Kcskitek
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Re: RV show yesterday almost NO Hybrids
I have seen some new models of hybrids out for 2014. Forest River has a Surveyor model SC-225T that has a slide similar to the 23SS Roo/Shamrock. I also saw one by Coachmen Freedom Express 22DSX that has a nice super slide like the 21SS Roo/Shamrock. Did Forest River buy out Coachmen? Has anyone seen these two models by FR other divisions and how do they compare with the Roo/Shamrock models 21SS/23SS? Thanks!364Views0likes0CommentsRe: considering buying 2014 JAY FEATHER ULTRA LITE 23f?
tlemon wrote: We are planning to use this for short camping excursions on the weekends. After lots of looking online I am liking the 2014 Rockwood roo 233s as the u shaped dinette is a big plus. I have again been unable to locate a model to view in person. Very frustrating. I live in the KC area and the old Nationwide RV dealership in Grain Valley, MO carries the Shamrock line 23SS and 233S. I believe it is now called Camping World as they purchased the property from Nationwide RV. They had a 23SS at the Camping show a couple wknds ago at Bartle Hall. They are about $4-5,000 more than you can buy at RV Direct/RV Wholesalers.377Views0likes0CommentsRe: Roo 233s- who has one
The expedition is a lot more TV than what I have. I am thinking of the 23SS or the 233S, but have a V-8 4runner. I didn't even think about the GVWR, but should have enough to pull with my 7,200lb towing capacity. I am definitely getting the Equalizer WDH 10,000/1,000lb.231Views0likes0CommentsRe: WDH Recommendations
DiskDoctr wrote: I have a nearly identical setup as OP. I have a Starcraft Travel Star (hybrid) 23SRB, which is 23ft closed, which hauls just like a TT. It is 5k lbs dry. I have 2004 4Runner Limited V8. Yes, 7300lbs tow capacity and 1200lbs tongue capacity with WDH. Sticker right on the factory installed OEM hitch. This is the WDH we use. (Not my pic) A few recommendation for your 4Runner. 1. Change to LT tires if you haven't already. HUGE improvement in handling, especially when towing. 2. Open up that exhaust Y-pipe if you haven't already to get full flow. The factory OEM Y-pipe is horrendous. I opened that up, removed the rear CAT, rear resonator, and turned the tailpipe out the side. I also replaced the muffler. Just these changes helped smooth out the power/performance curve. It tended to bog at times before that. 3. MAKE SURE you properly adjust your WDH by using the measurement techniques to properly balance the load. Our 4Runners tend to squat a fair amount with the XREAS suspension. Be certain to have sway control or you'll regret it (short wheelbase) 4. Tekonsha Prodigy proportional brake controller. Order the Tacoma pre-made cable. It fits the factory plug ziptied above the driver's footwell, just to the left of the steering wheel. I mounted it just to the right of the emergency brake. It gets in the way sometimes, but the best place I found. 5. Keep weight in the 4Runner. It's quite capable (but very noisy beeps when airborne :E :B), but it is light. More weight means more stability and control. Make sure the brakes on the trailer are in good shape and adjusted properly with the Prodigy or it will push you all over the place. 6. Remember, our transmissions are designed to allow manual shifting and work quite well with heavy loads both uphill and downhill for power and engine braking. And, yes, it will feel like you are towing a brick with a billboard on top, getting quickly worse as you go over 6k and up ;) Hope this helps. If you need more info, don't hesitate to ask. Great post DiskDoctr. I did order some new tires but haven't actually mounted them yet. I decided to go with the Michelin LTX M/S2. My other option was the Michelin MTX A/T2, but went with the M/S2 for the quieter ride. I will look into the exhaust system. I wondered why they put in a single exhaust pipe with the V-8. I do have a brake controller I had on my previous vehicle 2008 Yukon that I removed before I sold it. It is a Tekonsha primus iq. I hope this one will work with my package. thanks for all the tips. One more question, do I need to upgrade my suspension; shocks, air bags or lift?414Views0likes0CommentsRe: WDH Recommendations
