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2 weeks, 2100 miles towing my Airstream - what I learned

Discussion in 'Towing & Hauling' started by sbxx312, Jul 8, 2019.

  1. Jul 8, 2019 at 7:47 PM
    #1
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    Just got back from a two week camping trip with my wife, son, and dog. I was towing our 22 foot 2003 Airstream International and bought the Tundra last year with this trip in mind. We've towed the same trailer for the last six years with a 2012 supercharged Tacoma. The Tundra kicks ass.

    Route was Boulder to Glendo State Park in Wyoming. Glendo to Grand Teton National Park. Tetons to Madison Campground in Yellowstone. Yellowstone to a ranch in Pine, Idaho with a stop at Craters of the Moon. The ranch to Deer Creek State Park in Utah. Deer Creek to Stagecoach State Park in Steamboat with a stop at Dinosaur National Park. Then home. Two weeks, 2100 miles.

    What I learned:

    1. The IBC did not disconnect or misbehave. I had the dealership do the TSB before I hooked up my trailer this year, so I don't know if it fixed an issue or not. But I was sweating it. Convincing your wife to buy this truck to tow your trailer to Yellowstone with an IBC that disconnects and no P3 plug and play harness kept me up at night. Thanks to Toyota for the TSB. Set the IBC to 5.5 and it worked without issue.

    2. Windoors. My Tacoma's Leer 100XR did not have windoors. This time, based on the advice here, I got them on the Tundra's Leer 100XR. Camping with them is great. Cooler on one side, firewood on the other. We spent a lot of time in bear country and the campsite had to be clean. It was nice not to unload and reload and have three access points.

    3. Big gas tank is great. The other family we traveled with has a 2018 Ram towing a 22 foot Micro Minnie. I have no clue how big the Ram's tank was, but we needed gas at the same time the entire trip. If we were towing with the Tacoma, we would have had to stop for gas all the time.

    4. Factory exhaust for towing is loud enough. My next mods were Victory sliders and a Dirty Deeds exhaust, but I personally wouldn't want it any louder than it is now for towing.

    5. Beast mode is awesome and makes all the difference. I towed without it and that was really a lot less fun and more like the Tacoma.

    6. My cloth seats were pretty uncomfortable until this trip. I either got used to them or they broke in. Either way, there were 7 hour driving days and no back issues. My wife, kid, and dog found the seats really comfortable.
     
    Last edited: Jul 8, 2019
  2. Jul 8, 2019 at 7:51 PM
    #2
    Black Wolf

    Black Wolf Bigfoot Hunter, Sasquatch too, but not Yeti

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    TuwaPro rack, Z1 Offroad stuff, NISMO suspension stuff, FlowmasterFX Extreme exhaust, AIS, OVS, J&L can, other goodies on the way
    Sounds like a great trip. What was your mpg?
     
  3. Jul 8, 2019 at 8:49 PM
    #3
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    No clue. Terrible probably.
     
  4. Jul 8, 2019 at 8:50 PM
    #4
    Black Wolf

    Black Wolf Bigfoot Hunter, Sasquatch too, but not Yeti

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    TuwaPro rack, Z1 Offroad stuff, NISMO suspension stuff, FlowmasterFX Extreme exhaust, AIS, OVS, J&L can, other goodies on the way
    No doubt :thumbsup:
     
    SnrDisregardo likes this.
  5. Jul 8, 2019 at 8:53 PM
    #5
    equin

    equin Texarican Tundra

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    No Airstream towing experience, but the Dirty Deeds exhaust should come with a resonator that should get rid of any interior drone that might develop.

    Anyway, no pics of your Airstream and scenic National Parks?
     
  6. Jul 8, 2019 at 9:01 PM
    #6
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    My wife says she's creating an album on Snapfish, so I had no photo taking responsibility. Many photos were taken, especially at Yellowstone.

    I did take a photo of my truck and Airstream at Glendo State Park in Wyoming, but it has my license plate on it. For you mountain bikers, that's a nice spot. It has a pump track.
     
  7. Jul 8, 2019 at 9:06 PM
    #7
    Mountun Goat

    Mountun Goat She baaaaaahd

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    Well you wouldn’t want the licence plate monsters to come get you ;):worthless:

    On real, sounds like a great trip. Glad the Tundra is good at doing what it’s meant to do! I love towing with mine too :)
     
    Tundyfundy, shellshock and Y0TA PR0 like this.
  8. Jul 8, 2019 at 9:11 PM
    #8
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    Here's my truck after I got the Leer shell.

    [​IMG]
     
  9. Jul 8, 2019 at 9:22 PM
    #9
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    Eleven Mile State Park early June.

