Towing a 19' Bambi

[jcl]

Originally Posted by Gypsy Girls

You need to make sure the vehicle is set up for towing,beefed up transmission etc.4500 empty weight with 5000 towing capacity doesn't leave any leeway for your belongings

AFAIK the maximum GVWR of the 19 is 4500, not the empty weight. The 4500 includes all your belongings in the trailer.

[jcl]

Originally Posted by CamanoIsland

Just make really sure your tongue weight is correct! I had to trade in my 2016 Highlander to tow my 19 Bambi as the Highlander has a 500 lb tongue limit and the Bambi has a 630 lb tongue weight. I lost a lot of money with the trade to the Toyota Tacoma but I love it now.

ms

Unless you ran into axle weight limits on the scales, that limitation of the OE Toyota receiver can be addressed with an aftermarket receiver from one of several large and reputable hitch suppliers. They rate their receivers to 900 lbs tongue weight for the 2016 model Highlander.

[LittleLucy]

I love towing my 19' Bambi with my Jeep GC / V8 Hemi. Haven't done any mountains but for my travels I hardly know it is behind me.


Bonnie
WBCCI# 13031

[Alluminati]

Originally Posted by CamanoIsland

Just make really sure your tongue weight is correct! I had to trade in my 2016 Highlander to tow my 19 Bambi as the Highlander has a 500 lb tongue limit and the Bambi has a 630 lb tongue weight. I lost a lot of money with the trade to the Toyota Tacoma but I love it now.

The 4Runner used to be a far better TV than Highlander. For a while 4Runner was available with a V8, and towing capacity of 7200 lbs. Depending on equipment, some Highlanders have tow capacity of 1,500 lbs. (My preference remains Lexus GX)

[ojnucci]

Leanan,

This was a huge discussion for my wife and I in 2014 when we bought a 19' bambi.

Long story short, we ended up trading up a Highlander for a Sequoia. The Highlander could have done it in hindsight, but we traveled all across the US and the peace of mind for us ended up being worth it (coming downhill out of mountiains in vic. of Yellowstone...).

I occasionally see folks pulling a 19'-er with a less powerful vehicle. I don't judge one way or the other; I typically wonder if we were a bit too cautious. But then I realize how much more I like my Sequoia, so I don't fret for long!

I second CamanoIsland's earlier post about the tongue weight. I was deep into the analysis-- even contacted the expert in Canada to share some thoughts. In the end we went with the safer option (and also lost a bit of money in the trade in).

I spent several hours one day and about a hundred bucks doing different weight testing at a local scale-- with and without the WD hitch configured. I would have to find the results to send them to you if interested-- they are definitely nice to have for long rides if you trailer is loaded up.

[ojnucci]

Also, for the forum's consumption! Below is my short discussion with Andrew T from the dealer (in Canada I believe). He is something of a guru on the topic.


April 2014:

Andy,

Greetings from San Diego. Your name appears so frequently in AS forums that I could not help bt finally conjure the courage to send a direct question your way.

We are planning to pull a 19' Serenity across the country with our V6 FWD 2012 Highlander. WDH, sway brace, Prodigy brake controller, and new LT tires all in the mix. The Toyota is very solid with 18k miles and pristine care thus far.

The tongue weight is what is troubling me. The advertised Hitch Weight (w/LP & w/o options, water & cargo) is 550 lbs. The Highlander is rated at a max TW of 500 lbs. Do the above mitigation techniques account for this difference adequately? We will obviously get the rig weighed "full" as we get closer.

If need be, I will upgrade the TV. But my gut instinct is that with conservative driving, this is a safe set-up. However, is it not still considered "negligence"?

Thanks so much for your time from a stranger from SoCal!

His reply:

Originally Posted by Andrew T
Hi Owen

We have a lot of customers with Highlanders they work very well. The independent rear suspension means the ride and handle much better than many SUV's rated to tow more.

We always strengthen the hitch receivers on them but most of our customers are towing heavier Airstreams and some other brands as well. The hitch is pretty good so I don't see it having a problem with a 19' as long as you use the right weight distrubution system. If it is going to give you trouble they don't suddenly fall off, the hitch just bends upwards the rear and usually that is a gradual process.

Which brand and weight rating of WDH did you wind up with? What size LT tires did you install on the Highlander?

Andy

[PBixby]

I'm new to this forum, and not sure if I'm doing this right--but I need some advice related to towing! I just bought a 2009 19-foot Signature International, which is around 3,800 lbs--fully loaded 4,500. I thought I would be okay towing it with a 2016 Toyota Tacoma--it's towing capacity is 6,800 lbs, but it's a 2WD. Does anyone know if this is acceptable? My dad is freaking out and thinks I need a 4WD.

