Looking for inputs on towing travel trailers and capacities

We will be purchasing a travel trailer this coming spring and I have a few questions about a few different items. First, a little bit about my truck. 2009 V6 Auto 4WD SR5, no TRD no factory tow package.

I installed this class III/IV hitch a few years ago, Here. As you can see it has a 550lb tongue rating and a 550lb tow rating if a weight distribution setup is used. We will be using a WD setup. I will also be installing the tranny cooler, supplemental oil cooler and trailer brakes before I tow.

Here's my question. I really want to keep the weight as low as possible when it comes to the trailer... all of the trailers we have been looking at are 16-18' bunkhouses that weigh around 3-3200lbs dry. Most of these trailer have a 700-1200lb carrying capacity. In talking to a few other enthusiasts and friends with similar families of four they pack around 500-700lbs of cargo in their trailer including propane and batteries. On the high end that would put our total weight of trailer around 4200lbs.

However, this weekend we saw this: Keystone Bullet 202BHSWE Ultra lite aluminum

Dry weight of 3976lbs, hitch weight of 420lbs. This is a dbl axle trailer which helps keep the hitch weight down and should tow significantly better than a single axle. This would put my total weight around 4800lbs.

This was the first choice before we saw the Bullett: Forest River Sonoma 167BH

Dry weight of 3160lbs, 800lbs less than the Bullet but more hitch weight at 446lbs. This would put our total weight around 3900lb but a bit more hitch weight than the bullet.

We're currently dedicated campers and just finished our last camping trip of the summer, it was our 6th trip of 3-5 days. We're light campers we don't pack a bunch of shit. We have two labs and two kids and with the dogs in a kennel in the back we easily fit everything for 4-5 days in my truck, including cots we sleep on. We're committed to packing the trailer light and won't haul it with water.

What are your guy's thoughts about towing the Bullet or the Sonoma? Is the Bullet too much?

Thanks!

 

Sorry, it didn't seem that long typing it out

 

OP-- Over the weekend I took a trip pulling a T@B trailer (rental) that weighed 2800 lbs, and I had maybe 200 lbs of extra gear in the trailer, so 3,000 total. I thought my Taco struggled a little bit, especially at faster highway speeds. I was actually interested in hearing some input from other members as well, mainly in how much people are towing, how far, and how fast. I felt like the Taco was constantly running 25-3,000 Rpm to stay between 65-70mph. I don't know if I was well-wishing thinking I could drive that fast pulling the camp trailer, but it seemed like 3,000 lbs for those speeds and distances was too much. That last time we did a trip, I rented a pop-up that was 1800 lbs, and I thought it did a lot better job of handling that weight. Also, going up and down small hills in Northern Michigan seemed a struggle too. I am sure other posters will have a lot better info to provide, but that was just my experience. Mostly you will probably end up having to tow a few options to see what works best for your setup. Let me know what you come up with!

 

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/the-tacoma-towing-bible.4031/
Please read this there is loads of information about towing every kind of thing.

 

Its amazing what I find after posting a reply.... I should think before I speak...!

 

I've read that thread several times through over the years, awesome information for facts about towing and weights etc. I'm more specifically looking for input from people who tow boats or trailers in the weight ranges I listed. As I have camped over the last 4-5 years I see Tacoma's all over pulling R-Pods and small travel trailers, some even larger. Looking for real world feedback.

Thank you for the feedback. Did the trailer have batteries, propane etc on the tongue? Was it empty or full of water when you pulled it? Also, I don't think pulling a trailer I would want to go over 60 especially with hills. Keep it in 4th and stick to 55-60. I appreciate the response!

 

The trailer had one full propane bottle and one RV battery on the tongue. No water. Just my camping gear in the back of the trailer.

 

Thank you, do you remember the specific T@B model? We haven't looked at those much yet.

 

I can't remember the model number (I will find out though), but it had an AC unit, fridge, stove, and TV with dvd player, and then the middle table was removable to create a much larger sleeping area. Overall, I think it was a nice unit, but maybe not worth the prices they are going for. I rented it from the outdoor recreation shop at my base (Im military), but I think they are trendy right now and so the prices are a little steep.

