Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
Hey all...
I have a 2006 Tundra 4WD DC with the 4.7L engine. It has the factory tow package and the plug 'n play brake wiring harness all set to go.
The wife wants to get a travel trailer to tow from our home in Chicago to Seattle (where her parents live) and back to Chicago this summer. So there's a total four of us (including our two boys, ages 8 and 6) going on this trip. We plan on taking the northern route there and a more southern route back to Chicago. Both routes include a significant amount of mountains to cross. I keep reading posts with conflicting maximum towing capabilities for my Tundra, the least being 6,500 lbs and the max being 7,200 lbs. We want a bunkhouse type trailer, but we to be safe I want to keep it on the lighter side... like around 4,000 lbs. So, we went to the annual Chicago RV show this past weekend and found a trailer we like and that we can afford. It weighs 4,150 lbs.
My wife is petite (100 lbs) and my boys are 100 lbs combined, so weight in the truck won't be much of a factor. With gear, clothing, sway bars, WDH and everything else considered, I figure we'll still be under 5,000 lbs overall. I had salesmen at the RV show telling me I could go with a 5,000 lb (UVW) trailer and would do just fine, but I don't want to be anywhere near my maximum capacity. Smaller trailers and trailers with a different floorplan are out of the question, as we want some room to move around and we don't want to sleep on a fold-down dinette bed or jack-knife sofa. The above trailer has a queen bed and bunks, which is what we want, yet still fairly light in weight.
Soooo... what do you guys think?
Will a 4,150 lb (UVW) trailer be safe to tow through the mountains?
I want to be extra safe with this. I know the Tundra can probably get the trailer up the mountains with no problem, I'm more concerned about having less weight to keep a big heavy trailer from pushing us down too quickly.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
Do you have any experience towing a large trailer?
If not, that's a heck of a maiden voyage. What are we talking, 2000 miles +/-, one way?
Weight shouldn't be a problem, that's a fairly light trailer by comparison. The truck should handle it. My 2003 AC owners manual says 7,100 lbs. towing.
You said you were getting a weight dist. hitch w/ anti sway bars, that will definately help stability.
I'm not exactly sure what you mean by plug n' play brake harness, but a good trailer brake controller is a must.
Hopefully some others with more towing experience will chime in for you.
You might check some of the RV forums for more insight - RV.NET or RVUSA.COM
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
Should be fine on the weight. Take your time. If you gotta slow down a bit to get up a hill slow down and enjoy the view. Going down a steep hill down shift and remember your can use the trailer brakes by themselves if you want to. Is this this your first RV? I only ask because 2000 miles first time is a whopper. You might try a weekender or two first just to work the bugs out. There lots of little details it helps to know. What to pack and how, best towing methods and on and on. Having your ducks in a row can be the difference between a 2000 mile family adventure and a 2000 mile nightmare. I RV full time and am always learning better ways to do things. If you want some tips send me a message.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
That trailer's a long bugger, isn't it?
Looking at the specs, it shows a tongue weight of only 405 lbs which is less than 10% of the trailer dry weight of 4150. You may need to load the front up a little bit, but then the full propane and the batteries could help.
I know tomhole here has A LOT of experience with this and can help you out a ton.
For your tundra, this weight is NO problem whatsoever. I towed a 23' Terry TT a few years ago with my 02 tundra and 4 speed auto (not 5 sp. like yours), and it did great. That trailer had a dry weight of 3900lbs.
A few things you'll want to address:
Get a good brake controller like a prodigy P-3 or prodigy. Don't mess with the cheapo's.
Does your truck have LT tires or just the P Rated OEM ones? It is recomended to run a C or D rated tire when towing, and air them close to max psi cold.
Maintenance is MORE important when you're towing than not. Be sure to follow the maintenance guide to a Tee for severe service or what's recomended 'while towing'. Diff fluids are very important here, as well as coolant, trans fluid, and greasing the u-joints. You may want to address these issues before you venture out.
Any more questions?
Those dam RV shows anyway; they always make you spend more money.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
I agree also with what has been said. A couple of small trips to get a feel build the confidence and then the big one. Believe me you will enjoy it. Nothing like a new TT.
I had a 24ft Wilderness that I was towing before and I figured it was around 5000lbs loaded (no water) and I had no trouble with my 4.7, better than my 'ol 5.7 Suburban FOR SURE. Maybe have a few gallons but I would travel empty if you know that where you are going has water. I understand what you and the bride say about that jack knife couch. That was my reason for going to a different trailer.
We go through the mountains here in Alberta and all you do is take your time and depending how much you actually load in the trailer, payload in the truck, a good brake controller, WDH and anti-sway bars you should not have any trouble. Did you happen to check the actual sticker dry weight and tongue weight in the trailer? Possibly once you get the trailer, do you homework on weights etc, get your whole rig (TV & TT) CAT scaled weighed to give you the reassurance.