    [​IMG]
     
  10. Jul 8, 2019 at 9:39 PM
    #10
    STE4DY

    STE4DY New Member

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    i love my leather seats but they can get sticky after sitting on them for a while haha
     
    Jrharvey02 and Mountun Goat like this.
  11. Jul 8, 2019 at 9:41 PM
    #11
    Mountun Goat

    Mountun Goat She baaaaaahd

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    Nice. Rad setup
     
    awq735 likes this.
  12. Jul 9, 2019 at 11:10 AM
    #12
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    If someone can sufficiently damage my cloth seats, I'm going to get Katzkin leather seats. I'm stuck for now and it's the lighter grey color, which is also unfortunate. I prefer leather.
     
  13. Jul 9, 2019 at 2:19 PM
    #13
    STE4DY

    STE4DY New Member

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    my buddy has the grey cloth in his tundra and took his truck to mexico and when he came back he would slap them and poof, dust clouds haha i couldn't go back to cloth seats
     
    jewsNbrews likes this.
  14. Jul 9, 2019 at 2:23 PM
    #14
    Jrharvey02

    Jrharvey02 New Member

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    platinums come with seat coolers...just sayin’...
     
  15. Jul 9, 2019 at 2:36 PM
    #15
    STE4DY

    STE4DY New Member

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    definitely gonna get all the gizmos when i decide to trade in my limited
     
  16. Jul 11, 2019 at 10:14 AM
    #16
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    Another thing I learned is bring Neopectin if you have a dog and go on this kind of trip. Lewis is big and has a stomach of steel, but swimming in the lakes and reservoirs and he got the shits. Our vet of 20 years gave us a bottle knowing we were going to Yellowstone and would have to leave him in the trailer at times. It's for diarrhea and vomiting.

    Lewis is four and has never pooped in the trailer. He did in Utah, felt bad about it, and then got three days of Neopectin and all was well. Having a poopy dog doesn't work well in the truck during the long legs between stops. Finding a vet on the road is a pain.

    I got a refill last night just to leave in the trailer. Your dog would prefer not to shit in the trailer. That's what Lewis said.

    [​IMG]
     
    plumber802, nixon, georgiey22 and 5 others like this.
  17. Jul 11, 2019 at 6:28 PM
    #17
    Rfick15

    Rfick15 New Member

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    OOOOO thanks for sharing that photo. I actually created my account to reply. We just upgraded from a Tacoma to a Tundra on monday. I sent that park info to my wife and she loved it. Pretty sure I'm making that trip next June.
     
  18. Jul 12, 2019 at 9:21 AM
    #18
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    Rocky Ridge campground. Stay away from the electric sites if you want space. Dump station on the way out. Big trout in the reservoir.

    I towed my trailer to Eleven Mile a few times with the Tacoma. First time last month with the Tundra and it was a world of difference.
     
  19. Jul 12, 2019 at 1:20 PM
    #19
    TacoWuzzaTurd

    TacoWuzzaTurd Loving my Tundra

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    I've towed travel trailers in the range of 3500lbs to 8000lbs. My fuel economy has been relatively static at about 8mpg. :eek2:
     
  20. Jul 12, 2019 at 2:15 PM
    #20
    SnrDisregardo

    SnrDisregardo New Member

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    Eh, more like seat vents. There is much to be desired over the "cooling" with them. At least that is compared to the Explorer we rented in NM.
     
  21. Jul 12, 2019 at 2:16 PM
    #21
    SnrDisregardo

    SnrDisregardo New Member

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    Good looking pup too. Poor ole guy and that face.
     
  22. Jul 13, 2019 at 8:05 AM
    #22
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    I don't want seat warming or cooling.

    On the way home from Steamboat, I also learned the Tundra talks to you and does navigation that shows up on the dash. It only took 5000 miles to figure that out.
     
  23. Jul 13, 2019 at 8:17 AM
    #23
    cmiller219

    cmiller219 New Member

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    Am I missing something or am I not getting the pun? What is this beast mode??

    Man this sounds like so much fun I can not wait to do things like this. Very few families do these things anymore. Your kid is going to appreciate this so much in the future.
     
  24. Jul 13, 2019 at 8:26 AM
    #24
    sbxx312

    sbxx312 [OP] New Member

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    Thanks. It was a ton of fun.

    Push the tow/haul button.
     
  25. Jul 13, 2019 at 8:56 PM
    #25
    STE4DY

    STE4DY New Member

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    they should change it to haul ass button
     
  26. Jul 15, 2019 at 9:58 AM
    #26
    agent319

    agent319 New Member

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    I'm sure your dog will have no problem tearing those cloth seats up so I see Leather in your future. You might want to set back more money because nothing lasts w/ a dog on them.
     

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