Almost home after ~2000 miles - towing with a 1/2 a ton

Well, FWIW, I just towed a Nash 25c (rental), with my ML350 diesel, from Seattle to Yellowstone. Probably just a bit too heavy IMO (5700lbs dry), probably 6600 wet, but no issues. Kept it at 60-65mph the entire way, only place we had to take it easy was up the continental divide (long steep uphill on I-90), was having trouble maintaining 60 and had to drop to 50-55. Was the first time, and only time I saw my engine timepiece rise...the 90 degree weather probably didn't help.
Trailer sway was kept under control with an equalizer 4points hitch, and the MLs trailer sway program, which worked really well, using AWD and brakes automagically to cancel sway. All in all, I discovers a few things:
The ML350 diesel is an awesome tow vehicle..Getting 14mpg towing a 6500lb+ trailer is impressive any way you cut it.
The Nash is not a great fit for this car, heavy, old fashioned wood construction, lack of aerodynamics, bouncy, high suspension, made it ride a bit too "truck" like. I'm now looking for a lighter weight trailer, with better aerodynamics, lower, more modern suspension and build materials.
Power wasn't an issue, and the Tenkosha Rf brake controller worked flawlessly.

I weighed my rig twice (you can probably find my posts here from when I did it). I'm guessing for this trip we should be closer to 6900 due to extra food. We didn't take extra clothes because we kept washing them where we went.

I love US-2 but I got stuck two times this year 15 miles behind a stop light in Monroe. My wife doesn't let me take US-2 anymore :)

The pic is in Silverwood theme park. I spent the day in the trailer since it's not my cup of tea.

Hopefully 5 years from now I'll get a 3/4 ton (and maybe change the trailer). For now I have to keep the Sequoia. I'll take my propride with me though.

Here is when we stop somewhere in Utah:


Great Salt Lake:

Night and day difference between 1500 suburban and F350 dually. While the burban never felt out of control, it did get pushed around and gave a not so smooth ride. The dually rides nice, is 3 ft longer, 2k lbs heavier and a bit wider.

Mike Up wrote:

ronny7800 wrote:
I tow the exact same trailer as your with an f150, and am under all the weights.

It would be really cool to see the weigh slip in how the weight of this heavy trailer stays within range of a F150.
...

Not all F150's are SuperCrew 4x4's optioned to the max. Only a few are really a "half-ton" trucks.

For example, my F150 4x2 SuperCab has a ~2050# payload and 11300# tow capacity. And that's without the HD payload option, but with the MaxTow.

It's Class IV receiver can carry 1150# tongue weight with a WDH (at 13% tongue weight that's an 8846# trailer), leaving 900# for people, gear and WDH.

And from my experience, about only 60% of tongue weight will go on the rear axle (and 20% each on front and trailer axles). That ~700# should fit on our truck's rear axle as currently our loaded truck (without trailer) is 900# under the rear GAWR.

chracatoa wrote:
2012 Jayco Flight Swift 267BHS (5963lbs dry, 6650 wet)

Now did you really weigh this rig or are you going by brochures or labels on your trailer? Because I'm a truck driver by trade I've frequently weighed my rig driving through the truck scales when they are closed to commercial traffic, they just about always leave the scales on so you can read your own weight. Suggest you try that the next time you are heading somewhere with your rig, you might be surprised as I was. My tongue weight was listed at 880lbs but when I unhitched on the scale and dropped the foot down I got 1500lbs on the tongue and 8800lbs on the axles (10,300).



Welcome home, what a wonderful adventure, wish you would write a trip report like a bunch of folks do and post pictures.

My wife and I started our RV adventures years ago truck camping and then switched to a TT/Suburban in 1998. Our 1500 Burb handled our 27 foot Arctic Fox fine, and we towed with that set up until we bought our newer 3/4 ton Suburban 3 years later. What a joy that new tow rig brought to our frequent long distance trailering.

I wouldn't trade those years we towed with a half ton, it was all we could afford at the time, and our 1500 was a daily driver, our 2500 never has been and is more expensive to operate. The difference between the two towing was night and day though.

You obviously went on a very long trip, but still the question remains, will upgrading to a HD type tow rig work for you when you are not towing. Can a person justify the expense of selling/trading and getting a new vehicle? The new diesels don't get the mileage they used too and the up front cost is huge.

Oh yes, I even get pushed around at times by other semi's when I'm driving my Peterbilt. Sometimes you don't feel a thing and other times you get the push pull thing going as they slide on by. All the best, Hans

ronny7800 wrote:
I tow the exact same trailer as your with an f150, and am under all the weights.

It would be really cool to see the weigh slip in how the weight of this heavy trailer stays within range of a F150. I have a higher rated 7350 lbs GVWR with a factory optioned Tread Act sticker payload of 1582 lbs. I wouldn't want to go much heavier than 6500 lbs loaded with my family and gear.

It would be really nice if you could post a pic of the CAT weigh slip.