Thanks for the input on the Equal-i-zer hitch. They appear to be a popular item as I have seen them on other hitches. I was also looking at a Blue-Ox, but its a bit more cost. I will be using RVW or RV Direct to purchase the trailer....best deal out there.413Views0likes0CommentsRe: WDH Recommendations
Chuck_S wrote: We use the 1000/10,000 pound Equalizer (brand) WDH with our Roo 23SS. Recommend it highly. But the WDH is the least of your worries right now. Your 10 year old 4Runner only has a maximum towing capacity of 5000 pounds and either of these trailers will easily exceed that weight especially considering the maximum towing capacity is computed with the truck empty (maybe a 150 pound driver). Every person, bag, dog, McDonalds french fry under the seat, etc. drops the capacity even lower. Plus the lil' crossover is getting older every year. A safe towing "rule" even I can understand is the "1000 Pound Rule." Simply subtract 1000 pounds from your maximum towing capacity and don't let the trailer exceed that weight. In this case that's 4000 pounds. If you want to tow a Roo 23SS figure the other way and add 1000 to the trailer's 5979 gross vehicle weight rating and you'll find the rule specifies 7000 pounds of towing capacity is needed. My Expedition is rated at 9000 pounds and I don't wish it was less. -- Chuck Chuck...You are referring to the V-6 trailer hitch maximum of 5,000lbs. I have the 4.7 liter V-8 and comes from the factory with a 7,000lb rated hitch. It says it in the manual and on the hitch, so I will be okay for the trailer weight.413Views0likes0CommentsWDH Recommendations
I am considering a hybrid travel trailer and it was recommended to go with a WDH. There are a bunch of WDH out there. I have a 2004 Toyota 4Runner with a 4.7 liter V-8 and thinking about the ROO 21SS or 23SS. The tow weight is around 5,000lbs and tongue weight around 500lbs. Does anyone have experiences with one manufacturer over another?4.1KViews0likes16CommentsRe: Rockwood Roo 21SS - Tow Vehicle
Okay...I went ahead and purchased a 2004 4Runner 4.7 liter, V-8 with the factory weight ditribution hitch. The maximum towing capacity is 7,000 since I have the 4WD. I have done alot of research and as long as I have a WDH package attached to my trailer, I should be fine. Now, can someone recommend a good WDH with sway control? I have heard of Blue Ox, Equalizer, Reese, Fastway, Curt, Pro Series. What are the differences and which one would be recommended for a hybrid ~5,000lbs GTW?270Views0likes0CommentsRe: Rockwood Roo 21SS - Tow Vehicle
Okay, here lies the problem with the Roo 21SS. The specs call for a tongue weight of 645 lbs and a GVWR of 5,626 lbs. Here is the definition of "Tongue Weight" Tongue weight The downward weight applied by the towable equipment on the hitch ball. In general tongue weight should be around 7 to 8 percent of GTW and should not be more than 10 percent of the GTW. According to my calculations, the formula indicates greater than 10%, so technically they manufactured a trailer that you can't tow. The maximumtrailer capacity for the 4Runner is 7,000 lbs, but the class III hitch says 5,000 lbs is the max. I am not sure if I have a class III or IV hitch. The hitch appears to be from the factory, but how do you tell? The hitch appears to be a round tubular frame and is mounted to the chassis, where the other hitches I see on the 4Runners are attached directly to the frame (No round tube portion).269Views0likes0CommentsRe: Rockwood Roo 21SS - Tow Vehicle
