Towing question

Just bought a travel trailer yesterday and get to bring it home this Wednesday.

My question is...Do you think I'll need any weight distribution bars? I have a 2016 Taco, V6, Tow package, Double cab, 6' bed, and a 200ish lb Snugtop canopy. The GVWR of the trailer is 3725 lbs with a tongue weight of 410 lbs.

Trailer specs:
https://www.rvusa.com/rv-guide/2018-coachmen-viking-travel-trailer-floorplan-17bhs-tr35970


Thanks!
Brian

 

Short answer: Probably not. But you won't know for sure until you hook it up.

 

It would be a good idea to have it. You'll appreciate the sway control also when a semi flies past you.

Also add another 20 lbs on there for the propane tank filled to the tongue weight. Then whatever you have in the front storage compartment and in the bed.

 

Get the wdh.

 

Not required, but it may pull better with one. I'd try it without one and see how it handles the weight. I wouldn't buy one unless it caused issues. They normally aren't needed unless you have over 500 lbs on the tongue.

With the cap and 400 lbs of tongue weight you've used up 600 lbs of your available payload, this is the thing you need to watch. Every truck is somewhat different, check the sticker on the door jamb. My truck has 1200 lbs of payload, and with a cap that only leaves me with 600 lbs for myself, my wife and other cargo in the truck. That should be plenty with a 3700 lb trailer, just be careful not to put too much gear in the truck. If you've already done any modifications to the truck, winches, brush guards, etc., this eats into payload and has to be considered too. It is more accurate to actually weigh your truck and subtract it's weight from the GVWR to determine your true payload. And pack carefully, every 100 lbs of gear you can get out of the truck and into the trailer only adds 13 lbs to tongue weight.

 

Dont cheap out, buy the WDH with sway control. You don't want to fine out the hard way you needed sway control. The ride will be much better with WDH. Take the advice from someone that is towing around the same weight (4000lbs). I couldn't imagine not having my Equalizer WDH. My tongue weight causes my Tacoma to drop two inches in the rear suspension and the front to come up. Truck and trailer should be traveling down the road in a level manner.

 

Here's mine. Just get the wdh. It makes everything better.

 

You might find useful towing info here if you feel like reading:

The Tacoma Towing Bible

 

That trailer has the aerodynamics of a brick the truck will have no trouble pulling it but with all that surface area a 10 knot crosswind is gonna push you around for sure.

 

20ft and 7ft wide. When I was picking it up at dealer the service guy suggested I try towing without the WDH. My tongue is now around 450-500 and the trailer is 3700 loaded. I took it on a 6600 mile trip and then another 3000 mile trip through all types of weather and it tows great. Two things about the WDH , it does transfer more weight to your front axle and the trailer axle. My trailer axle is pretty maxed out as it is so I didn't want any more weight there and a WDH adds about 90lbs to your tongue. Also if you get a scale and weigh your tongue you will probably find that it is heavier then what the dealer tells you as a previous poster stated. If your tacoma is stock it is probably already squatting with the Cap. I have some Sumo springs. They 20 minutes to install and help it squat less.

 

Thanks for all the input, I think I'm going to go ahead and go with the WDH.

Brian

 

Thats the right choice. Don't cheap out on safety.

 

Using a weight distribution hitch will also load the trailer tires, make sure they are up to the task.

find the tire capacity and then figure out how much weight you actually have on them. don’t just go by frame stickers, they are very misleading and manufactures don’t warranty tires so they’ll cheap put there.

actually load your trailer for a trip and scale it axle weight, total actual weight (disconnected from tow vehicle) and total combination. knowing actual tongue weight is a plus as well. don’t guess.

 

right at 3500lb actual loaded scaled weight and 420lb (with out LP tank but dual 6vbatteries) tongue weight (middle pic is a weight safe hitch)

the tires the camper delivered with new were barely adequate for it unloaded weight, i’ve upsized the wheels and tires as a result.

you’ll see the spec sheet from manufacturer is not real accurate......

 

There should be laws on proper trailer set up, equipment that must be used with certain types of trailer and a inspection should be mandatory before it's tried out on the highway. I've traveled throughout the US and Canada and me and the wife play the game of spotting poorly set up vehicles and trailers. My personal guess would be that 50% of setups are done incorrectly. Everything from over weight, no WDH and sway, short wheel base vehicles pulling long TT's, safety chains dragging on the pavement, vehicle and trailer not riding level. It's pretty scary out there.

 

watched a guy pulling a tandem axle mower trailer last week, one safety chain and the other dragging, and it wasn’t on the ball, it was an interesting left turn he made and i was glad he went that way.

 

Here's a WDH and sway control I'm looking at:

• 600 pound tongue weight and 6000 pound gross trailer weight capacity
• Dual sway control platform
• 1-1/4" shank on trailer ball for 1-1/4" hole on head assembly
• Ready for immediate safe towing because chains are attached
• Limited lifetime warranty or limited 90 day warranty for commercial usage

Husky Towing part number 31986 is a weight distribution hitch. Husky Weight Distribution Hitch features a 600 pound tongue weight and 6000 pound trailer weight capacity. Husky Towing trailer hitch also features dual sway control platform for advanced control. 31986 Husky Towing is protected by a limited lifetime warranty or limited 90 day warranty for commercial usage.

 

My trailer was 3600 dry and no weight distribution hitch. It was OK but if you are going to tow it regularly I would go for it to smooth things out and keep your speed more constant over uneven portions of road. It was not unmanageable without one.

 

That would work and it comes with the sway control. The sway control has to be disconnected and reconnected so it can become time consuming. The price is definitely right. I'm using the Equalizer that has built in sway control so disconnecting is easier but you pay more.

P.S. Forgot to add that you mentioned that the hitch comes with safety chains. The chains you see are not safety chain but that chain is used to set the amount of weight distribution. The safety chains are attached to the trailer and hook to the truck.

 

YES!! I’m towing a KZ 180RBT with mine and using an E2 Trunion setup.

When you load it up you will probably be pushing 4200 lbs in the trailer. Add a family of 4 to the truck and you’ll be approaching gross on the truck. That WD hitch and sway will help keep things under control and let’s be honest .... you just bought a trailer - $350 for the hitch setup is pretty cheap. It protects you, your trailer, your truck, and most importantly your family!

Enjoy the new trailer!