Does This Travel Trailer Sound OK to Tow?

My wife, kids, and I are looking for our first travel trailer. I have absolutely no experience towing something that big. The only towing experience I have with my Tacoma is towing a two motorcycle trailer with 2 road racing bikes on it and I hardly knew it was back there, however, that total package probably only weighed a couple thousand pounds. Anyway, I have a 2008 TRD Sport double cab longbed 4WD that is lifted with OME coils and Alcan AAL's on 295/70-17 Toyo Open Country M/T's. It does have the tow package.

The trailer we are looking at is a Keystone Passport 238ML Ultra Lite. The dry weight shows to be 3890 pounds (shipping weight shows 3707 pounds, if that makes any difference) and the carrying capacity of the trailer looks to be 1415 pounds. it has 30 gallon fresh, gray, and black water tanks and two 20 gallon propane tanks as well as dual batteries. So, all three tanks full would add 750 pounds. So that's a grand total of 4640 pounds wet. Now I need to add in what a family of 4 will carry and I have no idea what that weight would be in addition to miscellaneous things like dishes, food, etc... I read the towing bible but I have no idea how much weight to add to the 4640 pounds.

So, for those of you that are experienced with this sort of thing, am I going to be fine or is this pushing it for my Tacoma. I will be using a weight distributing hitch with sway control and a Tekonsha Primus brake controller. Thanks for your help.

 

You will be fine. Just pack light. I tow a 22' ft trailer that has a dry weight of 3926 lbs.

 

Most people in your situation will keep their tanks empty until they get close to their destination. It will help you out on the highway and any extra bit helps, but I think you should be alright. The longer wheel base will help with sway compared to the short bed trucks. Make sure you get a good sway control system anyway and spend some time dialing in your brake controller.

I'm looking for a TT for my Yukon. I've spent alot of time researching the 7700lb weight limit on that truck.

 

Your problem will be the tongue weight. Your empty hitch weight is probably around 600 lbs, likely a little more even. With 4 people in the truck, you won't be able to take anything else in the truck, or be over the limit. If you pack everything in the trailer, it may be possible, but it would be a act of balancing every time to not increase the tongue weight by too much.
Now that's all if you want to stay within the limits, and keep the family safe. If the limits don't matter to you, then disregard what I said.

 

Tow package wouldnt hurt though. The extra cooling systems will help alot.

 

Your grey and black tanks won't be full on your way to destination. And I usually dump whats left in fresh water as soon as I leave camp and try to dump grey and black as soon as I can on the return trip.

 

Hitch weight is 495 according to the manufacturer and GVWR is 5400 pounds.

 

I knew the grey and black tanks wouldn't be full going there but I was figuring on the return trip until I could get to a dump. Most of the time we will probably be at state campgrounds that have hookups but if I can't use water there and dump before I pull out, I need to be able to pull it back.

 

I have 2 tanks of 30 gallons of propane which weighs 52lbs each (total 104).

I am thinking of just ditching one tank for now. Trailer tongue weight is 416lbs dry (assuming propane is excluded).

 

Once you add two propane tanks and dual batteries to that, you are most likely approaching 700 lbs. That will be your limiting factor. Add gear, some water in the water heater, etc ....

 

Did you end up getting that ultralight 238ml? We r looking at it too.

 

Just pop the drains once you hit pavement. Your mpg will improve as you drive and EVERYONE behind you will have a story to tell for the rest of their lives.