Confused to Tow

[fotozeman]

I have a Nissan Quest MiniVan, rated 3500#. I went to a dealer today, and they basically told me that I would not be able to tow a Trail Manor, not even the 2619, that basically all I would be able to tow would be a pop up. I am new to trailering, so I am a bit confused what I can really tow.

In simple terms, does anyone have any suggestions for what to look for in a trailer weight that I can tow with my Quest?

Also, does anybody have any experiences of towing Trail Manor trailers, possibly the 2619, or 2720, with vehicles rated at 3500# such as mini vans?

We really like the design of the Trail Manor Trailers better than the Pop Up Trailers, but if we really shouldn't tow them with our Quest, then we will have to begin searching other options.

Thanks for any ideas or help.

[PopBeavers]

Whatever the base weight of the trailer is.figure about 10,000 pounds for "stuff"

My 2720, only a foot longer than the 2619, weighs about 4,100 when I tow it wet and loaded.

I can't comment about the Quest.

[wbmiller3]

1000 pounds for stuff?

[seandunn1020]

I tow a 2619 with toyota sienna that has the 3500lb towing rating. I do have a weight distribution hitch and tow bars and brake control. I pull the camper fully loaded with 2 kids and 2dogs and a lot of stuff. When pulling the trailmanor, the minivan rides very low in the back, it would be nice to have an suv so it would be higher up in the rear. It does tow nicely at speeds of 65, and we get about 16 mpg. I have had to replace the front and rear brakes and the rear shocks on the minivan after i have started towing it, but the minivan had 70,000 miles on it. I have traveled about 10,000 miles cross country with the trailmanor over mountains and have not had any problems with the performance of the minivan itself. That is the reason we bought the trailmanor so we would not have to change vehicles.

[Bill]

I do have a weight distribution hitch and tow bars and brake control. Serious question. I know what a weight distribution hitch is, and I know what a brake control is. I hear a lot of people refer to "tow bars", but I don't know what they are referring to. I always think of a tow bar as being the thing you bolt to the front of a small car (a "toad") so you can tow it behind a motor home, but clearly that's not what's going on here. Can you straighten me out? Thanks.

Bill

[Wavery]

Be sure to read the towing section of your Owners Manual very carefully. It may contain language like, "Any weight added for passengers and cargo must be subtracted from the tow rating".

Remember, ratings are "maximums". That means when you see a "Tow Rating" that rating is typically the maximum amount of trailer that the vehicle can tow with a 150# driver only. Some people actually tow that way for various reasons and therefore, the number is relevant. However, most people that pull a camper, also carry passengers and a substantial amount of cargo. Therefore, that circumstance is different and must be taken into account on most vehicles.

[jerry kovacs]

I just purchased a 2010 TM 2720SL and tow with a Toyota Venza with max weight of 3500lbs. With weight distribution hitch, it does just fine. I tow with my fresh water tank empty.

[PopBeavers]

1000 pounds for stuff?

2005 TM 2720.

Measured weight on the axle, 3,380 pounds.

Estimated total weight, wet and loaded, 4,100 pounds.

Factory base weight 2,742 pounds.

4,100 - 2,742 = 1,358

1,380 pounds of stuff. But that includes the awning, air conditioner, two full propane tanks. two group 24 batteries, over sink cabinet, 40 gallons of fresh water, charged toilet.

Anyone that has a 2720 that weighs less than that either has fewer options or doesn't take much for personal stuff. Just the food for five adults is a bit of weight. Not to mention the cold beverages of my choice.

I do have more stuff, but that is in the truck.

My 2002 Chevy 1500HD was so low to the ground that I was unable to remove the front wheel on the tongue. But instead of adding a weight distributing hitch, I just bought a 2008 GMC 2500HD and that solved the problem. This problem was caused by two motorcycles, gas for them, tools, etc.

I stand by my estimate of 1,000 pounds of stuff, but that includes optional equipment, food, water, dishes, and clothes.

If you always have hookups and very frequently eat out, then you can probably save almost 500 pounds.

[PopBeavers]

When pulling the trailmanor, the minivan rides very low in the back,

Does that include the front running high, meaning your headlights no longer meet specifications for aiming?

Perhaps you have air bags to compensate for the vehicle no longer being level, Or your WD hitch can get your minivan back to level.

You didn't say how you overcame the sagging rear problem.

[PopBeavers]

I just purchased a 2010 TM 2720SL and tow with a Toyota Venza with max weight of 3500lbs. With weight distribution hitch, it does just fine. I tow with my fresh water tank empty.

