Truck = 05 Tundra DC 4x4 with the factory towing package.
Trailer = New Anderson car trailer, double axle with brakes on both axles. The trailer is rated at 7000# GVWR.
I'll be pulling a 3600lb Pontiac, for 1300 miles.
Am I ok, or will I be killing my truck?
Second question: Would it be ok to back the car onto the trailer vs nosing it in?
Thanks!
2 questions:
1. How much does the trailer itself weigh?
2. Where will those 1300 miles be? For example low altitude flatland, or high altitude steep mountain roads?
__________________ Ray
Natural White '03 Access Cab V8 SR5 4X4 with TRD Off Road Suspension, Limited Slip Differential, and Towing Package
Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Hellwig Anti-Roll bar, Prodigy Trailer Brake Controller, Autometer Z-Series Transmission Temperature Gauge, Magnefine Transmission Filter
Utility & Misc Mods: Genuine Toyota OEM Step (Nerf) bars, Peragon Tonneau Cover, TracRac Rack and Rail System, Muth Signal Mirrors, Pop&Lock tailgate lock, TruSpeed speedometer calibrator, "$20" RS-3200 Upgrade, Auto-Dimming mirror w/ Temp and Compass, Clear/Red/Clear Taillights with Silverstar Signal bulbs, 3M Clear Bra
2 questions:
1. How much does the trailer itself weigh?
2. Where will those 1300 miles be? For example low altitude flatland, or high altitude steep mountain roads?
No weight problems expected then...unless you're carrying a lot of weight in the truck bed that you haven't mentioned that is. Shouldn't really matter which way the car is pointed. But it does matter where you load the car on the trailer...try to position the car so about 2/3 of its weight is ahead of the trailer axles.
As always be sure the trailer has some kind of braking system...your truck's brakes are not capable of stopping more than the truck's own weight plus maybe 1000 lbs.
__________________ Ray
Natural White '03 Access Cab V8 SR5 4X4 with TRD Off Road Suspension, Limited Slip Differential, and Towing Package
Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Hellwig Anti-Roll bar, Prodigy Trailer Brake Controller, Autometer Z-Series Transmission Temperature Gauge, Magnefine Transmission Filter
Utility & Misc Mods: Genuine Toyota OEM Step (Nerf) bars, Peragon Tonneau Cover, TracRac Rack and Rail System, Muth Signal Mirrors, Pop&Lock tailgate lock, TruSpeed speedometer calibrator, "$20" RS-3200 Upgrade, Auto-Dimming mirror w/ Temp and Compass, Clear/Red/Clear Taillights with Silverstar Signal bulbs, 3M Clear Bra
I am learning as I go. This trip is coming up soon. And I've learned that my Tundra "tow Package" does not have a signal to control my trailer brakes. Do I need to purchase a trailer brake controlle? Who makes a agood one? Can I install this myself?
Thanks again, helping me prepare for this journey!
I am learning as I go. This trip is coming up soon. And I've learned that my Tundra "tow Package" does not have a signal to control my trailer brakes. Do I need to purchase a trailer brake controlle? Who makes a agood one? Can I install this myself?
Thanks again, helping me prepare for this journey!
Dan
If your trailer has electric brakes, then yes, you must have a trailer brake controller. If it has surge brakes, then no.
As for the best brake controller, most of us strongly recommend either the Tekonsha Prodigy or the new Tekonsha P3. The Jordan Ultima is also a very good choice.
Avoid like the plague nearly all models made by Drawtite or Hayes...or any other controller that uses "time-delay" technology for trailer braking. The reason is simple....a good brake controller provides trailer braking that's proportional to how hard you're putting the brakes on in the truck. Good controllers use pendulums or solid state accelerometers to detect truck braking and send proportional current to the trailer brakes. The time-delay controllers (which are usually the least expensive models on the market) provide trailer braking that's proportional to how long you have the brake pedal depressed...which means that even if you're just barely touching the pedal but doing so for a couple of minutes, the controller is steadily increasing trailer braking to the maximum you've set. The result is braking that's never what you want.
P.S. My name is Ray, not Rocky. I live at the foot of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado...hence my sig means I'm a "Ray" of the "Rocky Mountains". But don't feel bad...for some reason, folks on the east coast (like you) frequently seem to lock onto the "Rocky" part of my sig as being my name instead of grasping that "Rocky" is one word of the term "RockyMtn", which in turn is an adjective for my actual name of "Ray". By contrast, westerners never fail to get it right.
__________________ Ray
Natural White '03 Access Cab V8 SR5 4X4 with TRD Off Road Suspension, Limited Slip Differential, and Towing Package
Towing & Performance Mods: JBA Headers, Gibson Muffler, 4.30 gears, Michelin LTX M/S Tires, Hellwig Anti-Roll bar, Prodigy Trailer Brake Controller, Autometer Z-Series Transmission Temperature Gauge, Magnefine Transmission Filter
Utility & Misc Mods: Genuine Toyota OEM Step (Nerf) bars, Peragon Tonneau Cover, TracRac Rack and Rail System, Muth Signal Mirrors, Pop&Lock tailgate lock, TruSpeed speedometer calibrator, "$20" RS-3200 Upgrade, Auto-Dimming mirror w/ Temp and Compass, Clear/Red/Clear Taillights with Silverstar Signal bulbs, 3M Clear Bra
Last edited by RockyMtnRay; 07-27-2007 at 09:47 PM.
If your trailer has electric brakes, then yes, you must have a trailer brake controller. If it has surge brakes, then no.
As for the best brake controller, most of us strongly recommend either the Tekonsha Prodigy or the new Tekonsha P3. The Jordan Ultima is also a very good choice.
Avoid like the plague nearly all models made by Drawtite or Hayes...or any other controller that uses "time-delay" technology for trailer braking. The reason is simple....a good brake controller provides trailer braking that's proportional to how hard you're putting the brakes on in the truck. Good controllers use pendulums or solid state accelerometers to detect truck braking and send proportional current to the trailer brakes. The time-delay controllers (which are usually the least expensive models on the market) provide trailer braking that's proportional to how long you have the brake pedal depressed...which means that even if you're just barely touching the pedal but doing so for a couple of minutes, the controller is steadily increasing trailer braking to the maximum you've set. The result is braking that's never what you want.
P.S. My name is Ray, not Rocky. I live at the foot of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado...hence my sig means I'm a "Ray" of the "Rocky Mountains". But don't feel bad...for some reason, folks on the east coast (like you) frequently seem to lock onto the "Rocky" part of my sig as being my name instead of grasping that "Rocky" is one word of the term "RockyMtn", which in turn is an adjective for my actual name of "Ray". By contrast, westerners never fail to get it right.
Sorry about the name mistake, Ray. My local Camper store has the Tekonsha brand. I'll have them install it so I can head out on this journey.
The Prodigy brake controller is the best $90 I ever spent. In stop-and-go traffic, I used the controllers manual lever to stop the truck.
The Tundra did fairly well pulling 4800lbs (trailer + car) 1300 miles from Tampa to Boston. As a few members, and the dealer suggested, we turned the O.D. off for the entire 1300 miles. Gas mileage was horrible!!
I wouldn't want to give my 05 a steady diet of towing this much weight. I'd upgrade to the 07 for that.
Will I be ok with these specs???
Linear Mode