Thanks

chracatoa wrote:
So I'm about 400 miles from home and I'll be getting there tomorrow after what will be around 2500 miles round trip through 5 states. We drove through strong winds, thunder storms, bad roads, etc. I also have now the ProPride for a year and I'm glad I have it.

A friend of mine had a similar rig though no ProPride (Sequoia) and he got calluses in his hands.

With such a short wheelbase, you are very smart to have the ProPride. I wouldn't have anything less.

chracatoa wrote:
I didn't get calluses but I could feel the TV bouncing around. When I'm going through bad roads or wind the TV feels like airplane turbulence. There is no sway but the leverage of the trailer on the TV is noticeable. Friend behind me told me the whole rig always moved as one including when I had gusts throwing me to the side. His rig was properly set up but when I drove behind him I could see the trailer moving side to side every time a truck passed by him.

Yep, with P-rated tires you will have a swishy side to side feeling like you're in a boat but that's because of the softer side walls to give a better ride when not towing. To eliminate this, get a LT-rated tire with a stiffer side wall. It won't have the side to side sway but it will ride much harder when not towing. P-rated tires come on 1/2 ton vehicles where LT tires come on 3/4 ton and up vehicles. F150 do have LT tire options though.

Also even in bigger trucks, you will still get pushed sideways as a whole, with the trailer. That's what you want, the rig to be locked as one, other wise the trailer will get pushed by itself and start to sway. Even when I drove bigger trucks, you'll always have this. BUT the larger trucks have more weight to them, so they don't get pushed as easily as a 1/2 ton truck. That's why many people don't like pulling with 1/2 tons, because they're light and get pushed around from wind. Add in their P-rated tires and it's even worse. Take all that and add a poor hitch that allows sway, and you've a dangerous combination.

chracatoa wrote:
Now, I have never towed with a 3/4 or bigger truck. Is this "turbulence" like feeling something to expect every time I'm towing regardless of truck? Or will this feeling go away with a bigger truck? I'm guessing the rough suspension will feel similar.

Read the above statement. ;)

chracatoa wrote:
Note that although my friend has an almost similar rig with no ProPride he is happy with his setup and he has been towing for more than 3 years. He only has a single sway bar.

Anyway, I managed to have fun towing it despite the bouncing feeling. I'm way more relaxed than early next year because of the ProPride and also I have more experience now.

My truck is lighter and has P-rated tires, I find it tows just fine and I don't white knuckle it either. Just don't freak out and yank the wheel when you feel the push and swishiness of the p-rated tires. That will get you into a sway situation. You want to calmly and in a relaxed motion, ease the steering wheel to compensate for push.

chracatoa wrote:
2011 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD 5.7L V8 (next one will be a 3/4, someday)
2012 Jayco Flight Swift 267BHS (5963lbs dry, 6650 wet)
Propride hitch (I had a Reese dual cam round bar WDH for 4 months)

Wow, you really keep the weight down. With my 90 gallon of fresh water at 747 lbs and 700- 800 lbs of gear, clothes, food, and kids stuff in the trailer, I come out to around 6500 lbs when added to the dry optioned factory weight of 5050 lbs with my 2012 Jay Flight 26BH.

I honestly can't see how you can keep your weight down to 6650 lbs loaded from a dry optioned factory weight of 5963 lbs.

jerem0621 wrote:

chracatoa wrote:

Now, I have never towed with a 3/4 or bigger truck. Is this "turbulence" like feeling something to expect every time I'm towing regardless of truck? Or will this feeling go away with a bigger truck? I'm guessing the rough suspension will feel similar.

I'm glad that you had a great time! That many miles is a real work out for a truck and trailer and would give you the opportunity to identify any issues that may come up.

The Turbulence doesn't go away EVER. The best thing to combat this is a more aerodynamic trailer and a GREAT hitch set up (which you have!!). You can get a big enough truck so that you can't feel the trailer depending on the size of the trailer, but that doesn't mean that the combo is a good combo.

Even with a DWR and a Fifth Wheel you will still feel the push from the vehicle.

HD trucks are nice... but they are not magic bullets...they don't automatically fix bad set ups.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

A very honest answer from jerem0621. We went from a F350 SRW to a 1500 and have NEVER regretted it. Our current truck handles a 10K trailer with ease and does not get pushed around anymore than the F350 PSD did.

dtzackus wrote:
I went from a 1500 to a 2500HD, I can tell that braking is a lot better, plus I am on the same set of brakes for two years. My 1500 would go thru brakes and rotors like crazy...at least every year...

Some people are harder on brakes then others and it also depends on where you live. But, that seems excessive, of course I don't know how many miles you drive a year. Depends on the vehicle and the quality of the brake pads too.

I suggest that the tail will always wag the dog if the tail is heavier and has more sail area. Simple physics.

Getting a bigger truck will typically "call for" a bigger trailer and the discussion will start over again.

The solution is to know the rig and then drive at the speed that you are comfortable with. Upgrading the truck is often not practicable and is not the be all and end all to this issue.