Keep the revs above 3000 and your transmission probably won’t get too hot
All things Towing thread, weight, trailer type, etc.. (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter wingysataday
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Damn 5000 miles...that would be a hell of a gas bill
Cheaper than my mortgage for the month.
After doing a lot more research - beyond just the capabilities of my GX but also considering 1) the ability for my wife to feel comfortable while towing, 2) overall quality of the camper build and maintenance costs, 3) long-term resale value, and 4) comparing all-in camper costs to just renting Airbnb's I think we have settled on one of these:
trailmanor.com
We had looked at several conventional campers and pop-ups in-person and felt the build quality was overall pretty bad. It's a tough pill to swallow to drop $30K+ on something that was haphazardly thrown together and will massively depreciate over the next few years.
The 27' Trail Manor model 3,000-lb dry and should tow much easier due to not being a sail. My wife would not really be comfortable towing a 4,500-lb camper but I think she'd be fine with one of these (thereby allowing us to split driving). In looking at used prices, they really hold their value and don't come on the market often. A brief financial analysis shows the overall lifecycle cost to be less than a conventional camper due to the better MPG and higher resale value. We found a dealer in KY and will look at one later this month.
TrailManor – Light, Easy-Towing Travel Trailers
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trailmanor.com
We had looked at several conventional campers and pop-ups in-person and felt the build quality was overall pretty bad. It's a tough pill to swallow to drop $30K+ on something that was haphazardly thrown together and will massively depreciate over the next few years.
The 27' Trail Manor model 3,000-lb dry and should tow much easier due to not being a sail. My wife would not really be comfortable towing a 4,500-lb camper but I think she'd be fine with one of these (thereby allowing us to split driving). In looking at used prices, they really hold their value and don't come on the market often. A brief financial analysis shows the overall lifecycle cost to be less than a conventional camper due to the better MPG and higher resale value. We found a dealer in KY and will look at one later this month.
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I'm an engineer by trade and do a lot of cost and cash-flow estimating for large construction projects, so it's my nature
. Basically the break-even for camper vs. Airbnb costs is 18 days/year for a TrailManor, and around 22 days/year for a conventional camper, while the total cost over a 7-year period (assuming the used camper is sold at the end of Year 7) is around $7K less for a TrailManor. We figure we'll use it 18 days/year no problem (one big trip and 5-6 weekends, maybe more).
I tow a lot with my 06. It has a OME lift and the air bags removed. I tow a flipped axle Jayco 18 foot trailer that dry weighs 3500 lbs. Add all the other stuff and I am usually 4500 ish pounds. I travel back trails and roads that most don't. I use a weight distribution hitch and a anti sway bar I tow in 4th gear. My setup is super stable and runs out great. The GX has plenty of power and I live in the PNW were steep passes are in every direction. I don't remember which brake controler I am using but it came out of my 97 F250 Powerstroke years ago. It works just fine. I recommend E rated tires and I run 45 psi on my rears and 35 on my fronts. My trailer has LT tires and not trailer tires also.
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We picked up the TrailManor and brought it home today. The closest dealer was 4 hours away in western Kentucky, and they had the model we wanted (2720QB) in stock. It's a nice trailer and much better built than some of the Forest River sub-brands we had been looking at. They only make around 12 of these a month so they are pretty rare/unique. It's right in at 3,000 lb dry.
The GX towed it great. The camper dealer installed a Reese WDH with a sway control bar. I had no problem pulling 70 mph on the interstate with the cruise on and 55-60 mph on the hillier two-lane roads. Trans temps never got much above 160 degrees (I have a Hayden 678 cooler installed) and were usually around 145 degrees. It stayed in 5th gear most of the time, but I used 4th gear on most hills.
The GX got 13 mpg on the way home. I think with the cruise off and slowing down on hills it could have probably gotten closer to 14 mpg. The ride quality was better with the trailer attached than empty. Power was decent, but the 2UZ is no Cummins. I had enough power to to the speeds I wanted to go, but had to get into 3rd gear to pull 60 mph up some of the steeper hills once we got back into the Ozarks.
