Towing a17' casitas

[alan H]

I m looking at a 2000 freedom deluxe
My current tow vehicle is a 2015 dbl cab toyota tacoma with 4 L engine auto trans and tow pkg
Per the manual everything says it should be fine
Im just asking others that have same setup /any issues do use swap bar/
Dist hitch etc


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[alan H]

I meant sway bar
My phone is smarter than me


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[Jack L]

If your truck is 4 wheel drive with tow package it should be fine. I tow a 17 Bigfoot with a 2007 Tacoma 4x4 with tow package and a 6500# tow capacity. It works fine with no sway bar or WDH. I believe the 2015 has a slightly greater tow capacity.

[alan H]

My truck is not a four wheel drive
2wd with 5' bed and snug top shell


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[68dave]

You may have issues towing a 17ft Casita with a 4 cylinder. I tow my 17ft Casita with a older (2004) 3.4L v6 toyota tacoma and i feel it back there especially on hills.

[68dave]

Did you mean 4.0L? If so you are good. I'm sorry i saw the 4 and thought you were referring to 4 cylinder.

[alan H]

No prob it is a v6 4 L


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[alan H]

Per owner the trailer is about 3 thousand lbs and hitch approx 325
Again any feedback on sway bar or dist hitch ?
My tacoma is. 2015 double cab
4L v6 auto tran with 5 ft bed snug top shell and factory tow pkg


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[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by alan H

Per owner the trailer is about 3 thousand lbs and hitch approx 325
Again any feedback on sway bar or dist hitch ?
My tacoma is. 2015 double cab
4L v6 auto tran with 5 ft bed snug top shell and factory tow pkg


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You might want to check here: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html

for typical weights for a loaded 17' Casita's weight in the real world. Some do get a bit heavier than others.

[alan H]

Thanks Bob i was hoping you would jump in.... I was looking for that thread


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[Dennis mn]

I don't know about the Tacoma, but I assume the tow ratings might be similar to my Nissan Frontier, the manual for it says 5,000# max without weight distribution hitch, and 6,200# with a weight distributing hitch.

[David L. C.]

I tow a 2006 Casita Spirit Deluxe loaded to 3,200 lbs+ and it tows great with just a sway bar, I am towing with a 2006 Tacoma 4x4 4.0L V6 5 speed auto. I tow in 4th and for very steep long grades sometimes go into 3rd but it still has speed without excessive rpms on the steep stuff, can keep up with traffic most places if needed. You might want to check your rear end gear ratio on the 2wd versus a 4x4 and see if its considerable higher, might hamper towing some.

[alan H]

Thanks to everyone that responded
Per my manual for my model code w/ towing pkg i should be good with a twr of 6500 lb
I m still checking for info on dist hitch and sway bar... So far it looks like a sway bar is a good idea


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[Harvey]

We tow a 2001 17SD with a 2008 Tacoma double cab 4X4, 4.0L V-6, auto trans, 6' bed with 'hi-rise' Leer fiberglass shell. We've made one 'long' trip to New Mexico & Arizona. So far we've not towed above 6-7K' but the 'taco' has performed flawlessly with NO slowdowns or problems on any %age grades we've been on. Our Tacoma has the factory tow package & is rated at 6500# tow wt. We have not weighed our trailer 'loaded for a trip' but I expect it's higher than 2500#. The tongue wt seems lower than most listed in the 'Trailer Weights in the Real World' thread tho. The 'taco' has a rather 'wimpy' payload (I've received a recall notice on the rear springs but no word of a solution yet) & while it doesn't take a lot of weight to depress the springs, I've yet to have 'em react to the tongue weight when I 'hook-up' the Casita. I do have a set of Air Lift brand air bags on the rear suspension but have tried 'em with & without air when the traialer is 'hitched' & there's little or no difference between 'stock' suspension & the air bags without air. I do get several inches of added 'lift' when I put 20# in the air bags. After a couple of years of hauling the 200# (dealer reported) wt of the 'hi-rise' fiberglass shell plus tool box & other items, probably in the neighborhood of 3-400# total, in the truck bed I noticed that my suspension would 'bottom out' on severe bumps. That's when I added the air bags. I usually only carry 5-8# in the bags unless I'm loaded or towing... My truck meets every expectation I have for towing the Casita! Oh yeah, no sway bar or WDH.

[steve dunham]

The tongue weight of my 2013, 17ft Casita Spirit deluxe when loaded for travel varies between 420 to 440 lbs. The factory lusted tongue weight of 365 lbs for a 17 ft Casita is not based in reality IMHO. I believe the 325
lb tongue weight quoted by the previous owner was a made up number to help sell the trailer. I would load your trailer for travel and have it weighed .
You maybe surprised how heavy the tongue weight really is !!

[Jerrymcs]

2015 was our first year with the set up above. I was curious if my truck would be up to the task. We covered roughly 20,000 miles, 6 weeks in spring to break it in and 3 months in Mt for the summer. I never had any trouble except what has been mentioned above, you will bog down on long inclines, but I'm retired, so who cares. And bogged means I am no longer going 70.

I would say that this trailer is probably about the max for the Tacoma. I make sure that I have good tires, and that trailer brakes are functional. I do have a sway bar, but am not sure I need it. It is added insurance on high speed interstates that you find west of Mississippi. I also balance my load in trailer and in bed of truck to keep appropriate weight on front tires. On longer halls I minimize volume of fresh and gray/black water. I make sure all tires, trailer and vehicle are properly inflated.

Best of luck! If you have specific questions PM me (I think you can do that here).

[Harvey]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The tongue weight of my 2013, 17ft Casita Spirit deluxe when loaded for travel varies between 420 to 440 lbs. The factory lusted tongue weight of 365 lbs for a 17 ft Casita is not based in reality IMHO. I believe the 325
lb tongue weight quoted by the previous owner was a made up number to help sell the trailer. I would load your trailer for travel and have it weighed .
You maybe surprised how heavy the tongue weight really is !!

I did NOT say the tongue weight of my trailer was less than the average. I did say that my experience with the 'wimpy' payload of MY particular Tacoma leads me to observe that the trailer appears to put less weight on the hitch ball than others have observed. I don't know that this is true, only that I have not weighed it for tongue weight. I do understand that the Spirit Deluxe has a heavier tongue weight than the 'standard' models because of the front bathroom, I just don't know how much. I'll get around to weighing it whenever I get a chance, meanwhile it doesn't bother me & the trailer tows as smooth & solid as one could ask for at the speeds I drive, normally 50-60mph.

[tractors1]

2013 Taco v6 double cab long bed rated at 6300 lbs tows a 4200 lb (wet) 21 ft Escape just fine. Has an Andersen WDH.

[Roger C H]

One of the advantages of fiberglass trailers is their streamlined shape. Unlike stickies which not only are higher but have square corners.

Sway often is induced by side winds catching on the square corners combined with the higher weight of stickies.

We have thousands of miles on Homelet and never once had any indication of sway or fish tailing.

YMMV

[Bob Miller]

For Jerrymcs


Just keep in mind that the speed rating for ST trailer tires is 65 MPH and that the towing speed on those "High Speed Interstates" in California is 55 MPH.


We are also retired and drive 55 everywhere to enjoy the scenery as well as the 25% difference in MPG's if we drove 70 where it might be legal.