[xrvr]

Four wheel drive not necessary.

[bono]

Originally Posted by rostam

(...)

Sometimes there seems to be discrepancies in tow ratings of certain vehicles. For example, Mercedes ML used to have a tow rating of 5000#. Suddenly, the tow ratings was raised to 7200#. Everything looked "identical". Same body style, engine, transmission, suspension, etc., yet an increased tow rating of 2200#. What was not so obvious was that Mercedes had modified the chassis, hence the increased ratings. Personally, I would not read too much into these "discrepancies".

Source of this information please. Mercedes had all the time higher towing rating for rest of the world. I would bet marketing department decided to go from 5000 lbs to 7200 lbs.

[n2916s]

PBixby - you will be fine with 2WD. Obviously, avoid sandy roads and wet grass. Always good to have a AAA or Good Sam towing policy, just in case. We have towed 2WD over 70000 miles in 12 years and have never had a problem.

[PBixby]

You are the first person I've seen mention the Toyota Tacoma towing a 19-ft! What model do you have, and is it 4WD? Do you ever tow for long distances and into elevations? I'm having serious buyer's remorse and wondering if I need a bigger truck--the one I just bought is a Tacoma SR5 2WD with tow package. In your experience is the Tacoma okay to pull the 19-ft for long distances? Any advice you can give is most appreciated!

[PBixby]

I think I replied to the wrong post! Sorry guys, new at this! I saw someone mention a Tacoma, and that's what I really need to find out--if the mid-size truck can handle towing over time and elevation! I'm planning a perhaps year-long trip across the US in this thing, and I don't want to be underpowered!

[USAtraveler]

Originally Posted by PBixby

I'm new to this forum, and not sure if I'm doing this right--but I need some advice related to towing! I just bought a 2009 19-foot Signature International, which is around 3,800 lbs--fully loaded 4,500. I thought I would be okay towing it with a 2016 Toyota Tacoma--it's towing capacity is 6,800 lbs, but it's a 2WD. Does anyone know if this is acceptable? My dad is freaking out and thinks I need a 4WD.

For the type of driving you will be doing while towing that trailer, 4WD is definitely NOT needed. I've towed my 20' Argosy (4000#GVWR) over 10K miles...some of them up rough dirt roads in the nat'l forests...with my 2WD 2014 Tacoma. I've also pulled up some steep grades such as the winding 5000' Towne Pass into Death Valley and many trips into the Sierra Mtns and other ranges.

Getting the factory tow package is a lot more important than 4WD. The tow pkg gives you better transmission cooling, a larger radiator, a larger battery, a larger alternator, plus the tow bar receiver and 8 pin power cable socket. It would also be beneficial to have the larger P265/65R17 wheel & tires. Your 2016 Tacoma has almost 40 more hp and more torque than my 2014. Drive with all the appropriate caution for trailer towing and you'll be fine.

[PBixby]

OMG thank you so much for this reply! My father is going seriously ballistic (and I'm 50 years old, so it's even more disconcerting) because he thinks I'm making a terrible mistake with the mid-size v6 engine. I'm so glad to hear from someone who's experienced--I'm going to share your post with him. THANK YOU!

[Projet2907]

Originally Posted by StrmyWeather

First, Welcome Tiffany. Second, we're new (2016) 19' Bambi owners and absolutely love the trailer. We tow our trailer with a 2003 Silverado which we bought specifically for towing our boat and providing us a vehicle for working around our property. We're now looking for a new-to-us Silverado because this one is very basic and we wanted a few upgrades, and it also allows us to tow without a weight distribution or sway control hitch. I know I've seen a lot of posts with people liking the Grand Cherokee and the Mercedes for tow vehicles. I owned a Grand Cherokee 6 cylinder and would never recommend using it to tow long distances (I was towing our boat approx 2700lbs), but people seem to like the V8 and diesel models.

My real reason for replying is that CountryBoy59 brings up a good point. Towing and traveling with the trailer can involve more than just the trailer. For example, we travel with very little added to the trailer other than food in the fridge, utensils, water tanks full and clothing, as well as electrical cable, 25' drinking water hose, Anderson chocks, sewer hose and 25' sewer water hose.
This would be easy with just an SUV.

But, we carry our bicycles (2) in the bed of the truck, along with my cast iron cooking (don't want to carry that in trailer) gear, small 24" weber charcoal grill, charcoal cannister, additional water hose, stabilizer blocks (wood) for sandy soil, and, as we dry camp for the most part, will probably add a generator and propane gas cannister to the list. Oh, and let's not forget the tool box, camp chairs and fishing gear (haven't got the kayak yet but thinking of bringing our inflatable dinghy). When filling up the bed of the truck (or SUV) you have to worry that you're not exceeding the capacity of the rear axle, along with the overall capacity for the truck. We can also add this equipment and be very comfortable in the vehicle.

