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Toy hauler towing experience with a 1500

Discussion in 'General' started by MVA25, Jun 15, 2019.

  1. RRP

    RRP Kinda Superbikey

    Not sure what’s been up there the last year or so, but def something amiss...
     
  2. Razr

    Razr Well-Known Member

    As Bob Seger would sing....."tryin too build his courage up"























    at the bar
     
  3. notbostrom

    notbostrom DaveK broke the interwebs

    Who's Roy
     
  4. Phl218

    Phl218 .

    When I was in the same position as the OP, trying to get the wife to the track and being comfier, I impulse bought a 17’ track and trail hauler. About maximum what the cayenne could tow. Miserable, not only for the gas V8, but also the short wheelbase. Air suspension leveled it out, but it is miles away from what you can achieve with a weight distribution hitch.

    Rented an F250 gasser and pulled the camper to Barber and back. Better ride, got 6.7 MPG

    Have a ram1500 ecodiesel now. Tows the trailer with WD hitch like a breeze. Hauled 1100 miles to Austin and back, 4 guys, 4 bikes. Doing 80 most of the time.

    The ac is loud, I optimized the flow and insulated the sound, now it’s ok.
    Going camping with wife , dog and kid I sometimes think a 30’ unit would be great, but in the end, we’re only sleeping in it.

    Own shower and shitter are the golden ticket at tracks.

    Wanna buy mine? I’m still contemplating a 30’ and since I’m not racing any more, a non TH camper might actually do
     
    TurboBlew likes this.
  5. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    MVA25, I know $15K sounds decent for a new, small, toy hauler like the Wolf Pup 17rp...it's not. That is one of the cheapest brands you can get and you will get what you pay for.
    Like the purchase of any trailer, always go bigger than you think you'll need. When that trailer also has living quarters, go for nicer than you think is adequate.
    BTW, I've priced materials for turning my 7x14 enclosed into a TH...it's not cheaper when I start adding in everything that makes a TH worth having.

    If you have any intentions of using the TH for other than racing, I think you would be doing yourself and family a great service by going bigger and better...you'll likely end up keeping it for quite some time, too, taking the sting out of the initial purchase price.

    Here's my rec...yeah, it's the biggest you'll ever want behind your truck (25', 8K GVWR) but it's also the nicest, best equipage quality and has the longest warranty - it's a keeper. I've been chasin' THs for 15 years - Jayco is the cream of the crop.
    https://www.jayco.com/products/toy-haulers/2019-octane-super-lite/209/
    The site is full of info invaluable to a camper/toy hauler prospective purchaser, regardless of brand.

    Putting an aux tank in the bed of the truck? You ain't doin' that for $350...try $1.5K. (Put that money towards a nice Honda/Yamaha generator in the 3500w+ range.) The only company I know of doing it legally is Transfer Flow. They don't have an aux tank kit or larger OEM replacement tank for your truck, but you could get a transfer tank...not worth it in my opinion. Keep a full race jug or two in the bed just in case.
    Check the site out tho' - another info laden experience.
    Transfer Flow, Inc. - Aftermarket Fuel Tank Systems
    Fuel Regulations - Transfer Flow, Inc. - Aftermarket Fuel Tank Systems
    There's also a bit more on gravity feed in the FAQs.

    Just saw Phl218's post...you can put that on par with the Jayco.
    Bonuses: No new price and he's German...you know that shit is tight, everything works and you wont be spending $25K-$30K to get all the bells-n-whistles in a new unit. Definitely consider his offer.

    Phl218, I have a 30' camper I'm looking to dump. :D
     
    Phl218 and ducnut like this.
  6. Chango

    Chango Something clever!

    Don't you have to stop drinking before the hangover starts?
     
    bleacht likes this.
  7. MVA25

    MVA25 Well-Known Member


    Pmed
     
  8. MVA25

    MVA25 Well-Known Member


    I hear you on what you’re saying. I know the wolf pup isn’t the greatest. I was looking at the ATC toy haulers, but I couldn’t justify spending 30k or so on my first toy hauler. At least not as much as I’ll use it. If this was when I was single and basically lived at the race track, absolutely. Will I regret getting something small, maybe. By the time my boy is old enough to ride(and hopefully he loves the sport as much as I do), then I’ll look into an entire new setup....truck included.