40 gallon fresh tank, 6 gallon water heater, plus perhaps 1 gallon for the toilet is 47 gallons. That just shaved off 390 pounds from what I travel with.

I have gone to county parks and found out that they did not have potable water. When traveling dry, call ahead to be sure that they have potable water available when you arrive.

[Wavery]

I just purchased a 2010 TM 2720SL and tow with a Toyota Venza with max weight of 3500lbs. With weight distribution hitch, it does just fine. I tow with my fresh water tank empty.
The Venza has a 2200# tow rating unless it has the factory tow package.

Also, see this note in your "Owner's Manual"........"The maximum weight of a loaded trailer that the vehicle, as equipped, is rated to tow. This assumes that only the driver (68 kg / 150 lbs) and no extra cargo is in the tow vehicle."

If you have a 150# passenger and 350# of cargo (including fuel) in your TV, your tow rating is reduced to 3,000#.

Most of us have found that the actual scale weight on a 2720 (loaded for camping) is ~4,000+#.

[Redhawk]

Besides the tow rating, I'd be just as concerned with the tongue weight.

[Bill]

Tongue weight limits are at least partially derived from rear axle load limits. That's why you will commonly see two numerical limts, a lower one for weight-carrying, and a higher one for weight-distribution. If you decide it is OK to use the weight-distribution limit, but without a weight distributing hitch (WDH), you may be asking for trouble.

Bill

[[email protected]]

They are kind of small, but it seems pretty much anything short of a motorcycle could pull a Trailmini. The mini is much nicer than any pop-up I've seen.

[mkayers]

We pulled an Elkmont from Michigan to Martinsville, VA with a Chevy Equinox w/ 3500# rating. Didn't have any problem. Of course had the WDH & brake controller. Also added a external tranny cooler to be safe.

[wbmiller3]

Wayne,
I thought you meant 1000, but you typed 10,000 in post #2 of this thread. That is what I was pointing out. 1000 or 2000 sounded more reasonable to me.

[PopBeavers]

Wayne,
I thought you meant 1000, but you typed 10,000 in post #2 of this thread. That is what I was pointing out. 1000 or 2000 sounded more reasonable to me.

Be sure brain is engaged before putting a forum post into gear.

[ED-n-KEL]

We pulled an Elkmont from Michigan to Martinsville, VA with a Chevy Equinox w/ 3500# rating. Didn't have any problem. Of course had the WDH & brake controller. Also added a external tranny cooler to be safe.

Just curious.... question to any of you that are posting that you are currently "successfully" towing with a 3500# TC TV.... Have any of you actually weighed your loaded trailer, cargo, etc??
Without knowing the true facts, condoning a potentially illegal and dangerous action of towing beyond the legal capacity of your TV without actually knowing what your trailer weight is, is a bit irresponsible, don't you think?

It's like saying I shoot my gun out my back door and haven't killed anyone yet, so it's "no problem".

If you all feel that you're doing this "without a problem", I invite you to call your auto/Rv insurance company and tell them, and then call the local chapter of the State Police and explain it to them as well. See if they tell you "it's not a problem".

I personally would not put my family or the families around me on the road in that much danger.

I don't mean to be rude, but what I'm reading scares the hell out of me.
It's NOT ok to tow over the capacity of your TV.

PS: WDH, brake controllers, tranny coolers, etc, do NOT increase your tow capacity. Please understand this.

[Scott O]

PS: WDH, brake controllers, tranny coolers, etc, do NOT increase your tow capacity. Please understand this.

Well put. These do not increase your stopping power either...

[rumbleweed]

In addition to the safety items listed in the two previous posts, Even with an aux transmission cooler you are really stressing the transmission and setting yourself up for early trans failure. I certainly would not tow a TM with a 3500 lb rated vehicle, but if I did , I would want a transmission temp gauge to confirm that. I tow a 2720SLwith a Silverado 2500 HD ( with trans temp gauge & 12000 lb tow rating) and there is a noticeable temp difference in trans temp when towing in hills and mountains.

[cochise]

I have a Nissan Quest MiniVan, rated 3500#. I went to a dealer today, and they basically told me that I would not be able to tow a Trail Manor, not even the 2619, that basically all I would be able to tow would be a pop up. I am new to trailering, so I am a bit confused what I can really tow.

In simple terms, does anyone have any suggestions for what to look for in a trailer weight that I can tow with my Quest?

