Towing Help at freeway speeds - new owner

[speakes]

I recently bought a new truck and travel trailer. According to the truck dealer and RV dealer both were within the specs for each other.

2014 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 (6500 lb Towing 650 Tongue)
2014 Kodiak Express 288BHSL (4783 Unloaded 523 Hitch 6500 Max)
EZ-Lift Weight Distributing hitch system with Sway Bar

The issue I'm having is that when I reach Freeway speeds there is play in the trailer. Seems to sway some and makes for some white knuckle driving when at speeds 50+. I never go over 55-60 but still it's quite unnerving. I've been very carfeul not to put more than about 500-600 lbs pf cargo in the trailer too so my total weight isn't above about 5500 lbs which is 1000 lbs under the trucks towing capacity.

The RV dealer didn't adjust the hitch properly so I had that done and it's slightly better but still is an issue and dips slightly at the hitch. I'm thinking of adding airbags to help with this. The other thought is to add an additional sway bar control to the other side of the hitch.

After these two things the only other thought is to go to a better hitch where it makes it act more like a fifth wheel as one but then I'm out of options if nothing makes it better. I don't think it's a weight distribution problem.

This is my first travel trailer so would love others thoughts to help me understand if this is common? One person said it's expected due to the smaller pickup size and length of the trailer (28'4").

Maybe I need to just buy a smaller trailer or go buy a larger truck for this trailer size.

Thanks!
Andrew


2014 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4x4 (6500 lb Towing 650 Tongue)
2014 Kodiak 255BHSL (4783 Unloaded 523 Hitch 6500 Max)
EZ-Lift Weight Distributing hitch system with Sway Bar

[gmw_photos]

To the OP, it sounds like you are going to try to make this combo work, one way or the other. Given that, when you go to the scales, do the normal "three passes" over the CAT scale. This will give you a better handle on the overall numbers. If you don't know what i mean by three passes, say so, and we'll find you a link here on the forum. It's well documented with plenty of description.
I can think of a number of things that could be tried to make this all "work". It's still going to be over the rated specs ( see my previous post ), but you may in fact be able to make it work to your satisfaction. It may involve trying something, having that not work, then try something else, etc ( in other words, some trial and error ).
Tires, timbrens, air bags, sway control bars for the hitch, totally different hitch maybe, hellwig sway bar for the truck, different shocks, etc, etc. There are plenty of different pieces, parts and combinations. Some may make it better, some worse, or some, no change at all.
At this point in the process, you may in fact be overloading your receiver, and since that is an important safety issue, I would look at that closely.
It can be fun to try to make things work better. Or it can be frustrating. It's almost always expensive in dollars.

[Terryallan]

TucsonJim wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Unfortunatly. You do have more trailer than you do truck.
and you seem to be unloading the front axles of the truck.
Remember. that 6500lb towing capacity is with an empty reuck, and a 150lb driver. IF you put ANYTHING else in the truck, Your wife, your kids, bikes, fire wood, dog, well anything. You no longer have 6500lb of towing capacity.
I believe I would be safe in saying. Your Taco is overloaded. And no, air bags won't help

Actually, what you put in the truck has little to do with the towing capacity, but everything to do with the payload. Also coming into play is the gross combined weight rating.

In fact it does. The towing capacity is determined by the GCVWR. Which is the weight the TV, and TT can weigh. The towing capacity is the weight left over AFTER subtracting the weight of the TV from the GCVWR.
So. IF the tow capacity with an empty truck is 6500lbs. You load 500lb into the truck. When you subtract the added weight of the TV. You now only have 6000lb of tow capacity. Load 1000lbs into the TV, and you are down to 5500lbs, and so on.
Your GCVWR is a hard number. Every pound loaded into the TV is added toward the GCVWR, putting the TV closer to that number, and so the tow capacity gets smaller as you load the TV, because you need to stay under GCVWR.

[speakes]

All great feedback thanks.

Yes I agree I need to get to a scale and weigh it out so I know the true weights. I've done a search for scales nearby.

I also went to a couple Camping Worlds today, one where I bought the trailer and had the hitch system installed seeking some info. Of course both gave differing advice. One said scrap the ez-lift system and install a equal-i-zer hitch system and the other location said the system I have is fine but to just add a second sway bar and that air bags would indeed help.