crcr wrote: Kcskitek wrote: I am in the process of downgrading my Tow Vehicle from an '08 GMC Yukon Denali rated at 8100# towing max to a Toyota 4Runner w/4.7liter V-8 rated at 7,000# capacity. I am also looking to upsize from a PUP to a HTT 21SS Roo. The dry weight is about 4,300# and 1,200# carrying capacity, but the hitch weight is relatively high at just under 600#. The 23SS has a much lower tongue weight at 435#. Will I be okay pulling the 21SS with a WDH with the 4Runner? Trying to figure out what the maximum tongue weight is. All that shows up is the maximum towing load of 7,000#'s. Also, does anyone know if the factory tow packages on the 4Runner's have transmission coolers. How do I tell if they are factory hitches? Thanks! I can probably tell you most of what you want to know about the 4Runner, and will refer you to sources for what I don't know. I own a 2008 Sport Edition 4WD 4.7L V-8 4Runner. I previously owned a 2009 4WD V6. The 4.7 V-8 was an option on the 4th Generation 4Runner, produced from 2003 thru 2009. However, that last year of 4th Gen production, 2009, there are very few V-8 models around. I tow a Rockwood 2109S, 21.5 feet long with a slide, Dry Weight is 3586, and GVWR is 4724. I use a Curt WDH with sway control. I get NO sway whatsoever when towing. This is the nicest WDH I have owned, and I have owned a few, and the cost, installed and adjusted was $350. As you stated, stated tow capacity for the V8 4WD is 7000 lbs and per the sticker on my OEM factory hitch, Max Gross Tongue Weight, 1095 lbs. All V8 4Runners have a frame hitch -- you can spot it by the fact that the tubing coming off the hitch is curved. The V6 models have a hitch that just attaches to the crossmember and has I believe a 5000 lb tow capacity. The hitches don't look anything alike. All V8 models have an external transmission cooler, you can see it down low in front of the radiator, and a 7 pin plug for trailers. I live in Phoenix, AZ, and during the summer tow our TT from 1100' elevation to 7000' elevation in 2 1/2 hours. The summer heat here is extreme at low elevations. I recommend a Scan Guage II -- the company told me they didn't think I could pull trans temp with it, but they are wrong -- myself and others have programmed in the numbers needed, and are pulling the trans temp with the Scan Gauge. If you buy a 4Runner to tow, I would highly recommend the Scan Gauge. Towing in my extreme conditions, no idiot lights came on, but the the trans temps were climbing a little higher than I liked on long grades in high heat towing, so I changed out the factory trans cooler for a larger one, an easy switch out. FYI, when I sold my V6 4Runner and bought a V8 one for towing, I sought out and bought a Sport Edition -- those have larger brakes than any of the other models, so not a necessity, but a plus certainly for towing. The 4.7 V8 as someone mentioned, is tried and proven, in Land Cruisers, the Lexus, first generation Tundras, the smaller V8 in the current generation of Tundras, and many of the Sequoias on the road. The vehicles themselves are ultra reliable, as bullet proof as you could find in a vehicle. I know many who have put 200 to 300,000 miles on these, without touching the drive train. And I have seen one 4th Gen runner with 432,000 miles on the clock, does not burn oil, and the drive train has never been apart. During 4th Gen production run, a number of improved features were added along the way -- it went from 4 to 5 speed transmission, LED lights, plus other improvements, so I would suggest get as late a model as you can afford. Here is everything you would ever want to know about 4Runner history: 4Runner History And if you want help with anything 4Runner, go to T4R.org, a very very active 4Runner forum. Best of luck! crcr....thank you for the valuable information and to the others that have responded. I am now looking at a 2004 4Runner Limited with a 4.7 liter. The previous owner has replaced the timing belt/water pump and has all the service records. The truck is very clean. It appears that it is recommended to install a WDH and upgrade my transmission cooler. I found something in the owners manual that says the tongue weight divided by the tow weight times 100 should be between 9-11%. One of the servicemen at a local camper shop said it doesn't matter what your tongue is as long as you have the WDH with tension springs since you can adjust it to accommodate any tongue weight. Is this a true statement or id the serviceman just blowing smoke?269Views0likes0Comments
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