    I know 1500 and toy hauler don’t really look good in the same sentence. But I do know I can tow one or two out there safely. Plus, my wife is a minimalist. I’m the high maintenance one, at least with this type of stuff.

    I’m not going to put an auxiliary pump in my truck. I’d much rather do what you said and get a nice genny.


    I did pm PHl218.
     
    ducnut likes this.
  9. TLR67

    TLR67 Well-Known Member

    Hung out with Roy all last weekend at Barber... I was there for the 3 days at the track and he was there camping with the wife for the small bore event at the Proving grounds.... Roy is doing well... You guys give him too hard of a time... he is a cool cat and can definitely tell some stories... Even about L A G's!!!
     
    TurboBlew likes this.
  10. RRP

    RRP Kinda Superbikey

    Not me man, Roy was always cool and helpful at the track.

    Just seems really pissed off on here.

    EDIT - which I get, because this place can be a shark tank.
     
  11. Phl218

    Phl218 .


    wanna swap for mine? it's all electric (awning, jack, full light kit, speakers) LOL
    well maintained and all small items ironed out...

    MVA25 needs one now and i will go camping next week with the fam.

    my next camper will be all aluminum, no slideouts, but a raised roof and ducted AC, not straight over the bed LOL. and i will probably build it myself.
     
  12. Phl218

    Phl218 .


    well, he had a point with the helmet assessment.

    what do the motogp clowns know...
     
  13. socalrider

    socalrider pathetic and rude

    not to derail the thread any more than it already is, but can you explain this process to me? i think i need to do something like this, to my toyhauler a/c but ive heard people talk about it and i dont really understand the technical details of optimizing the flow etc.

    thanks.
     
  14. Phl218

    Phl218 .


    i removed the lid from inside and looked at the passages from the AC on the roof down and the one up from inside. there were cross bars, plywood sticking out and openings towards the trailer ceiling where the insulation is.
    so i trimmed everything that was in the way for the air to flow in and out of the unit. then i cut Styrofoam pieces to fill the openings on the sides of the flow path (towards the ceiling etc). taped it all off with AC aluminum tape.

    next thing was installing sound deadening panel pieces (bought form the guitar store) on the inside of the inner AC lid (without obstructing air flow) . laid them out in the direction the air is moving out.

    lastly, i took a peg board and put a whole sound deadening panel on top of it. i hang it up under the AC at night to quiet it down even further.

    forgot to measure it first, but the noise is now 72 dB(A) at half foot away on the side and under 70 under the peg board. AC running full song , measured with phone app. id' say it was over 85 before the mods.
     
  15. TLR67

    TLR67 Well-Known Member

    O
    I know that.... you couldn’t be pissed at anyone in my eye’s... I will say I had to LMFAO last weekend though..He was camped in his rig up on the Hill and the guy next to him rolled out a brand new Loud ass Generator.. Roy was laughing about it and even did a video comparison of the 2...it was pretty funny.. We talked for hours and shared some funny as hell stuff.Roy is a great guy..
     
    TurboBlew likes this.
  16. NemesisR6

    NemesisR6 Gristle McThornbody

    Not going to read through all the posts here, but I'll just provide my $.02 with towing my ATC 8.5x20' toy hauler for the last 2.5 years of ownership with my 2015 F150 supercrew w/5.0L V8 and 2WD. Trailer completely loaded with water, toys, gear, etc. is about 7,000 lbs. Depending on weight distribution inside the unit, tongue weights vary from 800-1000 lbs. Trucks payload capacity is 2,000 lbs. With the WD hitch setup properly and the trailer fully loaded, I'm still under the rear axle rating over the scales but about 200 lbs., with no reduction in weight over the front axles (i.e. a good portion of the tongue weight is being transferred appropriately).

