Greetings Fellow Cummins Owners,

The bottom line upfront, I do not want this thread to turn into some sort of bashing opportunity against myself or those who respond. I am asking this community because a lot of you push or exceed the limits of your trucks through towing (regardless of trailer type). I also understand upfront that towing a backhoe and a travel trailer are apples and oranges in some ways (such as wind effects). I am not seeking justification to tow this combination, just your experiences, and expertise.

So I just purchased a 2022 Grand Design 390RK which is a big turd for my truck (See signature). By the numbers, I can tow it but my wife and I know that we are at the numerical limits of the truck.

So, here are a few truths:
-Truck scaled at 8640 with a full tank, toolbox, tools, my wife, dog, and son (not me). I added some weight to that to account for my weight and misc items packed in the truck. GVWR is 12,300 and the Cargo capacity is 4110 (from the door). That leaves me about 3450 pounds for hitch weight before I hit the rear axle wt limit and GVWR.
-Trailer has not been scaled yet (I pick it up Friday), but the GD website says dry wt is 14562 and hitch wt is 2794. I know that both are low numbers since I have the 3rd AC and a few other options. GVWR is 16800 which is within the tow rating of my truck (17,010) but is more than I can tow when taken in context of the numbers.
-Based on all numbers, I am limited to 16,000 pounds when traveling. Depending on hitch weight, I will be at 100% GVWR and within a few hundred pounds of GCWR (25,300).
-I have read fellow 390RK owners say their hitch wt % is over 20%. At 22% hitch wt and 16000 pounds, that is at 3500 pounds hitch wt. Those with generators and Washer/Dryer combos are closer to 4,000 hitch wt (I don't have either).
-I am installing a 20k Reese goosneck on it so overall I think that will drop about 50-75 pounds from the hitch wt over a Pullrite and probably 100+ pounds when compared to a traditional hitch. While there are many positive reviews for the Anderson setup, I have seen enough failures during emergency braking or accidents to not go with their setup.

Assumptions:
-The truck's rear axle weight limits are not the axle's limits, but the tire's limits. So this is an area I must be aware of and know I cannot exceed the tire's limits which is 7280 (both tires added together).
-The long bed and long wheel base is going to be an advantage to control the wind's effects on the towed combo.
-I have seen plenty of SRW trucks pulling big 5th wheels and toy haulers (even a few triple axles) which I believe are exceeding the capacity of the owner's trucks.
-The last guy next to me in camp had the exact same truck with a GD 373RES which weighs a little less with more hitch wt. He has a Champion traditional hitch, rollup bed cover, generator, tools, extra 30 pound propane tank, and gas in his bed and he said he has towed it for the last 6 months through the Midwest, north west, and down into Cali. He (about 65 so not young) claims he never felt unsafe or had any issues and I am sure he is over wt by the trucks numbers.
-Pulling it will feel similar to my GD 315RLTS which is 38' behind the hitch and about 12,500 when loaded and rolling.
-That despite being at the max numbers, the truck should still pull this combination safely down the road.

Further information:
-I cannot afford to buy another truck right now (unless someone wants to trade their dually for a SRW). We are full-time living in the trailer so it will sit 90% of the time.
-We are planning two trips from So Cal (San Diego area), one to Sequoa Natl Park, and one through the Rockies to Denver, then to Wyoming and SD (black hills), and back through Denver to So Cal.
-When I retire from the Marines, we are planning to buy a dually before hitting the road for a few years.
-We are also going to upgrade the trailer's axles to 8k axles and disk brakes which will help carry more stuff when behind a dually. Despite the trailer sticker, it will increase the GVWR to 18,000 pounds. This is what GD certifies factory trailers to when upgraded with 8k axles so I know it is fine.

What are your experiences driving SRW trucks with heavy loads?

Thanks,
Scott