Newbie: Towing TT w/ 2008 Toyota Sequoia
The camping bug bit my wife over the summer so we decided to attend the RV Expo in Boston over the past weekend. She fell in love with the 2018 Rockwood 2706WS and after two days of looking at smaller...
Forum Discussion
Couple thoughts...first off, don't feel bad about your mistake, I made the same mistake as did a lot of other folks here.
You can manage the length with good sway control. Don't let the dealer give you a **** hitch as part of their "hitch package", get either the Reese dual-cam setup or spring for a premium hitch like the Hensley or ProPride. The problem with the premium hitches is that they are heavy, which exacerbates your weight problems.
On to the weight...you're gonna be overweight no matter how you slice it. One thing you can do NOW is pack up the Toyota with the family and camping gear and head to a scale. Most moving companies and recycling centers have scales and they will let you weigh for $10 or so. Find out how much the Sequoia weighs fully loaded, then you can see how much you have left for tongue weight vs GVWR.
If you go ahead and buy this trailer, then I would plan your first trip at the closest CG you can find, maybe 30 mins away. See how it tows, and also take this opportunity to head back to the scales with the trailer attached.
Since you will have had the loaded truck already weighed, get one weight for the whole rig with truck and trailer on the scale, then weigh again with just the truck. The difference between the first truck weight and the second will give you the tongue weight, the difference between the truck and trailer vs just the truck, adding in the tongue weight, gives you the loaded trailer weight.
Your other option is to go back to the dealer and cut a deal on a different unit. The dealer is unlikely to let you back out of the deal altogether, may be flexible and let you buy a smaller unit.
If you move ahead with the purchase, be prepared to upgrade the tow vehicle before you get any real use out of the trailer. The numbers you posted have all the makings of a white knuckle trip for any distance on the interstate. The good news is that since you will have already weighed the loaded trailer, you will have accurate info to go truck shopping. I would say this is a job for a 250/2500 crew cab.
In general terms, you will add approximately 1500 lbs of "stuff" to a trailer that size, not including propane, batteries, or potable water.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
You can manage the length with good sway control. Don't let the dealer give you a **** hitch as part of their "hitch package", get either the Reese dual-cam setup or spring for a premium hitch like the Hensley or ProPride. The problem with the premium hitches is that they are heavy, which exacerbates your weight problems.
On to the weight...you're gonna be overweight no matter how you slice it. One thing you can do NOW is pack up the Toyota with the family and camping gear and head to a scale. Most moving companies and recycling centers have scales and they will let you weigh for $10 or so. Find out how much the Sequoia weighs fully loaded, then you can see how much you have left for tongue weight vs GVWR.
If you go ahead and buy this trailer, then I would plan your first trip at the closest CG you can find, maybe 30 mins away. See how it tows, and also take this opportunity to head back to the scales with the trailer attached.
Since you will have had the loaded truck already weighed, get one weight for the whole rig with truck and trailer on the scale, then weigh again with just the truck. The difference between the first truck weight and the second will give you the tongue weight, the difference between the truck and trailer vs just the truck, adding in the tongue weight, gives you the loaded trailer weight.
Your other option is to go back to the dealer and cut a deal on a different unit. The dealer is unlikely to let you back out of the deal altogether, may be flexible and let you buy a smaller unit.
If you move ahead with the purchase, be prepared to upgrade the tow vehicle before you get any real use out of the trailer. The numbers you posted have all the makings of a white knuckle trip for any distance on the interstate. The good news is that since you will have already weighed the loaded trailer, you will have accurate info to go truck shopping. I would say this is a job for a 250/2500 crew cab.
In general terms, you will add approximately 1500 lbs of "stuff" to a trailer that size, not including propane, batteries, or potable water.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