Honestly I'm a bit more confused.

It is less expensive to try the second ez lift sway bar and see if it helps and the air bags. If I swapped the hitch system for the equal-i-zer system I still may need the air bags to keep the back of the truck level.

The location recommending the new hitch also said they sell other trailers 27 or so in length with small trucks on occasion but mostly they see them 23 or so in length or less. I got this piece of info when I asked if I just bought too much trailer for the truck.

It's a great trailer and we'd lose so much comfort and finish to go smaller from what I've seen. Plus the weights don't go down that much when dropping only 5 feet in some models.

Is this really a weight issue or a length issue?

All your input has been great so far. Wish I'd have hit the forums before I purchased and got in this predicament.

Cheers
Andrew

2014 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab 4x4
2014 Kodiak Express 255BHSL
EZ-Lift WDH w/Sway Bar

[dodge_guy]

Get the tongue weight loaded properly. you will need to be around 800lbs. this will be around 13% of the loaded, ready to travel trailer weight. I don`t think you have to much trailer for your truck, you are just not setup properly. if you went out and bought a 1/2 ton you will just have an improperly loaded trailer on a 1/2 ton band aid!

Get the tongue weight set up properly and I can almost guarantee your sway problems will be gone.

[gmw_photos]

To the OP not trying to rain on your parade, but the first thing you need to decide, is whether you want to remain within Toyota's specs as to payload, or whether you just consider those specs to be "suggested guidelines". There are folks on this and other forums that will argue to death both ways of looking at it.

Consider the loads here. If your trailer had a advertised weight of 4700, then in reality, by the time you got it home, packed some things to go camp, you likely weigh 5700 to 6000. Assume 6000 for a minute. A good target tongue weight percentage is somewhere around 13% let's say. So that is 680 pounds of tongue. Add 100 pounds for a WD hitch roughly.
So we are almost up to 800 pounds already, and a Tacoma probably has around 1040 pounds of payload capacity ( that's a guess on my part. Look on your door frame label ). So we're now within a couple hundred pounds of P/L cap, and we have not added any junk in the bed of the truck, or passengers or the family dog.

You are not alone my friend. You're not the first person who has bought one of the lighter duty trucks only to find out you run into payload and/or rear axle limits rather quickly.

As others have said, your next stop should be at the CAT scale to see what you "really" have, rather than relying on wild guesses such as mine above. Something to think about.

[MNRon]

Welcome to the world of leapfrogging (need a bigger truck, the decide in a bigger trailer, need bigger truck again, etc).

You *might* be able to reduce the white knuckling a little with more tongue weight and better wdh setup; but regardless of TT weight, that's a pretty long TT for a small truck. If you take garcia's advice above be ready to buy a new truck - a 3/4 wouldn't break a sweat pulling that, to be followed quickly with leapfrogging 🙂

[goducks10]

Tooo much TT for the truck. You're probably near 5500lbs+ loaded. That would give you a tongue weight between 550-825lbs. More than your receiver can handle. Park the TT and find a 1/2 ton truck.

[ChooChooMan74]

I also agree a combo issue...
Improper WDH setup...proper setup with a good Eqal-i-zer and Reese DC would help
Too much trailer
P rated vs LT rated tires... Gives you a marshmallow or jello feeling

Good luck and be safe

[Old-Biscuit]

TucsonJim wrote:

Terryallan wrote:
Unfortunatly. You do have more trailer than you do truck.
and you seem to be unloading the front axles of the truck.
Remember. that 6500lb towing capacity is with an empty reuck, and a 150lb driver. IF you put ANYTHING else in the truck, Your wife, your kids, bikes, fire wood, dog, well anything. You no longer have 6500lb of towing capacity.
I believe I would be safe in saying. Your Taco is overloaded. And no, air bags won't help

Actually, what you put in the truck has little to do with the towing capacity, but everything to do with the payload. Also coming into play is the gross combined weight rating.

Actually 'cargo' does affect MAX TOW Ratings
There are these little fine print mfg. has listed
"Maximum trailer weights in pounds for properly equipped vehicles with no cargo"
"Maximum Loaded Trailer Weight assumes a towing vehicle with any mandatory options, no cargo and driver only (150 pounds)."
"Weight of additional options, passengers, cargo and hitch must be deducted from this weight."