Future tow-related upgrades will include some tow mirrors (hard to see traffic coming up from behind) and figuring out a way to add a rear camera on the trailer and have it routed in through my PX6. We already have some weekend trips planned and have a big summer trip in the works.
The GX towed it great. The camper dealer installed a Reese WDH with a sway control bar. I had no problem pulling 70 mph on the interstate with the cruise on and 55-60 mph on the hillier two-lane roads. Trans temps never got much above 160 degrees (I have a Hayden 678 cooler installed) and were usually around 145 degrees. It stayed in 5th gear most of the time, but I used 4th gear on most hills.
The GX got 13 mpg on the way home. I think with the cruise off and slowing down on hills it could have probably gotten closer to 14 mpg. The ride quality was better with the trailer attached than empty. Power was decent, but the 2UZ is no Cummins. I had enough power to to the speeds I wanted to go, but had to get into 3rd gear to pull 60 mph up some of the steeper hills once we got back into the Ozarks.
Future tow-related upgrades will include some tow mirrors (hard to see traffic coming up from behind) and figuring out a way to add a rear camera on the trailer and have it routed in through my PX6. We already have some weekend trips planned and have a big summer trip in the works.
After finding zero options for fitted towing mirrors I took a gamble on a pair of slip-on Longview mirrors for a 1st gen Tundra, as the shape/dimensions looked really close to a GX mirror. They were $63 shipped on eTrailer and arrived within 2 days.
Turns out the Tundra mirrors are really close but not exactly the same as a GX mirror. The GX mirror is a bit taller, but I was able to get the towing mirrors to slip on by warming the tops with a heat gun and slowly pushing them on (took around 5 minutes per side).
The Longview attachment hardware is pretty crummy (all plastic, including plastic threaded-rods and nuts) and was not long enough for the GX mirror. To get the towing mirrors to securely attach I drilled a 1/2" hole in each of my mirrors, installed a M6x1.00x18 mm jacknut, and then attached the mirror with a M6x1.00 SS bolt, 1" fender washer, and two 1.25" rubber washers. This holds mirrors way more securely than the Longview hardware and makes them easier to remove/install. It looks OK for now but not great - I'll need to make some kind of black plastic cap for the jacknut for when the mirrors aren't installed.
This is maybe a 45 min mod total and the mirrors look decent and better than universal clip-on trailer mirrors.
Turns out the Tundra mirrors are really close but not exactly the same as a GX mirror. The GX mirror is a bit taller, but I was able to get the towing mirrors to slip on by warming the tops with a heat gun and slowly pushing them on (took around 5 minutes per side).
The Longview attachment hardware is pretty crummy (all plastic, including plastic threaded-rods and nuts) and was not long enough for the GX mirror. To get the towing mirrors to securely attach I drilled a 1/2" hole in each of my mirrors, installed a M6x1.00x18 mm jacknut, and then attached the mirror with a M6x1.00 SS bolt, 1" fender washer, and two 1.25" rubber washers. This holds mirrors way more securely than the Longview hardware and makes them easier to remove/install. It looks OK for now but not great - I'll need to make some kind of black plastic cap for the jacknut for when the mirrors aren't installed.
This is maybe a 45 min mod total and the mirrors look decent and better than universal clip-on trailer mirrors.
I tried the towing mirrors at first but hated them. My trailer is 7 foot wide so I was able to add adjustable add on mirrors to the outside of my mirror glass and it works great.
Used the mirrors for around 270 miles of towing over the weekend. Overall they worked pretty well and were much better than stock. Our trailer is 7' wide too. They did vibrate a bit but were otherwise pretty solid with the bolt-on attachment method. I would recommend them for an easy add-on that requires some engineering.
I'm just down the canyon from you in Orem, and picked up a little 3100# dry camper a few weeks back. Took it out for a quick weekend and now it's winterized on the side of my house. I am going to Goblin Vally in Feb and Hwy 6 makes me nervous but your post just gave me some confidence that I'll be okay. I'm running 33's as well. I haven't picked up a weight distribution hitch yet but it sounds like I need to make that happen sooner than later.
Get the WDH and make sure it’s set up right and you’ll be fine. 6 is crazy all the time. Don’t let people bully you from behind. Stay at posted speeds, use your trailer brakes and you’ll be fine.