Also, does anybody have any experiences of towing Trail Manor trailers, possibly the 2619, or 2720, with vehicles rated at 3500# such as mini vans?

We really like the design of the Trail Manor Trailers better than the Pop Up Trailers, but if we really shouldn't tow them with our Quest, then we will have to begin searching other options.

Thanks for any ideas or help.

Based on weight information from both TM and Texas RV Center in Cleburne, we drove from Tucson to Texas to purchase our Elkmont 24. It was listed in their brochure as weighing 2498#, with a tongue weight of 320#. We had a one year old Santa Fe with the factory installed tow package and tow limits of 3500# with a tongue load of 350# MAX. Texas Rv installed both a brake control and WDH, and we believed we were safe. During our trip back we were often told that it appeared that we were towing in excess of our capability. After arriving home we decided that that was probably true. We had the rig on a scale and found that it weighed 3600# empty with 600# on the tongue. We also found out that we had probably used 12 – 15000 miles worth of rubber on the front tires towing the trailer back to AZ. AND… the Hyundai dealer here pointed out that there was a warning label on the tow bar not really visible unless you got on your back under the car, which a couple of guys from Texas Rv did. The label stated: Max 3500#, Max Tongue load 350#, AND “do not use with WDH. So much for trusting the Texas RV Center Dealer.

We got the funds freed up and bought used Chevy Silverado with a 5000# tow capacity and the factory installed tow package. It has the fancy tow transmission deal where you can press a button and the gears will changes differently.

We have now owned the Elkmont 24 for a year, and we are now finishing up with all the problems that we had with the trailer, and believe me the list is long. A person i9nterested in a travel trailer asked me about my opinion, and I told him that after a year of bickering with TM about warranty repairs etc., we have concluded that we were promised a quality trailer, but ended up with “a One star rolling mini hotel at a Five star price”. That said it all to that person. He thanked me for being honest.

Would we do it again? NO WAY! TrailManor had a really good concept, but decided to butcher it as best they could, including peeing on their customers. They never answer mail. They only accepted responsibility for their poor quality and dangerous flaws after we contacted RVIA and the furnace manufacturer.

[BamaFlum]

I have a similar question. We are contemplating a TT or a pup and came across the TM. It is an intriguing concept, albeit a bit on the expensive side. However, getting a more pleasant daily driver that can tow is much better than a tank for a TV.

Here is what we are considering for the TM. We love our Hondas and saw that the 4wd Pilot is rated at 4500lbs. With my family of 5 (three adults, tweenager, and two elementary school sons), we can safely tow around 4000lbs according to the manual. Would a 4wd Pilot handle the 2720? We are teachers and travel extensively in the summers. The TM would probably be going as far the Yellowstone and eventually we want to take the kids to Washington state. Anybody here tow a TM with a midsize SUV for great distances care to elaborate their experiences?

BTW, all cars, TT, pups, etc. (including TM) will have people that have had problems, so I understand there will be people who have problems. I know that Honda had problems with Odysseys in the early 2000's, but that didn't stop us from buying a 2003 one which has been a good "swagger wagon" for us.

Thanks!

[M&M Hokie]

My 2720 weighed in at 4160 pounds recently when fully loaded with freshwater and a charged toilet and all of the other accessories, supplies, etc. Add a full toilet and a gray water tank and it could get heavier still.

That is right at your max but you should also be looking at tongue weight and GCWR for your Pilot. I have scale-based calculations showing 560-720 lbs tongue weight depending upon how much tension I put on the WDH. What is your Pilot capable of after you have all of your family and any other gear in it? You might find that you cannot fill the Pilot with your family and meet the GVWR and GCWR when you add 500+ pounds of tongue weight and 4000+ pounds of trailer behind it.

[brulaz]

Ditto what Mark says above. Toyotas can have all sorts of Tow Capacity, but the Tow Vehicle itself can have very little payload capacity, especially when you consider that Trailmanor's usually have high tongue weights. My guess is that your Pilot will severely exceed it's rated GVWR when fully loaded with all those people, gear and a trailer.

[BamaFlum]

It looks like a Pilot may be pushing it. I figured out a few measurements. The Pilot weighs roughly 4600lbs. Add the hitch weght @500lbs and passages at @500lbs, plus the trailer at @4000lbs, that puts the GCWR at 9600lbs and the limit for the Pilot is 9579lbs. Of course, that doesn't include any cargo in the Pilot itself. Crude. How do people tow the TM in minivans without going over is beyond me.

