towing advice

Just curious, what is the exact make and model of the travel trailer you are pulling?

 

21 foot Winnebago Micro Minnie, also I grew up in Athens!

 

Awesome, great area! Athena and McMinn county is great place and great location between Knoxville and Chattanooga!

I think you got 2 things going on here......

1. Weight. I think you are probably heavier than 3,600 pounds. I am very very familiar with the micro Minnie line and looked at them really hard. Covid hit, prices skyrocketed, so I sat on the side line last year when we were going to buy. A Grand Design fell in our laps a few months ago and we love it!!!

From looking at the Micro Minnie line, most of them start at 3,600 dry. This is before battery, propane, wifey decorations, etc.... The 1800bh and 2100bh model are both listed at 3,660 and 3,860 bone dry. Experience tells me it takes absolutely nothing to get 1,000 pounds added to dry weight......

My guess is that your trailer is 4,000 to 4,500, but again not sure of exact model. My buddy at work has close to nothing in his 2100bh and it weighs 4,300 pounds on scales.

2. Tire Size. I am not a scientist or fancy stanch smart person. I can tell you from many lifted trucks it is amazing as to what bigger wheels and tires can do to power and mileage. Even if it is 35 pounds heavier tire/wheel combo. You would think that extra 140 pounds would not effect a truck much. It does a ton!!!! I have lifted trucks and they have felt like complete dogs after putting the tires and wheels on it.

Lastly, pulling a rolling big billboard behind the truck has much more effect than one would think. Not so much the weight with travel trailers, wind resistance is real.

 

Also, I would without a doubt get a WDH. Again, weight is not crazy high but once you get in some wind, it will really help with sway and keeping that thing feel more connected and planted to the truck.

 

I should specify its the 1700BH, which dry weight is in at 3280, which is why im guessing its probably around 3600, maybe 3800. I really don't see it over 4k.

 

One other thought on this, with your truck lifted like it is, are you using a drop hitch so you are pulling the trailer as close to level as feasible? If your trailer is nose high I think you'd be getting a double whammy of the aerodynamics of the tow.

 

its almost completely level, and I mean within an inch or two nose high. This was after i flipped my ball mount around because originally it was sitting id say 6 if not more inches nose down. I have a 4 inch drop ball mount which can be flipped for a 2 inch rise which is what i did. I want to get a better set up just didn't want to spend the money right at the moment.

 

Doesn't sound like you're sitting to terrible. I was just curious.

I have seen some guys towing trailers at some awful angles. I just stay away from them on the road and shake my head.

 

The WDH and sway bar will definitely help in terms of windy conditions. Wind + passing a Semi is no fun at all. The WDH will help distribute more weight to the front for an even distribution to the wheels AFAIK.

 

10-4. I think you are probably right with that size of trailer.

 

I have an Anderson WDH and am pulling an Apex Nano 151RBX (3000 lbs dry, maybe 3500 with propane, battery and miscellaneous junk).Before the Tundra, I pulled it with an 04 Chevy conversion van with a 5.3L Vortec V8. The Nano’s box is only 15 feet long but it’s 10 feet high, which makes it a sail. However, with the WDH and a heavy tow vehicle (the van weighed 6200 empty) I don’t have any problems with sway, even with semis passing three at a time.

 

I tow a Winnie minnie 2500 at 6500lbs and same thing. It's mostly the wind. Keep the speed down, it'll help. Even without a trailer 80mph and up is guzzling gas. Everything they said about the power band is spot on. Torque needs high rpms in gas engines.

 

Do you monitor transmission temps? Curious as to what you might be averaging with this setup

 

Trans temps can run a little higher than ideal in hills but tow/haul helps keep down on the shifting frequency. Other temps were ok.

 

OP, just so you know, your truck is not "running" or shifting correctly while driving to the grocery store, let alone towing. You want stock performance either re-gear or change the tires back to stock.

 

Just got back from 1500 miles round-trip up and down 101... Super high winds, uneven road. With my EAZ-lift, air bags at 35, and TRD rear sway, I had zero issues pulling my 19BHLS in S4 and Tow mode. Cruised right along at 55-60 and 9 mpg.

On i-5, relative flat or rolling hills, s5 got me about 12 mpg without searching for gears.

 

I think a TRX is the solution