Towing with Toyota Tacoma (4 cyl) pickup

[Mike Morrison]

Originally Posted by Robin G

My best recomendation is to find a lightweight one and then take it and have it weighed. Don't go my manufacture weights cause those are often wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And only show what the trailer weighed before things like fridges, airconditioners etc are installed.

As well as, if there are any after market add on's, they play into the weight gain.


:

I agree about the mfg. weights. Our trailer has an advertised dry weight of 2510 lbs. The weight of ours as it came from the factory is 3130 lbs. We are usually around 3600 - 3700 lbs loaded. It's a good idea to be aware of the weight you are actually towing. It's surprising how quick it adds up.

[Lizzie]

Ok, now I feel a little silly. I guess I didn't realize that the weights that were posted on the list included supplies loaded on the trailer. I just thought like (was it Robyn who stated) that there may be variations is acutal straight trailer weights depending on the floorplan that the persons had selected. I know that adding a toilet or toilet/shower can add an extra 400+ lbs.
Dave, your information has been great1 - it was not your message that confused me - it was just the list with the weights. Actually, you inspired be to look further into the Trilliums. I spoke with Tom of Trillium on the phone yesterday to get some information. Nice guy and they seem like nice trailers.
All this just confirms that I still have a lot of research to do before we purchase.
PS: my neighbor, who has owned a few RVs, showed me how a porta-potty with a holding tank works - he has one from when they used to tent camp!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by kevinjustis

I have towed my 17' Casita, Freedom Delux for the past 6 years with a 2000 Toyota Tundra with a small V-8. I average around 14 mpg when towing. The truck is almost at 200,000 miles and thinking I might want to replace it soon. I have been looking at websites for vehicles with decent gas mileage that will pull my egg like my Tundra. Any suggestions about the "right" vehicle? I would like to get somewhere around 25 mpg when towing and it should have room for a couple of bicycles.

If you are looking for 25MPG, you're gonna have to loose that 17Casita as well as the V8 Tundra. A 13ft fiberglass trailer is not just more convenient,it provides better economy. Buy the truck you're happy with... but be realistic about the size and weight of a Casita 17. It kinda crosses the line from the "biggest of the small" to the "smallest of the big".

[floyd]

Originally Posted by Mike Magee

Lizzie, the 150 lb. driver is usually included already, so you don't have to count that weight against the payload. That means in your example you would still be within limits.

The 16' Scamps in the Trailer Weights table run 2400 to 2800 lbs loaded for camping. That means with water and all. The 2800 lb one was a deluxe, which has wood cabinets instead of fiberglass ones. 16' Casitas tended to be heavier, and 17s heavier still. But 13s are lighter, of course. You do have plenty of choices among the lighter-weight models.

A 150# driver is about as realistic as a 900# Scamp Maybe Frederick should start a list called "Driver weights in the real world!"

[honda03842]

Lizzzie,

The weight I gave for our Scamp 16 was the actual weight of our fully loaded Tow Vehicle and Scamp. No guess, we drove it across the scales at our town transfer station. The trailer weighed 2400 lbs and the car weighed 4000 pounds. It included both passengers in the car and is accurate as those scales. The 2400 lbs includes the 200 lb tongue weight.

On our trip around the country I regularly weigh our tongue weight, 3 times so far. Our tongue weight seems to vary about 10 lbs, depending on amount in the water tank and the amount of propane in the tank. It has always been withing a few pounds of 200 lbs.

I think the consistancy of the tongue weight probably says something about the trailer weight. As a rule we don't buy much that changes the trailer weight as we travel. When we buy something we usually throw something out.

I think as long term travelers there's not many ways for us to increase the weight. For example, we're not adding a generator or a large cooler for the weekend or adding another passenger or .....

Shortly we'll be making a significant weight addition, particularly to the tongue with a second battery. This is partof our plan over the next year it is our goal to increase our boondocking ability. As part of this plan we plan to also remove all the presswood doors on our cabinets, replacing them with something lighter and better looking.

The big decsion with weight for us dealt with whether to start with a Scamp 16, Casita 16 or Casita 17. As much as we like the Casita 17, it is simply too heavy (at least for any reasonable tow vehicle, reasonable in the sense of mpg). That left us the choice between a Scamp 16 and a Casita 16 and the Casita 16 is too short inside.

Of course everyone's finances and needs are different. We focus on long term costs of RVing since though not fulltimers, we're on the road a lot.

[Sue and Henry]

I'm confused too. I am hoping to purchase a used 13' Casita Patriot Deluxe with the toilet and shower. I drive a Honda Pilot which is rated at 3500#. A lot of my travel will be in the mountains. I thought I'd be completely safe in a 13' but now I'm not so sure.

[Perry J]

Originally Posted by Sue and Henry

I'm confused too. I am hoping to purchase a used 13' Casita Patriot Deluxe with the toilet and shower. I drive a Honda Pilot which is rated at 3500#. A lot of my travel will be in the mountains. I thought I'd be completely safe in a 13' but now I'm not so sure.