[Redhawk]

. How do people tow the TM in minivans without going over is beyond me.

It would tow fine. The problems would start when trying to stop, climb a steep hill or handle a panic stop or quick manuever. Let alone any inclimate weather.

There's a lot of guys here that preach safety and tell it like it is. Not always what we want to hear, but it has saved my butt at least 2 times.

[Mr. Adventure]

I have a Nissan Quest MiniVan, rated 3500#. I went to a dealer today, and they basically told me that I would not be able to tow a Trail Manor, not even the 2619, that basically all I would be able to tow would be a pop up. I am new to trailering, so I am a bit confused what I can really tow.

In simple terms, does anyone have any suggestions for what to look for in a trailer weight that I can tow with my Quest?

Also, does anybody have any experiences of towing Trail Manor trailers, possibly the 2619, or 2720, with vehicles rated at 3500# such as mini vans?

We really like the design of the Trail Manor Trailers better than the Pop Up Trailers, but if we really shouldn't tow them with our Quest, then we will have to begin searching other options.

Thanks for any ideas or help.

In this thread, I provide the exact weights for towing my 3023 with a Toyota Highlander: http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10652
Separately in this forum, we have discussed lots of things about towing. It turns out that tow ratings are guidelines, not laws, and that there is a lot of variation in owner experience and expectation. There are also major variations in how people use these trailers. Major parts of a manufacturer's tow rating include not only engineering analysis, but also durability (will the transmission hold up?) and legal issues (are people really going to drive the speed limit when towing, or are they going to drive like they do otherwise and then blame us for their problems?). In other words, opinions are many and facts are few. For these reasons I highly value real world actual owner experience. Search Nissan Quest on this forum to look for people who have actually done this, and maybe message them separately to find out more about what they've learned.

I almost never tell someone else what to do, but I do speculate about what I might do under a specific circumstance. Here is how I would approach your situation:
- If under warranty, I would be cautious about violating the specs or discussing that very much with the people responsible for warranty repairs. Instead, I'd be talking to RV dealers who are more likely to know about this stuff. In my experience, car dealers don't know much about towing because people there haven't done much of it except for lightweight trailers.

- I would find out exactly what the owner's manual and driver's side door post sticker say about that 3500# rating. Many manufacturers give you a tow rating, and then take a big chunk of it away by telling you to subtract tow vehicle loads from the trailer tow rating. My Toyota axle and tow ratings are actually on the generous side , where the sum of the axle weights is substantially greater than the gross vehicle weight rating (meaning that you don't have to balance the tow vehicle to the last pound in order to be able to use the whole vehicle rated capacity), and where the difference between the tow vehicle loaded on the scale and the Gross Combined Weight Rating is still more than 4000#.

- I think it is very important to know what you tow. My 3023 is 2915# in the brochure and 3950# on the road lightly loaded. But a 2619 should be able to be pretty darned close to 3500#, if not under.

- For all these reasons, I'd expect a Dodge Caravan to have issues with a TrailManor, yet we have owners reporting good experiences. I ascribe this to people being cautious about their towing speeds (65mph on a flat road on a hot day is harder on the transmission than you might think) and not living or vacationing in extreme places (altitudes above 6000 feet, unpaved trails, and 50 miles off into the boondocks).

- I would ALWAYS use a properly adjusted weight distributing hitch and brake controller, even from home to the storage yard.

- Depending a bit on the actual tow vehicle axle and payload ratings, I'm thinking I'd like to try towing with a Nissan Quest before deciding it wasn't going to work (unless I lived out West, of course, where the consensus of user experience seems to suggest that more tow vehicle is always better). A Nissan Quest has enough horsepower to do this, but I think I'd probably want the factory tow package. You WILL need a 500# rated hitch receiver (not 350#) because you will have nearly that in tongue weight under the best of circumstances.

[PopBeavers]

fwiw...

This past Labor day weekend it was interesting watching the temperature gauge on my GMC 2500HD gasser while towing the 2005 TM 2720 wet and loaded for bear, with two motorcycles, 20 gallons of gas, generator, and a bunch more heavy stuff in the 8 foot bed up to Bass Lake, Ca (elevation 3380 feet) with an outdoor temperature temperature of 104F.

Good thing it was 5PM, otherwise the outdoor temperature would have been a little hotter. :)

On any uphill section that I was on, I was able to accelerate any time that I wanted to. Under no circumstance was there a reason to pull over to allow others to pass, as I was towing at the speed limit of 55 (I'll never admit to driving at 60 in California). At times I passed minivans that were not towing. Perhaps they just liked to drive slow.

