towing out West

[citiznmikem]

I am planning on towing my 19 foot Aerolite travel trailer out West next summer with a 2007 Toyota Tundra 5.7 with tow package. GVCR of the trailer is around 4700 lbs. I've been told I shouldn't have any problem, but I wasnt convinced by the people who told me that,so here I am on this forum hoping I can get some positive reinforcement. It tows just fine on small hills and such, but the Mountains have me somewhat concerned.

[Paul_Clancy]

If your truck doesn't have a trans temp guage it's a good addition for big grades.

[blt2ski]

Never had an issue in the rockies, pretty mild % grades.....now down town Seattle mind you, or in the columbia river area......grades in the 15-25% range. Rockies never saw anything over 10-15%..... Freeway grades in the 4-6% range are nothing. Usually have a gear or two before you run out of lower gears. now on a 25% grade.....oh boy, already in low gear, that will pucker you cheeks!

Marty

[12thgenusa]

Tundra 5.7 towing 8,300 GVW trailer mostly in Colorado mountains--no problem.

[TucsonJim]

When you get on steep grades, there are some things you should consider.
1. If you're on a two lane highway, don't speed up when you get to a passing lane. Stay to the right, and let traffic get around you.
2. If you're on a two lane highway, and you have traffic backed up, use turn outs every chance you get. This will let traffic clear out behind you.
3. On steep downgrades, make sure you use your transmission to keep your speed under control instead of your brakes.
4. If it's very hot out and you're climbing a steep grade, shut off your TV AC to help with power demands and to prevent overheating.\
5. On some steep grades, there is a brake check area at the top of the grade. If you have any doubts about your rig, pull over there and check to make sure your brake controller is properly set.
6. If your brakes start to fade on a steep grade, make sure you have a hot iron to get the pucker marks out of your seat. 😉

[azrving]

Dang, they's hard on em tanite aint they!

[SCVJeff]

downtheroad wrote:
No problem with that rig....
But, make sure you circle up at night. We still get attacked by Indians out here in the West.

Hey OP !
U ain't from New York City R ya?

[WyoTraveler]

Just let the engine do the braking down the grades. Enjoy the trip. I went west almost 60 years ago and never went back.

[camp-n-family]

Stop worrying and have fun. Your truck will hardly know that little light trailer is behind it. I have the same truck and tow a 31' 7600lbs tt. I pulled several long 10+ percent grades this summer on a 2k mile trip without any issue. Put it in "tow" mode and put the shifter in manual 5th gear (s mode) which will lock out 6th gear and stop it from hunting. Don't be afraid to let it drop a gear or 2 and rev. Power has never been an issue.

The 5.7l comes equipped with a trans cooler and stock 4.30 rear gears for towing.

[downtheroad]

No problem with that rig....
But, make sure you circle up at night. We still get attacked by Indians out here in the West.

[ScottG]

With that combo you'll be fine.

[mileshuff]

I live out west and towed a 5,000lb loaded TT for 10 years with a 2004 5.7L Durango. Traveled numerous mountain grades in AZ and CA. On the steepest grades I was down to 35mph. Not because of lack of power but because of keeping RPM's reasonable and not pushing it too hard.

The biggest issue is towing these grades in the summer when its hot out. The Durango came with a factory auxiliary radiator with fan that would turn on when engine got a bit hot. It quickly cooled temps back to normal. So depends on when and where you'll be towing. A good radiator and possibly transmission cooler is recommended.

[The_Texan]

You'll have no problems ..... Out here they tow your trailer with a Prius, so your Toyota should be up to the job.

[mileshuff]

WyoTraveler wrote:
You won't be able to tow with your Toyota out west. We use a team of horses to tow our RVs west of the Mississippi. :B

That reminds me of the time I went out for pizza in Canada. The waitress asked if we had pizza in Arizona. I told her no, when we are hungry we take some beef jerky out of our saddle bags.

[darsben]

Your rig will be fine.

But did you trade trailers recently?

[WyoTraveler]

You won't be able to tow with your Toyota out west. We use a team of horses to tow our RVs west of the Mississippi. :B