Help get new trailer home, my first tow

For the sake of discussion if your trailer is so long you need to worry about it you need to upsize to a 3/4 or 1 ton truck.

 

My fear when towing our 7400lb travel trailer, 11.5ft high, is not the Tundra, but the wind, side wind. I try to arrange the travel according to the forecast. Early morning is better. I try to avoid more than 35mph. Here is an example of wind forecasting tool..
https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather/maps/thompson_canada_6165406#map=windAnimation~rainbow~auto~10 m above gnd~none&coords=5.33/54.016/-93.75

Google street view helps as well to scout camping spots, parking at shopping areas and gas stations before hitting the road.

 

What's the limit downshift downhill? S4, S3, S2...? I am afraid to see the trailer jackknifing, as I use less braking on it?

 

Normally your drive in 'D'...

If you slap the gear selector to the left (from D) it puts the transmission into a 'manual' mode; it will usually drop you to S4 or S3 depending on... from there pushing up on the selector moves up through the gears and pushing down moves down through the gears. Gears 5 and 6 on our transmissions are both overdrive gears, so when we tow the truck will move back and forth between 4 and 5 a lot in D when you're varying speeds or on hills.

It doesn't turn the transmission into a true manual by any means (the shifts aren't always immediate once you're in S), but by using the gears in S mode (select) you are limiting the truck from moving past the gear you are in... So, if you are in S4 the transmission will use gears 1-4; if you push up and go to S5 you now can use 1-5; same for 6 and same for lower gears as well.

So, when I'm towing and let's say coming down a grade I'm generally moving between S4 and S3 to keep the RPMs higher and holding the transmission back from shifting into an overdrive gear and really starting to pick up speed.... It's still going to pick up speed downhill in S3 or S4, but let's say you're going down a road that you perceive about 50mph to be your 'safe for conditions' speed; as the truck starts to approach and surpass 50mph you can move from S4 to S3 if that's enough to old appropriate speed, or if you need to you can start to feather the brakes a bit and bring the speed down more casually than if you're in an OD gear and the truck is wanting to do 70 while you're constantly fighting that w/just the brake pedal....

I hope that makes a little more sense in the overall process!

Regarding the specific question about the 'limit'.... 1st and 2nd in our trucks are pretty short, so you'll probably not find yourself in S2 much if at all to hold speed back (usually S3 is kinda my limit and if that's not doing it I'm already feathering or applying the brakes). Key to towing safely is time and distance. Give yourself more travel time; more distance between you and others; less distance travelled each day to reduce fatigue, etc.... More time gives you more options in how you react to a change in conditions and start by mitigating input (steering and brakes) as much as possible.

Also, the computer will not allow you to inappropriately downshift into a gear where the rear end will grab and jump like a true manual vehicle would.

Mess w/it a bit w/o a trailer attached at first to get the feel of what I'm talking about.

Finally, don't forget your tow/haul button, which will give you a slight re-mapping of shift points and a bit more throttle response....

Edit: Crap, my bad, but I just noticed you have a Gen 3... So, this probably won't apply to your rig. I'm not familiar w/how your set up works and what options your rig has. This is what I've done w/my '08 and my '21. You'd have to look at your owner's manual and see if you have the option to 'sequentially shift' your set up.

 

If you're running a WDH (weight distribution hitch) some of them are set up for or already come w/anti-sway bar attachments. They will help some w/sway at FWY speeds (passing semis and crosswinds they make a huge difference), but you do need to remove them when backing and making tight turns as they will 'bind' up.

Agree 100% though about being cautious w/strong winds and gusts; it's not fun or safe to trailer in that crap...

 

We installed a properly rated WDH at 8000lbs (it was hard to find one). It is a Curt, with chain and springs, but without anti-sway brake. The driving was OK, without excessive lateral swaying.

However porpoising was an issue, not at acceleration like a powerful car, but bouncing up and down on uneven freeways. Is it due to the OR TRD Bilstein suspension?
For that, we added a Curt adjustable anti-sway brake, designed rather for lateral sway, but it works also for porpoising.

We never removed the sway brake when backing or making tight turns, as the sway range is long enough. Anyway, we avoid tight turns, by making a proper 'scoop' before backing.

 

I use a Fastway E2 with those gawdawful scraping, grinding & crunching friction spring bars. I helps reduce sway and the whoop de doos. Plus I can back up to make for obnoxious noises. I like to announce my arrival and departure to the campground.

 

About using too much braking with the truck and jackknifing, I am referring to white knuckle situation on a bumpy dirt road. Specifically when driving on a mountain pass road, descending by 190m on 1010m, where without the trailer, I downshift to S2 or even S1. It is a habit, to not overheat the brakes. I am hesitant to take the trailer down there.

The Gen 3 downshifting, like my previous vehicle, is exactly as you describe it.
Except the TRD OR has an additional gimmick, DAC/CRAW, downhill assist, which I did not use much, and I find tricky getting above a certain speed.

I never tried DAC/CRAWL when towing.

Re reading the manual today I find that I can use it when towing...

 

This is a great thread. I'll be towing a uHaul trailer soon, and it'll be my first time towing anything. So I'm reading through these posts trying to learn also! thank you!

 

I greased a part on my Equal-i-zer (not the part they tell you not to grease) and those noises stopped.

 

Oh boy. I hope you don't live near any major metropolitan area. Not a good place to learn.

 

yea... I live outside Los Angeles. very metropolitan. Look out everyone! really though, I plan on doing as much research as possible before I pick it up. I do want to learn about towing in general.

 

I grease mine too. With that high moly content CV joint grease. You know, the kind that if you get any on your hands next thing you know it's on your socks type of grease. Top of the picture shows a nifty PVC pipe protector that keeps grease off my socks. Bottom of the picture shows where the noise comes from. Rust is good here. This is the only place I can think of where metal to metal galling is a good thing.

 

Yup. That’s how you do it! I have the same hitch. Just a little dab of grease on the round part that pops up into the hitch. The brackets on the trailer tongue are supposed to be dry, specially for the sway fighting friction.

It’s ok that they make noise. Everyone’s do if they’re using them right!

 

Off-road suspensions are generally a bit 'softer' than sport/hwy type set ups... You may end up wanting to research heavier rear coils or some type of airbag set up on your rig to reduce the bouncing.... That porpoising affect can also happen when weight isn't properly distributed in the trailer... Another good resource for you may be able to reach out to is some of the guys running heavy loads in the beds of their trucks that had to make an upgrade or one of the vendors such as @memario1214 who may have some insight for you