Nominal transmission temperature is usually 175-180. This time I saw it hit 210 at times. It might have hit a bit more when I wasn't looking.

I was going to weigh it on the way home but ran out of time.

I am happy with my configuration. It does all that I expect it to do.

I would not recommend a small tow vehicle to go where I go. California has some serious foothills.

[Mr. Adventure]

The label stated: Max 3500#, Max Tongue load 350#, AND “do not use with WDH. So much for trusting the Texas RV Center Dealer.


Golly, that's pretty disappointing. There is a little engineering in all towing, I suppose, but a hitch receiver labeled "max. 350# tongue wt" and "not for use with a WDH" is a hitch receiver not for use with a TrailManor, and anyone who's ever towed a TrailManor and anyone in the industry should have been able to point that out to you.

I learned several RV's ago that they are a collection of independent parts from different manufacturers. Winnebago taught me that you need to allow enough time at the time of purchase (months, if necessary) that you don't take it off the dealer's lot until everything is working (it took about a year with a good dealer to get through all the delivery issues on that one). Thankfully, most of us have had better experience than yours with our TrailManors and the dealers, and hopefully you'll have a better experience going forward.

[pwhite]

This is well over a month after the last message on this thread, but I tow with a 2004 Nissan Quest. Now I'm a guest on this site--not a TM owner--so my experience is not with a TM but with a KZ Coyote 18 ft. trailor with dry weight of 2500 lbs. The hitch has weight distribution bars, etc. And I added a transmission cooler. I've driven the Quest (2 adults, 3 kids under 8) with trailer in tow all over Northern Ontario 2 summers ago, plus I've taken it from W. Lafayette, IN to the Florida panhandle and back over spring break 2 years ago (past couple of summers we've just camped in Indiana State Parks). The transmission cooler was improperly installed initially (not much space in engine compartment) by Aamco (local Nissan dealer refused to do it), and on returning from Florida my transmission acted strangely. Aamco fixed it free of charge and the problems have not returned since. We're planning a trip next summer, when I hoped to get a trade-in for a fuel efficient SUV. I'm envious of TM owners; I'm looking at getting one down the road.

[moaboy]

I tow my 2009.5 2720 with a 2000 Honda minivan and it does just fine. I have a weight distribution hitch and added a transmission cooler. I've towed it full of water (46 gallons- 40 +6 ), 3 adults and a dog. What year Quest do you have? I had one several years ago and liked it, but as it was one of the earlier ones; it had one of the smaller 6 cylinder engines-151 hp and if it that siaze, I'd think would be underpowered.

PS Jerry how do you like your Venza? Am considering one for my next TV.

[moaboy]

After reading a few other comments I'd add two additional points:
1. According to my Honda Odyssey Owner's Manual and I quote "As shown in the load limits table, how much weight you can tow is limited by the number of occupants in your vehicle and whether or not you have installed a transmission cooler." For ex from the table 2 occupants wtc 3500#, wotc only 2000# . they calulate and deduct 150# for each occupant so 4 occupants lowers the towing to 3200# with tc and 1700# wotc. So having a transmission cooler significantly increases your towing capacity, at least according to Honda.
2. I understand that advertising is just that, but TM entire concept is based on using a common (and appropirate) vehicle one may find in garages across the country. TM did their "gas test" using a Honda Odyssey. I understand their point was to demonstrate utility and efficiency of a TM, not how fast it could tow up a mountain, but I don't think they "threatened" anybody's safety. Lastly, some of you may have met Steve who was a TM rep who traveled around the country towing his 2720 with a Chrysler miniwan-I know as I saw it in Hershey Pa. Again, he was a traveling ad for TM, but his tv sure seemed to get the job done.

[msager]

I don't understand why they told you that. We have a Toyota Sienna, also rated at 3500# towing and we tow a 3023 (2900# empty). We have towed it all over the western US and it seems up to it. It has enough power and just enough brakes. We did purchase ours with the towing package (hitch, trans cooler, etc) but otherwise we have only added the electric brake control.
Have fun with your new (or used) TrailManor!

Art

[Patrick Crotty]

I have a 2003 Chev S10 extended cab 4.3l engine. It has a tow rating of 5600lbs. I'm looking at a 2009 2720sl. Has anyone pulled a similar TM with a S10.