So, you have to make sure that whatever you choose, it has the capacity of carrying your add-ons comfortably and safely as well. We do not like to travel with a lot of extras, but there are things that you will find you like to have and you'll get a feel for this when you get to use the AS. Read articles on towing guides; all that you can find. I use Chevrolet's guide for each year of the Silverado. It'll give you some general information that's useful for any vehicle. http://www.chevrolet.com/content/dam...ide_060816.pdf

Read, read, read. As CountryBoy alluded, changing your mind after the fact can be expensive. Each manufacturer's site will give specs and the trailer guides will let you understand how to apply those numbers. They're not always clear, but read enough of them and you'll learn. I've never bought anything that was borderline so when I read something will tow 5k and I'm starting out with a possible 4.5k (I think it's about 3800 basic) without adding anything to my vehicle, I'm pretty sure it won't work. My philosophy has been to exceed requirements and I've never been disappointed. But that's me. I also find that differences in gas mileage don't really add up to much in cost savings.

Sorry for the ramble, but wish you well in your new AS and the AS experience!

Do you have a fiberglass box over your truck to cary all your gear?

[StrmyWeather]

Originally Posted by Projet2907

Do you have a fiberglass box over your truck to cary all your gear?

We don't have a topper for the truck. We carry the gear in our truck bed in containers that are weatherproof. This past trip was our first long trip (about 9 weeks and 10000+ miles). We carried:

- 2 bikes using a Swagman bike rack
- 2 Husky storage containers, one for a pantry and one that contacins my cast iron cookware
- 1 storage container for our Camp Chef and propane extension hoses, as well as grill utensils and yoga mats
- 6 gallon gas tank and
- firewood when we had it.
- 2 water containers 7 gallons each which we didn't use

We stored our Yamaha generator in the back seat area of our truck. We had one additional storage container in the backseat area that contained our fly fishing paraphernalia. With all that we were very comfortable. Each container in the bed had two locks each, as well as a locking cable that ran between each and the tie downs on the truck.

The only time we had issues with our gear was in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, which both have rules concerning storage and bears. They didn't want gear left in the bed, so we stored the pantry in the backseat area of the truck and brought the Camp Chef into the trailer when we were away or at night. Not a big deal, but I might try to design a metal lid to cover them so i don't have to remove them from the truck bed. I'll try to find a photo and send to you if I can.
Richard

[Projet2907]

Originally Posted by StrmyWeather

We don't have a topper for the truck. We carry the gear in our truck bed in containers that are weatherproof. This past trip was our first long trip (about 9 weeks and 10000+ miles). We carried:

- 2 bikes using a Swagman bike rack
- 2 Husky storage containers, one for a pantry and one that contacins my cast iron cookware
- 1 storage container for our Camp Chef and propane extension hoses, as well as grill utensils and yoga mats
- 6 gallon gas tank and
- firewood when we had it.
- 2 water containers 7 gallons each which we didn't use

We stored our Yamaha generator in the back seat area of our truck. We had one additional storage container in the backseat area that contained our fly fishing paraphernalia. With all that we were very comfortable. Each container in the bed had two locks each, as well as a locking cable that ran between each and the tie downs on the truck.

The only time we had issues with our gear was in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, which both have rules concerning storage and bears. They didn't want gear left in the bed, so we stored the pantry in the backseat area of the truck and brought the Camp Chef into the trailer when we were away or at night. Not a big deal, but I might try to design a metal lid to cover them so i don't have to remove them from the truck bed. I'll try to find a photo and send to you if I can.
Richard

Yes,, I would love a photo or two :-)) Thank you very much for the time you took to reply to my question. I am a full timer 3 years now, I moved from a 13' Prolite to my 19' Bambi international last month, I don't yet have the TV yet as my Honda Element has done a super job of pulling my 13' but has now to retire. I am considering the Chevy Colorado2,8 Duramax Diesel, I like that it is smaller. Hopefully it would be safe also. What weight distribution are you using? I was considering the Anderson for simplicity and weight, Or the Reese dual cam for what I have read that it performs well. Here they selll Equilizer and gives us the E2 Fastway. I am also new to these posts and hope I am writing at the right place
Julie

[Tknox]

Has anyone had a Nissan Pathfinder and towed a Bambi 19’?

How did it preform?

Says it will work but I’m making sure before I buy a 2020 Nissan Pathfinder SL


Trailering

Dead Weight Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs): 6000
Dead Weight Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs): 600
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Trailer Wt. (lbs): 6000
Wt Distributing Hitch - Max Tongue Wt. (lbs): 600
Maximum Trailering Capacity (lbs): 6000