kfp673
PA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/12/2012
View Profile
 Offline
|
Hello All,
Throwing this out there to hear some thoughts. I am helping my in-laws find their first every travel trailer. I have had travel trailers for 20 years but have only ever had a HD truck and larger trailers. My in-laws are looking for a small trailer they can pull with their new Tacoma. We have found plenty well within the weight but the inventory right now is slim pickin's everywhere.
So, here is the questions. The tow rating for the Tacoma is 6000 lbs. They found a 20' trailer with 3200lb empty weight and 1300lb cargo rating. I know the story on tow ratings vs GVWR but either way this trailer is well within. Problem is they are nowhere to be found. They then found a 22' Jayco that has an empty weight of 4500lb with 900lb cargo capacity. So now we are getting on the high side for that Tacoma when loaded. BUT.. The Jayco empty Tongue weight is only 340lbs vs the light trailer 430lb. AND, the jayco is dual axel vs the smaller trailer being single
My initial thought is that while the Jayco is really pushing the limits of the Tacoma's weight and tow ratings, it may actually tow better due to the lighter tongue weight and dual axels. They will be buying a good hitch setup. Most likely the BlueOx sway pro.
What do you guys think? Is that too much to ask of a little tacoma? Saftey is my main concern mostly becuase they are not super experienced towing trailers. Thoughts?
|
Lynnmor
Red Lion
Senior Member
Joined: 07/16/2011
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
If I read this right, the tongue weight is way too low and sway is a real possibility. That 900lb tells me that it has toys for tires and it will not carry enough. Skip it.
|
Lwiddis
Beatty, NV
Senior Member
Joined: 08/12/2016
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Light tongue weight doesn’t make anything tow better. You never mention the Tacoma’s payload max. Unusual for an experienced trailerite. What is it? Two in law’s batteries, water, propane, lawn chairs and other stuff in the TT will be under 900 pounds? Unlikely.
Winnebago 2101DS TT & 2020 Chevy Silverado 1500 LTZ Z71, 300 watt solar-parallel & MPPT, Trojan T-125s. TALL flag pole. Prefer USFS, COE, BLM, NPS, TVA, state & county camps. Bicyclist! 14 year Army vet-11B40 then 11A - (MOS 1542 & 1560) IOBC & IOAC grad
|
GrandpaKip
Flat Rock
Senior Member
Joined: 06/18/2013
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Average tongue weight should be between 10 and 15% of trailer weight. Brochure tongue weights are usually on the low side.
Payload of the truck is more important than tow weight.
What’s the payload of that truck from it’s yellow sticker?
Kip
2015 Skyline Dart 214RB
2018 Silverado Double Cab 4x4
Andersen Hitch
|
Lwiddis
Beatty, NV
Senior Member
Joined: 08/12/2016
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
In laws made the classic mistake...bought the TV before buying or selecting the trailer.
|
|
|
kfp673
PA
Senior Member
Joined: 12/12/2012
View Profile
Offline
|
Lynnmor wrote:If I read this right, the tongue weight is way too low and sway is a real possibility. That 900lb tells me that it has toys for tires and it will not carry enough. Skip it.
After further research, the dealers website does not match Jayco. Imagine that ;-) jayco website has it listed as dry weight 4700lb, 6k GVWR and 465lb dry hitch. The truck payload is 1155. Online Toyota shows a tongue load rating of 640lb max tow 6400lb.
I know all about dry ratings so after doing some simple estimates, it seems like this trailer is basically right at the max. Obviously payload is the big variable depending on what they load the truck/trailer with, but in general it seems right at the max. Do you all agree? Too much for that truck? Think it will be ok?
|
ssthrd
Vancouver Island
Senior Member
Joined: 03/23/2016
View Profile
|
With the 2009 V6 auto Tacoma with tow package that I had, I pulled a 21 foot TT that weighed about 5,000 on the road. The tow rating on it was 6500 lbs, with a cargo capacity of just under 1400 lbs. I had a basic Husky hitch with 8,000 lb spring bars and one friction sway control bar. I also had overload springs and airbags.
Getting into tight spots with it was a piece of cake. In hindsight, for the weekend local stuff, it was a great setup for what I had, but I definitely would not want to tow long distance with it. Available power was marginal, driving was a full time job, and gas mileage was poor.
Loved the truck, but not for towing that much weight.
2014 Laredo 292RL
2018 GMC 3500HD 6.5' box SRW Denali Duramax
DeeBee, JayBee, and Jed the Black Lab
|
vermilye
Oswego, NY, USA
Senior Member
Joined: 08/11/2004
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
|
I towed a 17' Escape fiberglass trailer with a 2016 Tacoma, 3100/360 pounds. No problems & a good combination. Switched to an Escape 21 and while the trailer & tongue weight were well within specifications at 4950/500 pounds, the truck itself was over payload by 200 pounds. I carry lots of stuff in the truck since I'm out 6-8 months of the year dry camping in the desert. These are loaded weights.
The other problem was with the new 3.5L engine. The truck spent far too much time at 4000RPM sucking down gas and getting 10 - 11MPG. I switched to a F 150 3.5L EcoBoost and am getting 13MPG and well under 1800RPM at 63MPH. The 10 speed transmission, great tow mirrors and 36 gallon gas tank are a big improvement.
I loved the Tacoma for off road, parking, and size, but it wasn't up to even a 5000 loaded trailer.
Jon Vermilye My Travel Blog
My Photo & RV link blog
|
rexlion
Broken Arrow OK
Senior Member
Joined: 04/01/2005
View Profile
|
vermilye wrote:I towed a 17' Escape fiberglass trailer with a 2016 Tacoma, 3100/360 pounds. No problems & a good combination. Switched to an Escape 21 and while the trailer & tongue weight were well within specifications at 4950/500 pounds, the truck itself was over payload by 200 pounds. I carry lots of stuff in the truck since I'm out 6-8 months of the year dry camping in the desert. These are loaded weights.
The other problem was with the new 3.5L engine. The truck spent far too much time at 4000RPM sucking down gas and getting 10 - 11MPG. I switched to a F 150 3.5L EcoBoost and am getting 13MPG and well under 1800RPM at 63MPH. The 10 speed transmission, great tow mirrors and 36 gallon gas tank are a big improvement.
I loved the Tacoma for off road, parking, and size, but it wasn't up to even a 5000 loaded trailer. And that was when towing a trailer with small frontal profile, only 7'4" wide and 108" to the top of the A/C. I bet the 22 footer under consideration is both wider and taller. Wind resistance on the highway is a huge factor.
Mike G.
--for now, using a cargo trailer for camping--
Those who would give up essential liberty, to purchase a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. --Benjamin Franklin
photo: Yosemite Valley view from Taft Point
|
GrandpaKip
Flat Rock
Senior Member
Joined: 06/18/2013
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
More than likely, they will be close to 6k# loaded. That would be about 720# tongue weight.
Leaves about 450# for passengers and stuff. That would be uncomfortably close for me, both the truck and the trailer.
Our trailer brochure dry weight was about 3800# and weighed over 4200# dry as scaled. We average 5k# loaded and have over 1000# as a cushion.
We had a Frontier 4x4 that pulled it fine all over the US. It was maxed out on payload and axles but not on max tow.
An actual dry weight of about 3500# would be my max target.
|
|
|