[Wavery]

I have a 2003 Chev S10 extended cab 4.3l engine. It has a tow rating of 5600lbs. I'm looking at a 2009 2720sl. Has anyone pulled a similar TM with a S10.
We had a 2001 S10 when we 1st bought our 2720TM. It actually has as much (if not more) towing "Power" as our current Sierra 1500 V8. That 4.3L engine has a lot of low RPM torque and is great for towing.

We went to a full sized truck because the S10 MUST use a WDH to have safe braking. Without the WDH, the S10 is far too light on the front axle and really scary to tow a trailer with 500# tongue weight. With the WDH....braking is acceptable but I never towed on wet roads with it. I would still be a little leery.

The S10 is very light for such a heavy trailer. I have a bad back and have chosen not to use a WDH.....Our larger truck does fine without it (even on wet roads) but that was not an option IMO on the S10. The S10 with the WDH is moderately acceptable IMO.

[Virginia Deacon]

As menioned above, your Owners Manual should have all the information you need, to decide whether you can safely tow a TrailManor

I tow our 2720SL with a six-cylinder Ford Explorer XLT (four door). And, I insisted on a weight-distributing hitch, based on my previous experience towing Coleman popups. Because the fully-loaded TrailManor weighs about the same as the tow vehicle, I need to

- Be patient climbing steep hills in a lower gear,
- Allow extra stopping distance between myself and the vehicle in front of me, and
- Anticipate, anticipate, anticipate situations while traveling, to avoid getting trapped in a situation a more powerful SUV would be able to get around.

My experience is that dealers are in the business of selling cars (duh), and they will say anything to make you think you need to replace your present vehicle.

Happy Camping!

[scrubjaysnest]

I have a 2003 Chev S10 extended cab 4.3l engine. It has a tow rating of 5600lbs. I'm looking at a 2009 2720sl. Has anyone pulled a similar TM with a S10.
We had a 2001 S10 with the same motor. It was the crew cab version with 4 wheel drive. It could barely tow our pop-up in the Carolinas and West Virgina. We went to a 4.8L v8 and had no problems towing the pop-up. The pop-up loaded was about 700 lbs less then the 2720SL we now have dry. I wouldn't even trying pulling a TM with the S10.

[Patrick Crotty]

Thanks for the input. I do have a WDH. I'm going to tow one this weekend to see what it will do. I have a trailer that I load with a yard and half of dense soil (clay) and the S10 pulls well, but because it usually is not loaded the same each time, there are some tense moments. The trailer weight is 1200lb and a yard of the soil is about 3000lbs. So I'm pulling well over 4000lbs. Stopping is a problem, the trailer has no brakes. So since the TM has brakes that should be a good experence for me. Thanks again!

[Virginia Deacon]

Does the Honda Owners Manual still recommend using High Test, instead of Regular, gasoline when towing? A couple years ago, we were looking forward to buying a Honda Ridgeline to tow our TrailManor. That was one of the deal-breakers for us. I'm glad we kept our Ford Explorer; it has 96,000 miles and meets all our towing needs.

[PopBeavers]

Thanks for the input. I do have a WDH. I'm going to tow one this weekend to see what it will do. I have a trailer that I load with a yard and half of dense soil (clay) and the S10 pulls well, but because it usually is not loaded the same each time, there are some tense moments. The trailer weight is 1200lb and a yard of the soil is about 3000lbs. So I'm pulling well over 4000lbs. Stopping is a problem, the trailer has no brakes. So since the TM has brakes that should be a good experence for me. Thanks again!

You obviously are not in California. California requires trailer brakes on all non camper trailers with a capacity greater than2,400 pounds.

The weight limit is lower for camper trailers. I have no idea why.

I have accidentally tested what happens when I brake hard enough to engage the trucks ABS while executing a stop from 45 mph. I was impressed with the result.

[Patrick Crotty]

You are right PopBeavers. I live in Alabama; we can put anything on the road it seems.

[scrubjaysnest]

Found this, its dated 2008 so may be out of date:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/towing/vehicle-towing/trailer/trailer-towing-regulations1.htm

and this from camping life dated 2006:
http://www.campinglife.com/output.cfm?ID=1047259

and this from towing world, don't know the date:
http://www.towingworld.com/articles/TowingLaws.htm

so now we are really confused:confused:

[Bill]

The last one was originally on the Blue Ox web site, as shown in the footnotes. A few years ago it was moved to the current site. I've referred to it for many years, and I think they keep it up to date, so I would tend to trust it. The footnotes are very important - be sure to check them!

