TRD Pro towing travel trailer

Truck can definitely handle the weight but may not be safe. I had this problem I added Firestone air bags witch solved the squat

 

2019 Long Bed 4x4 5.7

RV 7500# dry, will weigh when loaded soon

+2 shackles Fox front and back, UCAs, Airbags. Pulls amazing zero issues

 

Sweet rig Tom! I know you're just trying it out with this trailer, but I see your weight distribution (WD) spring bar trailer brackets, but it doesn't look like your WD hitch/spring bars are hooked up so you can't really assess until properly hitched. Like in posts #12 and #13 to pull weight off of the rear end and shift weight towards to front axle and trailer axles. Then go to some truck scales to dial her in like in post #14. I won't pretend t be an expert but I try and get my steer axle weight empty and loaded to be pretty equal and have 10-12% of the trailer weight on the truck rear axle. I have airbags, but it's really the WD hitch that's doing the work. Another reason for the scales is I haven't found hitch weight published for the trailer to align well with reality / based upon how I have it loaded. If I have more in the rear ... hitch weight lower, whether I'm pulling with water, etc. I tow the trailer almost level...so the "ball mount" has to have the proper drop (or rise depending) that once it hunches up with spring bars set right the trailer is close to level. I run a Hensley hitch which is sorta cadillac of WD / sway hitches that I got a good deal more than a decade ago...now there are tons of good options out there and way more options than there used to be. Hensley has some cons (cost, weight, perfecting the hook up) but I will never trade my Hensley though as long as I'm towing bumper mount.

 

How much are you over your payload?

 

Thank you all, I very much appreciate the insight. I agree with you rothmigo about the WD spring bars. I think I may try it again with those or maybe rent a trailer.

 

Given the soft suspension in the Pro, I would definitely add air bags. But, make sure that you have enough weight placed back on the front axle once you hook up the spring bars. It should level out the truck and Travel Trailer.

 

200ish. Which means the Tundra can implode at any moment, very dangerous. However, I will PM you my itinerary so you can either take an alternative route or stay at home, so you can be safe

 

Less than I was expecting. I thought fifth wheels normally had 25% pin weights.

 

I've towed A LOT with my pro. The first thing I did was install the Firestone air bags and a weight distribution hitch. The bags were a no brainer for me as I did not want to change the performance of the suspension I paid up for while not towing. It's never given me a problem.

I did have some uneven tire wear on the front, when I didn't put air back in the bags while returning from Vegas. But that was my fault.

That's loaded down with probably 12-13 motorcycles.

 

If 25% is normal than mine is abnormal.

 

Never mentioned mountains. I don't like that either, good thing I'll be pulling it to the lake where it will stay.

 

Thanks for the info sharing and pics of the TRD Pros hauling trailers. I love mine and it feels much more stable than when I had my Silverado 1500 towing this same trailer. This past weekend I went to the races at Pocono. We did stop by the scales and got weighed on the trip up and also the way back. On the way back I also did weights with the trailer disconnected to get a more accurate weight on it.

Knowns for the truck:
GVWR is 7200
FAWR is 4000
RAWR is 4150

Trip up: front axle 3340
Rear axle 4400
Trailer weight hooked up 5500
Combined weight of 13240

Trip home:
Front axle. 3500
Rear axle. 4220
Trailer hooked up. 5540
Combined. 13260

Disconnected
Truck 6560
Trailer. 6300
Combined. 12860

Now.....couple of caveats. At some times both my wife and I were not either in the truck or standing on the scale platform. And with the disconnected weight the WDH was still in the truck just not attached to the trailer.

Little nervous about being above gvwr and or that the rear axle weight is just above listed rating.

Having said that.......the truck doesn't squat much with the shackles on the back, and despite the listed weights it still feels far more capable and stable than the previous Silverado did.

I don't drive like a jackass and I keep it at 65mph or less with truck in S4. Seemed fine pulling up in the mountains of the Pocono region.

Next time we go though I am gonna try and load up the heavier stuff in the trailer either over the axles or towards the rear.

I know that no one will actually say what it is but I'd live to know what the fudge factor is for both the gvwr and or the axle ratings?

