch will take some of the weight off your front drive axle, where your traction is needed. A weight distribution (WD) hitch will help shift some of the weight back onto the front wheels. Problem is, a WD hitch's actual weight counts in your total hitch weight on the back end. For a minivan or any vehicle with 3500/350 rating, my advice is to go with a hitch that weighs the least and that has some 'give' to it (not overly rigid) so as not to stress the van body. Some, like the (otherwise very capable) Equal-i-zer and their junior version the Fastway, have very stiff bars with little or no springiness. Some hitches weigh 75 lbs or 95 lbs.

I have not checked every hitch being made, but I have noted two that meet the criteria. One is the Curt WD hitch which has spring bars and weighs 50 lbs. The other is the Andersen No-Sway which weighs in at 52 lbs and adds sway control (the Curt unit is not made to control sway) by creating friction between the ball shank and its socket. Instead of bars, the Andersen transfers weight with 2 chains connected to pliable bushings which produce a bit of 'shock absorber' effect. I owned and used one of these Andersen units with my previous KZ trailer and liked it very well (when I sold the trailer, the buyer coveted it so he got it).

As I said, there may be others out there that are light in weight and not too rigid. Do your shopping and see what you like. Initially you might 'get by' without WD for a short trip, but long term I don't think you'll be happy with all the tire scrub and lack of traction up front.

Use a bathroom scale under the trailer's hitch (right under where the ball would fit, if possible) to check the weight. As long as you have at least 10% of the trailer's weight resting on the ball, it should be stable when towing and should not produce dangerous, uncontrollable sway. Dangerous sway is caused by insufficient weight on the ball, such as what I had one time when I was young and ignorant; I loaded a little 4'x8' utility trailer heavy in the rear and caused negative hitch weight... and boy did I ever get a scare when I slowed down at one point!

[Durb]

I had a Grandview large box Coleman Pop-up (similar specs) that pulled nicely most of the time. When the water tank was full it would sway violently even behind a half ton Titan. Reese made a lightweight WDH with friction pads that incorporated anti-sway and was designed with pop-ups in mind. Worked perfectly.

[jpjordan357]

Oh yes, I actually had the trailer brake control system installed today, so i'm all ready for that. The next step is actually getting the trailer and hitching it up 😄

[Y-Guy]

I'll echo what coolmom said about the brakes, this is a big deal even for a light weight popup. They can get squirmy on you real fast and the brake are needed for that. Yes the sway bars can help but the brakes are very important since you need to not only pull that much weight but stop it as well and without you are putting a lot more strain on your Caravan brakes which will wear prematurely.

Do you have a 7-pin wiring harness installed on the back of the Caravan? If it did from the factory adding a brake controller usually isn't that tough, if you don't feel comfortable doing it the dealer can. This should include a charge line within the 7-pin harness which will also charge the pop up batter while you are driving. Many popup fridges also work off of 12v while traveling too.

I had a 2001 Coleman Niagara, a heavy beast. I used a simple Friction Sway Bar as I didn't really need much else. This photo is what one looks like from another member.

[coolmom42]

Reese, Blue Ox are good brands to start with. They should have something fairly inexpensive for a light trailer.

You WILL need power to your electric brakes, and some sort of brake controller. Most states require powered brakes to anything that heavy. You will also need a battery for emergency braking.