[anaro]

More than likely a combo of issues. First you are probably light on the tongue and not properly set up on your wdh. You are probably out matched by the tt. The only way to know if any of this is true is a visit to the scales. You can check for the nearest Cat scale, it looks like there are several in Phoenix. Go weigh your truck and trailer loaded, ready to camp and with a full tank of fuel as well as any passengers, pets and cargo you plan to take with you on trips. Weigh the truck with each axle on its own scale pad without the tt. Weigh the truck with each axle on its own scale pad and the tt on its own scale pad (1 st pad front axle, 2nd pad rear axle, 3 rd pad whole tt). You can do this without wdh hooked up to see your tongue weight. (Remember ideal tongue weight is 13-15% of loaded tt weight, the 550 lb dry tongue weight is useless. Hook up wdh and see where your axle weights and total truck weight are. Goal of the wdh is to get as close to unloaded weight of front axle as possible without going heavier. Subtract the weight of your unhooked truck from trucks gvwr to get your available payload. Subtract the unhitched weight of the truck from its gcwr to get your adjusted towing capacity. Also how doe your hitched rear axle weight stack up to max RAWR? Now how does the actual weight of your tt stack up?

I have been there with an suv that had a stated tow capacity 1400 lbs higher than the gvwr of the tt, problem was I only had 810 lbs of payload available and close to 1000 lbs of tongue weight plus wdh. No matter how well we dialed the wdh in and how we adjusted our cargo (everywhere from 10-15% tongue weight) the handling never got better, even with going to E rated tires. The final straw was not having enough truck to safely control my tt on a 7% downgrade in the mountains. I traded the half ton suv for a 3/4 ton truck and all handling issues went away. I swore I would never be there again so we have traded the 3/4 ton for my 1 ton in prep for our next trailer (debating between a tt with 11000 lb gvwr and a 5ers with 13000 lb gvwr, both are within all of my capabilities).

[NanciL]

gmw photos wrote:
Too much trailer, not enough truck.

I tow my camper with a Frontier ( nearly identical to a Tacoma ), and my camper is a lot lighter than yours. At right around 4000 pounds worth of total ready to camp weight, it's a good match.
Much more, and it would not be.
Never, ever believe what a salesman tells you. Ever. You need to do your own homework, so that when a salesman is speaking, you can just nod your head, and say.....hmmmm....yeah.....ok.....

I agree

Jack L

[gmw_photos]

Too much trailer, not enough truck.

I tow my camper with a Frontier ( nearly identical to a Tacoma ), and my camper is a lot lighter than yours. At right around 4000 pounds worth of total ready to camp weight, it's a good match.
Much more, and it would not be.
Never, ever believe what a salesman tells you. Ever. You need to do your own homework, so that when a salesman is speaking, you can just nod your head, and say.....hmmmm....yeah.....ok.....

[TucsonJim]

Terryallan wrote:
Unfortunatly. You do have more trailer than you do truck.
and you seem to be unloading the front axles of the truck.
Remember. that 6500lb towing capacity is with an empty reuck, and a 150lb driver. IF you put ANYTHING else in the truck, Your wife, your kids, bikes, fire wood, dog, well anything. You no longer have 6500lb of towing capacity.
I believe I would be safe in saying. Your Taco is overloaded. And no, air bags won't help

Actually, what you put in the truck has little to do with the towing capacity, but everything to do with the payload. Also coming into play is the gross combined weight rating.

[Terryallan]

Unfortunatly. You do have more trailer than you do truck.
and you seem to be unloading the front axles of the truck.
Remember. that 6500lb towing capacity is with an empty reuck, and a 150lb driver. IF you put ANYTHING else in the truck, Your wife, your kids, bikes, fire wood, dog, well anything. You no longer have 6500lb of towing capacity.
I believe I would be safe in saying. Your Taco is overloaded. And no, air bags won't help

[pappcam]

That is not a big enough truck for that trailer. Maybe if you have a perfect hitch setup you can mitigate some of the sway but that TT/TV combination is just not very good. IMO of course.