I've been towing everything from 6 horse horse trailers, stock trailers, TTs, boat trailers and now to my little Bigfoot for the last 45 years.
You should have absolutely no problem towing your desired trailer.
It's within the towing requirements of your Pilot.
I'm surrounded by the Sequoia National Forest so most of my camping and towing is in the mts..
I have also traveled through and camped in the Rockys.
The biggest problem is going to be finding an egg you like in California.
If you don't have a hitch yet I would reccomend you have one installed along with a brake controller because if you find one you like your going to miss it if you wait.

Good luck in your search,
John

[Sue and Henry]

John,
You have settled my fears! I already have the hitch installed and will start working on figuring out about the brake.
Again, thanks,
Sue

[Perry J]

Anytime, I'm glad I could help.
John

[kevinjustis]

Our 17' FD Casita stays, even though it is a 1995. My latest thought is a used truck, figuring that the lower price compensates for lower mpg. At ages 65/68, a used truck will get us to our dotage. Bought Tundra with 66K miles for $15K, half of what it would have cost new.

[Lizzie]

Do I need a weight distribution hitch to pull a 16 ft trailer with our Toyota? After some research it sounded like it would be best to use one, but when I just spoke with a guy an installation place he said with a smaller trailer we wouldn't need it. Thanks!

[kevinjustis]

We have towed our 17 foot Casita which is most likely heavier than your 16 footer, assuming it is one of the fiberglass type. We have never used a stabilizer type hitch. It is amazing how rock steady we have been even under extreme wind conditions.

We do have a real adjustable ball setup that insures that the trailer is really level. We were told that not being level was very dangerous.

I am absolutely not an expert and have read good arguments for the stabilizer. It certainly is more simple to hookup without it but if you started with it you would be used to it.

This is our first trailer so I might not be the best judge of what is best.

[Mike Magee]

As long as you keep a decent amount of weight (I'd say no less than 150 lbs, but 200+ is better) on the trailer tongue, you should not have a sway (uncontrollable oscillation) problem. However, if you have anxiety about it or if you want to be extra cautious, then go ahead and buy something for sway control. For 16' and 17' trailers I have towed in recent years, I did not use anything and never felt any sway in thousands of miles; they all had tongue weights of 300+ lbs. But I once (long ago) towed a 10' long utility trailer with a negative tongue weight, and it about scared the life out of me when it started sashaying like crazy.

[Perry J]

Originally Posted by Lizzie

Do I need a weight distribution hitch to pull a 16 ft trailer with our Toyota? After some research it sounded like it would be best to use one, but when I just spoke with a guy an installation place he said with a smaller trailer we wouldn't need it. Thanks!

I've had Toyota PUs for ever.
My only complaint is if you put 3 bags of grocerys in the back it sags.
I have Air Lift air bags on my 07 Tacoma.
I took them off my 05 so they're 7 years old now and are good as new.
I had a 1150 lb overhead camper for my 05 and it kept the camper and my ATV trailer level.
When your not towing you keep about 10 lbs of air in them and it rides great.
Towing my 16" scamp I put about 50 lbs in them and everything was nice and level.
I would imagine you could have them installed for around the same price as a good WDH.
One thing to keep in mind. A sway bar is a band aid used to cover up an underlying problem.
You should be able to tow at allmost any speed with no sway.

John

[Roger C H]

Fred Simpson did a lot of work on this subject (he weighs trailers) :

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...rld-43010.html

These weights are of trailers actually being used; ours is number 19.

[Lizzie]

Hi - thanks for all the great information, BUT...I was asking specifically about using a weight (load) distribution hitch opposed to a standard hitch, NOT talking about a sway control device.

I have never towed a vehicle before, so here is my understanding of what the load-distributing hitch does (taken from the CA DMV website for towing safety)
"Load-distributing hitches are designed to distribute the hitch weight relatively evenly to all axles of the tow vehicle and trailer. The tow vehicle and trailer should be in a level position (altitude) in order for the hitch to do its job properly." I understand that as long as the tongue wt of the trailer is not too heavy then it should tow evenly.
It just seemed to me, since I would be towing with a small truck (only 4cyc) that the wt-distribution hitch would help to keep the whole travelling a bit safer - is this right?
Thank you

[Mike Magee]

Oh, sorry I misunderstood the direction of your concern. Moving some weight to the front (steering) wheels can have some benefit in improved handling, if the tongue weight is relatively high. For a Tacoma pickup towing a 16' trailer, assuming your tongue weight is around 350 lbs. or less, IMO I would not expect it to make much difference. More tongue weight than that, and WD becomes more beneficial.

[Lizzie]

Thanks Mike - That does clarify it. I spoke with another hitch installation place yesterday and he also agreed that if the tongue wt wasn't too high, then the WD hitch would not be necessary. They both agreed that the sway control might be helpful.