Can I tow a 6000lb travel trailer with my 2012?

You expected a dual axle trailer to weigh 2800 lbs.? Why would it have two axles if you expected it to be that weight?

 

Oh no, I learn new things all of the time but always from people that have something worth learning.

This was the first travel trailer I've towed that had weight that's worth mentioning. I don't think towing a tent trailer counts lol. But like I wrote before I didn't know the trailer weighed 5,000 lbs until I got home. It was an easy tow.

My dad can't kick my ass so it sounds like my dad did something right. I mean you are an adult right??

The rear of the truck dropped a little over 2" from the weight of the travel trailer's tongue. On large bumps in the road the upgraded bumpstops would come into contact with the leaf springs.

 

I saw a good buy and I went and bought it. I know very little about travel trailers. I assumed the PO knew what he was selling. But it doesn't matter, it was an easy tow. I know tandem axle boat trailers can weigh as little as 900 lbs, I know the construction of travel trailers is cheap, 2800 lbs doesn't seem like a big stretch to me.

 

You would be very correct regarding the frame weight of most new travel trailers. Lippert is building a shitpot of the frames for the mfg's these days and they are typically thin-wall steel. It's becoming a very common event where the front A-frame of the coach folds faster than Superman on laundry day when they get into undulating roadway or trail conditions while running WDH's. There's even factory suggestions to NOT use a WDH on many trailers, especially the single axle units.

YouTube is littered with videos on the subject along with class-actions.

 

NOPE. My two cents.

 

You do you, homie!

 

Pulling those loads with that truck is just about as bad as driving drunk; knowingly and deliberately taking an unnecessary risk. Few people will have an issue with you rolling the dice with your own life and property, but you're putting other people at risk when you get on the road towing like that. You COULD pull 7000+lbs, hell you could pull even more than that with a Taco; yeah, it'll pull it, it'll roll. You might even make it to where you're going. If anything happens that requires emergency braking or evasive steering though, guess what? It's too late to rethink your decision. Physics are gonna take over and you and anyone in your path are just along for the ride at that point. I don't doubt that you have experienced a lot of towing, but I would by no means call you experienced; evidenced by your own posts. Just because the tow was drama free doesn't necessarily mean it was ever safe.

I'm sure you can't learn anything from me either. I get the impression that anyone that tells you you're wrong doesn't have anything "worth learning". I'd ask that you find someone that you CAN learn something from though (if such a person exists), and ask them what they think about it. In the meantime, please continue to share your "experience". I'm of the opinion that seeing what not to do can be just as valuable as seeing what right looks like. Call it what you will. What you call fearmongering, I would say is the TW equivalent of people trying to slap some sense into you.

Now I'm curious to know how the F150 was wrecked. I can only assume...

 

After buying this travel trailer the lack of quality control and the materials used to build it are hugely over-rated when they're referred to as total POS's. I can't freakin believe how thin the steel is on the frame, it's gotta be less than 1/16", and no I haven't actually measured it. With that written how in the hell does it weigh 5,080 lbs? (Written rhetorically while laughing.)

It's definitely better than living on the streets though, which I've done in the distant past, because this POS is my home while my new "real" home is being built. Although every promise and deadline has been blown away during this construction project and I'm literally scared to write the latest ETA of me standing in it for fear of jinxing it - I'm still a lot crazy and a little stupid - 3 MORE MONTHS!!!

My Tacoma parked on my absolutely tiny slice of heaven.

 

Thank you! Same to you brother!

____ 'em!

bla bla bla

Have a ball hanging off of mine while you're looking for your own!

 

Travel trailer: 5,080 lbs
Truck: around 4,800 lbs with the equipment that was in it that day, it's my best guess. It gets weighed often though. The truck has specifically been modified for towing as priority #1.

Would I have done the tow with stock brakes? Hell no. I would have parked the trailer on the side of the road and left it, possibly with crap in my pants on that first stop. Literally. LOL.

Would have I done the tow with 37's and stock gears? Hell yes. I've proven on TW with video the truck did just fine when it had stock gears on 37's. I towed often then too. Too many people regurgitating what they read as being fact just to regurgitate it again when in fact they have no clue. Like the fear mongers here on TW.

My truck got 11.5 mpg on that tow home at 45-55 mph. I could have easily done it at 75 mph the whole way, but safety third!

 

I feel you on the construction delays.

To add some more apprehension, I just saw a crazy story about a family in your identical shoes, sold their home, went through all the brutal hoops of building a semi-custom, only to get to the last week before closing and the bank pulled a bizarre BS clause buried in the contract that allowed them the right to terminate...which they did and sold to someone else to realize the massive profits that had occurred during the build process.

You don't have that clause do you?!

The identical thing happened to my sister and BIL about 25 years ago. Crazy shit and they even got sued by a few subs for payments that hadn't been made by the contractor! WTF?!

Good luck on finalizing and enjoy your trailer while your in it!

 

This topic was beaten to death by others. Without upgrading brakes and suspension, I would not do it. Trailer e brake should be 1st mod, ride rite air helper springs, overload springs and upgraded shocks would be recommended. Transmission Cooling, upgrade to E Rated tires, and swap to a Tundra if you want to tow 6000 lb trailer often. My dad tows a 12k lb double axle trailer often and it sucks on short or long trips. That 5.7 V8 sucks gas like a fat kid in a candy store.

 

My loan company called me over a week ago. My construction loan is near its end and needs to be re-newed (construction loans last 1 year). They're not sure if I'll qualify for the new loan and their manager actually got angry with me when he found out I'm actively proceeding on the project while they're taking their sweet ass time figuring out if I qualify. Something smells like the sewer system on this...

 

I hope they don't start dickin' around with you.

 

I ended up going with a 2022 Ram 1500, towing capacity 11,500lb and it has the air suspension so it auto levels. I have an anti-sway hitch but have no problem going without sway bars attached for short hauls. I wanted to stay in the Toyota family but they are very proud of Tundras these days. I got a Limited which is the top trim level Ram for $59,400 which is 6k below msrp.

 

Congrats.

 

Congrats. I'll say this as both a Toyota fan and a highly unpopular opinionist- anything larger than a midsize V6 just isn't in Toy's wheelhouse.

I'm sure you'll enjoy the Ram. Happy camping.

 

I just did the same. 11k off the 56k msrp on a Big Horn 4x4. I do miss the Tacoma, but need more capabilities. I also got 42k trade on my Tacoma I paid 40.5k for last November.

 

In my head they are because I still haven't heard from them. I left a voicemail last Friday but I haven't heard anything from the loan company. I've got $238,000 of my cash into this project so far and less than a $1,000 left. I'm worried but I don't want them to know.