Something that may also help is picking up the Trucker, RV and Motorhome Driver guides for your neck of the country and heading westward. I purchased it from Trailer Life I believe but the website is Welcome to Mountain Directory. These can help you plan which areas i.e. mountain grades to avoid (white knuckle experiences), lengths of certain grades that kind of stuff. You may find it helpful in planning your trip.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
To all you guys who took the time to respond... THANK YOU!
This is actually our 3rd trailer, but the first two were just pop-up campers that I towed with my wife's 4 cylinder Honda Element. Neither one had trailer brakes because they were relatively light, but the 2nd one was at the towing limit of the Element (1,500 lbs) and I towed that camper to Connecticut and back (950 miles each way) three years in a row. During these trips I went through the mountains of Pennsylvania and New York. Yes, they're small in comparison to the big ones out west, but at least I have an idea of what it's like to go up and down some fairly steep grades with a trailer at maximum limit.
My concern is jumping to a significantly larger trailer with a tow vehicle (my Tundra) that I've never towed anything with yet. I just wanted to make sure that I'll be in good shape before I actually plunk down the deposit and order this trailer.
As suggested, we'll probably make a couple of small trips before the big adventure going out west. This should give me a feel for what it's like to tow with a larger trailer and allow me to dial in the brake controller and make any minor adjustments in the hitch/sway-bar set up. I'm totally new to the WDH and sway thing, but I should be okay once I learn how it all works together.
I think we're going to go ahead and put the order in next week, as the RV dealer said they would honor the RV Show discount if we ordered within the next 30 days after the end of the show.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
Buck62, a thought just occurred to me. Ask if you could take the trailer for a test pull. As long as you have the proper weather conditions, receiver etc. see if you can take it out for a few blocks. That will give you an idea how it will pull. I wouldn't worry to much about the WDH hitch unless you go on a freeway or something but I did the test drive route just because I did not really want to take a salesman's word for it.
That could be the first step to feeling confident about your decision. If you feel the truck can handle that then everything else is uphill after that.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
That's a good idea, except they don't have this model in stock, it has to be ordered. What I saw at the RV show was a smaller version of this trailer, but the same series. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to build once we order it.
Also, it's still February, so getting the dealership to agree to letting me try another might not be easy. That means they gotta take the time to fully set me up for a pull with different trailer at a similar weight and that might be asking for too much.
As I look at this "on paper", it looks like I'll be good to go. I'm more than 25% below the listed maximum towing capacity for my Tundra. Again, my main concern is stopping more than accelleration or pulling power. I don't want to become a truckload of casualties that couldn't stop going down the mountain.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
Quote:
Originally Posted by Buck62
That's a good idea, except they don't have this model in stock, it has to be ordered. What I saw at the RV show was a smaller version of this trailer, but the same series. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to build once we order it.
Also, it's still February, so getting the dealership to agree to letting me try another might not be easy. That means they gotta take the time to fully set me up for a pull with different trailer at a similar weight and that might be asking for too much.
As I look at this "on paper", it looks like I'll be good to go. I'm more than 25% below the listed maximum towing capacity for my Tundra. Again, my main concern is stopping more than accelleration or pulling power. I don't want to become a truckload of casualties that couldn't stop going down the mountain.
You shouldn't have a problem stopping, as long as you have a good controller AND its set up properly.
You should always gear down while descending a hill while towing, in order to keep your speed down.
No need for you to worry about anything with this setup. For the first few tows, just take it easy so you can get the feel of what it'll do in certain situations. Pretty soon it'll be like riding a bicycle, and won't bother you at all.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
If your dealership does a proper job of checking out the trailer they will fill all three tanks with water to check for leaks. Ask them to leave the water in the tanks. That is 90 or more gallons at 8 lbs per. When you pick up the trailer and set up your towing mirrors, WDH and brake control it will be with a load. If you leave the dealer and something does not feel right you can turn right back around and get the problem resolved. Get a good brake control. I use Prodigy.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
I would ask the dealership to adjust the WDH without all those liquids in there. It can really alter the hitch weight. If I filled all my tanks, my hitch weight would be really low because the gray tanks (50 gal total) and the black tank (25 gal) are well behind the axle. The fresh tank is in the front storage (25 gal). That would mean I have a net 50 gals at the rear of the trailer (~400 lbs) and that would put my hitch weight at 350 lbs.
So, have them adjust the WDH with only the amount of fresh water you plan to travel with. Even then, without all of your gear loaded, the WDH might need to be tweaked after you load the trailer.
When you get the trailer, come back and let us know and we can help get it set up just right.
And you won't have any trouble with this trailer in all driving conditions (hills / altitude). Good for you for asking and analyzing before you buy. Works a lot better that way.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
Quote:
Originally Posted by tomhole
I would ask the dealership to adjust the WDH without all those liquids in there. It can really alter the hitch weight. If I filled all my tanks, my hitch weight would be really low because the gray tanks (50 gal total) and the black tank (25 gal) are well behind the axle. The fresh tank is in the front storage (25 gal). That would mean I have a net 50 gals at the rear of the trailer (~400 lbs) and that would put my hitch weight at 350 lbs.
