2011 Tacoma Axle Upgrade vs Air bags and leaf springs

So we bought an ultralight travel trailer well within my Taco's 6100 lb towing capacity but as I have spent lots of time learning about RVing and travel trailers, I discovered that GAWR matters and dry measured my rig and travel trailer on a truck scale and find I'm 50 lbs over on my rear drive axle due mainly to the majority of my TTs weight being on the tongue, causing my rig to sag a little and that weight to be transferred to the rear axle.

Of course I'm not in a position to upgrade my truck and love it (plus I've customized and done a fair amount of work on it) so don't want to upgrade the rig which I know is the better solution.

Unfortunately, given the ultralight travel trailer, its axle is also light so I can't/shouldn't for safety upgrade its axle although it'd likely be OK with sistering (also spendy) of the frame with an axle upgrade. I just want to add enough capacity to roll wet safely and add a generator AND a couple bicycles (maybe 500-600 lbs or so).

I am a core teacher at a voc/ed program in my district and I asked our advanced automotive teacher if I could upgrade the rear drive axle to handle some extra weight on my towing rig, and he said unless Toyota makes a rear axle upgrade kit, my only option would be airbags and an extra leaf, but that wouldn't help with weight capacity on rear axle, only keep my tongue from sagging and putting the extra weight on the rear drive axle (note I AM using a weight distributing hitch, of course) back on the TT axle. That's not ideal as the TT was not engineered with its options (extra insulation, AC, extra windows, climate package, off road package) to actually handle much CCC (cargo carrying capacity).

When I called the dealership, parts said Toyota won't produce or manufacture overweight kits or beefier axles but it can be done and I'd have to go with aftermarket products. My colleague suggested while you can buy beefier axles aftermarket not to try to do this unless Toyota had an upgrade axle.

So... My questions are: Has anyone safely upgraded a rear axle on a Tacoma (my preference)? What'd it run? Any recommendations on brands in terms of reliability/dependability?

And, if not, any recommendations on brands on extra leaf springs and airbags?

 

East coast gear supply makes a bolt in Dana 60 for the Tacoma.

 

Are you running a weight distribution hitch? That'll be effective in shifting the weight off the rear axle while airbags will do very little other than level the truck out.

Also, how the trailer is loaded will impact the tongue weight and don't load anything in the bed of the truck when the trailer is hitched if you can avoid it.

 

How heavy and how long of a trailer are we talking about, and exactly how much tongue weight do you have??

 

Thanks I've inquired.

 

I am running a weight distributing hitch. Issue is that it's transferring some weight from the trailer to the rig, causing the sag. The airbags might get some of the weight back onto the trailer axle which is why I'm trying to discover a solution as I'm stuck with my TT and rig for the moment.

 

Then your hitch isn't set properly. The WD hitch should shift weight off the rear axle back to the trailer and up to the front axle. Have you confirmed with scales that the WD hitch is increasing the weight on the rear axle?

Do a YouTube search for airbag vs weight distribution hitch...there is a good video that tests both and the airbags did nothing to reduce rear axle weight.

 

21 ft TT. I didn't measure tongue weight by unhitching. At the truck scales I was at 2640 lb steer axle, 3160 drive axle, 3180 lb trailer axle, gross 8980. My GAWR for my taco is FRONT: 2755 lbs, REAR: 3110 (hence 50 # over dry). My GAWR for my TT is 3500 lbs with 400 lbs CCC. Thus I can guess that only 80 lbs of about 250 lbs of bedding and dishes and gear is going onto my TT's axle.

As to loading of the TT, I've read repeatedly that advice to equally distribute in front and before axle is insane advice due to trailer sway and winds (Wyoming is WINDY) and a recipe to kill yourself and others, and it's best to put most weight on tongue, in front of axles. Thus about 100 lbs of hose & sewer goes in truck bed to minimize weight in TT although it sure seems like a terrible waste of cargo space in the TT. In short my KZ sportsman classic not only has a tiny freshwater gray and black tank but also had an axle and construction to be too light so I can't really carry cargo. So my failure to exercise caveat emptor means I'm left trying to solve this problem by upgrading an axle or using airbags and an extra leaf to put that weight back on the TT axle.

Advice?

 

Just upgrade the suspension it'll work just fine not sure how much you'll be towing but I regularly have quite a bit of weight hooked to mine. Or loaded in the bed

 

I assume I'd do that by unhitching at the truck scale and hitching back up and then comparing? I just included some specs above that may assist in diagnosing?

Good to know, so the only thing airbags do is stabilize the ride. Funny how our advanced autos teacher just told me it'd deal with the sage issue which WOULD put some weight back on the TT axle and *might* solve me being a little over. I really can't jettison more gear. It's ridiculous I think in retrospect KZ manufactured a TT with 400 lbs CCC not including water. It leaves me seriously with only like 237 lbs wet for cargo. Throw a topper on a mattress, some foam on the mattress bed, and some melamine dishes and food in and you're over TT CCC (nevermind a gen or a couple bicycles). I can't believe any dealership would sell such a TT. Or fail to discuss with a buyer before buying. Now I know, but the hard way.

I just want to keep both for another 5-10 years and use both as is then I'll upgrade rig and can buy a new TT or something.

 

Recommendations to upgrade the suspension, specifically? What'd you do (brands)? Did you do shocks/struts around AND upgrade leaf springs? But isn't the issue still that we've got GAWR and I'm still over on the rear axle by 50 lbs, even with upgrading suspension?

I want to add about another 200-300 lbs minimum to handle a generator and a couple bikes.

 

With that length and weight of trailer, you're certainly within the realm of making it all work. You just need to get your suspension, load configuration, and WDH setup right. When I asked above, I wanted to make sure you weren't trying to haul a 27' 5,500 lb trailer, and thinking that was OK because you were under the Toyota advertised tow rating.

 

You're over thinking it. But you are getting close to being overweight for the little truck IMO.

I ran deaver stage 3 expedition springs in the rear the front is obviously lifted as well. I'm running e load range tires 285-70r17. This trailer weighed a little over 5000 plus another 500+ in the bed it isn't ideal hauling like that with such a small truck. That's a 20ft trailer too.