3rd gen towing enclosed trailer - am i too paranoid?

Not new to towing, but I've been called nuts a few times. Most of the towing stuff I'm seeing posted about here on TW are in relation to long campers and things of that nature, so I'm looking for opinions on something a couple of notches below.

I'm a DJ. My particular setup was made much easier many years ago by evolving from stuffing the absolute shit out of my SUV to buying an enclosed trailer to keep loaded and in my garage at all times. Currently I'm using a 5x8 enclosed trailer with a V nose and a little bit of extra height (it's 5' 6" or so inside). The trailer itself is single axle, rated at 3500lb total, with a dry weight of around 900lbs. On average I'm usually loading about 500lbs worth of gear into it, probably up to about 1000lbs tops if I'm really trying.

All this being said, I am going with SumoSpring rubber inserts (the new redesigned ones) to combat the butt sag, and I'm also considering adding electronic brakes and a proportional controller. Am I completely out of my mind for a such a small setup, or do you think the added gear will make driving better overall?

 

You will have no issues at all. This trailer is well within the capability of your Taco. I've towed many thousands of miles with Toyota trucks. Personally I wouldn't bother with the helper springs or trailer brakes. (Based on it's size, I doubt your trailer axles and wiring are set up for brakes anyway). Take your time, go slower, and give yourself more stopping distance. If you notice sag, maybe consider helper springs. But your toungue weight is probably only a few hundred lbs. Oh one more question...I just noticed you have a 4x2. Do you have the tow package?

 

Thanks for the reply. I do have the tow package. FWIW I bought the Tacoma to replace my 2012 Pilot which towed like absolute dog shit considering its limitations.

As per the manual I am aware I'm not to tow anything for 500 miles, and to be civilized about things up to 1000 miles. I do realize this probably does not apply to my little baby trailer but I digress. In the driveway first night home, I hitched up my trailer to have a look and was not a fan of the sag that I saw immediately. I did the SumoSpring wrap around your spring thing helper on my CR-V and it was night and day. I don't mind the 200 bucks to point my nose down, and while I am completely paranoid and out of my mind, even I can agree that a full WDS is totally overkill.

As far as the brakes go, yes I would have to add them to my setup on my own. I am not in the least bit afraid of that though - my axles have the 4 bolt mount already and wiring up a few wire runs and changing to a 7 pin head is my idea of a happy afternoon in the garage. I guess I'm just mostly curious if anybody thinks they will actually help at all, or if I'll end up running the gain on the controller so low that I'd barely be using them anyway. E Trailer has an auto adjust setup for 80 dollars, and combined with a Tekonsha P3 or that Hopkins Multi Unit thing I'm in for brakes for under 200 bucks.

 

If it makes you sleep better at night, do it. You should have zero issues with it as is though

 

Trailer brakes definitely help on a bigger trailer. My cargo trailer is three or four thousand pounds and I really like having the trailer brakes. I have another trailer that's about 2,000 pounds and I've never really wish that I had brakes for it. If I were you I would hook it up and give it a tow before I buy anything else.

 

Am I reading correctly that you already own this trailer and have already towed it loaded as you normally will? If this is the case did you find any issues or find it too much when braking?

I am a big fan of trailer brakes but on smaller trailers / loads they can be a pain to set up correctly. Most times you end up with the trailer pulling the truck backwards due to too agressive trailer brakes setup or the brakes are very minimal and are mostly ineffective. As the weight / load increases it is easier to balance the braking between truck and trailer.

When I tow my enclosed (14’ +2.5’v-nose) empty I pretty much back the brake controller off to nothing. It isn’t worth trying to set it up so I let the truck do the work. I only set the trailer brakes / controller to come on when the load requires them.

 

Sorry for the confusion. I HAVE towed this trailer before, but on my previous car - 2012 Pilot - which did not tow this railer very well IMO, despite having a 3500lb towing limit. I have not attempted to tow my trailer with this truck as of yet, since the manual is telling me not to for a few hundred miles.

Anyway, this is a fantastic response to my question, thank you! I have towed quite a few larger trailers with brakes before, but not so much on a 5x8 single axle. Hearing your side of things is a great angle. Question though - is your 14' trailer a tandem axle or single? I imagine if it's a tandem you'll have twice as many brakes as I will - do you think it would be easier to dial in on light loads with a single axle setup?

Also, what are you hauling in a 14'? How heavy are you loaded up with it?

 

I don't think it is really necessary for your setup but it can't hurt to have some good trailer brakes. I love my Tekonsha P3 but I typically pull a 5500lbs double axle enclosed trailer with my Land Cruiser. Braking has never been a worry with that controller helping out.

 

Mine is a tandem. I haven’t checked to see if both axles have brakes as this isn’t always the case. I know my flatbed tandem has brakes on both axles. As far as dialing in brakes on a single axles vs tandem with brakes on both axles the single axle will be easier with lighter loads. You want to work within a certain load range. Too much braking capacity with a light load means you will always be at the extreme limits. No different than a heavy load with minimal braking capacity. You will always be trying to get it to perform properly yet always out of the “zone”.

I haul my motorcycle to the racetrack along with my sleeping and camping gear. For the size of the trailer I am always on the lighter side but I have yet to put it on the scale at work to determine the loaded weight.

 

That’s a darn light total load, especially since you have a tow package. It’s Under 2000 lbs. you could probably tow it with a Prius. (Kidding) Just hook up your trailer and go. Brakes on that is over kill, you’d be wasting your $$$. You don’t need to do anything and you don’t need brakes on that light load. Hook it up and go.