Bill

[Wavery]

When reading some of these laws, one must use a little common sense. Be aware that reckless driving laws trump all other laws. For instance, many states have a max speed limit towing of 75MPH...... You will be hard pressed to find trailer tires rated over 65MPH. I wouldn't be surprised if a Highway Patrol Officer wouldn't write up a driver for reckless driving for towing a trailer @ 75MPH under certain conditions.

Common sense should tell a driver that just because you "Can" doesn't mean you "Should" or that it is "Safe" in all conditions.

[moaboy]

Honda no longer requires the use of premium fuel when towing. When used it does provide a few extra horsepower -5 or so.
And my real liefe experience with my Odyssey is that it tows my 2720 just fine on regular. I tried using premium a couple of times to see if I could tell a difference or get better gas mileage and all I accomplished was spending more money on gas....

[scrubjaysnest]

I like these two about trailer brakes from the footnotes:

4. Required on trailers over 3000 lbs. Or if gross weight of trailer exceeds empty weight of tow vehicle.


6. Required if weight of trailer exceeds 40% of tow-vehicle weight.

[TheBeeger]

Howdy Everyone! I have a 2007 Sierra extended cab with a factory hitch and tow package. Towing rated @ 4800# with a GCVW of 10,000#, Will I need a WDH to tow a 2720SL? How about a 3124? Thanks for your help.

[scrubjaysnest]

Howdy Everyone! I have a 2007 Sierra extended cab with a factory hitch and tow package. Towing rated @ 4800# with a GCVW of 10,000#, Will I need a WDH to tow a 2720SL? How about a 3124? Thanks for your help.
We towed our 2720SL 1100 miles with out a WDH but my truck is a little heavier than yours. We had no problems, without the WDH my ratings are close to yours. I have since gotten my WDH issues worked out and will use it as I prefer a WDH with the tongue weight of the TM

[TheBeeger]

Thank You!

[Wavery]

Howdy Everyone! I have a 2007 Sierra extended cab with a factory hitch and tow package. Towing rated @ 4800# with a GCVW of 10,000#, Will I need a WDH to tow a 2720SL? How about a 3124? Thanks for your help.
What wheel base and engine do you have?

I have a 157" wheel base on my '06 Silverado with the 4.8L V8. My tow rating is 6800# and GCWR is 12,000#.

I don't use a WDH because I have a bad back and I just don't like messing with the thing. In fact, that is the express reason that I bought this truck.

If the figures that you have for your truck are correct, I would recommend using the WDH.

[Barb&Tim]

Howdy Everyone! I have a 2007 Sierra extended cab with a factory hitch and tow package. Towing rated @ 4800# with a GCVW of 10,000#, Will I need a WDH to tow a 2720SL? How about a 3124? Thanks for your help.

I think you will.

Tim

[Mr. Adventure]

Howdy Everyone! I have a 2007 Sierra extended cab with a factory hitch and tow package. Towing rated @ 4800# with a GCVW of 10,000#, Will I need a WDH to tow a 2720SL? How about a 3124? Thanks for your help.

I think the answer is probably "Yes", and I'm certain that your stopping and steering performance will be better.

The WDH keeps the tongue from unloading the front axle. Tongue weights run higher than we expect sometimes, particularly for people hauling extra batteries up there. Some have tongue weights that are more than 750#, but most of us are in the 500# neighborhood.

Here's the truck scale experience where one of our members found that his 480# tongue added 700# to the rear axle and took 220# off the front end.

Truck weights (with me @ 185 lbs):
Front Axle 3320
Rear Axle 2560
Total 5880

With Trailmanor hooked up (65 lbs. of WDH are included):
Front Axle 3100
Rear Axle 3260
TM Axle 2920
Tongue 480

(#8 in this thread for the rest of his post)
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7041

Also, here's a site I found with lots of good info. This link is to a 2010 owners' manual where it says on page 5-59 that the maximum tongue weight without a WDH is 600#:
http://www.silveradosierra.com/download/chevrolet/silverado/owners_manual/2010_chevrolet_silverado_owners.pdf

[T and C]

They are kind of small, but it seems pretty much anything short of a motorcycle could pull a Trailmini. The mini is much nicer than any pop-up I've seen.


Short of a motorcycle?

In the late 1960's my next door neighbor told me he had towed a 30 foot travel trailer from Ohio to California behind his Harley-Davidson. According to him this took place just before WWII.

I must admit I was skeptical of such a claim. However, a couple of days later he showed me the LA Times article they had published about it. There was a photo of him sitting on the bike, which was hooked up to the trailer.

