Comments/advice on TT considering purchasing

Hello,
Long time lurker, first time posting... and if things go well, it will also be my first time towing! So please bear with me, I've read so much I'm starting to confuse the things which I do happen to retain!!

2014 DCLB TRD Sport w/tow package. Bone stock.

I am looking to purchase a Forest River Avenger 201LT TT:
- 21' + ~3' tongue. ~24' overall.
- dry weight(per decal) 3928 lbs (I know this could be up to several 100 lbs more than advertised).
- max cargo weight: 3515 lbs
- GVWR - 7603 lbs (I know the Taco is good for 6500 at best, but I will never be putting in 3500+ in cargo to ever come near this!)
- Tongue weight: 525 lbs (...so the owner tells me! My research, depending on the year and website shows potentially up to 532)
- Dual axle
- Link - note, this picture is skewed and makes it look way longer than it truly is!! And some of the specs are a little different than what is on the trailer decal. (decal pic added as attachment)
- Reese WD hitch; I don't recall the specs but thought I saw 1000 stamped on the WD bars and 800 on the hitch itself when I went to see it.
(I'm a newbie, I forgot to ask/write it down/take pics etc!). Pretty sure it's rated/spec'd accordingly for the trailer, original owner purchased it all brand new at a local rv dealer, and dealers know what they're doing right...
I would probably also look into some form of sway control. (suggestions??)

It has one battery and 2 smaller propane tanks (despite a tall cover for the tanks, original owner went with smaller ones; they're standard bbq size I believe, so 20 lb tanks I think?).

I will be picking up a Tekonsha P3 brake controller, have not decided on mirrors but will likely get some type of extensions.

Probably my biggest concern is the tongue weight!! (aside from my lack of towing experience !)
It doesn't leave me a lot of room given that my understanding is this weight is without battery and tanks..!

And yes I know the GVWR is higher than what the Taco is rated to tow, but I really doubt I will ever have much more than 1000lbs of load in it, leaving me hopefully around 5000-5500 depending on what the "real" dry weight is. Good chance I will be well under 1000 lbs load TBH...
I don't plan to travel with water, or if I do it will be short distances (from a nearby town to the campsite, not for the full trip) and if luck plays well I hope to always have a dump station nearby for when I leave...

I'm not opposed to getting airbags, and I don't believe the 2014 is susceptible to the leaf spring TSB(??), I could not find anything to say it was/wasn't either way... I checked though and mine does have 4 springs, the bottom one thicker and shorter like an overload spring perhaps.

Any advice, thoughts, suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!
The current owner tows it with a slightly newer Nissan Pathfinder (v6, non supercharged); was he way over his head and will I be too if I purchase it!?!?

Cheers!

 

You'll be fine with the tongue weight (I use 12% of total weight but 10-15% is acceptable). Your receiver is rated for 1,000lbs as long as you are using a WD setup, which you say you are. Biggest thing you will have to keep an eye on is payload. If you look inside your driver side door, you can find what your truck is rated to carry. My 14 was rated for 1,080lbs. From that number you will have to deduct passengers, WD hitch, tongue weight and anything in the bed. Using my payload number, less your tongue weight (.12*5000=600lbs), 80lb WD setup will leave you with 400lbs of gear and people to put in your truck. If you'll be doing any mountain traveling, the truck will do it...it just won't like it.

 

Look here. If you have any questions about towing and dont want to wait for answers, check this thread out. It has saved me many of times. Good luck and WELCOME!!

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/towing/4031-tacoma-towing-bible.html

 

St3ve, thanks, yes, I did look there... at least ~20 pages of the 52 anyways, and yes definitely the first 10 posts by the OP. Among many, many other posts both on TW and other sites/blogs etc... maybe too much all at once!

KMitch, thanks. As noted, lots of info going through my head, I do recall now how tongue & hitch weights are still payload, likely forgot when I posted though! I did check payload, it was roughly same as yours noted, though I'm not near my truck to confirm 100% ATM.

It will be close, very close!
By my calcs, if I am doing it correctly:
myself, wife, daughter and carseat should be around 360
Propane and battery: 2 @ 40 + 60 = 140
WD hitch: 80?
tongue: 525
So total payload: 1025
Does fuel count towards payload?
oh wait, propane and battery are not 'exactly' considered payload if I understand correctly, however, they add to the tongue weight which is payload...

Does using a WD hitch allow for a little leverage on the tongue weight? I also ask due to this post by psmcn: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/towing/4031-tacoma-towing-bible-34.html#post6526785
and still, it's more of a concern for me given it's so close, if not over, the 650 limit...

thanks again!

I might say, tenting is sooooo much easier!! Bu the wifey wants to be warm...

 

Your tongue weight will be more than 525lbs (this would mean your trailer weight would be ~4,375lbs). The dry weight is going to be before many added options (plus you'll have to add in the batteries and propane). My guess is you'll be close to 4,500lbs dry, then you'll need to add gear, food, clothes, etc. I'm guessing you'll be close to 5,500lbs loaded, ready to go. Also, your payload does already include a full tank of gas but no passengers. Propane and batteries would add to the tongue weight since it's on/in the trailer. That would break down to:

Tongue - 660
WD - 80
Passengers - 360
Payload = 1,100

This is without anything else in the truck bed.

My TT was about 5,000lbs loaded up ready to go. Granted Denver elevation is higher than Calgary but here, I wouldn't have wanted to tow anything heavier...truck just didn't like it in the mountains. If staying on the flatlands, it was fine.

 

thanks again. thinking I should look into something else then. I definitely don't want to push it!
If not for the tongue weight I might still consider it but leaves virtually no available payload within the truck while towing it... we might have just enough left for coffee, red bull and snacks!
it had the perfect layout we were looking for too... better safe than sorry!

 

Weight is the reason i chose a 17ft. Casita. Very lightweight, easy to tow and it has a full bath. And they hold their value better compared to the stick built tt's. It's molded marine grade fiberglass, no seams to leak.