Anyways.......this alone is not enough for me to pull the trigger on a 250 or 2500 of a less reliable domestic HD truck.

 

Stupid question: should the WDH not push more weight to the front axle? What would your axle weights be if you weren't using it?

 

Great question. I wonder how much more the weight would be. It is a very heavy "equalizer" hitch that definitely cuts down on sway and shares load between truck and trailer.

 

Yes

 

Here is a pic of the setup on the way to the races.....

 

I believe the pin weight is around 1,500lbs. But they do call it a Cougar “half ton” so who’s really counting right?

 

What on earth do you have in that little trailer that makes it so heavy? Looks like it should be 5000lb max.

 

It is a bigfoot travel trailer. All fiberglass. All season camper. 2 big arse propane tanks, solar panels on roof, handful of upgraded batteries to run off the solar, well built cabinets and such inside etc...etc....

https://www.bigfootrv.com/

Better quality etc....and not all the same issues with leaking or particle board and losing screws etc...etc...

But both the cost and the trailer are "heavy."

 

Does anyone have experience towing up gravel forest roads? I know I can get the truck leveled out but I’m a bit worried about performance up fairly steep terrain. The last thing I’d want to do is blow the tranny with no cell service! I have to climb about 3-4000’ on gravel roads where we go hunting each year. My dad and I towed our old trailer (about 6000 lbs loaded) with his 1/2 ton Suburban and it struggled but got us up there.

 

You definitely don't want to blow a tranny way out in the woods. I would get the cooler installed and tow in 4Low.

 

Thanks! I was going to ask about towing in 4WD. We do get some snow up there, usually a few inches. Last year we did get about 18” so you never know. Temps are usually in the 30’s and 40’s so I’m not worried about ambient temps affecting the tranny. I felt good with the trailer brake going down my friend’s dad’s steep gravel driveway (no snow at the time).

I have been reading some other posts and I have heard to keep it in S4 with tow/haul on. I know you don’t want to go into OD while towing! I’ve also heard there could be power issues with the naturally aspirated engine at higher elevations. Anyone experienced that?

 

Everyone experiences the power loss at elevation unless you have turbos or a super charger. Turbos on a diesel are wonderful once you hit 3000’

 

Hey all, just wanted to shoot out an update. I hooked the trailer back up with the WDH this time and it looked to significantly help. I didn’t take measurements however. Keep in mind that this trailer is heavier than I would get. My trailer would be about 1200-1500 lbs less in gross weight. I also had about 800-1000 lbs of stuff in the bed at the time. Definitely wouldn’t have that much if I towed the trailer a long distance.

I am wondering if I should still get airbags? I have heard air bags kind of negate the WDH, however. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!

 

I'm not tracking what you are seeking here. There are 2 thoughts to airbags and wdh combos. First is that you set your wdh and only inflate the bags until you see the slightest movement at the rear measure point, OR you bring the rear to to within 1" of original height, via bags, then set the wdh. Both require time of hookup adjustments to the bags. Be mindful that height due to bags equates to more weight on the rear axle alone.

Without seing your config, as ready to haul and with the wdh dialed in, it'll be impossible to support your question. Sag is all about hitch weight (what do you have for weight on the truck behind the rear axle), so a 1-1.5k lighter trailer doesnt really help.

 

Thanks! This is basically what I was looking for.

I am not new to pulling trailers but I am new to pulling with this truck so I am just trying to get all the information I can so I can decide what I will need for my situation.

I am getting more comfortable with the rear squat situation but I am more worried about transmission temp when towing. I will probably just bite the bullet and get an external cooler for peace of mind.

I called a local shop today to inquire about cooler installation pricing and the guy I talk to happened to have a 2018 Tundra (not sure of trim). He said he dropped $11 to 12k on super charging it to over 500 hp! I love my Tundra but not quite that much. Might as well get a diesel for that!

 

I'm not sure there are many people here who would tell you not to get the cooler. But that's mechanical, not safety. I'd focus on safety first, so get dialed in and then deal with the "fluff" to make it last 200k while doing the work. Just my .02.


Many more qualified resident experts than myself, so take my input with a grain of salt. I do hope some of.my input saves you time in research, though, on this forum and off.