I will be picking up a new travel trailer this weekend with my 2005 Tundra Double Cab. I plan to get a WDH and brake controller very soon, but will not have it for pickup and hauling home. The trailer specs claim a tongue weight of 680 lbs. Will I be alright towing this home (approx. a 2 hour drive) without a WDH and brake controller?
NO. Tongue weight is roughly 10% of the cargo weight. Your going to try and tow a 6800 pound trailer for 2 hours with no brakes and no weight distribution with a DC truck. Your probably over weight in almost every catagory as it is. Your heading for disaster. You NEED the brake and wdh BEFORE you get the trailer. If you get into an incident you will be at fault. A hitch is only $150 on ebay and a good controller is about the same price. I wouldn't even think of doing this with my 05 DC, but with my WDH and brake controller that I already have we could drive to florida if you want. We would still be over weight though. 11800 pounds is the limit for the truck, gear, kids, water, dog, trailer, fire wood, gas, paper plates. 11800 total is what we are rated for. A DC 4x4 is "about" 5300 with a driver and gas, that leaves 6500. Add the wife @125=6325 left, add the kids @ 75 each and 6150 is left. Any brochure weights are estimated and don't count for options like spare tire, batterys, a/c.
The dry weight of the trailer is listed as 5600 lbs. With a WDH and brake controller, will I be ok?
I hate to burst your optimistic plans so far, but it is my opinion that you're dangerously on the margin.
Like mytundrarocks said previously, the published "dry" weight is just a starting point. You need to take a long hard look at exactly what is going with you on these camping trips: fuel, family, food, water, batteries, propane, ice chests, toys, pets, bikes, emergency gear, etc etc and you can see how it adds up. Have you added in the weight of the hitch itself? Do you think that you can get all of the above packed in under 1,000 lbs? I sure don't...
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2002 Tundra V8 SR5 2WD AC | Silver Sky Metallic | Chrome Step Bars | Kobalt Low Profile Bed Box
Well he did say he's just running to pick it up, so he's not going to have any water, supplies, etc. Absolutely get the brake controller, the Tundra doesn't have the brakes to stop you, At least not anywhere near safely. It only takes a few minutes to hook up assuming you have the tow package.
I personlly wouldn't sweat the WDH for this trip if you can't get it setup in time. I've done 9,000# for 1/2 hour trip and it pulled fine. Just don't go NASCAR on it and you'll be fine.
what camper are you getting? You should be getting a 26' or less ultralite with 1 bump out, imo. Sway control, brake control, and wdh are required equipment for you and everyone else out there to be safe. A trailer place will sell you anything obviously. I really don't think they were going to let you leave like that. i hope anyway. Our wheel base isn't long enough to stop a longer trailer from blowing in the wind, the frame isn't strong enough to keep from being blown all over the place, the brakes are not big enough to stop a larger camper. I tow a 25' rockwood 2505 with no slides. Me the wife kids my banshee in the bed all the way to maine, no issues at all. These trucks tow great but it is not an f250. You should find a scale at the very least but your going to warp your rotors the first time you crank on the brakes, it might just push right thru and then your in trouble. Good luck.
Well, skinny2, my initial question was in regards to just getting it home. But my concern now is whether I can safely tow the camper even with all of the proper equipment installed.
The camper is a 2007 Salem LE 27BHSS, and I found a good price from a private seller. I have every intention of getting a WDH with sway control and a brake controller, however you guys - who no doubt know more about these things than I do - are not-so-subtly telling me that this camper is just too heavy.
I hate to say it but you could be on the too big side. The actual weight of the unit and your actual truck weight are the keys to answering your question. 11800 is your number. I wouldn't sell the farm if it was 12000. 12500 and it's time to move on. The super slides are HEAVY as are the bunk houses but I would weigh it before going anywhere. I would ask the seller to take it to a scale. Landfills have them, truck stops should have them. I'm sure they could goggle weigh station and find someting. Before you waste 4 hours drive time and who knows how much money. Again these are great trucks but that is a big camper, this is where the big 3 got us beat cause they are good for 15000 or so weight wise and the box frame hold these longer units down in the wind. I'll still keep my truck, good luck.
it depends on how much your truck is going to weigh. If your only taking a trip by yourself with a riffle and fishing gear your going to have alot left over, you maybe could make weight with the 27'. If your going to be taking the wife, kids, bikes, grills, firewood, water juice boxes, milk, cookies then you will not. It really depends on what your going to be doing. I camp with the kids and all their crap so i got a 25' with no bump outs. Now i have the ability to carry all the other crap. Without all the crap you can get a bigger camper. The first step is seeing what your truck will weigh when you and the family are ready to leave. Then you'll know how much weight you have left. IMO if you keep it 26' and under ultralite you should be good. 5000 dry weight will be 5500-5700 actual which leaves about 8oo lbs for clothes pots pans propane, plus the 5300 lb truck will put you right there @11800.
No problem this forum is great and many members have helped me along the way. Good luck with your camper. My season is over
I'll be winterizing her next weekend....
One thing to remember when looking at TT's is that the manufacturer lists the weight without batteries and propane or any water. Now add them 200 lbs and 400lbs more for water. Add what the wife and kids have to bring. And you will be right on the limit. Not a huge deal but if you plan on going camping in the mountains you really need to think about more truck or less trailer. Camping is fun and I do a lot of it but coming home safe is the key here. The brakes on the first gen are really the weak link I towed my trailer about 40 mins home from a camp trip without any (they stopped working while going out to our spot in the woods). Let me tell you about the worst 40 min drive of my life and it was all up hill. The truck would not stop at all. So I stopped at a truck stop and completely rewired my brakes in the parking lot. If you have to get it off of his property ask him to pull it to a storage yard and go pick it up when you have your truck ready. Happy camping!
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Tongue weight question
At least they have circled the problem.
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