So, have them adjust the WDH with only the amount of fresh water you plan to travel with. Even then, without all of your gear loaded, the WDH might need to be tweaked after you load the trailer.
When you get the trailer, come back and let us know and we can help get it set up just right.
And you won't have any trouble with this trailer in all driving conditions (hills / altitude). Good for you for asking and analyzing before you buy. Works a lot better that way.
Tom
Thanx very much for all the help, you guys ROCK!
Believe me when I tell you that I'll not only make sure that they set it all up properly for me, I'm going to insist on watching so I can ask questions and take written notes. Then I'll type it all out, print it and laminate it so I have a handy little guide to take with me. This way, I'll know how each aspect of the WDH/sway-bar/brake controller works in conjuction with the other for the smoothest possible tow and I'll have some reference material with me in case something gets knocked out of whack. Heck, I'll probably do the "notes" thing with as much as possible with this trailer and throw together binder so there's no guessing if I have any issues along the way.
We're probably going to order the trailer on Saturday.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
My trailer holds 60 gallons behind the axles and 60 gallons in front of the axles with two full 7 gallon gas bottles I was able to get an idea of what the trailer would tow like loaded about as heavy as I will ever load it. With that said I probably should not have said "set up" the WDH as it is misleading since there really is no such thing. It ain't rocket science. Once the ball mount is on, well it's on. Ball mount height only changes when I load a bunch of stuff in the bed of my truck and that is no more than a inch or two. As for how many links I drop when I put the bars on is always changing depending on how much stuff in the trailer, how much gas is in the bottles that day, known driving conditions and so forth. The only thing that remains the same is sway control adjustment.
Re: Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
Travel Trailer 101.
Some things you might get when you buy the trailer,
Roof vent covers. They allow you to tow with the roof vents open and most important of all (since you are going to Seattle) you can leave your roof vents open in the rain. If the dealer won't cut a deal on them Camping World had them on sale and they take all of 10 minutes each to install.
Replace 2 12v batteries with 2 6v deep cycle in series. If dealer can't help Costco had 6v golf cart batteries last I looked. They have much more amp hour and longer lifespan.
Trailer will probably come with a start up kit (water pressure reg, cheap 10' sewer hose, 15amp cord adapter and some toilet chem) and since you used to have a tent trailer probably already have some of the stuff you need but there are some must haves you can pick up cheaper at Walmart or Camping World for example than you will get at the dealer,
Toilet chem and paper.
Cable lock for spare tire. Important
Locking pin for ball mount. Important.
20' sewer hose, 10' just is not enough. Important.
Airtight sewer hose adapter and slinky to keep the hose off the ground is required by law in some states. Important.
Inline water filter. Important
Non slip matting for cabinets and drawers.One roll will do a whole trailer.
Stove and oven lighter.
25' water hose.
25'coax with F type connectors and slip on adapters on both ends.Radio Shack.
Spare fuses. Important.
1/4" mesh Builders cloth to make bug screens for water heater, furnace and fridge. Important. Lowes or Home Depot.
Torque wrench, extention and 13/16" socket, if you don't already have one. Important.
Flares if you don't already carry them.
3/8" socket adapter for cordless drill and 3/4" socket. Much nicer way to lower and raise stabilizer jacks.
13/16" lug wrench. Important.
A/C polarity checker. Important.
Leveling blocks.
Tire chalks, you can make.
I bought a little Craftsman portable air compressor that weighs next to nothing takes up hardly any room but will air up my E load rated tires with no trouble. Checking truck and trailer tire pressure are big time important and feeding a bunch of quarters into gas station air compressor just does not cut it. Some truck stops offer free air but you may have to hunt to find it.
Something to keep in mind, if you get a flat tire how will you jack up the trailer?
When you do the walk thru on your trailer pick it apart. I worked on RVs 4 years and hate to say it but quality in general is a joke. Not trying to scare you here cuz this is a great time to buy but in this economy the sad fact is the company that built your trailer or the people that sold it to you could be out of buisness a week after you pick it up. That is a reality everyone has to deal with now days and some of the RV web sites are warning people to get any warrenty work done as soon as posible. Having prepped many, many new trailers here are some of the more common defects I would see.
Damaged, missing or improperly installed external and internal trim.
Marred finish outside.
Marred paneling inside.
Door hinge screws stripped.
Windows that don't operate properly or are missing hardware.
Drawer stops installed improperly.
Window screens damaged or fit poorly.
Window blinds damaged or do not operate properly.
TV antenna wearing into roof.
12v recepticle will not accept common 12v plug.
Loose or crooked light fixture.
Getting stuff like that fixed before you haul it off the lot is a huge help because many RV dealers will charge a fee come to your home to fix that kind of stuff even though it is warrenty work and you might not want to have to unload everything from your trailer to drop it off.
Will This TT Be Okay to Tow Through the Mountains??
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