    Once properly set up with a WD hitch (I also added sumo springs a few months ago to help with squat), the trailer tows like a dream. No sway, even at highway speeds and being passed by semis. Even with heavy crosswinds, nothing I would consider white-knuckling. However, I think it would be a different story with a 25+ ft. trailer and the amount of overhang.

    The V8 does just fine. I average between 8.5-9.5 MPG (3.55 rear end, 6-speed transmission) towing at 65mph in normal conditions. Head/tail winds are going to be the biggest variable here, as the lack of low-rpm torque is not what NA V8's are known for. This is mostly SE United States towing, so I'm not seeing excessively steep grades, though.

    I think towing with a half-ton comes down to 2 things:
    1. What is your vehicle rated for, especially payload and axle ratings?
    2. How hard will the trailer work your engine/transmission?
    The first is infinitely more important. It is going to be rare to find a half ton with payload ratings in excess of 1,500 lbs, especially in crew cab, 4WD trucks with premium trim packages. Most toy haulers are going to easily put 800-1,000 lbs on the tongue, and that doesn't leave much room for people/gear.

    For example, the new F150 ecodiesel is rated to something like 10,500 lbs towing capacity. However, in the 4WD lariat/platinum trims I think the payload is only something like 1,250 lbs. If you haul a 10,000 lb. travel trailer and aim to keep 10-15% of that weight on the tongue (which most manufacturers recommend), you've already killed and/or overloaded the truck. So........PAY ATTENTION TO PAYLOAD, GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), GCWR (gross combined weight rating), and F/RAWR (front/rear axle weight rating). If you're skirting the max figures for any of these, you may want to reconsider your tow vehicle.

    The second point is mostly related to the towing experience itself..............and how loose you are with the statement "Sure, it can do it, but should it?"

    Towing at max capacity with a half-ton pickup through adverse terrain and steep grades is going to PUNISH that engine/transmission, no matter what kind. You'll be in a vehicle that will be hunting gears and or running at high-RPMs in order to manage the load at highway speeds, and that can be very tiring on your sanity for hours on end.............but at least you'll be able to stop every couple hours to fill up anyways, because you'll be getting 5-6 mpg. It's going to be a matter of what you're willing to accept. Do you want your towing experience to be pleasant, quiet, and free of drama? Then use a vehicle that has capacities you won't be pushing to their limits when you hook up your trailer.

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
    ducnut likes this.
  17. socalrider

    socalrider pathetic and rude

    THANK YOU! my issue is not so much with noise, but that the AC dumps into the main area of the toy hauler, but it has a little 4" duct that runs to the front bedroom area (where my wife and i sleep) and id conservatively estimate that im getting a whopping 9 cfm out of that duct. :D it is noisy in the main room but since i never sleep out there i havent cared. ill be looking into this on this weekend. thank you again. :beer:
     
    Phl218 likes this.
  18. fastfreddie

    fastfreddie Midnight Oil Garage

    I'll be getting the better deal in a swap, but I'm not ready to tackle critical thinking at the moment...getting over pneumonia, still on anti-biotics and head spins from the meds/disrupted eating/sleeping.
    If you're serious, I'll need this week to get my shit together while catching up with whatever else I can't think about.

    2008 Sunnybrook Sunset Creek 307RL - very lightly used, rear living, aluminum superstructure, ducted AC/heat/underbelly, all original paperwork, clear Title, slideout works flawlessly...power nothing. :D

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jun 17, 2019
  19. MVA25

    MVA25 Well-Known Member


    I appreciate the info.

    Those ATC are very nice. I think after I get my feet wet, I’ll head that way.
     
  20. ducnut

    ducnut Well-Known Member

    Does your main unit have adjustable air outlets? My motorhome had them in the main unit I would close and force the air through the ductwork.

    They ARE nice. What I especially like about them is they’re close to the ground and on torsion axles. They ride nicer and are much more stable than the “stick and tin” budget toy haulers that sit way up on leaf springs. Plus, you have the options to outfit it to your desires.

    Ton of great info from Nemesis, as well.
     
    MVA25 likes this.

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