Towing/UltraGuage Monitoring

Next weekend I am moving from the Bay Area CA, to Fort Collins CO, which is about 2000 miles. I am going to have a few things in the bed of the truck as well as a 5x8 uhaul trailer hooked up loaded with some other things, Boxes, bed, and housing things. I'm not going to be towing close to capacity but just want some suggestions on some things to keep an eye on while driving (mountain passes and possibly some heat).
(Truck is a 2003 V6 4x4 manual)

What would be good to have on the Ultraguage?
TIA

 

Can't comment on the Ultra Guage, I would just monitor the temp guage, oil, and coolant level and not hammer it in the mountains, or lug it.

If I were on a steep grade, I would keep some distance in case of a sudden stop, and not tailgate so not to restrict air flow to the radiator.

 

remember that big rigs are kings of the roads and leave them plenty of space. specially goin down a mountain they cant stop if there loaded up and they will be hauling butt down to gain speed for the next up. and make sure you have some good weight on the tongue of your trailer. so she wont bounce so much and fish tail on you. that aint fun when you feel your back end about to go side ways on you. good luck and hope your move is a fun experience.

 

thanks for the replies.
Yeah Im definitely going to monitor the MPG... as a joke. I know its going to be horrible.

 

2,000 miles? That must be the scenic route. 2,000 miles should get you to St Louis.

Anyway, I have never seen my temperature gauge go hotter than 9 o'clock, even on really hot days, even towing my boat. Our Tacomas appear to have ample cooling. My advice when towing is to leave PLENTY of stopping distance ahead of you. Otherwise, a well-maintained Tacoma should handle just about anything you throw at it.

If you have really heavy items that will go in the bed, I would pack them closer to the cab to keep your rear end from swaying.

 

haha wow. Yeah Idk where I got 2,000 from. (maby when I added the first days drive and the second days miles i made an adding mistake) its like 1200.

Thanks, off the top of your head do you know the payload capacity of the first gen? Bed, and towing?

 

No idea what an ultragauge can check. Won't be taking the time to learn just now.

Biggest deal not already mentioned - make sure you have an adequate drop hitch adapter. The trailer should run level to nose down ever-so-slightly. You do not want the trailer sitting up and begging from having the hitch way too high.

I have an 8" drop to accommodate my trailer, but this is not one size fits all - depends on the truck and the trailer.

Also - be nice to your clutch. This is one application where an A/T is actually "better."

Towing capacity will be in your owners manual, and is not all that much with the M/T. Make sure the trailer has adequate weight on the tongue - should be about 10% of its loaded weight (trailer and load). Given our wonderful factory springs, don't over do the bed load with a trailer loaded on there.

 

Figures from a 2000 sales brochure. Factory towing specs

Xtracab V6 tow capacity showing 5000 lbs. Does not list any difference between auto or manual they are the same.

Max trailer tongue load 500 lbs

Gross combined weight rating 4wd 9000 lbs

Hope that helps.

Thing that I'd be sure about apart from the above great towing tip posts is to check condition of tyres, spare, hoses and general maintenance of the truck before setting off. Maybe carry some spares with you (belt, hose) I'd also check to ensure the brakes have plenty of meat on them and all fluids (including drive line) are full and chassis is greased.

 

I just towed my TT (~3000 lbs) to the Stanislaus national forest last weekend and I only really looked at the instant mpg on the UG. Sadly enough, I saw it drop to as low as 4mpg in the hills

I guess you can also put up different temps on the UG, but like others said, I think you'll be fine. Just remember that the difference in MPG from 55 MPH to 65 MPH is crazy stupid. Not even worth it to go 10 mph faster.

 

thanks mate

haha well at least you got that new clutch in
and in a few more wheeling trips it will be time for another one

 

I'm moving next month from Montana to Tennessee and looking at about 1,900 miles. I drive a '98 SR5-TRD package 4x4, 5-speed transmission, V6, 3.4L Xtra Cab with a topper.

Will be towing a 4x8 trailer that will probably be packed to capacity and will also be putting stuff in the bed. Truck has 208k miles and is regularly maintained...

I'm hoping to do it in 3 long days...Day 1: 700 miles, Day 2: 700 miles-ish, Day 3: 500 miles. I'm getting oil changed, tires rotated/balanced, and alignment before I roll out.

If anyone has any advice or comments specific to my scenario, that would be much appreciated but otherwise thanks to those of you who provided the helpful responses to OP.

Cheers,
Cotton

 

If that's your 4x8 trailer rather than U-haul's trailer, you have the added chore of making sure the bearings are greased. Much easier to repack them ahead of a major trip than trying to figure out how you are going to get a new wheel onto your loaded trailer at the side of the highway....also go over the lights with a fine tooth comb, they love to crap out when you are not using the trailer (aside from the occasional bad bulb, it's nearly always corroded ground connections.)

 

thanks for he input, but I will be renting from Uhaul

 

Sorry for not specifying - it will be a U-Haul trailer. I'm having all lights/circuits checked next week.

 

how much stuff should I have in the bed of the truck? is it alright to have everything in the trailer?

 

Personally, I'd rather have everything in the trailer. Just make sure you have it properly loaded (more than 50% of the weight in front of the axle). Does the 5x8 have brakes on it? I seem to remember going up to the 5x10 trailer because that one had brakes.

As far as the UG, I'd turn the MPG off unless you want to be really depressed while behind the wheel of a vehicle...

 

Dont cook the brakes! Use the transmission to help slow your speed as much as you can.

Make sure your brakes are top notch before ya pack up and go too.

 

yeah Im loading it with 60% in front of the trailer axel, and 40% behind.
No brakes on it, but Im not doing that close to the max weight. Just a bed, and housing boxes.
Thanks!

 

I know you won't be hauling the max weight, I just like the idea of the trailer having brakes for control, especially . Here's some food for thought: the Uhaul 5x8 trailer weighs 900 lbs empty (Uhaul trailers are fairly heavy) and allows you to put 1,800 lbs of stuff into it. The 5x10 trailer weights about 1,200 lbs empty, has brake and dual wheels (I think they track a little better due to the dual wheels and extended length). It also allows you to load the trailer a little more over the dual axles making for a lighter tongue weight. The downside is it's a little shorter inside (height-wise).

You'll be fine with either trailer, just wasn't sure if you considered it from that perspective.

 

Meh. I pull a 995lb (empty) 6.5x14 with no brakes and a 3000lb axle. In reading up ahead of time I thought I might want to add brakes to it. I have a brake controller from a previous truck. Having used it for a while, not really needed - unless perhaps you're doing something else wrong and the brakes compensate for that...?

The right drop adapter is huge - if you have a trailer that's running uphill, when you put on the brakes it's trying to pick up the rear end of your truck. Trailer brakes might help with that, but the right drop is the better solution. Given light loads and long travels, choosing the smallest rental trailer that works for you will hurt the milage less, and generally be easier to haul.

Since you both [rucas and cotton] are renting, also learn to plan as much as possible to only go forward - backing up with a trailer is an art that takes some learning. When learning, stopping to look at the situation frequently is far better than "going for it." If you have FLAT space available, it can sometimes be more efficient to unhook the trailer and turn it by hand.

...and don't foret to chock the thing every time it's unhooked.