 

That's what we've been seeing, some of the more popular names are way more than a similarly equipped unit form another manufacturer. IE: R-pod, Minnie (Tear and Micro.)

We walked through this one and really like it but we really want the full size fridge, freezer and oven. You can get those in the same size trailer for a little more. The Viking goes for $15,900, the same design no slide is $13,900. The R-pods and Minnies are closer to $20k or more.

 

Well just got back from a long trip towing. Running at 200 pounds over the rated 1190 pound weight - shell, camping gear, tongue weight, us, dog, wine... but well under the gross weight as the trailer is about 1200 pounds loaded. The T@G (smaller version of the T@B) is only 870 pounds dry - with no water, battery or propane - but mine is a bit more modified. Bigger tool box, spare tire, dual battery, generator, behind the axle larger water tank, add in food in the frig and cooking gear - tongue weight is 225 pounds. The frame supports it, all that heavy tongue weight does is subtract from your cargo load, better than too little IMHO. We don't load the inside with much so we can pull over and rest without having to spend hours unloading and loading again. Just bought a Scan Gauge before this trip and programmed the transmission codes into it. For reference:

2015 DCSB Sport 4.0l with Tow package - stay at 55 to 65 MPH

San Diego to Bishop via 15 - 215 - 395
One short steep hill - 221 degrees out of TC, pan at 204 degrees for maybe 2 to 3 minutes
I don't know if at that temp, if I should have slow down and drop to a lower gear to help lower the temp? Was doing 45 mph and the truckers were doing 25mph. It did drop down a gear on it's own, higher rpm and temp rose after that but then we got to the peak. Cooled off on the down hill side.
After that the long drive from 1000ft to 4200ft, never went above 190 tc and pan at 187

The drive from Bishop to Ebbits Pass - 395 to hwy 89 to hwy 4
A really long slow rise, hit 198 once and pan stayed at 190 until the hwy 89 hill climb
70 miles of twisting, up and down road from 4000 to 7900 feet, since we were only going 25 to 35 mph it wasn't too bad but we hit 204 on the TC and 190 in the pan several times.

Down hill to San Diego in the heat, never got over 180/170 - with better gas mileage of course.


Joe's T@G tows with a jeep - Jerry's home built tows with a wagon - Cuff's Rough Rider and Tacoma - ours

 

2008 V6 SR5 auto ,no tow package. Added trans cooler and obviously the WD hitch . Just under 3000 with propane and battery.Probably load up about another 400 lbs of gear and firewood . I have no problem up steep grades 60-70 mph . Usually go around 100-160 miles to get where we are going .

 

I tow a Jayco X213 with a dry weight of 4,500 lbs in the Sierra Nevada mountains. It's right around 5,000 lbs loaded and we tow with a WD hitch. I have upgraded suspension and the tow package (but I did take several trips on the stock TRD Offroad suspension and it did okay...just a bit more bounce and would bottom out the rear on occasion).

We pack most of our gear in the trailer to keep the truck weight down.

I just installed an aftermarket B&M 70268 plate cooler for the transmission in-line with the small factory aux cooler but haven't towed yet to confirm temp drops (from what I've read from others here we should expect +20f cooler temps now).

I can keep it above 55mph on any of the highway passes around here and cruise at 60-70mph no problem. Keep it in 4th to keep transmission temps down and don't be afraid to make it work in the mountains (I'll downshift to 2nd on the steep grades). Also, a double axle will tow better.

 

Hey that's my truck! Awesome setup and exactly what we're looking for, thank you for posting.

 

What do you estimate the tongue weight with that is? Thank you, your trailer is about is about 500lbs more dry than the double axle Bullet we're looking at. I really appreciate the feedback.

 

Tongue weight dry (with full propane and 2 batteries) is 460lbs per the manufacturer specs.

 

When you see tongue weight on a manufacturer brochure does that normally include the propane and batteries? Or do you have to add that to the listed tongue weight?

Thanks!

 

Just a quick thought, have you scoped out Craigslist? It's the time of year when ppl are looking to get rid of they're trailers. I bought my 01 jayco eagle pop up last year for $500.00. Cash. Didn't need a thing but a cleaning.even came with xtra gear and every piece of paperwork.

 

We have been scoping it out a bit, thanks for the reminder!