towing question about WDH with light trailer - dealer says not needed

We have a 2009 v6 SR5 sport with double cab and towing package. We bought a KZ 16RBT, 2383# dry and about 2700# loaded, with tongue weight of 350# to 400# (loaded). In negotiating the deal, the dealer (the owner of Campers Inn in Merrimack, NH) jumped up and down on my hitch receiver and said that we won't need a WDH, but recommended a sway bar.

I have read many, many posts about this here and elsewhere - most are in favor of a WDH if for no reason other than "better safe than sorry", though it is not clear whether I need to buy one still. I have purchased the sway bar, and planned to make our first camping trip on mem. day without the WDH. If it is unpleasant, I can add one later, but will it be unsafe? Trailer is less than 50% of the trucks rated payload.

My 5 mile drive home from the dealer will be the first test run next Monday the 11th....small hills and no highway though.

Thanks.

 

My 2 cents is you are doing the right thing, try it out first. I have a hunch you are probably fine for that trailer without WDH. Unless you are going to have a heavy load in the bed, plus the trailer tongue wt. and the truck squats too much in the rear.

A lot of folks on here will recommend rear air bags if the rear is squatting down too much. Fine as long as they are aware the bags do not take any of the actual weight off of the rear axle, so you still have to make sure you aren't way over the load rating for the axle, in particular the tires which are the weakest link.

The WDH actually shifts some of the added weight off of the rear axle and onto the front axle and also onto the trailer axles.

 

OK - thanks, I feel better now. Fortunately, we are not going very far for this first camping trip - only about 90 miles each way.

I also found out that there is a pending recall on my truck's rear leaf springs. Toyota will take them out and install a four leaf set in their place...so that will be good when that happens, provided mine don't crack first! I have not received the recall letter yet, but the dealer said to look for it to come in the mail soon. Seems like they're dragging their feet a bit on doing the replacements, unless you have an actual cracked spring.

UPDATE: I just joined the owner site at Toyota.com. I looked at my truck's service history, and it had new leaf springs installed in February! Previous Owner had it done by the dealership since one had cracked. Neat!

 

A few thoughts...

Is the 2383# figure from a brochure (I'm assuming it is)? Throw that number out the window as it won't include any options, including propane or batteries. Also, I can almost guarentee you'll put more than 300# in your TT unless you're running without water and only a couple camping chairs.

You said the trailer is less than 50% of the truck's payload. I'm sure that's just a typo and you meant GVWR. In either case, your GVWR is ~5,350 (http://www.nadaguides.com/cars/2009/toyota/tacoma-double-cab-v6/prerunner-2wd/specs). So even at your estimate of 2700# (which I think you'll easily be at 3k), you'd be more than 50% of the GVWR. For a much more enjoyable tow experience, I'd get a WD setup.

 

I tow my 17ft Casita and i use a Curt sway bar, it tows & handles nice.

 

Picked up the trailer today. When I came outside to the lot to have them show me the ropes on the hitch installation, they had gone ahead and installed a WDH after all. I thought the owner had negotiated that out of the deal, but hey, good deal for me. Also has an anti-sway bar (separate). I did not ask too many questions, and drove off happy. Towed great. Backing it up my rather steep driveway was another matter - but I did it. I need to find a flat place nearby to park this!

 

I would double-check the sway bar. Most that are separate units are supposed to be disconnected prior to backing it up.

 

yes, it's a separate unit, and I did disonnect it before backing up.

 

Great, sounds like you are all set for any conditions then. Enjoy your camper. About to take our TrailManor out for the first trip this spring tomorrow a.m. (Spring being about over down here, might have waited too late for the heat.)

 

Back from the first excursion - trailer towed well and nothing eventful happened, which is great. Boring is good when towing. Kept it at about 60mph in "4" the whole way up and down on the highway. Mileage was better on the way down the mountain than on the way up! This trailer is no where near the Taco's towing limit, though, and you certainly can feel it back there. I am not sure I'd want to tow anything much heavier than this - and certianly nothing almost 2X as heavy, approaching the 6500 lb limit.

Seems like the only real adjustment on the WDH (Husky) is the no. of links you pick up - I am counting four from the end where the dealer told me to put it, but don't actually know if the set up could be better. I'll have to go back to the towing forum and read all about how to properly set up a WDH, but it seems to work well as-is.

I am considering the axle flip mod to raise the trailer height as I have already scraped the road and driveway (our driveway is a bit steep), but that seems like a lot of effort for little result.

 

I agree with you Jim. Our TrailManor RV probably weighs more (3500+) but not as tall as the Casita when folded down for travel. I can feel that weight and I am absolutely not wanting to subject a truck like the Taco to any more stress than that. I don't care what the book says or someone else claiming they towed 6500 cross country 8 times a year, etc. It is the transmission I am mainly worried about, next to safety concerns.

 

I figured out how to get the Ultra Gauge to show transmission temp. Mine was about 171*F today after running errands, I think...not paying much attention as I was not in truck mode. Not sure what it should be - going off to look that up now.

***what I found was 200 - 200*F is normal with 260*F being the upper limit for normal operation. Does that sound right to everyone?

I have a trans temp cooler, and it was 90*F here today - so I guess 170* is pretty good.

 

I had my temp monitor (Torque/Android) on a couple weeks ago pulling the above 3500+ Trail Manor. Highs were low 90s and pretty humid. I was getting 175 to 189 down the road as the afternoon slowly heated up. But there were peaks up to a little over 200 when going stop and go through towns. I was concerned that might be a little high, but it came right back down as soon as I got back up to 55+. No hills to speak of on that trip.