Tom

[TheBeeger]

Yep, max tongue weight is 600#

[TheBeeger]

OK, I'm convinced I need a WDH but do I need sway control too?

[Wavery]

OK, I'm convinced I need a WDH but do I need sway control too?
I haven't heard of anyone that really needs a sway control with the TrailManor because of the way that the axle is positioned and the tongue weight involved.

Some people like to use one for an extra measure of caution.

I have never needed one either with my current Silverado or my prior Chevy S10 pick-up with 127" WB. I had 60MPH cross winds (gusting to 75) going by Palm Springs with my S10. All of the big rigs and RVs were off to the side of the road. Even some vans were pulled over. We went through with absolutely no issue. We could really feel the gusts but the trailer never swayed @55MPH.

[Barb&Tim]

I agree with harveyrv. If you don't pay extra for sway control, it will not hurt, but it's not necessary. Our Sierra tows our 2720SL just fine without it.

Tim

[T and C]

Folks,

Here is a fellow that didn't check his tow rating.

Keep watching when the guy starts cleaning the camera lens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAfZ1N56qjY

Tom

[Bill]

OK, I'm convinced I need a WDH but do I need sway control too?As Wayne says, you almost certainly don't need sway control. But you can hedge your bets. When you buy your WDH, buy one that has the little dipsy-doodle bends in the ends of the springbars. These bends enable you to add a dual-cam sway control mechanism at a later date, if you feel you need it. But you don't have to buy it now.

Do NOT buy a friction sway control, now or later.

You might start by reading the tutorial on sway control in the Reference Library, the first forum on this board. The Library is officially titled "Trail Manor Info You Won't Find Anywhere Else".

Bill

[thewayneo]

I totally agree with Bill's advice. About 15 years ago I had a small Ultralight trailer with WDH and what was then the best dual friction anti-sway devices. At about 45mph a cross wind hit and in about 5 seconds, truck and trailer were rolling sideways down the road. After that I bought a motor home, but have been spooked by wind ever since. I loved that motor home for 13 years but with the price of gas... So now with my 2619 I needed the extra confidence of the dual cam sway control and love it. I agree with everybody that I don't really NEED it but I just feel better with it. It's easy to use and my TM tows rock solid. I bought the entire like-new setup from Craigslist for $250.

Wayne-o

[TheBeeger]

Good stuff all! Thanks!

T & C....Too funny.

[ELM-JLM]

We had the oppertunity to have our rig weighed recently! Our first day out we came upon a small town with a truck weigh station! It was empty so I pulled in! To my surprise the guy showed me where to put the front axle and proceded to weigh each axle with My DW & Me in it! Here is the ticket I received!

I carry my 2 extra spares in the front of the bed and 1 propane tank (Full) & 1 tank in the rear for easy access! The trailer tongue has a trailer tool box mounted (approx. 50# full) and 2 group 27 batteries! What couldn't fit in the TrailManor was stowed in the back seat and truck bed!

[ShrimpBurrito]

Is axle #3 the TM axle? If so, when you add the tongue weight, you probably come close to 3800-4000 lbs gross curb weight for the TM, which is consistent with alot of other folks here, including myself.

Dave

[ELM-JLM]

I was glad to finally know the true #'s! We spent 20 days on the road and made nightly stops at campgrounds. The rest of the time we were visiting Family & Friends! We cut our trip short because of the weather in Cleveland & Pittsburgh! Fortunatly on our way home we were always a day or so ahead of all the storms!:new_Eyecr

[PopBeavers]

We had the oppertunity to have our rig weighed recently! Our first day out we came upon a small town with a truck weigh station! It was empty so I pulled in! To my surprise the guy showed me where to put the front axle and proceded to weigh each axle with My DW & Me in it! Here is the ticket I received!

I carry my 2 extra spares in the front of the bed and 1 propane tank (Full) & 1 tank in the rear for easy access! The trailer tongue has a trailer tool box mounted (approx. 50# full) and 2 group 27 batteries! What couldn't fit in the TrailManor was stowed in the back seat and truck bed!

I have pretty close to the same weights as you.

the significant difference, in my opinion, is that I am 40 pounds heavier than you on the TM axle. At 3500 pounds we hit the limit.

When I was towing with the Chevy 1500HD I was surprised to see how even the weight was spread across all three axles.

Now that I tow with the 2500HD and either a 700 pound ATV in the truck or two motorcycles (400 pounds) I am sure that the ruck axle weights are noticeably higher than they were previously.